NANSLO: WORKING TOGETHER

INTERNATIONALLYModerator: Patricia Shea, WICHE (CO)

Presenter: Paul Stacey, BCcampus (British Columbia)

Presenter: Dan Branan, Colorado Community College System (CO) October 27, 2011

Next Generation Learning Challenges

The North American Network of Science Labs Online (NANSLO) was selected from more than 600 Wave I pre-proposals and 50 finalists

15-month, $750,000 grant One of two international projects funded

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation helped design Next Generation Learning Challenges and fund the initiative

Multiyear, collaborative initiative focused on identifying and accelerating the growth of effective education technology that can help improve college readiness and completion in the United States, especially among low-income individuals

NGLC is focused on early-stage innovations that look promising but require significant technology investments

EDUCAUSE, dedicated to advancing higher education through the use of technology, leads the NGLC initiative

The Numbers: Online Learning

21% growth rate for online enrollment far exceeds the 2% growth in the overall higher education student population

2010 Sloan Survey of Online Learning* interviewed 2,500 colleges and universities nationwide

Approximately 5.6 million students were enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2009

Nearly 30% of all students take at least one online course

Over 75% of surveyed academic leaders in public institutions report that online instructions is as good as or better than face-to-face instruction

Allen, Elaine, and Jeff Seaman. Class Difference$. Rep. BABSON Survey Research Group, Nov. 2010. Web. 26 Aug. 2011. <http://sloanconsortium.org/publications/survey/class_differences>.

Remote Access to Scientific Instrumentation

Remote access to scientific instrumentation has been in practice for many years

NASA Mars Rover and Space Station

Remote Sensing in Oceanographic Study

Remote Access to Scientific Laboratories

Remote access to science lab equipment started in the mid-1990s in higher education

Wide-spread adoption is slow Perception that “remote” is not

“real” Initial cost of equipment and

maintenance Technical complexity

Strong student outcomes challenge perceptions

Remote lab pedagogy is evolving

Benefits of Remote Laboratories

Remote access benefits underserved students

Rural, disabled, and working students with difficult schedules can access scientific experiments 24x7

Networked laboratories promote efficiency

Expensive scientific resources are shared by multiple institutions and scheduled for maximum efficiency

Students enjoy benefits of remote access

Extended opportunity for repeated experimentation

Preferred over use of simulations

Equipment and materials are controlled

Access to expensive or dangerous materials

NANSLO Mission Statement

NANSLO provides a consortium approach to the development and deployment of high-quality, modular, openly licensed courseware integrating learner-centered and immersive web-based labs using software, video and robotics for the study of science courses

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North American Network of Science Labs Online - NANSLO

British Columbia

Colorado

Wyoming

Montana

NANSLO Project Objectives

Developing high-quality first-semester core curriculum for Biology, Chemistry, & Physics

Designing comprehensive laboratory learning experiences which meet learning outcomes while accommodating flexible delivery options

Integrating innovative technologies for mediating science learning

Remote Web-based Science Laboratories

Lab kits

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NANSLO

NANSLO Deliverables

Three open courses including course curriculum and laboratory experiments for first-semester biology, chemistry & physics

NANSLO Network & Expansion Resources establishes a federated network of US and Canadian post-

secondary institutions collectively collaborating on and using open core science courses and remote web-based science labs.Environmental Scan of remote science education labs in the US and

CanadaHow-to adoption manual of case studies, policies and procedures that

others can use to guide their own adoption of RWSL Scale network template that provides guidance on scaling use of remote

labs across all institutions collaborating in NANSLO as well as a sustainability model.

Evaluator Report

Remote Web-Based Science Laboratories

• Allows participation in laboratory experiments for students who may otherwise be unable to attend a traditional classroom/laboratory setting

• Students interact with and manipulate remote scientific laboratory equipment

• Class works in small groups or individually to collect authentic real-world scientific data in real time

• Ideally, students feel like they are “in the lab”, or at least, “in the next room”

Lab Kits for Remote Student Use

Students are provided with all laboratory equipment necessary for remote experimentation

Physics lab kit example

Equipment for Remote Access

Lab Server (required)

Desktop computer, Video archive storage

National Instruments’ LabVIEWwith virtual instruments

Video/Audio (required)

Cameras, Capture Card, Video Multiplexer, Streaming Audio/Video Server

Various Hardware

Frame, Robotic Slides and Tables Robotic Positioning Slides and Rotary Tables, Robotic Arm, Spectrometer, Digital Microscope, Air Track

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Text ChatSkype

Elluminate

RWSL Overview

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LabEquipment

Internet RWSL

Observation

Data

Manipulation

Students

Communications Data Acquisition

Video/Audio Observation

Physical Manipulation

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Pan Tilt Zoom CameraVideo Streamer

Video Mixer

Observation

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Robotic ArmLinear SlidesRotary TablesSlide Loader

Physical Manipulation

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Chemistry/PhysicsSpectrometer – properties of light such as intensity, polarization, wavelength

LabVIEW Software

Data Acquisition

NANSLO Considerations for the Future

Further partners & funding are being sought for expansion of North American Network, ideas include: Continuation and expansion of discipline panels of faculty collaborating

on development of open courses A development “sand box” environment for faculty to explore RWSL

hands on and devise new experiments Developing or adopting an open textbook for the open biology, chemistry

and physics courses Expanding development of online science courses using the RWSL from

first year to second, third, and fourth years toward a complete credential Partnering with other existing science lab online initiatives to broaden

the areas of science beyond physics, biology, and chemistry to other scientific domains

Instructionally designing a pedagogy that optimally blends lab kits, simulations, and RWSL

Sustaining and expanding the RWSL as a shared service to rural students/tribal councils, other institutions or states/provinces

CONTACT INFORMATION

Pat Shea, NANSLO PIpshea@wiche.edu, 303.541.0302

Catherine Weldon, NANSLO Project Coordinator

cweldon@wiche.edu, 303.541.0220

Project Overview

http://www.wiche.edu/nanslo

NANSLO Wiki

http://nanslo.pbworks.com