Community Colleges Pilot Virtual Labs as a Service

student working on laptop

Three community colleges in California's Inland Empire/Desert region are rolling out virtual, cloud-based labs to give students any time, anywhere access to the computing tools they need to hone job-ready skills, all in one place. The pilot program is aligned with the goals and metrics of the Strong Workforce Program, an initiative out of the California Community Colleges Chancellor's Office aimed at increasing enrollment and completion as well as exposing underserved students to career opportunities throughout the region.

The colleges partnered with Practice Labs to implement its virtual lab platform as a service. Rather than being constrained to a physical lab on campus or limited virtual lab appliance at their college, students will be able to access a virtual lab environment and gain hands-on experience with real-world tech tools from anywhere with an internet connection. The service includes 24/7 help desk support for both faculty and students.

The virtual labs will be used for courses in subjects such as information technology, cybersecurity, software development, business office technology and more. Planning, design, vendor selection and implementation for the project are being coordinated by SynED, a nonprofit organization focused on the development of "new models of curriculum, industry alliance, service and delivery." While the initial pilot is limited to three colleges, more colleges are expected to join in the coming year.

"Our region is committed to serving local business by preparing the 21st-century workforce needed to support economic growth," said Melody Graveen, dean of instruction, career and technical education at Moreno Valley College, in a statement. "We are excited to participate in regional projects of this type that are designed to support equitable access to high-quality educational pathways and resources for our students.

About the Author

Rhea Kelly is editor in chief for Campus Technology, THE Journal, and Spaces4Learning. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • college student sitting at a laptop writing a college essay

    How Can Schools Manage AI in Admissions?

    Many questions remain around the role of artificial intelligence in admissions as schools navigate the balance between innovation and integrity.  

  • a hobbyist in casual clothes holds a hammer and a toolbox, building a DIY structure that symbolizes an AI model

    Ditch the DIY Approach to AI on Campus

    Institutions that do not adopt AI will quickly fall behind. The question is, how can colleges and universities do this systematically, securely, cost-effectively, and efficiently?

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • laptop screen showing Coursera course

    Coursera Introduces New Gen AI Skills Training and Credentials

    Learning platform Coursera is expanding its Generative AI Academy training portfolio with an offering for teams, as well as adding new generative AI courses, specializations, and certificates.