Virtual Lab
TeachFORGE.ai
Virtual Lab / Playing a lab
Playing a lab
Open a Virtual Lab from try, library, or a shared link — launch Guided or Flexible, operate apparatus, follow procedure, record data, and export or write up your notebook.
Run the practical. Keep the evidence.
What playing a lab means
Playing a lab is the learner (or teacher-demo) experience: open a published or showcase experiment, choose Guided or Flexible launch, operate the apparatus, change controls, watch graphs, follow the procedure, record data, and export or write up a notebook.
You do not need an authoring account to try public showcase labs. The same player powers shared links and embeds once a lab is available to open.
Why teachers send learners here
Safe practicals
Run parameter stories and apparatus work without booking a physical bench every time.
See cause and effect
Sliders, instruments, and live graphs make “what if?” visible in the moment.
Evidence of method
Procedure checklists, datalog exports, and notebook PDF support write-up discipline.
Demo or explore
Guided for paced demonstration; Flexible for open investigation.
Try, library and showcase
- Try / showcase — curated public labs you can open without signing in, with desktop / tablet / mobile preview frames on marketing pages
- Built-in library — platform labs with difficulty labels (Beginner / Intermediate / Advanced)
- Community library — Academy-authored labs approved into the shared catalogue
- Filters — find labs by difficulty and catalogue browsing, then launch into the player
Guided vs Flexible in the player
| Aspect | Guided | Flexible |
|---|---|---|
| Layout | Sequential focus along the teaching arc | Multi-panel float tiles |
| Pacing | Next policy; mark complete as you go | Learner arranges panels freely |
| Teacher aid | Teaching guide with per-section prompts | Same lab content, free tiling |
| Override | URL ?mode=guided or ?mode=flexible can override the author default on player and embed | |
View preferences (text scale, high contrast, reduce motion) stay available in the player. Layout choices can persist locally for the next visit.
Apparatus, controls and graphs
The scene is either a declarative 3D apparatus (typed objects the renderer understands) or a code scene (sandboxed Three.js / HTML–JS with a controlled bridge). Controls expose parameters as sliders, readouts, and toggles. Graphs support sweep, timeseries, and static modes — including tools such as area, slope, and drag-to-write where the lab enables them.
- Parameters, facts, and constraints drive compiled expressions at runtime
- Live plots update as you change values
- If WebGL fails, the apparatus panel may not load — plan a fallback for that device
Procedure, data log and notebook
Follow the procedure checklist
Steps can gate parameters or recording until prior work is complete.
Operate with realism in mind
Instruments may need tare; readings can settle; noise and repeats (mean/range) can apply; limits and failure modes may appear.
Record and export
Datalog Record captures runs. Export CSV, JSON, or Python-friendly data. Analysis can self-check against tolerances — local verification, not a gradebook. Lab notebook PDF can hold hypothesis, tables, graphs, and conclusion.
PASS/FAIL style checks in analysis are against the lab’s tolerance rules for learning — not Quest Ladder marks or LMS scores.