Chemistry laboratory coursework has the potential to support a wide variety of learning goals, yet research that evaluates laboratory learning outcomes shows few of these goals are achieved. This may be the result of poor overlap between the students’ intentions and their instructors’ intentions. A comparison of the learning goals that chemistry faculty set for the students in their laboratory courses with the goals of students will be presented in this talk.<br/><br/>Students in various laboratory courses were video-recorded during their laboratory class and interviewed afterward to discern their desired learning outcomes. The cross-sectional sampling allowed comparisons among class standing, major, and type of curriculum (traditional or Science Writing Heuristic) in an effort to determine what type of intervention or curricular reform may increase alignment between the instructors’ intended learning goals and the students’ goals. Results from these comparisons and recommendations for curricular reform will also be presented.

Undergraduate students’ goals for their chemistry laboratory coursework

253rd National Meeting (2017)

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