Abstract
AbstractDesigning laboratory activities is a real challenge for those working in higher education. There is often an acknowledged frustration with the status quo, but a lack of clear guidance on what strategies might be useful in considering a redesign. This article aims to address the question: what considerations should be taken into account when designing a laboratory activity? To address it, we first describe an overarching framework for laboratory learning, describing it as a complex learning environment. The reason for this is that two clear overarching guidelines emerge – the first is that the laboratory curriculum should be structured so that each new challenge for student is adequately supported by their prior learning so that they can draw on their knowledge to address the new learning situation, and the second is that guidelines for the kinds of preparation for laboratory learning emerge. Based on this framework, we advocate four core principles for laboratory learning that should be considered when designing a laboratory activity regarding the overall purpose, the role of preparation, the teaching of technique, and the consideration of affective dimensions of learning. We illustrate this framework in practice with examples from our own practice, with suggestions on using the literature on laboratory education as a source for curriculum reform within an institution.
Highlights
Rationale for this overviewLearning in the laboratory is a core component of the chemistry curriculum
We shy away from the specific identities of particular laboratory approaches such as expository or inquiry, discovery or problem-based. This is not because they are not helpful – some enormously useful work has been done in elaborating on these approaches4 – but because for the particular audience of this piece, we intend to communicate instead the salient features of what an effective learning environment might look like, rather than how they are categorised in the educational literature
We do believe that there are some salient features of laboratory education that are in general terms universal to all effective laboratory learning scenarios
Summary
The reason for this is that two clear overarching guidelines emerge – the first is that the laboratory curriculum should be structured so that each new challenge for student is adequately supported by their prior learning so that they can draw on their knowledge to address the new learning situation, and the second is that guidelines for the kinds of preparation for laboratory learning emerge Based on this framework, we advocate four core principles for laboratory learning that should be considered when designing a laboratory activity regarding the overall purpose, the role of preparation, the teaching of technique, and the consideration of affective dimensions of learning. We illustrate this framework in practice with examples from our own practice, with suggestions on using the literature on laboratory education as a source for curriculum reform within an institution
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