Labster, the world’s leading EdTech platform for virtual labs and interactive and immersive science, has announced its partnership with OpenStax, an educational technology initiative of nonprofit Rice University. This collaboration is not just a union of two giants, but a significant step towards making high-quality science course materials more accessible and affordable. The partnership aims to help schools and universities support the use of open educational resources (OER), thereby reducing the cost of access to these materials.
Through this collaboration, OpenStax and Labster will host a free, public webinar on April 18, 2024, at 3 p.m. ET. All in the education community are encouraged to pre-register to attend and learn more about how to access resources made available by the new partnership.
For science instructors, curriculum directors, and all educators, the Labster-OpenStax partnership offers a comprehensive guide to content alignment. Additionally, a free syllabus template is available that matches OpenStax textbook chapters to Labster virtual labs. To access these resources, instructors and programme leaders can contact Labster with their course titles, learning objectives, or an existing syllabus. They will then receive a syllabus that aligns their topics with relevant OpenStax chapters and Labster science simulations.
Julian Allen, PhD, Vice President of Academic Affairs at Labster, stated:
Making science education more accessible to all learners everywhere has been Labster’s core vision since its founding. By offering high-quality course materials that are affordable for students as well as sustainable for educational institutions, this partnership is a significant step forward in our shared commitment to breaking down the barriers to equitable learning.
Labster is a platform designed to enhance traditional learning outcomes and stands out for its interactive approach. It stimulates students’ natural curiosity and reinforces the connection between science and the real world. The simulations, used in a variety of ways, from a full lab replacement to a supplemental learning activity, have been utilized by over 6 million students in high schools and universities in more than 100 countries. This interactive learning environment allows students to perform practical experiments, learn important science concepts, and hone their abilities in a risk-free setting.
Commenting on the collaboration, Anthony Palmiotto, Director of Higher Education, OpenStax, said:
Partnering with Labster as one of our valued OpenStax Allies enables the OpenStax library of peer-reviewed, customizable, free digital science content to connect directly with Labster’s immersive learning platform for science simulations. This partnership supports the growth of scientific literacy amongst students while also increasing educators’ awareness of the many powerful benefits of OER.
OpenStax is an educational initiative that aims to enhance everyone’s access to and proficiency in education. The company is working to eliminate the most prevalent obstacles to learning through partnerships with other educational resource providers and collaborations with philanthropic foundations. Since it is based on the idea that knowledge should and is accessible to everybody. The company produces excellent, openly licensed, peer-reviewed college textbooks that are inexpensive in print and accessible online.
