At the University of Washington, the purchase of videomicroscopy equipment and a set of computers for data acquisition has catalyzed a new approach to teaching laboratories. Developed at campuses around the country, each module in the library simulates or explains a different biological system, allowing students to analyze massive amounts of data and visualize the relationships among variables. Each module must involve students actively in learning, go through an intensive peer review process, and be proven effective in the classroom. Though varied, investigative laboratories share a few key elements. They shift the emphasis from the professor as teacher to the student as learner.
Instructors also assume a different role in investigative laboratories.
Instead of being the primary source of information for the class, a faculty member or teaching assistant becomes a mentor, helping students work through problems. That's the biggest barrier to investigative labs, more so than money or time. It's probably the largest reason why the technique hasn't taken off in the past 20 years. Faculty members also need time to develop new laboratories and learn new teaching styles. Open-ended laboratories are not necessarily more demanding of faculty hours than traditional laboratories, according to instructors who have made the switch.