Rapid Conversion of a Biomedical Engineering Laboratory from in Person to Online

Temporary higher education institution closures in response to the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic disrupted student teaching. This paper reports on the rapid conversion of an in person laboratory session to online delivery, within 24 h of the previously scheduled in person session, and two working days after the end of face-to-face teaching at the authors’ institution. To ensure teaching continuity for students, and address intended learning outcomes (ILOs) where possible, we created online material rapidly in a manner familiar to students. Online material followed the same structure as a previously released laboratory script, intended for the in person session, and was presented on the institutional Virtual Learning Environment. The online material comprised experimental data in tables and equipment readouts, brief descriptions, and short videos demonstrating the experimental methods. We assess to what extent the ILOs were met, and argue that clear ILOs help guide changes to teaching methods, to reduce any disruption to student learning. Four aspects of the initiative are highlighted: rapid delivery; familiar structure; familiar delivery; and videos used for emphasis.