# Computer lab

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Facility for public access to desktop computers or laptops

Computer lab on [SUNY Purchase](/source/State_University_of_New_York_at_Purchase) campus

A **computer lab** is a space where [computer](/source/Computer) services are provided to a defined community. These are typically public [libraries](/source/Libraries) and [academic institutions](/source/Academic_institution).[1] Generally, users must follow a certain [user policy](/source/Acceptable_use_policy) to retain access to the computers. This usually consists of rules such as no [illegal](/source/Computer_crime) activity during use or attempts to circumvent any [security](/source/Information_security) or [content-control software](/source/Content-control_software) while using the computers.[1]

Computer labs are often subject to time limits in order to allow more people access to use the lab. It is also common for personal login credentials to be required for access.[1] This allows institutions to [track the user's activities](/source/Computer_surveillance) for any possible fraudulent use. The computers in computer labs are typically equipped with [Internet access](/source/Internet_access), [scanners](/source/Image_scanner), and [printers](/source/Printer_(computing)) and are typically arranged in rows. This is to give the [workstation](/source/Workstation) a similar view to facilitate [lecturing](/source/Lecturing) or [presentations](/source/Presentation),[2] and also to facilitate small [group work](/source/Group_work).[3]

For some academic institutions, student [laptops](/source/Laptop) or laptop carts[4] take place of dedicated computer labs. However, computer labs still have a place in applications requiring special [software](/source/Software) or hardware which are not easily accessible in personal computers.[3]

## Purposes

Computer lab

While computer labs are generally multipurpose, some labs may contain computers with hardware or software optimized for certain tasks or processes, depending on the needs of the institution operating the lab. These specialized purposes may include video editing, computational research, 3-D [computer-aided design](/source/Computer-aided_design), [programming](/source/Programmer), and [GIS](/source/Geographic_information_systems).[3] Increasingly, these have become the main purposes for the existence of traditional desktop-style computer labs, due to rising ownership of inexpensive personal computers making use of the lab only necessary when the expensive, specialized software and more powerful computers needed to run it are required.[3]

### Evolution and Transformation of Computer Labs In Educational Institutions

Computer laboratories especially in educational institutions have undergone major transformations since their early development in the late 20th century. Computer labs used to be equipment-centered environments used primarily for teaching programming basics or [computer literacy](/source/Computer_literacy).[5] Access to these facilities was often limited, as personal computers were rare and costly at the time. According to *EDUCAUSE Review,* early computer labs emphasized individual technical proficiency and structured, task-based learning rather than collaborative or creative engagement.[6]

In the 21st century, computer labs at schools and universities have transformed into flexible, student-focused spaces that encourage collaboration, experimentation, and even remote learning.[7] Modern labs often include mobile devices, wireless networks, and [cloud-based](/source/Cloud_computing) systems, making it easier for students and teachers to share resources and learn beyond the walls of the lab. Cloud platforms like [AWS EC2](/source/AWS_EC2) take this a step further, giving schools the ability to scale resources as needed and provide students and instructors with access from anywhere.[8]

### COVID-19 Effects on Computer Labs

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the usage of computer Labs reduced since physical class attendance had stopped. In return, many institutions implemented virtual computer labs and remote access to resources for students to access from home.[9]

When campuses reopened, virtual labs continued to provide flexible access to software, and high-performance computing resources, and physical labs remained for collaborative work or resource intensive tasks.[10] Even though they were effective, surveys show that instructors faced a challenge on maintaining engagement in these virtual labs and group work quality for hands-on experiences.[11]

Many of these challenges were linked to unequal access to technology. Some students had difficulty using virtual labs because of unstable internet connections or limited access to suitable devices.[12] As a result, institutions continued investing in hybrid systems that combine on-campus resources with remote access options.[13]

## Arrangements

		- Around the classroom

		- Arranged in rows

		- Ring

		- Computer lab cubicles 3D design

## Alternatives

Some labs use both desktops and laptops. This lab uses desktops for specific uses, such as the Virtual Reality Workstation, and laptops for general computing.

In some settings, traditional desktop computer labs are impractical due to the requirement of a dedicated space. Because of this, some labs use laptop carts instead of desktop setups, in order to both save space and give the lab some degree of mobility.[4] In the context of academic institutions, some traditional desktop computer labs are being phased out in favor of other solutions judged to be more efficient given that most students own personal laptops. One of these solutions is a virtual lab, which can allow users to install software from the lab [server](/source/Server_(computing)) onto their own laptops or log into virtual machines remotely, essentially turning their own laptops into lab machines.[14]

### Gender Representation in Computer Labs

A longitudinal study conducted at a U.S. university in the early 2000s found that women reported less frequent use of campus computer labs than men.[15] More recent studies indicate that the [gender gap](/source/Gender_gap) in basic access and frequency of computer use has narrowed in many educational contexts, and research from the 2010s-2020s reports comparable or increased lab engagement by female students. However, lower reported confidence with technology, persist in some contexts, and participation still varies by country, age group and subfield of [computing](/source/Computing).[16]

## Academic software bundles

See also: [List of free and open-source software packages](/source/List_of_free_and_open-source_software_packages)

Many universities purchase and maintain [discounted](/source/Discounts_and_allowances) academic [software](/source/Software) [bundles](/source/Product_bundle) and [software suites](/source/Software_suite), or free [open-source software](/source/Open-source_software) for their computer labs, such as [programming text editors](/source/Comparison_of_text_editors), [programming languages](/source/List_of_programming_languages_by_type), [CAx software](/source/Computer-aided_technologies), [rendering engines](/source/Rendering_(computer_graphics)), [Adobe Creative Cloud](/source/Adobe_Creative_Cloud), [Microsoft Office Suite](/source/Microsoft_Office_Suite), [productivity software](/source/Productivity_software), [statistical software](/source/List_of_statistical_software), [music software](/source/List_of_music_software), [video editing software](/source/Comparison_of_video_editing_software), [3D animation software](/source/List_of_3D_animation_software), and [photo editing software](/source/Comparison_of_raster_graphics_editors).[17][18]

## Similar spaces

### Media lab

See also: [GPU workstation](/source/Workstation#GPU_workstations)

A media lab (often referred to as "new media lab" or "media research lab") is a term used for interdisciplinary organizations, collectives or spaces with the main focus on [new media](/source/New_media), [digital culture](/source/Digital_culture) and [technology](/source/Technology). The [MIT Media Lab](/source/MIT_Media_Lab) is a well-known example of a media lab.[19][20]

### Internet café

Main article: [Internet café](/source/Internet_caf%C3%A9)

An Internet café is essentially a public-facing computer lab that anyone can use but which charge a fee (often hourly) to use their computers. The term 'Internet café' may be used interchangeably with 'computer lab' but may differ from a computer lab in that users can also connect to the Internet using their own device, and users of a computer lab generally do not need any equipment of their own. Moreover, in typical parlance, a computer lab is a location within a larger organization (such as a university), while an Internet café is a standalone business.

## See also

- [Computer science](/source/Computer_science)

- [Computers in the classroom](/source/Computers_in_the_classroom)

- [Cubicle](/source/Cubicle)

- [School library](/source/School_library)

- [Kiosk software](/source/Kiosk_software)

- [Printer](/source/Printer_(computing)) and [photocopier](/source/Photocopier)

- [Public computer](/source/Public_computer)

- [LAN gaming center](/source/LAN_gaming_center)

- [List of educational software](/source/List_of_educational_software) and [List of online educational resources](/source/List_of_online_educational_resources)

- [Fab lab](/source/Fab_lab)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-ethics_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-ethics_1-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-ethics_1-2) McCampbell, Atefeh S; Liedlich, Fred (1996). "Ethics and the Student Computer Lab". *Journal of Business Ethics*. **15** (8): 897–900. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/BF00381857](https://doi.org/10.1007%2FBF00381857). [JSTOR](/source/JSTOR_(identifier)) [25072815](https://www.jstor.org/stable/25072815). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [144690029](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:144690029).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-uses_2-0)** van den Blink, Claire C. ["Uses of Labs and Learning Spaces"](http://er.educause.edu/articles/2009/3/uses-of-labs-and-learning-spaces). *Educause Review*. Retrieved 4 November 2015.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-myth_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-myth_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-myth_3-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-myth_3-3) Hawkins, Brian; Oblinger, Diana G. ["The Myth about the Need for Public Computer Labs"](http://er.educause.edu/articles/2007/8/the-myth-about-the-need-for-public-computer-labs). *Educause Review*. Retrieved 4 November 2015.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-laptopCarts_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-laptopCarts_4-1) MacPhee, Larry. ["Learning Spaces: A Tutorial"](http://er.educause.edu/articles/2009/3/learning-spaces-a-tutorial). *Educause Review*. Retrieved 11 November 2015.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-5)** Carmichael, Patrick (2019), ["Computer Labs in Primary and Secondary Education"](https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/9781118978238.ieml0035), *The International Encyclopedia of Media Literacy*, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, pp. 1–5, [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1002/9781118978238.ieml0035](https://doi.org/10.1002%2F9781118978238.ieml0035), [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-118-97823-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-118-97823-8), retrieved 2025-10-12

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Blink, Clare van den. ["Uses of Labs and Learning Spaces"](https://er.educause.edu/articles/2009/3/uses-of-labs-and-learning-spaces). *EDUCAUSE Review*. Retrieved 2025-10-12.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-7)** ["EDUCAUSE QuickPoll Results: Learning Spaces Transformation"](https://er.educause.edu/articles/2022/4/educause-quickpoll-results-learning-spaces-transformation). *EDUCAUSE Review*. Retrieved 2025-10-12.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-8)** Khan, Adil, and Azza Mohamed. "Optimizing Cybersecurity Education: A Comparative Study of On-Premises and Cloud-Based Lab Environments Using AWS EC2." *Computers (Basel)*, vol. 14, no. 8, 2025, p. 297, [https://doi.org/10.3390/computers14080297](https://doi.org/10.3390/computers14080297)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Sage, Kara; Jackson, Sophia; Fox, Emily; Mauer, Larissa (2021-11-01). ["The virtual COVID-19 classroom: surveying outcomes, individual differences, and technology use in college students"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8560019). *Smart Learning Environments*. **8** (1): 27. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1186/s40561-021-00174-7](https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs40561-021-00174-7). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [2196-7091](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2196-7091). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [8560019](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8560019). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [40477728](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40477728).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-10)** Sage, Kara; Jackson, Sophia; Fox, Emily; Mauer, Larissa (2021-11-01). ["The virtual COVID-19 classroom: surveying outcomes, individual differences, and technology use in college students"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8560019). *Smart Learning Environments*. **8** (1): 27. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1186/s40561-021-00174-7](https://doi.org/10.1186%2Fs40561-021-00174-7). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [2196-7091](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/2196-7091). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [8560019](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8560019). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [40477728](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40477728).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Radhamani, Rakhi; Kumar, Dhanush; Nizar, Nijin; Achuthan, Krishnashree; Nair, Bipin; Diwakar, Shyam (2021). ["What virtual laboratory usage tells us about laboratory skill education pre- and post-COVID-19: Focus on usage, behavior, intention and adoption"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8188155). *Education and Information Technologies*. **26** (6): 7477–7495. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1007/s10639-021-10583-3](https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs10639-021-10583-3). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1360-2357](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1360-2357). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [8188155](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8188155). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [34121909](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34121909).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Katz, Vikki S.; Jordan, Amy B.; Ognyanova, Katherine (2021). ["Digital inequality, faculty communication, and remote learning experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic: A survey of U.S. undergraduates"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7875367). *PLOS ONE*. **16** (2) e0246641. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2021PLoSO..1646641K](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021PLoSO..1646641K). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1371/journal.pone.0246641](https://doi.org/10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0246641). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [1932-6203](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/1932-6203). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [7875367](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7875367). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [33566832](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33566832).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-13)** Abumalloh, Rabab Ali; Asadi, Shahla; Nilashi, Mehrbakhsh; Minaei-Bidgoli, Behrouz; Nayer, Fatima Khan; Samad, Sarminah; Mohd, Saidatulakmal; Ibrahim, Othman (January 2021). ["The impact of coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) on education: The role of virtual and remote laboratories in education"](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8435357). *Technology in Society*. **67** 101728. [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1016/j.techsoc.2021.101728](https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.techsoc.2021.101728). [ISSN](/source/ISSN_(identifier)) [0160-791X](https://search.worldcat.org/issn/0160-791X). [PMC](/source/PMC_(identifier)) [8435357](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8435357). [PMID](/source/PMID_(identifier)) [34538984](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34538984).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-virtualLab_14-0)** Schaeffer, Henry E.; Averitt, Samuel F.; Hoit, Marc I.; Peeler, Aaron; Sills, Eric D.; Vouk, Mladen A. (2009). "NCSU's Virtual Computing Lab: A Cloud Computing Solution". *Computer*. **42** (7): 94–97. [Bibcode](/source/Bibcode_(identifier)):[2009Compr..42g..94S](https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2009Compr..42g..94S). [doi](/source/Doi_(identifier)):[10.1109/MC.2009.230](https://doi.org/10.1109%2FMC.2009.230). [S2CID](/source/S2CID_(identifier)) [36540210](https://api.semanticscholar.org/CorpusID:36540210).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Mitra, Ananda, et al. "Gender and Computer Use in an Academic Institution: Report from a Longitudinal Study." *Journal of Educational Computing Research*, vol. 23, no. 1, 2000, pp. 67–84, [https://doi.org/10.2190/BG2M-A5ER-KV7Y-N0J5](https://doi.org/10.2190/BG2M-A5ER-KV7Y-N0J5)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Gebhardt, Eveline, et al. *Gender Differences in Computer and Information Literacy: An In-Depth Analysis of Data from ICILS*. 1st ed., vol. 8, Springer Nature, 2019, [https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26203-7](https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-26203-7)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-17)** ["Popular Computer Programs | Computer Lab Connections"](https://it.usu.edu/labs/connections/popular-computer-programs).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-18)** ["Lab Software List | Information Technology Services"](https://its.humboldt.edu/classrooms/labs-softwarelist).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-19)** Dennis Keohane for Beta Boston. Sept. 24, 2014 [A look inside the MIT Media Lab](http://www.betaboston.com/gallery/touring-the-mit-media-lab/)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-20)** John Markoff for the New York Times. April 25, 2011 [M.I.T. Media Lab Names a New Director](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/26/science/26lab.html?_r=0)

## External links

- Media related to [Computer labs](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Computer_labs) at Wikimedia Commons

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Computer lab](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_lab) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_lab?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.