Digital Transformation of Undergraduate Teaching Labs: Enhancing Understanding and Application of Laboratory Skills

Dr Eustace and Dr Walsh identified 10 key skills and techniques which would be developed into digital SOPs.  

Working with DCU Studios we developed a storyboard for each video, including key text, imagery.  These were aligned to the learning outcomes of the module.  

We recruited 2 Post-Doctoral students from our labs, who agreed to 'act' as in the videos and complete the required tasks.

We worked with DCU Studios, the PD students and the technical staff of the SoBT to record the 10 videos.

DCU Studios edited the videos and working with Dr Walsh and Dr Eustace, refined them.

The videos are hosted on the Loop website for GCB1017 and GCB1018

The teaching and learning benefits for the students are extensive. The experimental technique vSOPs provides a visualisation for the students – making a process invisible to them now visible before they even take up a pipette. The vSOPs supports the learning management as all the techniques are broken down into digestible segments, allowing students to pause, rewind, and rewatch. The vSOPs reinforce conceptual understanding from technical manual and theoretical lectures – the student can internalise the experimental design rather than memorising the steps.

Student engagement of the vSOP prior to labs increased motivation and confidence. The videos are short visual demonstrations aligning with modern online consumption. The vSOPs also help support inclusive learning for students with different learning styles, neurodivergent who benefit from visual cues and visual repetition.

The curriculum benefits include standardisation instruction. These vSOP have been introduced across two modules in two-degree programmes. The vSOPs have allowed staff to counter high lab numbers enabling easy flipped or hybrid delivery, as well as freeing up lab time for deeper learning.

These vSOPs will now be used for the SoBT as scaffold supports as we update additional labs concentrating on skill delivery. For example, the videos are the start of a growing library of high‑quality digital teaching assets that can continue to expand, refine, and integrate across modules as well as be used for post-graduate training.

Our project has not been evaluated yet.  At the March SDM we will be able to avail of student feedback on the innovation provided.  We will also designate this as part of the student survey of teaching.  We will host a focus group from students who have taken the module to understand how they innovation affected the lab.

Innovations like this require engagement across the school.  We worked together with student body, technical staff, the programme chairs, DCU Studio and the head of school, to highlight the project, and bring people on board.

Advice to colleagues would be to not underestimate the time commitment.