Labster gives students access to a realistic lab experience that will let them perform experiments and practice their skills in a fun and risk-free learning environment. The University now has an available integration to support the use of Labster's simulations in Blackboard courses.
The simulations are accessible online and require memory on your computer, so a reliable internet connection and a computer with at least the following specifications are important:
Processor: Dual-core 2 GHz or higher
RAM: 4 GB or more
Graphics card: Intel HD 3000 / GeForce 6800 GT / Radeon X700 or higher
OS: Latest version of Windows (64-bit) or Mac OS or ChromeOS
A stable internet connection, same internet capacity as a low-quality YouTube video (500 kbps) - To check your internet speed, please use this link.
Steps on how to check your Windows System Information and Mac System Information
iPad Support
The Labster app is available to download in the Apple store to play simulations on iPads.
Devices: iPad 5th Gen, iPad Mini 4, iPad Air 2, iPad Pro, and newer
iOS: iOS 15 or higher
Please note that we do not currently support simulation plays on iPhones or other smartphones. The screen size is typically too small for an optimal experience.
Chromebook Support
Processor: MediaTek 8173C or Intel Celeron Dual-Core N3060 or higher
RAM: 4 GB or more
Graphics card: IMG PowerVR GX6250 / Integrated Intel HD Graphics or higher
OS: Latest version of ChromeOS
To play Labster on lower-end Chromebooks such as Lenovo E100 gen1 and gen2 (and others using the Mediatek Chipset) please head to the Google Play store and download the Labster app (please note: not all simulations are supported in the app)
Check your device:
You can check whether your device meets the minimum system requirements by running this simulation here: https://www.labster.com/try
Please check out the Basic Troubleshooting article if you are having technical issues:
Please do not hesitate to reach out to our support team if you have any questions or are in need of assistance.
Labster hosts live demonstrations every Wednesday
1–1:30pm ET | 12–12:30pm CT | 10–10:30am PT
Visit https://www.labster.com/webinars/ to register for an upcoming session.
Log in to Blackboard as an instructor
Go to the course you would like to add content to
Go to the Content Area of your course where you would like to add the Labster content
Make sure edit mode is on (upper right corner)
Click the “Build Content” menu
Select the Labster LTI 1.3 installed tool
Once you click on the tool, a pop-up window will appear within your Blackboard course. You can browse our entire catalog (including all the supplementary resources) within this pop up - click on the name of any simulation to learn more!
Once you find the simulation you wish to add to your course, simply click on the +Add button and the simulation will appear in your course
After you have added the simulation, you will be able to use Blackboard settings to set up everything else for your Labster assignment (Simulation points, Due Date, Launch container, Visibility to students, etc.)
You also need to add Labster Dashboard to your course to be able to follow your students' progress more closely.
You will be adding Labster Dashboard through the Build Content feature following the same guidelines from above 👆
What information is available on the dashboard?
Labster equips educators with detailed insights into student performance. Once students complete Labster simulations, as an instructor you will have access to the following information:
Completion %: The percentage of the simulation that a student has completed
Score: This is calculated by taking the number of points the student achieved divided by the total number of possible points. Simulations have a varied number of total points based on the number of quiz questions.
Number of Attempts: The number of times a student attempts the simulation
Individual responses: Details about how many tries it took to answer each question correctly
Time Taken: Total time taken for the student to complete the simulation
Visit Labster's support article to dive a bit deeper into the Dashboard.
Visit Labster's extensive FAQ knowledge base to locate answers to frequently asked questions, common troubleshooting tips, and more.