Exploring the Purpose and Design of Introductory Undergraduate Lab Courses
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Posted by Douglas Natelson
4d ago· 1 min readenInsight
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Summary
This article discusses the challenges of designing introductory undergraduate lab courses across universities. It raises fundamental questions about the purpose of these labs: whether they should teach experimental science methodology (hypothesis formulation, measurement, data analysis) or reinforce specific curriculum concepts. It also questions the appropriate level of structure and explores opportunities for interdisciplinary lab approaches that break down traditional physics/chemistry/biology/earth sciences silos. The author seeks examples of outstanding introductory lab programs in the US.
Key quotes
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Is the purpose to emphasize and reinforce specific scientific points from the curriculum?
Where are there opportunities for interdisciplinary labs rather than traditional physics/chemistry/biology/earth sciences stovepipes?
Introductory undergraduate labs are a recurring challenge at nearly every university. Is the purpose to teach students something about how ...
