Both PASCO and AYVA are committed to doing all that we can to help the science education community. In these uncertain times of school closures and remote learning, we want to ensure that all students and teachers continue to build their science skills and have access to the content they need.
We have been contacted by many educators searching for resources as they navigate the rapidly changing learning environment and transition to online labs. In response, PASCO is extending free resources to support the continuation of science learning despite school closures. We are offering these Home Science Tools free of charge for the remainder of this school year:
PASCO is producing quick data collection videos and Capstone data files to support educators seeking remote lab opportunities. These files are designed to help educators provide remote students with simulated lab experiences from anywhere. Each college-level lab covers content required by universities and does not require any lab equipment.
Instructors can use Capstone Lab Workbooks to collect data, then share their Workbook and data with students for independent analysis. We recommend sharing a quick video of the data being collected to give students context for their data analysis and post-lab questions. You can check out our prepared Capstone Workbooks with sample data here.
For Physics educators transitioning to remote teaching and home labs, we suggest utilizing Capstone’s free 6-month trial. If your school is already using Capstone, you already have global access to share your License Key with students for home installation.
PASCO is producing quick data collection videos and software data files to support educators seeking remote lab opportunities. These home science tools will help integrate video lab experiences into home labs to provide students with a realistic learning opportunity. You can check out our current list of remote labs below.
If your school already uses SPARKvue or Capstone, then you have global rights to share the Licence Key with students for home installation. If you currently do not use SPARKvue, we suggest downloading a 6-month trial of either to support remote labs during this time. SPARKvue is compatible with smartphones, tablets, Mac, PC, iPads, laptops, and Chromebooks.
Creating a SPARKvue Shared Session is the easiest and most efficient way to host a home lab for students. With Shared Sessions, students can log into a SPARKvue session hosted by their teacher from anywhere, observe data collection in real time, then keep a copy of the data to perform their own analysis. Setting up a session is quick and easy, and allows students to participate in a home lab using only their smartphone. Once the session is finished and students have completed their analysis, they can digitally submit their work using cloud services or the Journal Snapshot tool.
PASCO is producing quick data collection videos and software data files to support educators seeking remote lab opportunities. These home science tools will help integrate video lab experiences into home labs to provide students with a realistic learning opportunity. You can check out our current list of remote labs below.
If your school already uses SPARKvue, then you have global rights to share the Licence Key with students for home installation. If you currently do not use SPARKvue, we suggest downloading a 6-month trial of either to support remote labs during this time. SPARKvue is compatible with smartphones, tablets, Mac, PC, iPads, and Chromebooks.
Creating a SPARKvue Shared Session is the easiest and most efficient way to host a home lab for students. With Shared Sessions, students can log into a SPARKvue session hosted by their teacher from anywhere, observe data collection in real time, then keep a copy of the data to perform their own analysis. Setting up a session is quick and easy, and allows students to participate in a home lab using only their smartphone. Once the session is finished and students have completed their analysis, they can digitally submit their work using cloud services or the Journal Snapshot tool.
We recognize that many schools need to provide online instruction for their students, which presents special challenges for science education. In the sciences, remote learning may require students to conduct essential labs at home, without risking their safety and without lab equipment. We want to assist you wherever possible, and encourage you to reach out to us if you require other materials.
Capstone and SPARKvue can be used to improve the authenticity of home labs and remote learning. Both softwares include features that support communication and data sharing, but their specific capabilities differ. The following explanation of Capstone and SPARKvue features can help you decide which software will best support your needs.