Hitzrot points out that researchers engaged in serious scientific study seldom run an experiment once and accept the results as either a success or failure. True scientific inquiry is a process of trial and error. Exeter's science students frequently work in pairs or small groups and present their findings together. Not only does this approach provide more avenues for real learning and exchange, it mirrors the way professional scientists work, in teams. Employing a more collaborative approach has also, Hitzrot believes, helped to increase the number of girls enrolled in advanced science courses, a pedagogical issue the department has sought to address.
Recent research indicates that girls do better in collaborative learning situations.
In recent years, Exeter has seen enrollment among girls almost equal that of boys in advanced biology and chemistry courses. In advanced physics, however, the boys still outnumber the girls by a wide margin. On a more basic level, increased collaboration has come about because classes have been forced to share lab space in a building that was not designed to meet the needs of today's students and teachers. With classroom and lab space at a premium, teachers and students have no choice but to observe each other's work, and this often leads to the sharing of ideas and information. And this, he and other teachers feel, is a fine thing.