MBO students from ROC Amsterdam will work in a new simulated laboratory. With the Experience Lab, 200 to 300 students annually get acquainted with work in biomedical technology. The initiative aims to address the shortage of well-trained laboratory staff in healthcare.
In the Experience Lab, students work in a realistic learning environment with modern, advanced equipment. Using AI, storytelling, and gamification, they follow the story of a patient.
Practice
Students perform assignments in a 360-degree image environment with interactive elements that directly influence the course of the research and treatment. During lessons, they answer questions and receive feedback, for example via the phone in the lab. This way, they practice not only technical skills but also analysis, collaboration, and acting under pressure.
Discovering what the profession entails
The Experience Lab was set up to give students a better understanding of work in a laboratory. In real laboratories, students often can do little themselves due to risks. This makes it difficult to gain practical experience and properly discover what the profession entails.
Preventing dropout
The first modules are mainly intended for first- and second-year students of the Laboratory Technician and Analyst program. Dropout is highest in these years. The Experience Lab allows students to get to know the practice earlier and more actively, aiming to reduce dropout. Later, modules will also be available for third- and fourth-year students at ROC Amsterdam. Afterwards, other MBO institutions and universities of applied sciences can also use the Experience Lab.
Alderman Mbarki: Practical experience motivates students
Alderman Sofyan Mbarki (Education): “MBO students are incredibly important as future professionals for tomorrow’s society and economy. Experiencing early what their education means in practice helps them form a better picture of their field of work. With the Experience Lab, we bring that practice to school and create a new way of education. Students gain experience they can also use during their internships. If it were up to me, every MBO school would have a similar lab where students also work with the latest technology in other fields and apply it to a realistic case. This way, we train a new generation of high-tech professionals.”
The Experience Lab is a joint initiative of the Health & Innovation District (HID), Sanquin Academy, ROC Amsterdam, and the Municipality of Amsterdam.