Beyond Labz

Overview

Beyond Labz is virtual lab software for students completing guided or open-ended science activities. Its subject coverage includes chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and physics. Students can make choices during an experiment, observe the result, and repeat the work in a risk-free setting.

The library contains more than 650 lab activities aligned with textbooks. Beyond Labz also offers auto-graded assessments with immediate feedback, and a feature called Lab Cam records and timestamps each step in a lab procedure for instructors to review.

The product is presented for higher education, high school, online schools, and homeschooling. Instructors can use a free plan to teach, preview activities, and build assignments; student access is sold in subject-specific and all-subjects plans.

Key features

Guided and open-ended labs

Activities span chemistry, organic chemistry, biology, and physics. Students can follow a guided lab or work more openly, making decisions and observing outcomes as they go. Repeating an experiment does not involve the risks of a physical lab.

Assessment and procedure records

Auto-graded assessments provide students with immediate feedback. Lab Cam captures and timestamps student steps during a lab, producing a procedure log for instructors.

LMS assignment workflow

Lab procedures integrate with LMS platforms compliant with LTI 1.0, 1.1, and 1.3, including Canvas, Blackboard, and Moodle. Students can receive, complete, and submit integrated assignments without leaving their LMS.

Pricing

Beyond Labz uses a freemium model. Instructor access is free, while student plans are one-time payments with access limited to a stated term.

The listed subject plans run for 20 weeks, while All Subjects provides one year of access. Instructors have a separate free plan for teaching and assignment preparation.

Platforms

Beyond Labz is listed for Android, iOS, macOS, web, and Windows. Its web-based labs support current public versions of macOS, Windows, ChromeOS, iPadOS, and Android tablets, but are not compatible with smartphones.

Downloaded desktop versions require macOS Yosemite or later, or 64-bit Windows 8 or later, along with 4 GB RAM and 3 GB of free disk space. Support is available Monday through Friday, with the company aiming to respond within 24 hours during support hours.

Who it's for

Beyond Labz is aimed at learners and instructors in higher education, high school, online schools, and homeschooling. Its instructor plan supports teaching, previewing labs, and building assignments, while student plans provide access to lab activities by subject or across multiple subjects. LMS integration may suit courses that distribute and collect work through Canvas, Blackboard, Moodle, or another LTI-compliant platform.

Pros and cons

Pros

• More than 650 textbook-aligned lab activities across chemistry, biology, and physics, including organic chemistry activities.
• Guided and open-ended experiments let students make decisions, observe outcomes, and repeat work in a risk-free environment.
• Auto-graded assessments provide immediate feedback, while Lab Cam creates a timestamped procedure log.
• LTI-compatible LMS integration supports assignment completion and submission without leaving the LMS.
• A free instructor plan is available for teaching, previewing, and building assignments.

Cons

• Student plans have fixed access periods: 20 weeks for subject plans and one year for All Subjects.
• Web-based labs do not support smartphones.
• Downloaded desktop versions have minimum operating-system, memory, and disk-space requirements.
• Authorized-user terms say Beyond Labz may collect and store information about users, their software use, and the devices used to access the software.

Alternatives

For a broader look at this category, browse Virtual Lab Software or Science Learning Software. Chemistry-focused options are grouped in Chemistry Simulation Software.

Other products to consider include ChemCollective Virtual Lab, Inq-ITS, WebLab-Deusto, Molecular Workbench, Amrita Virtual Lab, LabXchange, WhimsyLabs, and Pivot Interactives.

Verdict

Beyond Labz brings guided and open-ended lab activities, assessments, and procedure records together across several science subjects. Its LMS workflow and free instructor access are useful considerations for courses that manage assignments digitally. Students should weigh the subject coverage and one-time plan prices against the access terms, and confirm that their device meets the web or desktop requirements. The smartphone limitation and stated collection of user and device information are also worth considering before choosing the software.