Concord Consortium STEM Learning Tools vs Labster

Concord Consortium STEM Learning Tools is a nonprofit organization that creates research-based digital resources for inquiry-based STEM education. Its computational virtual labs model scientific principles so learners can explore otherwise invisible processes, including chemical reactions, genetics, evolution, and plate tectonics. CODAP is a free, web-based data science app for students, curriculum developers, and education researchers. It is designed for grades 5–14 and supports data analysis across subjects with drag-and-drop graphs and maps, linked graphs, maps, and tables. Users can import data from spreadsheets, URLs, files, or plugins. Plugins can connect to census, weather, and sensor databases, and a PhET projectile simulation plugin is featured. Developers may add plugins or contribute to the open-source code. Resources include interactive simulations, virtual experiments, guided lessons, and assessment tools. The organization also offers research collaboration, consulting, custom models, assessments, and professional development.

Labster provides interactive virtual lab assignments for teaching science concepts and practicing laboratory techniques. Its catalog includes more than 300 simulations across STEM subjects. Learners follow guided scenarios, repeat work at their own pace, and receive immediate feedback. Instructors can use automatic grading, customizable quizzes, and a modular assignment builder. A course mapping tool helps match simulations to a syllabus, and listed LMS integrations include Canvas, Google Classroom, Blackboard, Moodle, Schoology, and D2L Brightspace.

Simulations run in supported browsers on Windows and Mac computers. Some are available on iPads and Chromebooks through the Labster app; smartphones, including iPhones and Android phones, are not supported for playing them. Purchases are available to instructors, faculty, and administrators at educational institutions. A free trial is offered, but there is no free plan. Pricing is on request; institutional or department engagements typically begin at $5,000 a year, billed annually, with final pricing dependent on the solution and implementation requirements.