Students blog

Lab-based science courses have always intimidated me because, as a Business Management major, I have no lab experience. I was excited to try the Pearson Interactive Science Labs because their design allows you to work through online labs conveniently from anywhere at your own pace. After working through the virtual labs, I consider them an essential tool because they provide a meaningful science-based experience that includes a real-world scenario introduction, a step-by-step lab walkthrough, reflective analysis, and a wrap-up quiz. The interactive labs are easy to navigate, even without a science background, and are an excellent resource for applying the knowledge learned.

Engaging Introduction:

College can be overwhelming, which leads me to rush through assignments without understanding the meaning and importance of what I am learning. The Pearson Interactive Labs effectively explain the significant realistic scenario of the lab before you begin, which grabs your attention and encourages authentic participation. Background information for the case is also presented, and embedded questions ensure you fully understand the material and can move forward successfully to the lab. One feature I found beneficial was the multiple formats for the embedded questions, such as multiple choice, select all that are correct, and matching type questions.

Straightforward Guided Lab Experience:

After viewing the case scenario and relevant background information, the simulation allows you to familiarize yourself with the lab equipment location and tool names, which is extremely helpful for non-biology majors like me who may have never completed a college-level lab. Once you have walked through the tools necessary for the lab, you are given a set of self-paced step-by-step instructions to accomplish the lab goals. I feel the lab instructions are valuable because they are thorough yet easy enough to follow for any student including those with no prior lab experience.

Impactful Application of Knowledge:

When finished with the lab, you are guided through how to analyze the data and apply your knowledge to other related cases. Following the final analysis of the lab results, you are prompted to answer case-related questions in a quiz format. As a student, I appreciate opportunities to apply the knowledge I have learned because it creates a sense of accomplishment and cements the learned concepts into my memory for future use.

The interactive lab structure offers a guide through the complete science process including formulating a hypothesis, conducting a lab, and analyzing lab results. Having all the information and virtual tools needed for a lab assignment accessible in one place is crucial, especially for non-science majors. Busy college students like myself seek convenience in school work, which is why the virtual interactive labs are a fantastic tool for anyone taking a science course, regardless of their science background.

Busy college students like myself seek convenience in school work, which is why the virtual interactive labs are a fantastic tool for anyone taking a science course, regardless of their science background.

Learn more about Pearson Interactive Labs today! 

Every student knows how hard it is to study for lab exams. You spend hours in lab making observations, doing experiments, collecting data, dissecting specimens, etc. just to leave and hope that you took enough photos and wrote down enough information to be useful later. These pictures are often blurry, and you can’t go back and look at your work to take better ones which makes it feel impossible to study for exams! This frustration is what makes Pearson’s PAL (Practice Anatomy Lab) 4.0 the perfect study tool for students! PAL 4.0 is a program composed of 3D models, diagrams, real life cadaver photos, flashcards, and so much more. It is designed to help students get the same experience online that they did in the lab. Now you don’t have to scour the internet looking for “sheep heart dissection” photos!

PAL Learning Program 

PAL 4.0 is designed to help students with challenging anatomical concepts. The program consists of all the body systems and provides students with various options for learning. These options include anatomical models, a manipulatable 3D model, cadaver photos, histology, and flashcards. All these different styles appeal to different learners! Some students may be wary of the cadaver photos so they can use the anatomical model instead. Some students are visual learners, and some are not. I love all the different formats; I always struggle trying to find diagrams that teach me what I want to know. PAL 4.0 allows me to study in ways I haven’t been able to before!

Mastering 3D simulation

In the PAL 4.0 mastering 3D simulation, you can interact with an anatomical model. The model can be manipulated and viewed from any angle. With the muscular system model, the muscles included in the group you’re studying are highlighted on the figure. If you click on a muscle, a textbox will appear and tell you the name, give you the pronunciation, allow you to hide the muscle, or isolate it. The isolation feature separates the muscle from the body and gives you a 3D image perspective of every angle of that muscle. This feature is incredibly useful because it demonstrates how the muscle looks on its own and how it fits with the body.

See the real thing

I always struggled in classes that didn’t have hands-on applications, like theoretical math, biology at a cellular level, etc. I always learn better when I can see what something looks like in real life. While seeing a cadaver can be shocking at first, being able to identify things you’re learning about, in real pictures, can change how you see them. A drawing of a deltoid muscle doesn’t show the detail that a picture of the real muscle can portray. The PAL 4.0 cadaver photos allow you to see the intricate details of the human muscular system. This has helped me with exams because I remember where those muscles are in my own body. 

Who doesn’t like flashcards?

I haven’t met a college student who doesn’t use flashcards for at least one of their classes; they are an easy way to learn definitions and simple topics. In anatomy, flashcards can be hard to use. How can I make flashcards for something I have to identify? Pearson’s PAL 4.0 provides students with excellent flashcards for every body system and specific region. Once you select a deck, you can choose to study them all or just some of the structures. PAL 4.0 then creates the personalized deck just for you. You’re then presented with an image of the structure you want to study; the other side of the flashcard has the definition. You can zoom in and out of the picture and pan it to get the full idea of the image. There is also an option to quiz yourself. A multiple-choice question will appear and ask you to identify the structure you saw. This amazing feature prepares you for any anatomy diagram a professor might throw at you.

Between the flashcards, the cadaver images, and the 3D simulation, PAL 4.0 really has students’ success in mind. School can be incredibly overwhelming, especially when you don’t have the materials you need to succeed. Thankfully, Pearson consistently equips students with resources to minimize the stress of college.

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