Case Study: Utrecht University boosts student ownership of learning with Labster virtual labs

Driving Student Ownership of Learning with Virtual Labs

Utrecht University, a world-renowned research university in the Netherlands, wanted to better prepare students for lab practicals and give them access to lab-style learning when physical lab access was limited. The university also wanted students to focus not just on what they were doing in experiments, but on why they were doing it. To address this, Utrecht University turned to Labster virtual lab simulations.

Labster worked with Utrecht University to co-create simulations that allowed students to make mistakes, see unexpected results, and correct their protocol, helping build ownership of the experimental process. According to the case study, the simulations saved teaching time, enabled deeper discussion during practicals, and helped students better interpret their own data; in smaller groups, students who used Labster before the practical performed better than those who did not.

Utrecht University

Bas Defize

Former Stem Cell Researcher and Current Professor of Biology