E-learning on the lab with lab education software. Deeper learning & more efficiency?

In preparing and executing labwork, students experience cognitive overload in understanding their lab work and keeping an overview of the lab experiment. In addition, giving just-in-time feedback to students causes peak loads in working hours for lab-teachers. We investigated the additional value of an inquiry based lab education software tool LabBuddy® on the learning and preparation of students and the peak loads of the lab-teachers. In LabBuddy®, students co-operated in groups of 4 to prepare a (visual) block diagram representing their protocol and plan of approach for Creating Biological Tissue. Students were in their 2 nd yr bachelor within the Biomedical Engineering programme. Students were further prepared by videos and pictures in LabBuddy®. The lab-teacher gave in-line feedback on students' documents. On the lab, tablets and computer screens were available so that students could access their protocol, answer questions and make notes in the digital labjournal. Data was collected by observations on the lab, focusgroup sessions (with teaching assistants), a questionnaire (41 items) and by comparing students' final test results (70 students). Compared to last year (all preparations and notes on paper), students now feel better prepared for the lab work, have a good overview of the whole experiment while working on the lab and make more notes on their observations. The final reports are improved as students now follow more closely the research cycle. The peak load in working hours for students and labteachers is decreased. Students find LabBuddy® an intuitive system and would like to use the system for other labwork too.