The laboratory instruction sheet (sometimes called a laboratory manual), together with the equipment used by students, is an essential resource for laboratory work. It has a direct influence over all the interactions that can occur in the laboratory activity, of which student-equipment is the only common synchronous interaction in both…

A blended approach encompassing problem-based learning (PBL) and structured inquiry was used in this laboratory exercise based on the congenital disease Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI), to introduce commonly used techniques in biomolecular analysis within a clinical context. During a series of PBL sessions students were presented with several…

This paper describes in detail a successful training program developed for sessional (part-time or nonpermanent) laboratory demonstrators employed in the Electrical Engineering Department of an Australian university. Such demonstrators play an important role in teaching practical concepts and skills in engineering. The success of the program…

Describes the function of the various parts of the microscope and their integration in the formation of an optical image. Presents a procedure for setting up a microscope to obtain maximum resolution and contrast for each objective lens at all magnifications. (JRH)

Year 11 students investigated the real-world problem of whether screws are really brass. It allowed them to use the colorimeter and computer interface in a way that was easily understood and models normal practice in testing laboratories. Screws were dissolved in nitric acid and their absorbance of red light was compared with a standard curve.…

Describes research that documents the falsification of laboratory results by chemistry and physics students. Discusses some factors that encourage students to fabricate results and why some students do not feel the need to falsify data. Contains 16 references. (DDR)