Customizable Virtual X-Ray Laboratory: An Innovative Tool for Interactive Online Teaching and Learning

The customizable simulation-based Virtual Analytical X-ray Laboratories (v-Labs) have been developed to enable students to become familiar with the design and operation of the X-ray equipment and its major features. It allows students to gain practical skills required for conducting actual experiments and acquire the knowledge needed for collecting, analyzing and interpreting experimental data. Embedded auxiliary simulations help students learn fundamental physical principles underlying the analytical methods and equipment design in visual and interactive ways. An interactive online lesson, as well as prerecorded video lectures, animations, quizzes and other learning resources, can be called up within virtual experiments to provide “justin-time” learning opportunities that address the educational needs of the student. An easy-to-use authoring tool enables instructors to customize existing virtual experiments, create new ones, as well as add their own objects into the collection of accessible samples. The v-Labs can be easily integrated with and become valuable supplements to traditional online courses on natural sciences and engineering including MOOC courses.