Molecular Workbench vs Science Remote Laboratory

Molecular Workbench is a free modeling tool for designing and conducting computational experiments across science. Its interactive learning environment supports science inquiry, while its authoring system lets instructional designers create and publish curriculum based on models and simulations. Users can customize simulations or create their own, with topics spanning gas laws, fluid mechanics, states of matter, chemical reactions, genetics, protein synthesis, and quantum phenomena. Activities can include assessments, student-data collection, learning monitoring, and teacher feedback. Simulations can also be embedded in blogs, wikis, or web pages. The Next-Generation Molecular Workbench brings computational experiments to browsers using HTML5. An offline version is available, but it cannot access the latest simulations or collect student data. Downloads are listed for Windows, Mac OS X, and Linux, and require Java Runtime Environment 1.5 or later. The maker says the software needs considerable computing power and may start slowly while the Java virtual machine launches. Molecular Workbench is developed and maintained by the Concord Consortium.

Science Remote Laboratory is a free web platform for virtual science experiments in university education. Its live library contains 34 experiments spanning physics, chemistry, biology, IoT, and robotics. Physics activities include an MNA circuit solver and an RK4 engine for mechanics simulations. IoT work uses a pseudocode interpreter for simulated sensors, MQTT, input and output, PID loops, and safety limits. Browser-based 3D laboratories use BabylonJS and Havok physics. Sessions persist, progress is saved, and multiple students can work in one lab simultaneously. The laboratories run in a browser without installation. The platform is presented for universities, public health organizations, and research institutions. Phase 01 is live; scientific visualization is listed as in development, with later phases upcoming. The Free to explore plan costs nothing. The project is headquartered in Harare, Zimbabwe.