Edtech leader donates cloud-based interactive science simulations to all Ukraine educational institutions to carry on STEM learning regardless of the uncertainties of physical facilities
KYIV and BOSTON — OCTOBER 11, 2023 — The Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (MoES) has agreed to extend its partnership with Labster for a second year. This makes the company’s award-winning edtech platform for virtual labs and interactive science learning available to education institutions supporting millions of students throughout Ukraine — free of charge.
The disruptions and displacements of war create a challenge for educational institutions in maintaining course continuity and providing access to physical facilities. The Labster donation of its cloud-based software platform empowers education institutions to integrate immersive interactive science labs into their curricula, online or in-person. Labster will also continue providing professional development training webinars and technical support services to Ukraine science faculty and schools.
With Labster, students can explore state-of-the-art laboratories from their internet browsers on desktop, laptop, and tablet computers (such as Chromebooks and iPads). The Labster catalog of 300-plus STEM curriculum-aligned virtual lab simulations in fields such as biology, biochemistry, genetics, biotechnology, chemistry, and physics use gamification techniques proven to boost student enthusiasm and engagement as well as learning outcomes.
“We have been very pleased with the success of our initial year of deployment of the Labster edtech platform for virtual science and look forward to strengthening the relationship,” said Dmytro Zavgorodnii, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine for digital development, digital transformations and digitalization. “We’re thankful for their support in helping to prevent learning loss by providing students with the ability to continue lab science coursework critical to their future careers despite ongoing challenges. What’s more, surveys show that students enjoy using Labster.”
Since the partnership launched in Fall 2022, many thousands of students in Ukrainian high schools and institutions of higher learning have benefited from Labster’s interactive virtual science lab simulations. The majority of Labster users in Ukraine so far are in higher education, as most large universities have rolled out the platform. More than 90% of the students surveyed have said they find Labster science simulations to be relevant to their programs.
“Labster is renewing our contract with the Ukraine Ministry of Education and Science free of charge, as part of our commitment to removing barriers to education for thousands of Ukrainian students,” said Michael Bodekaer Jensen, Labster co-founder and CEO. “We are so deeply honored to be able to contribute to the education of the next generation of doctors, scientists, entrepreneurs, farmers, and other leaders who will shape the postwar destiny of Ukraine.”
He added, “At Labster, we are very serious in our pledge to support the fourth U.N. Sustainable Development Goal — to provide inclusive and equitable quality education for all.” UNICEF attests to widespread learning loss among the children of Ukraine. At least 1,886 schools have been destroyed or damaged since the war’s outbreak in February 2022.
Labster is a finalist in the 2023 Tech4Good Awards in the Community Impact category for its commitment to Ukrainian schools and students.
Increasing customization and control
As part of the initial partnership, the Labster team collaborated with local educators to create a totally new, Ukrainian-language Digital Teaching Certification to train STEM instructors on how to teach with science simulations leveraging gamification techniques. The Labster educational resources — which include simulations with embedded quiz questions, theory pages, animated science explainer videos, lab manuals, and lab report exercises — are adapted to the Ukrainian science curriculum and language.
Moreover, Labster is rolling out personalized learning in the form of the newly launched Customized Quiz Editor. Course creators can now tailor Labster simulations and assessments according to their learning objectives and cater to the unique needs of their students, including creating and editing their own original questions in the Ukrainian language.
The new Labster Administrator Dashboard available in Fall 2023 will increase the visibility of performance data and analytics to make adoption within Ukraine schools even easier. Administrators can quickly view usage stats for instructors, students, courses, and simulations, including time spent and average scores, that were previously available only to instructors directly using Labster.
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About Labster
Labster is dedicated to developing fully interactive virtual training simulations that are designed to enhance traditional learning outcomes by stimulating students’ natural curiosity and reinforcing the connection between science and the real world. The simulations can be used in a variety of different ways, from a full lab replacement to a supplemental learning activity. Over 6 million students in high schools and universities in 100-plus countries have used Labster to perform realistic experiments, learn key science concepts, and practice their skills in a risk-free learning environment. Labster’s team members are passionate about improving science learning, resulting in collaborations with over 3,000 leading educational institutions.
Media Contact
Michelle Denny
Sterling Communications for Labster
(408) 395-5500
labster@sterlingpr.com
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