Making Science Labs Accessible Online with Dr. Caitlin Runne-Janczy Artwork

Reflective Teaching In A Digital Age

Welcome to the podcast series called: Reflective Teaching in a Digital Age. We are excited to share our conversations with professionals working in STEM education or related fields. They have graciously agreed to share their personal experiences of adapting to an online teaching mode as well as their professional wealth of practical and theoretical knowledge relevant to blended or online teaching. We discuss many topics including effective course design, teamwork facilitation, assessment, educational technology integration, social support, instructor’s trust development and many, many others. We hope these conversations will prove useful to our listeners as well as help to engage our community in a larger conversation about effective ways to navigate the “new normal” of blended and online learning in STEM to develop effective modes of teaching. Visit our website for more information: https://www.reflectiveteachinginadigitalage.com

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Reflective Teaching In A Digital Age

Making Science Labs Accessible Online with Dr. Caitlin Runne-Janczy

August 23, 2025 • Dr. Natasha Mello and Dr. Nicole Pitterson

Hands-on laboratory experience is at the core of science education, giving students the chance to explore theoretical concepts through practical experimentation. But in online settings, creating meaningful, tactile learning opportunities can be challenging. In this episode, Dr. Caitlin Runne-Janczy shares how Science Interactive is expanding access to science education by designing hands-on, virtual, and hybrid lab experiences tailored for online learners. Whether you're an educator, administrator, or simply interested in the future of science learning, this conversation offers valuable insights and actionable ideas.

Bio:

Dr. Runne-Janczy is the Chief Academic Officer and oversees all curriculum development and lab creation. She and her team endeavor to create the same lab experience in people’s homes which they might experience on campus as well as create digital simulations where appropriate.

She and her team of PhD experts have built, from the ground up, over 450 individual labs across 11 disciplines. She is passionate about increasing access to STEM education by delivering new modalities of instruction. Dr. Runne-Janczy is a graduate of Marist College and received her PhD from the University of Iowa.

References:

Science Interactive

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