Virtual Labstore - A Tool to Facilitate Inquiry-based Laboratory Research Education

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bulrr

Biomedical education program students undertake research courses traditionally structured around teacher-provided research questions and fixed laboratory material lists. The program aimed to raise inquiry level by removing those lists and to improve student–teacher interaction flexibility. Virtual Labstore was created as an online 3D laboratory stockroom where students browse available materials and purchase supplies within budget limits, supported by online communication tools. Student feedback indicated stronger thinking about experimental execution and improved access independent of location.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages15

Reading Time38 min

AccessFree to download

Abstract

Introduction

Educational program and inquiry-based research goals

From structured/guided inquiry to open inquiry

Virtual Labstore design and online communication support

Virtual Labstore: A Tool to Facilitate Inquiry-based Laboratory Research Education M.C. Morsink, C. M. T. van der Valk, O. Tysma, J. C. van der Griendt, W.B. van Leeuwen, andA. van derAar Leiden Centre for Applied Bioscience Faculty of Science & Technology University of Applied Sciences Leiden The Netherlands Abstract In our biomedical educational program, students follow research courses. Traditionally, students receive research questions and pre-determined, teacher-prepared lists of laboratory materials to use. Currently, we aim to increase our research courses’ inquiry level towards a more open inquiry by omitting these teacher-prepared lists. Additionally, we want to enhance the flexibility of student-teacher interactions during research courses. Therefore, Virtual Labstore was developed. This is an online 3D laboratory stockroom in which students are able to browse all the laboratory materials present in our university and buy materials for their experiments within the limits of predetermined financial budgets. Furthermore, several online communication tools were made available to facilitate remote student-teacher interaction. Although several students initially experienced internet-connection related problems and lacked overview of the virtual workspace itself, students indicated during focus group sessions that using Virtual Labstore instead of teacher-prepared lists stimulated thinking about how to perform their experiments. Additionally, they acknowledged the value of being able to look for materials and communicate with their teacher independently of physical location. In conclusion, Virtual Labstore positively affected students’ perceptions on learning about experimental design and increased student-teacher interaction flexibility. However, Wi-Fi-stability should be checked, and time should be allocated for student-training before use. Keywords: second life, 3D virtual learning environment, inquiry-based learning, warehouse, store, shop, laboratory education, research education, distance education Introduction In the undergraduate educational program‘Biology and Medical Laboratory Research’ of the University of Applied Sciences Leiden (The Netherlands), students are trained to become biomedical laboratory research technicians with a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc. ) qualification. This program consists of several educational tracks, including a‘research track’ in which research skills are taught, and a ‘technical track’, in which laboratory techniques are taught. Currently, we wish to implement inquiry-based research courses into our research track to stimulate scientific thinking and process skills. Inquiry-based research courses focus on formulating the research question and hypothesis, developing the experimental procedures, performing laboratory experiments to collect data, and critically evaluating obtained results (French & Russell, 2006) . Different levels of inquiry can be distinguished, based on who provides the problem, who provides the experimental procedures, whether the solution or outcome is known and the extent of the instructor’s involvement (Johnson, 2009; Herron, 1971) . Generally, when the research question and the experimental procedures are provided by the teacher, the inquiry is categorized as structured. Presently, our aim is to implement more open inquiry-based research courses, in which the research question is still provided by the teacher, but the procedures are devised and performed by the students and the outcome is unknown. This situation mimics the situation in the work field for which our students are trained. In our previous research courses, students received a research question and a pre-determined teacher-prepared list of selected laboratory materials which could be used to perform the experiments. Since these materials lists were presented at the beginning of the research course, we believe that the students’ line of thinking was already directed towards

FAQs

Virtual Labstore was developed to solve which educational issues?

It was designed to increase the inquiry level of research courses by removing teacher-prepared laboratory material lists and to make student–teacher interaction more flexible beyond physical classroom constraints.

How do students use Virtual Labstore during research courses?

Students browse the university’s complete laboratory material collection in a 3D virtual stockroom and buy materials for experiments within predetermined financial budgets.

What benefits and limitations were reported by students and the authors?

Students reported that using Virtual Labstore instead of fixed lists stimulated thinking about experimental execution and enabled independent material lookup and communication. The authors noted that Wi‑Fi stability should be checked and that time should be allocated for student training before use.

Oct 15, 2026

Uploaded by Bulrr