How this practice supports access:
[updated 4/17/06] The need for access to meaningful laboratory learning experiences has become more important; an increasing number of majors require a significant chemistry background, reflecting the unprecedented impact of chemistry on society. Post-secondary chemistry courses now enroll over one million students annually; Brigham Young University (BYU) alone has over 5,000 students enrolled in general chemistry courses and more than 3,000 students in the organic chemistry sequence. Laboratory learning experiences in chemistry are meant to connect theory with practice, teach laboratory technique, and instill foundational cognitive and analytical skills. Unfortunately, due to severe time constraints, large numbers of students, costs, and other factors, laboratory learning in practice is too often a narrow, "cookbook"-like experience where students follow written directions to get expected results, with little thought about what they are supposed to learn.

With funding from the Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Eduction, BYU created two interactive computer simulations called Virtual ChemLab: General Chemistry Laboratories and Virtual ChemLab: Organic Synthesis and Organic Qualitative Analysis. The General Chemistry Laboratories currently contain simulations of Inorganic Qualitative Analysis, Experiments in Quantum Chemistry, and Gas Properties. Future simulations will also include Titrations and Calorimetry. Virtual ChemLab was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of simulating a complete instructional laboratory environment sufficiently to accomplish effective instruction. In the process, Virtual ChemLab provides access to effective laboratory learning experiences for many more learners in less time.

Development on all six chemistry laboratory simulations was completed in the Fall of 2004, so that VCL now includes sophisticated laboratories for Inorganic Qualitative Analysis, Fundamental Experiments in Quantum Chemistry, Gas Properties, Titration Experiments, Calorimetry, and Organic Synthesis and Qualitative Analysis. The development team is currently working on a set of physics laboratories, the first one, Mechanics be completed in Summer 2006. The other labs that will be completed in 2007 include Density/Buoyancy, Optics, and Circuits. The plan is to combine the physics laboratories together to produce a Virtual Physical Science product and a Virtual Physics product.

VCL currently has over 150,000 users and expects that to rise significantly when the Virtual Physical Science product is finished.