A Unity Microscope Simulation to Help Students Get More Access to Lab Equipment Online during Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Something that still remains an issue to this day is how students and other individuals can become educated in matters that are generally taught in person and are difficult to translate to an online environment in particular [5]. In particular, teaching how to operate lab equipment without having hands-on experience is incredibly difficult. With the COVID-19 pandemic, the need for sufficient online learning materials and tools has become much greater in recent years [6]. To resolve this issue, a simulation was made in Unity that aims to educate its users on how to work with a microscope [7]. Sliders are provided in the simulation to control the X-axis, Yaxis, Z-axis, and focus. The simulation was tested for its effectiveness by gathering fifteen participants to download and test the simulation, then asking each participant to fill out a survey. In the survey, the participants graded the educational value and convenience of using the application on a scale from one to ten, and they were encouraged to leave any other feedback in a free-response section of the survey [8]. Results indicated that the general public would find this simulation practical in daily life, as participants generally rated the simulation as both educational and convenient to use.