Assessing the Impact of a Virtual Lab In Health Care Education Helene Goulding Senior Lecturer Faculty of Health Sciences University of Ontario Institute of Technology Oshawa, Canada helene-marie.goulding@uoit.ca Robin Kay Professor Faculty of Education University of Ontario Institute of Technology Oshawa, Canada robin.kay@uoit.ca Jia Li Assistant Professor Faculty of Education University of Ontario Institute of Technology Oshawa, Canada Jia.Li@uoit.ca Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of an online virtual lab as a learning tool to prepare allied health students for face-to-face laboratory sessions. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 64 university students (55 females, 9 males) and analyzed to assess attitudes towards the virtual lab. Students reported that the virtual lab made skill acquisition easier and faster, helped them prepare for hands-on laboratory sessions, and was a tool they would use again. The key benefits of the virtual lab was that it enabled students to visualize procedures and reactions outside of the traditional laboratory setting. Student visualization enhanced preparedness and performance in the laboratory environment. Introduction For long-term benefits to be obtained from hands-on laboratory experiences, students must be theoretically and procedurally prepared (Gregory & Di Trapani, 2012). Previous research suggests that students do not prepare well for laboratory work (e.g., Ealy & Pickering, 1992; Jones & Edwards, 2010; Pogacnik & Cigic, 2006; Whittle & Bickerdike, 2015). Jones and Edwards (2010) reported that only 15% of undergraduate biology students (n=128) did substantial preparation, while 85% did some or no preparation. Pogacnik and Cigic (2006) found 20% of their undergraduate chemistry students (n=223) did no preparation at all. Poorly prepared students may experience cognitive overload as they attempt to learn hands-on skills and theoretical concepts simultaneously (Gregory & Di Trapani, 2012; Jones & Edwards, 2010). If students focus on the practical competencies in a lab, they may fail to make the correct observations and consequently may be unable to make connections between the laboratory experience and theory (Johnstone & Al-Shuaili, 2001; Jones & Edwards, 2010). Pre-laboratory exercises may reduce cognitive load and allow students to observe and make conceptual connections better. It has also been argued that hands-on, phsycial laboratories may not provide an optimal learning experience (Rollnick et al., 2001). Physical laboratories require extensive time and materials to operate (Gibbons et al., 2004) and have rigid teaching schedules (Flint & Stewart, 2010). Laboratory skill training is expensive (Lombardi, 2007; Tuysuz, 2010) and can only accommodate small groups (Lehmann et al., 2013; Tuysuz, 2010). With monetary constraints for supporting traditional educational laboratories, there exists a real need to find less costly alternatives -923- E - Learn 2016 - Washington , DC , United States , November 14 - 16 , 2016