Demand Surges for New Virtual Labs Tool from McGraw-Hill as College Science Courses Shift Online

NEW YORK, April 30, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, McGraw-Hill announced the launch of Virtual Labs, a new online lab solution for college science courses in Anatomy and Physiology, Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Majors and Non-Majors Biology, Microbiology and Environmental Science.

Originally planned for a summer 2020 launch, McGraw-Hill accelerated the release of Virtual Labs in order to support faculty and students when college campuses began moving classes online during the COVID-19 pandemic. McGraw-Hill Virtual Labs was made available for disrupted courses and deployed immediately in March and April by more than 1,000 instructors across the country.

Virtual Labs' realistic, simulated lab experience allows students to be immersed in a lab environment remotely. While McGraw-Hill has been offering virtual lab tools for many years, this new solution is built on a foundation of learning science research and provides a more powerful and easy-to-use platform. Virtual Labs are also fully accessible, offering keyboard navigation and screen-reader capabilities.

The Virtual Labs online lab solution can be used to fully support remote and online learning, as well as for lab preparation, remediation or make-up for the traditional on-campus, in-person lab experience. The simulations help students learn by presenting them with the practical and conceptual skills needed through integrated labs and lectures, then checking for understanding and providing feedback.

For more information about Virtual Labs, visit https://www.mheducation.com/highered/connect/virtual-labs.html.

"We developed this powerful digital tool with flexibility in mind – so instructors could use it either as a supplement to in-person labs, or as a fully online solution," said Kathleen McMahon, VP of Portfolio Management for Science, Engineering & Mathematics at McGraw-Hill. "But the COVID-19 health crisis has shown the importance of powerful online tools that are affordable, easy to use and accessible, so all students can benefit from them. We're proud to have answered such a crucial need during a challenging time for all."

Virtual Labs is available in two ways: for instructors to implement as an independent lab solution or embedded into McGraw-Hill Connect® courseware for lecture and lab, which is used by millions of students globally. This new tool further supports McGraw-Hill's Affordability & Outcomes program, which focuses on providing students with affordable course solutions that offer high value and increase learner success.

"Virtual Labs has been a lifesaver as we have moved into an online world with the coronavirus," said Dr. Jack Brown, Science Division Chair at Paris Junior College. "Courses that had run fully face-to-face have struggled to move classes online and have often left the lab out in the transition because they were not prepared. I think the value of a strong virtual lab has just skyrocketed, and McGraw-Hill is leading the way."

McGraw-Hill
McGraw-Hill is a learning science company that delivers personalized learning experiences that drive results for students, parents, educators and professionals. We focus on educational equity, affordability and learning success to help learners build better lives. Headquartered in New York City, McGraw-Hill has offices across North America, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions for PreK-12, higher education, professionals and others available in more than 75 languages. Visit us at mheducation.com or find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.

Contact:
Tyler Reed
McGraw-Hill
(646) 766-2951
tyler.reed@mheducation.com

SOURCE McGraw-Hill