2021 Lab Innovators

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When Covid-19 first shut down the world in March of 2020, lab instructors across the country had to scramble to figure out how to adapt their in-person teaching methods to ones completely virtual. Many instructors turned to commercially available solutions, while some took on the initiative to create their own! Here are our top three innovators and what they did to stand apart from the rest.

1st Place

Ed Lee & Alicia Altemose, Texas A&M University

“Tik Tok Lab Final Exams”

Ed Lee knew the pandemic had heavily impacted the learning process of so many students. From suddenly being sent home, to beginning a new form of education, one that is completed while never leaving your house, Lee recognized the struggle that students were facing. And so he found a way to transform finals into a fun expression of creativity and knowledge! Students were to create a video using Tik Tok, Youtube, or another video format, and submit it to showcase all they had learned throughout the semester. The results? An overwhelming wave of support and enjoyment from students and audiences from the platforms alike!

2nd Place

Sajan Silwal, Southeast Missouri State 

“Lab Simulations by Powerpoint”

Professor Sajan Silwal understood that transferring labs to an online format was difficult. Labs were a completely different experience pre-pandemic, so it begged the question of how do we create something for students that will further them academically in these new and unprecedented times? Professor Silwal created three lab simulations from scratch using Powerpoint and custom made animations to help students better interact with the material given. In fact, each simulation was created with a hands on component alongside the visual component, so that students could get the most out of their lab experience. 

3rd Place

Andrew Scherbarkov, Georgia Institute of Technology

“Lab Kits, Experiments and Videos for Remote Learning”

How does one reinvent the wheel when so much change is happening all at once? That is what Professor Scherbarkov did for his students over at Georgia Institute of Technology. He created lab kits, procedures, and videos from scratch for his students to complete experiments. They worked on over 50 Electromagnetism experiments over the course of a semester with the assistance of the iOLab device. These labs contained a variety of different elements, including an Introduction, Models, a pre-lab activity, the actual experiment itself as well as an optional post-lab challenge. All of this served to help students absorb the material just as well as if they were in person.

To learn more about the 2021 Lab Innovator Awards, you can visit https://go.macmillanlearning.com/Lab-Innovator-Award-Winners.html