I have tried to move away from the checklist laboratory experience of following a recipe to get a result in favor of labs that are more collaborative between the students and instructor. Many of my students have mentioned that they learn more when the play a more active role in the process of experimental design and execution. Beyond laboratory exercises, another important aspect of scientific life is presenting the data once you ve got it. To this end, I run mock scientific meetings for my students. In my Invertebrate Biology course, students are required to develop an independent research project for which the must generate an experimental design, collect all the data, run a statistical analysis, write a paper and present their results.
Students give seminars and present posters in an afternoon session.
I also have my students write extensively. Papers for laboratories are written as if for publication in a scientific journal, reviewed and returned for their corrections and a final draft. This, together with the essay exams I administer, makes it incumbent upon students to know the material and to communicate it effectively. Students can be an excellent source of pedagogical inspiration. Consequently, I am always available outside of class.