Why online science education falls short

Remote science education has expanded rapidly, offering access to STEM learning at an unprecedented scale. Yet most online platforms prioritize content delivery through videos, simulations, and assessments, excluding the central experience of live experimentation. Without opportunities to generate data, test ideas, and engage in discovery, students miss chances to develop technical intuition, experimental reasoning, and ownership of the scientific process. This absence undermines inquiry-based learning, which builds understanding through doing rather than watching. Here, I examine how the current structure of online science education falls short, emphasizing the consequences of excluding real-time, hands-on investigation for reasoning, identity, and engagement. I highlight a growing class of cloud-connected platforms that allow students to remotely design, run, and analyze live experiments. By restoring access to real-time inquiry, these systems have been shown to improve learning outcomes and strengthen STEM identity, offering a promising direction for scalable, interactive science education that broadens participation globally.