Universities Reimagine Teaching Labs for a Virtual Future
Originally published by EdTech
By Renee Morad
Renee Morad is education solutions manager of Keysight Technologies, a provider of Ixia brand solutions.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced the closure of university teaching labs worldwide. Students in STEM classes stopped using industry-grade equipment on campus, and instead tried to problem-solve independently with take-home kits that provided limited functionality.
As classroom instruction moved from in-person to virtual, professors and teaching assistants quickly realized this new learning experience created many challenges. Real-time instruction and hands-on experience gave way to students trying to solve problems independently.
“This take-home lab setup left students in the dark, making the experience difficult, which led to a lot of frustration,” says Kevin T. Kornegay, an Internet of Things security professor at Morgan State University in Baltimore, Md.