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Rio Salado Science w/lab courses - tbradford1 - 05-03-2010
Hi all,
Anyone here who has tried any classes that require virtual labs? I'm going to try to take A&P I and II online through Rio Salado Community College, and they mention that labs are done virtually online and through CD resources. I'm just curious if anyone has gone through a class there (or gone though any virtual lab class really) and can give input on how it worked and what you liked or didn't like about it. Thanks!
Rio Salado Science w/lab courses - Sunshine - 05-06-2010
I havenât taken A & P, but I did take a microbiology class with a virtual lab through my local community college last year. We used a program from VUMicro. The program came with a lab manual (PDF), which I printed out and used during the labs. After an initial tutorial and a tour of the virtual lab, the software allowed me to start working on lab exercises.
The lab was stocked with everything- equipment, bacterial strains, media for cultures, and biohazard dispensers. There were four main components: retrieving an unknown agent, performing biochemical tests, identifying bacterium, and interpreting results. I had to go through all of the various steps as if I were really doing it, like selecting media, choosing tools (such as Durham tubes, pipettes, loops, etc.), and then perform aseptic transfer techniques for a wet lab. These were done using the mouse/cursor- point and click, drag object, and so on. For example, I had to ignite the burner, remove caps, flame the loop, dip the loop into inoculum & sterile broth, place in incubator, etc. If I missed a step or took too long during the process, the program would let me know that contamination had occurred, and I'd have to start over. Once the lab was complete, I could view the results, including gram stains, microbial growth patterns, media turbidity, and video of bacterial motility.
Overall, I thought it was a really fun program. The labs were challenging - it took me about 3 hours to finish each one. Once I had completed them, the program generated a report that was sent to my professor. I wasnât sure what to expect before I started the class, so I was pleasantly surprised with the results.
Pros: Done at home on my own schedule. All of the steps for culturing were performed. The incubation time was instant, so no waiting for days for a culture to grow. Very inexpensive method.
Cons: You don't get the hands-on experience (obviously!). This includes experience with various microscopes and slide preparation techniques. There is a lot of prep work that goes into staining that I didnât get to practice.
Hope this helps!
Rio Salado Science w/lab courses - tbradford1 - 05-06-2010
Wow that sounds awesome, thank you so much! I'm excited to get started! I'm going through a different school because the cost was a little less and there was less hassle registering, but should still be the same concept. Thanks again!
Rio Salado Science w/lab courses - Sunshine - 05-06-2010
Glad I could help!
I checked out Rio Salado and they have a lot of great classes w/ labs. Let us know how it goes!