Over the past several years, the general chemistry curriculum at Worcester State University has been modified so that laboratory technique and report writing skills are introduced in a scaffold.  In the beginning, students learn how to properly record data in lab notebooks and students become proficient with creating tables, figures and equations using the tools of Microsoft Office.  As the year progresses, new laboratory skills are being practiced and additional laboratory report components are introduced step-wise. Throughout the curriculum, laboratory skills are often re-visited and with each approach the students’ skills improve.  To facilitate the writing, model reports are posted and re-submissions are allowed after in-class peer review or the instructor has critiqued the report. With this scaffold approach, students are not as overwhelmed with the laboratory or writing experience and they seem to be more confident and more successful. In the upper level courses, the instructors are seeing students who are more proficient with laboratory technique and writing skills. <br/>

Scaffold approach to teaching laboratory and writing skills in introductory chemistry courses

256th National Meeting (2018)

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