A collaborative, interdisciplinary study between faculty members in Chemistry and Mathematics was conducted at Penn State Behrend to determine the effectiveness of pre-laboratory presentations in the general chemistry laboratory using two different modes of delivery: a traditional lecture versus an in-class video presentation. The motivation for using videos to communicate pre-laboratory instruction is to provide reliable background information in a consistent and thorough manner through multiple sections of the same chemistry laboratory course and across the different instructors who teach those sections. It was anticipated that implementation of videos could result in an improvement in laboratory efficiency, safety, and necessary technical skills for the students. Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine this hypothesis by comparing laboratory quiz scores and time to complete the laboratory for students who received their pre-laboratory instruction in a traditional lecture versus in-class video format. The results of this study will provide new insight into the benefits of using technology for delivery of pre-laboratory instruction and offer suggestions for considerations when implementing technological tools (such as videos) into classroom instruction.

Pre-laboratory instruction: An investigation of effectiveness by mode of delivery

255th National Meeting (2018)

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