Learning lab skills online: Lessons from implementing video-based instruction for a remote biotechnology lab

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many courses to move online, presenting a particular challenge for hands-on laboratory courses. One such course in our Biotechnology track is an advanced Protein Interactions lecture/laboratory course. This 8-week course typically meets for 5 h a week in the laboratory space. For the Fall 2020 version of the course, first-person videos were produced for each of the laboratory experiments, and the corresponding experimental data produced by students in previous semesters were provided for the current students to analyze in their electronic lab notebooks and lab reports. Student perspectives and assessments were collected on course participants from Fall 2019 (in-person laboratories) and Fall 2020 (online laboratories) to compare experiences and outcomes. Analysis of the data shows that the online students appreciated the videos and gained self-confidence in the procedures, but maintained more misconceptions about the material. In addition to being unable to perform the hands-on experiments, other factors such as anxiety could also be interfering with the learning process under the pandemic conditions. The implementation process for the remote labs, student reactions, and lessons learned are discussed.