Lab Equipment: Science Equipment and Design for a New Generation
By: Doug Welles and Gordon Strohminger
What comes to mind when you think of a science lab? Most of us envision a dusty chalkboard, blacktop science tables, a dripping sink, glass chemical bottles, and a professor in the front lecturing students on the laws of physics.
Today’s science instructors face an entirely new set of challenges and standards to design safe and engaging learning environments that encourage discovery, while incorporating technology and hands-on, inquiry-based content.
Choosing the proper lab layout, supplies, and equipment can be a daunting and time-consuming task, particularly when you are trying to align objectives to products, while considering capacity, special needs, and safety. We have identified a brief selection of products and solutions that we find would be a great value as you design your own science environment.
Lab Layout and Design
Today’s learning environments can be quite different than those most teachers learned during their time in school. When designing a new lab, you need to look at the factors that influence the design. Each discipline has specialized furniture, equipment, and layout aspects to consider, but there are general factors that need to be recognized for all disciplines. Current philosophies feel that science should be taught in a safe, flexible environment that is “technically advanced,” green, and accessible to all students, including students with special physical and educational needs.
Lab Safety
Science instructors share an even greater responsibility with students in a lab. Instructors should review safety guidelines and right-to-know information with students and parents at the beginning of the year, as well as before each experiment. Creating a simple checklist of safety items and chemical inventory can help to prevent accidents from happening. Consider the following products as you prepare to make your science lab a safe environment:
* Goggles and Goggle Sterilizer
* An Eyewash
* Chemical Storage Cabinets
* Spill Kits
* Aprons and Gloves
* A First Aid Kit and Fire Extinguisher
* Safety Charts and Emergency Exit Signs
Technology and Innovation
We live in a time when technology moves at a pace with which we can’t always keep up. High-definition imagery, data collecting, biotechnology, and virtual laboratories are not fictional anymore, but rather a requirement in school science labs these days. Innovative technology and hands-on equipment provide alternative methods to connect students with science, while demonstrating the practical applications of technology.
Interactive whiteboards have quickly replaced the traditional chalkboard as the focal point for demonstrating concepts and displaying multimedia. Connected to a computer, most interactive whiteboards are touch-screen, allowing instructors to incorporate videos, virtual labs, animation, or text by simply touching the screen.
Video imaging devices can be used to project images from a microscope, or even a textbook, onto a monitor or LCD screen for all students to see. Images can also be recorded and achieved through a video capturing function. These devices are also considered effective classroom management tools.
Virtual labs are starting to prove their importance for both remediation and reinforcing concepts in science. In situations where hazardous chemicals are not allowed, expensive equipment is not available, or an alternative to dissecting is required, virtual labs increasingly play a much larger role in science education today.
Cordless microscopes are a simple concept with many benefits, including safety, environment, and maintenance. There are no cords dangling for students to trip on. Bulbs are replaced with LED lighting for efficiency, and batteries are rechargeable. The cost is no more than a corded microscope, but is not limited to the length of their cord.
Hands-on kits are great alternatives for schools that are interested in teaching a topic in science but have neither the space nor the budget for a full lab. Kits also reduce the use of chemicals, helping with less hazardous waste to manage. Kits are usually designed to work with 24 to 36 students and are scripted well enough to help a novice instructor work through a lab experiment. Advanced topics in biotechnology and forensics are now at the fingertips of teachers to bring into classroom.
Data collecting devices are used extensively in research labs and are now an essential tool in the classroom to collect and interoperate experimental data. Using a handheld device and sensor; students can record a variety of data, such as sound waves and light, which are too difficult to record accurately by hand.
These tips and insights come from our many years of experience working and interacting with science instructors across the country. Science equipment and laboratory design will continue to change and develop as new theories evolve, the environment shifts, or new discoveries are made around the world. It is vital that we provide the next generation of scientists the tools and inspiration to be curious, ask questions, and discover new solutions for the challenges ahead.
Doug Welles, vice president of sales, and Gordon Strohminger, lab design and planning specialist, offer expertise for all your K-12 science lab and classroom needs for Frey Scientific,
www.freyscientific.com.
