Onlabs: 3D Game for Distance Laboratory Training

Vasilis Zafeiropoulos

Dimitris Kalles

Argyro Sgourou

Achilles Kameas

HELLENIC OPEN UNIVERSITYSchool of Science and Technology

How we learn(with a pinch of salt …)

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Οn-site laboratory practice- no plain sailing

• Large number of trainees

• Short time for training

• Lab equipment not really completely available (sensitive, wear and tear, consumables)

• Risks of accidents (health and maintenance)

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Οn-site laboratory practice- in a more difficult context

• Natural Sciences Education at HOU

– 4 years: 12 modules x 20 ECTS

• 5 counselling sessions x 4 hours

– 2 on-site lab sessions x 3 subjects

• Biology, Chemistry, Physics

• 1 session = 1 week x 5 days x 8-10 hours

• 2-3 supervisors per 15 students

– 2nd-3rd year of studies

• Expected graduation rate < 20%

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Purposes

• Decongestion of real labs

• Familiarizing oneself with equipment - safely

• Protection of lab equipment from damages

• Accommodating unlimited trial & error testing

…. (hopefully) leading to ….

• (more) Pleasant training process

• (more) Effective learning

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About Onlabs

• Simulation of a real Biology Lab

• Main characteristics:

– 3D

– Realism

– Interaction

• Genre: Modern Adventure Games

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Screenshots (1)

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Screenshots (2)

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Screenshots (3)

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Onlabs simulation demo

Α. Use of Optical Microscope1. Configuration of the microscope (e.g. adjusting light, iris, lenses)

2. Creation of a test concoction (a slide with a piece of paper and water on it)

3. Microscoping with all objectives lenses

Β. Dilution preparation1. Use of the electric scale with various powder quantities

2. Use of electric pipette for drawing and pouring precise quantities of fluids

3. Use of magnetic stirrer for fully dissolving and stirring the components of a dilution

4. Titration of the final dilution

...and even more coming up!

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Next steps

• Simulation of more instruments/experiments– At biology lab

• Simulation at chemistry (and, maybe, physics)• Simulation at other study modules

• Fully-fledged context-sensitive scoring– Playing, Learning, Assessing, Examining– With/without tutor

• Integration with instruction practices– Editing Wizards– Tutoring Agents

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The grand goal

• Improve access to laboratory education by reducing its cost

• Elevate at-a-distance lab education to at least the same level of learning effectiveness compared to on-site lab education

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Visit us at:https://sites.google.com/site/

onlabseap/

This project has been co-financed by the EuropeanUnion (European Social Fund – ESF) and Greek nationalfunds through the Operational Program "Education andLifelong Learning" of the National Strategic ReferenceFramework (NSRF) (Funding Program: “HOU”).