Curriculum Review Committee

Lab Requirements

The following minimum requirements are recommended for qualification as a laboratory science course.

1. The contact hours of the laboratory component of the science course will constitute a minimum of 1/3 (33%) of the total course. In 6 total contact hours per week (for example), the lab component will constitute at least 2 hours.
2. The laboratory work will be distributed throughout the quarter, typically on a weekly or biweekly basis.
3. The laboratory work will be roughly synchronous with and complementary to the lecture material.
4. The laboratory portion of the course will present an alternative teaching and learning methodology than the lecture component.
5. The laboratory work will involve actual physical manipulation of real materials, objects, devices, instruments, etc., as opposed to text, pictures, simulations, etc.
6. The laboratory exercises will involve use of observational senses on real objects, devices, materials, etc., and will promote the development of observational skills.
7. The laboratory exercises may involve quantitative to semi-quantitative aspects, such as measuring, gauging, scaling, counting, appraisal, and evaluation of real objects and materials.
8. The laboratory exercises will often contain an experimental component that involves a tentative procedure leading eventually to a result, testing a principle or hypothesis, or discovering an unknown. The experiments will involve real, physical objects or materials, instead of simulations, mockups, pictures, etc.
9. The laboratory exercises will often focus on the acquisition of primary data, observations and/or information by the students, rather than manipulation of previously collected data and observations.
10. Students will be the primary investigators, data collectors and analyzers in the laboratory setting, as distinct from demonstrations by the instructor.
11. There will be opportunity for interaction between the student and the instructor during the laboratory periods; nearly instantaneous feedback will characterize the laboratory portion.