The scanning electron microscope is just one piece of new technology aiding students in their search for answers in the lab. Along with the emergence of new fields in science, technology has made a major impact on classroom practice. Initially computers were little more than repositories of data in the lab. Students collected data as they always had and typed it into the computer. With the introduction of analog to digital interfacing equipment, however, technology has taken on a more dynamic role.
Students now complete calculations and graphs that used to take hours in a few seconds.
They can measure light intensity, pH, and temperature over time and plot the results immediately. Physics teacher Scott Saltman says that the new technology enables students to amass data that would have taken much longer or even been impossible to collect in the past. Analysis is more of a focus in lab work now because you can analyze data quickly and easily. You can change the variables on the computer and repeat the experiment. You don't have to go through the drudgery of making graphs and charts by hand.