Kolbe Academy Virtual Labs

[Guest]

Can anyone compare the Kolbe Academy Virtual Labs to DIVE Science labs? I am particularly interested in Biology. We are just completing DIVE ICP, and I'm still not sure if I want to do Biology with DIVE or Kolbe.

[lizlatorre]

We are finishing Kolbe Honors Biology, and I have been very disappointed in the quality of the virtual labs (I love their humanities programs, but overall not been pleased with math or science). My issue with the biology labs is that the software is very antiquated (feels 10-15 years old in tems of how it functions) and I don't think they are well designed. The only labs dd has gotten much out of have been the hands-on labs we did in the textbook. I am not familiar with DIVE for science, I've only used them for math, but I would definitely check them out.

[Sebastian (a lady)]

Kolbe uses a virtual lab program from the publisher. I also thought it was hard to work with. It seemed like there was a missing tutorial. You were supposed to manipulate objects on screen as if you were remotely performing the lab. I thought that was pretty artificial.

 

We also found that one of the genetics labs didn't allow you to make the changes the directions told you to select.

 

We shifted away from the virtual lab to doing a set of labs I found online. The paper based labs were better written and explained the concepts. I added a bacteria lab, an osmosis experiment with eggs and dissections

[Sebastian (a lady)]

This is the set of labs we picked from. http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/sci_edu/waldron/

[teachermom2834]

My ds did Kolbe biology (not online class, just the syllabus at home) a couple of years ago.  He was taking a biology lab at co-op so I wasn't dependent on the virtual labs.  We did attempt the first one or two in the syllabus but scrapped it.  I can't remember many details other than that it was confusing and didn't work right and was unimpressive overall.  

 

I have a ds getting ready to do biology next year.  I am going to do the Kolbe syllabus and lesson plans with him but I haven't even considered the virtual labs.   I am looking for something else for the lab component.

[Guest]

Thank you all for your replies. I have the DIVE CD for Bio. and we are using the same textbook Kolbe uses. I think I will probably stick with DIVE - I like having the lectures to go along with the text.