They then submit a materials list to the prep room, perform the experiment, and present their results orally to the class. Each student submits a written report. In the course of the semester, each team carries out three experiments. Innovative Features Laboratory courses in the sciences usually have the stated goal of improving students' ability to think scientifically by doing experiments and interpreting the resulting data. A secondary purpose is review and reinforcement of content covered in course lectures.
All students perform the same exercises following highly detailed directions.
In the investigative laboratories designed and implemented through this project, students devise and report on their own experiments, following procedures much more like those of scientific investigators. In close collaboration with others, they define the question, structure an investigative process, choose appropriate investigative techniques, carry out the experiment, and report results in written and oral form. Grades are based on the quality of the process and of the written report rather than on a series of content-driven quizzes. Such a laboratory program is rare because it is difficult to implement. The low skill levels of students, unpredictability of lab material requirements, lack of time for thoughtful development of experiments and additional demands on the creativity and resourcefulness of instructors all militate against this strategy.