Developing and Implementing Lab Skills Seminars, a Student-Led Learning Approach in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory: Mentoring Current Students While Benefiting Facilitators

This paper describes the successful adaptation of certain components of peer-led team learning (PLTL) as well as service learning principles into our initiative: lab skills seminars (LSS). These seminars were organized for large, second year organic chemistry laboratory courses. Prior to LSS, the only help available for students was traditional office hours conducted by the course coordinator. Such office hours are not sufficient or effective in large courses for numerous reasons, such that laboratory skill seminars were created to fill that gap and also diminish high levels of anxiety associated with complicated laboratories. Seminars were prepared and facilitated by upper year service learning students or volunteers, who had successfully completed the same course. Facilitators and course students mutually benefit significantly from these seminars, and this article will discuss these benefits in greater detail.