Sophia Learning, an online and on-demand learning platform providing general education-level courses to students at any stage of their higher education journey, announced a partnership with Labster, the world’s leading edtech platform for virtual labs and interactive science, to deliver college-level science courses incorporating Labster’s simulation content. The partnership is designed to help meet the evolving higher education needs of Sophia Learning’s students and working adults. Sophia Learning is a subsidiary of Strategic Education, Inc., an education company dedicated to improving college affordability, student engagement, and workforce readiness.
The Chemistry lab course developed with Labster is American Council on Education (ACE®) recommended for college credit, which means it may qualify for course credit transfer toward a degree at numerous colleges and universities. Other courses are currently being reviewed by ACE for potential credit recommendation. These courses present an attractive option for earning low-cost college-level credits in STEM fields.
Sophia’s Chemistry lab course was the first to launch with Labster simulations in December 2022. Throughout 2023, Sophia Learning will be building four additional online lab courses with Labster’s simulations. The courses will include additional Labster supplemental content such as lab manuals, lab reports, formative assessments and introductory videos to aid students in completing the lab simulations.
Labster provides educators with the ability to digitally explore and enhance science offerings and supplement their classroom activities. Labster now offers more than 300 titles in its catalog of STEM curriculum-aligned virtual lab simulations, suitable for more than 50 academic courses. The browser-based Labster simulations can be played on a variety of the most commonly used devices — from desktop computers to iPad and Android tablets to Chromebooks. Labster also integrates with existing learning management systems, making it easy for instructors to view student performance data and tailor decisions on coaching, as well as reduce time spent on grading.
Independent research and case studies demonstrate the gamification techniques and entertaining real-world scenarios of the Labster simulations boost student enthusiasm and engagement so they perform better in physical labs and score higher in tests as a result of their prep work on the Labster platform. Students can explore simulations on their own, in state-of-the-art laboratories from their internet browsers, without educational institutions having to construct multimillion-dollar facilities.
“I continue to be amazed by the enrollment growth of Sophia, which is a true testament to the team’s constant drive to enrich its curriculum and offerings to meet our students’ evolving needs and support their credit advancement and affordable education journey,” said Karl McDonnell, CEO of Strategic Education. “We’re thrilled to partner with Labster and I look forward to seeing how our course designers will leverage the platform’s innovative simulations to enhance our science lab offerings.”
“The Sophia Learning team has curriculum-design expertise that allows them to wrap theory, instruction and assessment around our interactive simulated laboratories to present ACE-recommended courses,” said Mark Michelson, head of strategic partnerships for Labster. “They’ve shown true leadership in their commitment to developing professional advancement in STEM fields.”
Source: Businesswire
