The new concept of laboratory support for educational institutions and scientific establishments

Abstract

Purpose: To develop a new concept of laboratory support for learners at different levels of education to maintain a high education quality in conditions of limited opportunities, such as lockdown, lack of funding, etc. Design/methodology/approach: To create a new concept, the practical experience of school teachers, educators of technical colleges and universities, research workers, as well as experience of scientists in the educational field published in open information' sources was taken into account. The development of a new concept was carried out from 2014 to 2016, and its implementation, introduction into the educational process, and possible ways to solve technical and organizational difficulties from 2016 to the present. In the last year, special attention was paid to distance learning. Findings: The development and the first practical steps to implement the new concept of updating the laboratory support of educational institutions clearly demonstrate of its practical implementation' feasibility. Positive consequences from the implementation were identified as constant improvement of laboratory equipment, increase in the educators’ level, transformation of virtual distance learning based on lectures and videos into real learning with "live" visual demonstration of physical, chemical, biological and other processes and experimental research. As a recommendation, should wish that at the state level to recommend the implementation of this approach and to propose some legal mechanisms to overcome identified problems. Research limitations/implications: The present study was conducted for Ukrainian educational institutions with the involvement of foreign students from different countries studying in Ukraine. Practical implications: The introduction of a new concept into the educational process in countries with a weak economy will improve the educational quality and reduce the cost of creating laboratory support. Originality/value: Equipment should not only be a teaching tool, but also a teaching subject.