The teaching of science, be it physics, biology, chemistry, engineering or medicine, has a significant emphasis on conducting experiments, testing hypotheses,

diagnosing illnesses or solving problems. Science students would usually engage in laboratory work where they would use equipment, materials and tools to carry out these experiments under the guidance of a teacher. Laboratories have been used in schools from as far back as the 1 %losser, 1&&!'. (ccording to %losser $1&&!', laboratories arouse students" interest through observation. (dditionally, the laboratory teaching makes the assumption that the firsthand experience of manipulating the materials can foster greater understanding and appreciation, )c *eachie $as cited in %losser, 1&&!'. The +ational Science Teachers (ssociation, +ST(, found that labs provide ,opportunities to interact directly with natural phenomena or with data collected by others by using tools, materials, data collection techniques and models-, $The .ntegral /ole, para. 1'. Students are able to record and analyse data, participate in scientific research and reasoning and discuss findings of their investigations. +ST( went on further to state that schools should be outfitted with adequate facilities0 water, electricity, space, equipment and storage. There should also be significant funding and budgets for the acquisition and maintenance of materials, devices, supplies and any additional costs which may occur. (nother critical issue was the safety, si1e and design of the lab especially since students may sometimes be expected to handle potentially ha1ardous !"s, #ay $as cited in

chemicals2physical or biological materials. The lab will also have to accommodate several students at a time. These areas brought several issues to the forefront. The before mentioned may all be easier for schools or countries with sufficient finance and resources, however, this may not the case in all situations. .t also raises the question of how do students engage in a laboratory experience if their school is not equipped with one, if the closest lab is too far away or they are 3ust not able to do so financially. (dditionally, another question would be how many more students can be reached around the world that would not normally have access to labs because of cost or the nature of the lab2experiment itself.
High School Laboratory which may be typically found in the Caribbean

.n a blog written by Saga %riggs $4!15', ten emerging trends in educational technology were identified and one of them addressed the concerns raised in the form of /emote26irtual Laboratories. %riggs found that this technology can provide authentic online education

especially in the field of science and students will have more flexibility and multiple opportunities to conduct experiments as many times as they wished, in safety, repetitively and with room to make mistakes. /emote labs are not yet in the main stream but are available from certain universities around the world. These universities have begun using remote labs to supplement and enhance their existing science programs, lectures and hands7on experiences. ( pro3ect was undertaken by the )inistry of 8uman /esource 9evelopment, $)8/9' :overnment of .ndia as part of its +ational )ission on ;ducation through .nformation and <ommunication Technology $+);.<T' to provide .ndian university students free and easy access to laboratory facilities especially to those that lived in remote, rural areas. Limited resources, quality teachers, physical distances and high cost of setting up laboratories across the country were also deciding factors for the implementation of remote laboratories. .n 4!!& the pro3ect was piloted and formally launched in 4!14 as Virtual Labs. Today"s advances in technology and wide spread internet access have now made it possible for thousands of .ndian students to participate, collaborate and learn from Simulation %ased 6irtual Labs and /emote Triggered 6irtual Labs. Students can benefit from simulated, real world experiments with data that was measured and collected from actual systems or that can trigger $remotely' an experiment using real equipment, real materials, in real time with real time results, all from their computer thousands of miles away from the actual laboratory site, 3ust with their computer and internet access. The (mrita =niversity is one of several .ndian universities that have partnered with the )8/9 and +);.<T to allow 6irtual Labs to be part of its offerings to students. See link> http>22www.youtube.com2watch?v@.wxAp;=BmC(

;xamples of 6irtual Labs available at (mrita =niversity. (dapted from http>22www.vlab.co.in2instituteDdetail.php?ins@!!&

An the other side of the world, the <enter for ;ducation <omputing .nitiatves $<;<.' which is a research center located at the )assachusetts .nstitute of Technology $).T', iLabs are being run to allow students and educators the ability to carry out experiments anytime, anywhere. The iLabs pro3ect was initially intended to ease the frustration that ).T was having from the lack of a laboratory component to its courses on semiconductor devices. Eork on the pro3ect began since 1&& but has since grown to include many other sets of labs with the onset of web services and infrastructure. iLabs are available worldwide through its network of educators and partners in (frica, (ustralia, <hina, .ndia and ;urope. (dapted from https>22wikis.mit.edu2confluence2display2.L(%42A(=F/oboticsFiLab

The following link is with regard to the remote online labs available at the +orthwestern =niversity0 http>22www.youtube.com2watch?v@igk+G.Lvgwo which also uses iLabs to give its students web access to expensive lab equipment on their own schedule and availability. They would thus have more lab time and potentially increase the outcomes of their learning. Ehile researching this topic, it was difficult to pinpoint or credit a particular person or institute with the development of the idea of the remote2virtual laboratory. Several institutions have taken up the mantle and there are several providers through which remote labs can be accessed. Ehat was clear however, was that this trend will continue to grow as it continues to open up the possibilities of what can be done via the internet0 how so many things can now be connected to each other by the touch of the button. . see this technology as a way to Hlevel the playing field" and give those persons that would normally have had several challenges a chance at advancing their education. .n Trinidad and Tobago, while many schools have lab facilities, several others do not. Likewise, the =niversity of the Eest .ndies or the =niversity of Trinidad and Tobago are equipped with laboratories which contain tools and materials relevant to the courses of study presently offered at the those universities. 8owever, if remote laboratories were part of the infrastructure, then it might be possible that the range of science and engineering courses offered can be increased since the expensive cost of setting up additional laboratories can be bypassed. The possibilities are endless0 anyone can perform an experiment without fear of harm or reproach. #ailing an experiment or intentionally making a mistake is not frowned upon but rather encouraged because it allows the learner to learn from the error or mistake and the experiment can be repeated. ( dangerous or risky experiment can be conducted from the safety

of one"s computer, laptop or handheld device, on the go or in the bed, early in the morning or late at night, scheduled at one"s convenience. Ane can easily start an experiment, leave and return to it later and retrieve the data gathered on the system and produce reports for further analysis or discussion. /emote laboratories can allow persons to explore their curiosity and dwell in Hwhat if, then what" scenarios which, for me, means that many questions are still to be answered and we can approach them with the boldness and fearlessness of a child.

/eferences
%losser, I. $1&&!'. The role of the laboratory in science teaching. Research matters to the science teacher, 9001. /etrieved from http>22www.narst.org2publications2research2labs.cfm %riggs, S. $4!15'. 1! Emerging educational technologies and how they are being used around the globe. JEeb log commentK. /etrieved from http>22www.opencolleges.edu.au2informed2features2the7ten7emerging7technologies7in7 education7and7how7they7are7being7used7across7the7globe2 Iress .nformation %ureau, :overnment of .ndia. $4!14'. Virtual labs project launched. /etrieved from http>22pib.nic.in2newsite2erelease.aspx?relid@ !L C The integral role of laboratory investigation in science instruction JEeb log commentK. /etrieved +ovember 14, 4!15 from http>22www.nsta.org2about2positions2laboratory.aspx