5 Easy Steps to Getting Started with Virtual Labs

If you’ve been considering virtual labs, you probably have questions. Which simulations fit your syllabus? How does purchasing work? Who sets up the LMS? The answers are simpler than you might expect.

Whether you’re bringing virtual labs to one course or an entire program, our team handles the heavy lifting with you. Here’s what the process looks like, step by step.

Step 1: Get simulations matched to your course

Labster has more than 300 virtual lab simulations, and you don’t need to sort through them on your own. Tell us what you teach, and we’ll map simulations to your syllabus and learning objectives.

You'll get a clear picture of where virtual labs fit in your course, whether that’s pre-lab prep, an online option, a replacement for a lab you can’t run in person, or extra practice before an exam.

Step 2: Choose a purchasing path that fits your institution

Every institution buys course materials differently, so Labster offers two options:

• Bookstore model: Departments adopt Labster course by course, the same way they already handle textbooks and courseware. No new systems and no institution-wide sign-off. We work with the leading digital course material platforms. 
• Institutional licensing: One agreement gives every student access campus-wide, with no repeated procurement for each course.

We’ll walk you through both and help you choose the one that works for your course, program, and budget.

Step 3: Connect Labster to your LMS

Faculty and students don’t have to learn a new system. Labster integrates with Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, D2L Brightspace, Schoology, Google Classroom, and more. Plus, our support team manages the setup with your institution.

Once connected, instructors post simulations as assignments directly in the LMS, and grades sync automatically to the gradebook. No manual grade entry, and no extra logins for students. Students also get immediate feedback inside each simulation, so they learn from mistakes as they go.

Step 4: We’ll help you set up your course

Our team supports you through onboarding and course setup, and we provide faculty guidance and technical support along the way.

If instructors or administrators get stuck, we’re there to help troubleshoot or build assignments before the term starts.

Step 5: Launch with support, then scale

We stay with you through launch, so your first term runs smoothly. When you’re ready, we’ll help you expand to more courses, more faculty, and more departments.

Labster is designed to grow at the pace that makes sense for your program. As you scale, every student gets the same lab experience, whether they’re on campus, online, or in a hybrid section.

As Dr. Joel Yager Humphrey, Biology Professor at Cayuga Community College, put it:

“Right from the beginning, I have found the customer service with Labster to be nothing short of outstanding. […] I’m sure they have bigger clients than our small school; however, I wouldn’t know it based on their responsiveness to both me and my students.”

Less time on logistics, more time teaching

Getting started with virtual labs isn’t just about picking simulations. It’s about making sure they fit your course, work inside the systems you already use, and are ready when your students need them, so students build confidence and skills before they ever pick up a pipette.

And the best part? You can be up and running with Labster, having completed these 5 steps, in as little as two weeks. Virtual labs are easily within reach. 

Tell us a bit about your courses or program, and we’ll map out your next steps. Get your Course-Ready Plan.