The impact of different preparation modes on enhancing the undergraduate process control engineering laboratory: A comparative study

Undergraduate engineering laboratories have been reported to be inefficient. Educators have been aware of this problem and have urged their students to prepare in different ways, such as by self‐reparation, handing in a pre‐laboratory assignment, or attending a pre‐laboratory preparation session. Many studies report different approaches to laboratory preparation; however comparative investigations are scarce. This article reports on an empirical study that spanned over 3 years. Three preparation modes (PMs) are compared: (a) PM1—pre‐laboratory home assignment with the laboratory manual and virtual laboratory software; (b) PM2—pre‐laboratory session with a teaching assistant and preparation via the laboratory manual only; and (c) PM3—pre‐laboratory session with a teaching assistant and preparation via the virtual laboratory and the laboratory manual. Measurements of the laboratory learning outcomes by means of pre‐ and post‐laboratory tests and a comprehensive laboratory report indicate that PM3 is the most efficient approach. Discussions of the result in light of pedagogical and cognitive science theories are provided.