The Problem with Organic Chemistry Labs

Despite the educational limitations of cookbook verification experiments, the majority of undergraduate organic chemistry laboratores are still based on them. What is so often missing in these labs is the opportunity for students to interpret their experimental results in the context of a real problem. We need to recast our projects and experiments so that questions serve as the basis for lab investigations. This question-driven, guided-inquiry approach to laboratory teaching will allow students to participate effectively in the process of experimental organic chemistry.