Science labs at home

Discussion in 'Off-Topic Discussions' started by Gert Potgieter, Nov 12, 2002.

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  1. glennmari

    glennmari member

    On line labs.

    Gert,

    While I can appreciate your distaste for the level of chemistry, I must say, I'm encouraged by the idea of DL labs. As you know, one of the major roadblocks with offering 'full' engineering programs to DL students, is labs. Let's 'keep our fingers cross', this could be the beginning of good things to come.

    Ok … I'm the typical optimist.

    Glenn
     
  2. BillDayson

    BillDayson New Member

    I can see this for those 'science for non-majors' general education courses. Many of these kind of classes, even when they are offered on campus, don't have labs at all. So this might be a valuable supplemental experience of some kind (or maybe just a waste of time).

    But I can't imagine this kind of thing in a real science course for majors.

    A large part of science labs is learning proper technique and the use of instrumentation. They require hazardous materials and careful safety procedures.

    The one exception might be computer science. I don't know enough about that to say very much, but I'm guessing that a student could use his or her computer as a remote terminal to all kinds of on-campus systems.

    But I can't imagine a real natural science or engineering program by DL, at least at the undergraduate level. Although, on second thought, local community colleges might be drafted into offering remote on-site labs if they are equipped to handle it. Even graduate programs would have to be almost entirely theoretical, unless hands-on research was conducted on-site at a corporation or something.
     
  3. glennmari

    glennmari member

    On line chem.

    BillDayson,

    You're right. As I said in my initial post, "While I can appreciate your distaste for the level of chemistry, I must say, I'm encouraged by the idea of DL labs. As you know, one of the major roadblocks with offering 'full' engineering programs to DL students, is labs." As someone who is about to complete a DL program in science, ( BSAST) to be exact. I really like your suggestion of labs being offered at local community colleges, if the facilities are available. If that method is not currently used, you may be on to something. Maybe collations could be formed between colleges offering DL in engineering & local community colleges to handle the labs issue. Have you made that suggestion to schools like UND http://www.conted.und.edu/dist_engr/, & others offering DL in engineering?
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Nov 12, 2002

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