Review of research on laboratory learning demonstrates the need to understand student perspectives in order to improve laboratory teaching and learning. Novak's Theory of Meaningful Learning states that the cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains must be integrated for meaningful learning to occur. The psychomotor domain is inherent in the chemistry laboratory but the same is not true for the cognitive and affective domains. For meaningful learning to occur in the laboratory, students must actively integrate both the cognitive domain and the affective domains into the �doing� of their laboratory work. The Meaningful Learning in the Laboratory Inventory (MLILI) was designed to measure students' cognitive and affective expectations and experiences within the context of conducting experiments in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory. MLILI has been pilot tested with general, organic, and physical chemistry students at both a large Midwestern research university and a moderate size Midwestern liberal arts university. Analysis of the data was carried out in three ways. The structure of the inventory was examined through both factor analysis and cluster analysis. The theoretical framework of meaningful learning was also used as a lens to look for patterns in student responses with regard to cognitive and/or affective learning.

MLILI: Assessment of meaningful learning in the undergraduate chemistry laboratory

246th National Meeting (2013)

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