Designing Practicals for Online Learners

When the right kit makes all the difference

One of the biggest questions in online science teaching is a simple one:

Can you really do practical science remotely?

The answer, from experience, is yes – if the practical has been designed properly from the start.

Some experiments are genuinely difficult to replicate online. Others, particularly in electricity and electronics, work exceptionally well when the correct teaching kit is used.

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Why electricity practicals lend themselves to online learning

Electricity has a few big advantages for remote teaching:

• Results are immediate and visible

• Variables can be changed one at a time

• Measurements (current, voltage, resistance) are clear and numerical

• Circuits behave predictably, reinforcing theory

But this only works if students can clearly see what is happening — and if the setup is safe, repeatable, and robust.

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Where kits like Locktronics shine

Systems such as Locktronics were designed for education, and that design philosophy really matters online.

What makes them ideal for remote practicals

• Clear circuit layout – students can instantly identify components

• No loose wires – far fewer “Is this connected properly?” moments

• Safe voltages – perfect for live demonstrations

• Repeatable setups – every student sees the same configuration

• Fast changes – circuits can be rebuilt on camera in seconds

When teaching via a multi-camera setup, I can switch between:

• a wide shot of the whole board

• a close-up of a single component

• a live meter reading

That combination makes abstract ideas click far faster than slides ever could.

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Designing online practicals that actually teach

The key isn’t just having good equipment — it’s how the practical is structured.

A good online electricity practical should:

1. Start with a prediction
   What do you think will happen if we double the resistance?

2. Change one variable only
   Just like good exam technique.

3. Show the measurement live
   No screenshots, no “imagine this value”.

4. Pause for interpretation
   Why did the current change? What law explains it?

5. Link straight back to exam questions
   Students need to see why this matters.

Online learners don’t need more experiments — they need better-designed ones.

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Practical ≠ hands-on (only)

There’s a common myth that if a student isn’t physically touching the equipment, it isn’t a “real” practical.

In reality, practical science is about:

• understanding variables

• interpreting data

• linking observation to theory

Well-designed live demonstrations, especially with purpose-built kits, develop exactly those skills — and often more cleanly than a chaotic classroom bench full of trailing leads.

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The takeaway

Online practicals work best when:

• the equipment is designed for teaching

• the visual clarity is high

• the experiment mirrors exam expectations

• the teacher controls the variables, not the chaos

Electricity is one of the strongest examples of this — and with systems like Locktronics, it becomes not just possible online, but genuinely powerful.