2021 Lab Innovator Award
Winners
We received many innovative ideas for the lab classroom throughout the year. These are the some of our favorites.
In March 2020, Lab instructors across the country had to quickly pivot to an online teaching environment that was incompatible with the in person labs that are traditional in most disciplines. While many instructors turned to commercially available solutions, others developed their own.
The Winners
1st Place
Ed Lee & Alicia Altemose, Texas A&M University
“TikTok Lab Final Exams”
Ed Lee and Alicia Altemose at TAMU knew they didn’t want to give a traditional lab final during the pandemic, but they still needed to challenge their students to show what they had learned throughout the semester. The solution they came up with? Video Finals!
Though students weren’t mandated to use TikTok for their project (they could also use YouTube), most students did. Lee and Altemose's students showcased their creativity alongside some of the most important Chemistry concepts they learned over the semester. The results were overwhelmingly positive with over 6.8 million views on TikTok and rave reviews from TAMU Chemistry students.
2nd Place
Sajan Silwal, Southeast Missouri State
“Lab Simulations by Powerpoint”
Professor Silwal created 3 simulations from scratch for his students utilizing Powerpoint and custom made animations for each simulation. Ensuring that each simulation had a hands-on component in addition to the virtual component. The 3 topics covered in these simulations are:
- SN1 Vs SN2 reactions
- What’s my compound?
- Infrared Radiation lab
3rd Place
Andrew Scherbakov, Georgia Institute of Technology
“Lab Kits, Experiments and Videos for Remote Learning”
Professor Scherbakov created lab kits, procedures and videos from scratch for his students to complete over 50 Electromagnetism experiments throughout the semester with the assistance of the iOLab device. Most lab designs contained an Introduction, Models, a pre-lab activity, the actual experiment and an optional post-lab challenge.
Honorable Mention
Andrew Young, Casper College
“Physics 3 Ways”
Andrew utilized 3 different ways for his students to learn from home for 3 different courses. In Conceptual Physics, he utilized a video game like simulation product to create a fun learning environment. For Algebra-Based Physics, he used the Converted Live Lab method, allowing students to record and analyze data from videos and photographs. For Calculus-Based Physics, Andrew utilized boxed kits paired with a lab manual and corresponding videos to help his students do experiments from home.
Honorable Mention
Amy Fuller, University of Hawaii-Manoa
“Kitchen Lab Chemistry”
Amy created 3 labs for her students to practice hands-on science while learning from home, all from the comfort of their own kitchen. These experiments explore the science of activities the students have probably done before, like baking cookies or boiling water. The final experiment gave them an opportunity to be creative by creating their own experiment. Despite the fact that these may have taken longer than other assignments, students rated them as their favorite labs each semester.
Thanks to everyone who submitted their lab innovation this year!
