1.
Improving Student Accessibility through
the use of Remote Instrumentation
The BC-ILN Project
Bruno Cinel & Sharon E. Brewer
Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, BC
2013 Meeting on Remote Labs in BC

2.
Outline of the Talk
Improving Student Accessibility through
the use of Remote Instrumentation
• Some Background and Terminology
– The BC-Integrated Laboratory Network and the HP Catalyst Initiative
– What is a lab?
– Distance, online, hands-on, virtual, remote, blended labs
• The BC-Integrated Laboratory Network
– Research questions
– First year general chemistry AAS laboratory
– Other instruments
– Additional activities
• Acknowledgements and contact info 2

3.
Some Background
Thompson Rivers University (TRU) Mandate
“In carrying out its purposes, the university must serve… the open learning needs of
British Columbia.”
TRU-Open Learning First Year General Chemistry Laboratory Courses
CHEM 1505 and CHEM 1525
The BC-Integrated Laboratory Network
An initiative to integrate the remote use of scientific instrumentation and supporting
instructional material into classroom, lecture and laboratory environments through the
use of web-based technologies.
Sloan Consortium Workshops in Teaching and Learning with
Online Labs
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4.
HP Catalyst Initiative
“Creating Powerful Learning Experiences”
• What: innovative models of learning to make STEM+
experiences more relevant, more accessible, and more effective
to highly motivate students and increase learning outcomes
• 2011 Grant: Providing and Evaluating Authentic On-Line Science
Laboratory Experiences through the BC-ILN
“Can we help improve learning
opportunities for students by
increasing access to modern
scientific instruments and remote
laboratory experiences?
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5.
Terminology
What is a Lab?
experiences providing opportunities for students to interact directly with the
material world (or with data drawn from the material world), using the tools,
data collection techniques, models, and theories of science.
(America's Lab Report: Investigations in High School Science, 2006)
Goals:
- making chemistry real
- practical skills
- scientific skills
- general skills
(Chemistry Education Research and Practice, 2007, 8(2) 172-185)
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6.
Terminology
ACS Policy Statement
“Hands-on activities enhance learning significantly at all levels of science education.
These activities are usually the basis for a “laboratory” class or laboratory portion of a
class. In a hands-on chemistry course, students directly experience laboratory chemicals
and their properties, chemical reactions, chemical laboratory apparatus, and chemical
laboratory instruments. These activities are essential for learning chemistry.”
“… supports identifying designations for laboratory courses that involve the substitution
of simulations for more than 20 percent of the hands-on, laboratory activities.”
CSC Accreditation
“program to involve a total of about 1000 hours of laboratory and classroom work in
chemistry, with the minimum hours of each being about 400. The laboratory hours
should be distributed in such a way that every student is exposed to meaningful
laboratory experience in at least four (and preferably five) of the five sub-disciplines.”
Articulation Agreements
The BC Council on Admissions & Transfer (BCCAT) facilitates admission, articulation,
and transfer arrangements among BC- post-secondary institutions for the benefit of
students. 6

7.
Terminology
Online
Virtual Labs
Blended Remote
Hands-
on
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8.
TRU Chemistry
Blended Laboratory Learning
Online
Hands-on Virtual
“Kits”
Remote
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9.
The BC-ILN Project
The Integrated Laboratory Network
An initiative to integrate the remote use of scientific instrumentation and
supporting instructional material into classroom, lecture and laboratory
environments through the use of web-based technologies.
?
How can the BC-ILN help improve learning opportunities
for students?
Can we use these tools to deliver and achieve or
accomplish the same learning outcomes?”
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10.
Bridging the Distance
BC-ILN Project
UNBC
TRU WL
Medicine
TRU Hat College
BCIT
See inset 10
WWU in Bellingham, Washington
Northwestern University

11.
First Year Chemistry Labs
Running the ANALYSIS…
internet
PROXIMALLY REMOTELY
• Cyber-enable an Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer with an autosampler
• Students run analysis hands-on either “proximally” or “remotely”
• Incorporate remote experience as an option to distance students
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12.
Other Instruments
Shimadzu Total Organic Carbon Analyzer
with Total Nitrogen
used as non-specific indicators of water quality
Thermo Scientific Trace Gas Chromatograph Ultra
used to analyze the various volatiles present in samples
Bruker 500 MHz AVANCE III Nuclear Magnetic
Resonance Spectrometer
used to reveal the detailed molecular structure of compounds
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13.
Additional Activities
High School Chemistry Outreach
• extend instrumental learning experiences to rural regional high schools
analyzing various water sources for metal contaminants
Scanning Electron Microscope Activity
• provide an instrumental experience to TRU 3rd year analytical chemistry students
SEM-Energy Dispersive Spectrometer at WWU in Bellingham, Washington
Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometer
• 1st year analysis of iron in a multivitamin from Medicine Hat College
• UNBC 2nd year Biochemistry Laboratory Analysis of iron in hemoglobin
Oh yeah, funny story about that…
Total Organic Carbon Analyzer with Total Nitrogen
• Collaboration with Northwestern University to provide mobile access to high school
students
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14.
Distance Laboratories
Chemistry Laboratories I and II
– blended, distance lab courses combining hands-on, home
experimental kits (modified from Labpaqs®), virtual pre-laboratory
activities, and online course management and assessment
– introducing optional remote lab “Determination of Iron in a
Multivitamin by AAS”
– continuous enrolment, transferable for credit
Assessment
– Safety Quiz 5%
– Lab Reports 40 %
– Online Journal 25 %
– Invigilated: Written Exam 15 %
Practical Exam 15 %
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15.
Best Practices
“Best practices" are an effective way of accomplishing learning:
• Clearly defined learning outcomes
• Outcomes linked to meaningful & consistent assessment difficulty
• Interaction (student-content, student-instructor…)
• Active learning
control
• Reflective learning (metacognition)
• Instructor presence
• Effective and timely communication feedback
“learning of online students should at least be equivalent
to that of traditional students…” (Sloan-C)
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16.
Thanks & Acknowledgements
2011 Catalyst Fund and
2012 Catalyst Leadership
Fund
BCcampus Online Program Development Fund
Please contact us: bcinel@tru.ca sbrewer@tru.ca
Please check out our website: www.bciln.ca
Or follow us on Twitter: @bciln
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