How To Motivate Students To Study before They Enter the Lab

Laboratory exercises constitute an important part of chemical and biochemical courses at the university level. Nevertheless, students frequently are insufficiently prepared for the practical work, which often reduces their work to the level of a technician. A system designed to motivate students to study prior to the laboratory exercise was introduced. Initial sessions and preliminary tests were held prior to the exercises. As a consequence students studied more before the exercise than in the previous system. The time burden for students was not considerably increased, since the reports were shortened and written immediately after the exercise. Communication between students and teaching assistants, which was also a weak point of the previous system, improved. Students performed significantly better on the final exam and exhibited a positive attitude towards the changes.