P ac ice Pape
Recommended ci a ion: Jalali, Y., Langie, G., Ve bu gh, A., & Dex e s, A. (2025).
Designing Labo a o y Sessions in Science and Enginee ing: A Holis ic F amewo k
and Guiding Ques ions. In Kangaslampi, R., Langie, G., Jä inen, H.-M., & Nagy,
B. (Eds.), SEFI 53 d Annual Con e ence. Eu opean Socie y o Enginee ing
Educa ion (SEFI), Tampe e, Finland. DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17631469.
This Con e ence Pape is b ough o you o open access by he 53 d Annual Con e ence
o he Eu opean Socie y o Enginee ing Educa ion (SEFI) a Tampe e Uni e si y in
Tampe e, Finland. This wo k is licensed unde a C ea i e Commons
A ibu ion-NonComme cial-Sha e Alike 4.0 In e na ional License.
Designing Labo a o y Sessions in Science and Enginee ing: A
Holis ic F amewo k and Guiding Ques ions
Y. Jalali
1
KU Leu en, LESEC, ETHER, Leu en, Belgium
h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0002-1311-2058
G. Langie
KU Leu en, LESEC, ETHER, Facul y o Enginee ing Technology,
Sin -Ka elijne-Wa e , Belgium
h ps://o cid.o g/0000-0002-9061-6727
A. Ve bu gh
Uni e si y Colleges Leu en Limbu g, Leu en, Belgium
A. Dex e s
KU Leu en, ELECTA, Facul y o Enginee ing Technology, Diepenbeek, Belgium
Con e ence Key A eas: Cu iculum de elopmen and eme ging cu iculum models
in enginee ing; Open and online educa ion o enginee s
Keywo ds: Labo a o y, Expe imen a ion, Inqui y, Ins uc ional design, Flexible
lea ning
ABSTRACT
O e he pas ew decades, wi h he ise o educa ional echnologies, educa o s ha e
econside ed labo a o y ins uc ion by combining a ious modes o deli e y, i.e.,
hands-on, emo e, and i ual labo a o ies. Despi e hese inno a ions, he ques ion
o he e ec i eness and e iciency o labo a o y sessions emains a ele an
conce n. In his pape , we ad oca e o eimagining labo a o y ac i i ies h ough a
h ee-phase amewo k consis ing o p e-labo a o y, labo a o y, and pos -labo a o y
phases, and p esen key ques ions o each phase o labo a o y ac i i ies o guide
educa o s in e lec ing on essen ial elemen s ha in luence hei ins uc ional
choices. We a gue ha he design o any labo a o y ac i i y should be conside ed
wi hin a b oade , mo e holis ic model o ins uc ional design. Ou goal is o spa k
g ea e a en ion o he complexi y o labo a o y ins uc ion and p o ide gene al
guidelines o op imizing labo a o ies and c ea ing mo e lexible lea ning pa hways.
1
Co esponding Au ho
Y. Jalali
youse .jalali@kuleu en.be
1 INTRODUCTION
Labo a o y wo k is a c ucial componen o science and enginee ing educa ion
(Ho s ein & Lune a, 1982; Sheppa d e al. 2009). By p o iding oppo uni ies o
p ac ical wo k, educa o s o en aim o help s uden s solidi y hei unde s anding o
abs ac and complex concep s, de elop essen ial skills ela ed o expe imen a ion
and using ools and equipmen , and os e a mindse o ien ed owa d inqui y and
p oblem-sol ing (Edwa d, 2002; Ma & Nicke son, 2006). Howe e , adi ional in-
pe son labo a o y o ma s ha e some majo limi a ions. They a e esou ce-in ensi e,
equi ing ample s a suppo wi h high cos associa ed wi h p epa ing and
main aining spaces and equipmen , making i inc easingly di icul o accommoda e a
g owing numbe o s uden s. Addi ionally, he p edominan ins uc ional me hods in
hands-on labo a o ies, which o en ely on p ede ined, cookbook p ocedu es, ha e
aced c i icism. Ki schne and Mees e (1988) a gued, “The e appea s o be an
o e all ag eemen ha labo a o y wo k a p esen p o ides a poo e u n o
knowledge in p opo ion o he amoun o ime and e o in es ed by s a and
s uden s” (p. 83). This conce n emains ele an oday, making i impe a i e o
c i ically e lec abou he e ec i eness and e iciency o designing labo a o y
sessions.
In ecen decades, wi h he ise o educa ional echnologies, educa o s ha e
eexamined labo a o y ins uc ion by combining di e en modes o deli e y, such as
hands-on labo a o ies and i ual labo a o ies. These new s uc u es o e g ea e
lexibili y, ca e ing o lea ne s om di e se backg ounds (see, o example, Ve els e
al. 2009). Empi ical s udies o en demons a ed he added bene i s o combining
di e en deli e y modes and ha e ad oca ed o blended lea ning app oaches in
labo a o y ins uc ion (Mak ansky & Pe e sen, 2021; Zacha ia, 2007). This a gumen
is suppo ed concep ually by he unique a o dances o di e en lea ning
en i onmen s, educing cogni i e load, and oppo uni ies o lea ning wi h mul iple
ep esen a ions (Ainswo h, 2006; Rau, 2020; Singh e al. 2021; Wö ne e al. 2022).
Howe e , much o he p io esea ch has p ima ily compa ed adi ional and non-
adi ional labo a o ies (i.e., i ual and emo e labo a o ies) o physical and i ual
manipula i es, o en o e looking o he c ucial ac o s such as lea ne cha ac e is ics,
ea u es o lea ning en i onmen s, and expe imen a ion s a egies (Bumbache e al.
2018; Wö ne e al. 2022). Addi ionally, he e has been unde ep esen a ion o
s udies p o iding an inclusi e iew o how di e en lea ning objec i es in labo a o y
ins uc ion in e ac wi h a ious modes o deli e y. Al hough he e is a weal h o
esea ch on labo a o y ins uc ion in science and enginee ing, i emains unclea how
educa o s can ully le e age he a o dances o di e en modes o deli e y in
designing labo a o y ac i i ies.
As pa o an E asmus+ p ojec ocusing on c ea ing lexible lea ning ma e ial and
de eloping long- e m skill ecosys ems in he ield o elec i ica ion, his pape aims a
building a ounda ion o p o iding gene ic guidelines o designing labo a o y
se ings. The p ojec is coo dina ed by KU Leu en (Belgium) and in ol es
s akeholde s om Highe Educa ion (HE) and oca ional educa ion and aining
(VET), indus y, esea ch, inno a ion suppo o ganiza ions, public au ho i ies
esponsible o educa ion, acc edi a ion, and employmen a bo h egional and
na ional le els. In his pape , we i s ake a close look a h ee majo modes o
deli e y and h ee di e en phases ha possibly make up a labo a o y. And inally,
we o e guiding ques ions o design a labo a o y, based on key elemen s o
ins uc ional design amewo ks.
2 OVERVIEW OF THE THREE MAJOR MODES OF DELIVERY
B oadly speaking, he e a e h ee p ima y ypes o labo a o y modes: hands-on,
emo e, and i ual (Ma & Nicke son, 2006). In hands-on labo a o ies, all equipmen
is physically loca ed in he same space, allowing s uden s o conduc expe imen s
di ec ly in ha en i onmen . Remo e labo a o ies, on he o he hand, p o ide access
o eal equipmen and spaces, bu he expe imen and da a collec ion is ca ied ou
om a dis ance. Finally, i ual labo a o ies allow s uden s o engage wi h
simula ions o imi a ions o eal expe imen s, o en using hei compu e s. The
numbe o non- adi ional labo a o ies has been inc easing, in he ield o elec ical
ci cui s and sys ems alone we can e e o examples such as Ne Lab (Gus a sson e
al. 2009; h p://ne lab.unisa.edu.au), he PhET Ci cui Cons uc ion Ki
(h ps://phe .colo ado.edu/), and he VISIR emo e lab (May e al. 2020).
Each labo a o y mode has i s own se o ad an ages and disad an ages. Hands-on
labo a o ies can be pa icula ly e ec i e in de eloping s uden s’ p ac ical skills. They
help s uden s lea n by doing, enhance hei p oblem-sol ing abili ies, p omo e mo o
skills h ough handling ma e ials, and p o ide oppo uni ies o con on expe imen al
e o s and unexpec ed challenges (B inson, 2015; Wö ne e al. 2022). Howe e ,
hey can be cos ly, ime-consuming, and p esen sa e y conce ns, especially when
s uden s a e exposed o po en ially haza dous ma e ials and complex equipmen o
he i s ime.
Remo e labo a o ies o e he con enience o access wi hou ime and loca ion
limi a ions. The esou ces can be sha ed and allow o epe i ion and acili a ing deep
lea ning (B inson, 2015). Howe e , hey pose challenges in e ms o main enance
and scheduling, as managing esou ces and coo dina ing access o s uden s can be
complex. Mo eo e , hese emo e labo a o ies a e no easible o all asks since
physical p esence in he lab is some imes essen ial. Despi e hese challenges,
emo e labo a o ies p o ide a aluable al e na i e o educa ional se ings whe e
access o physical se ings is es ic ed.
Vi ual labo a o ies, while limi ed in o e ing eal-wo ld expe iences, ha e he
ad an age o p o iding s uden s wi h access o nume ous examples and
oppo uni ies o i e a ion. They also allow s uden s o isualize phenomena and
p ocesses ha migh o he wise be beyond hei pe cep ion (Bumbache e al. 2018;
He adio e al. 2016). These labo a o ies a e especially use ul in scena ios whe e
he e a e cos o sa e y conce ns. Howe e , hey do no p o ide he eal-li e
expe iences o hands-on labo a o ies. Simula ions and i ual en i onmen s can
bene i om he ad ances in echnology o c ea e a mo e ealis ic expe ience and
inc ease s uden s’ engagemen . Fo example, imme si e i ual eali y, which uses a
head-moun ed display, is commonly employed in in e en ions wi h enginee ing
s uden s (Zon ou e al. 2024). Howe e , i should be no ed ha while imme si e
i ual eali y may enhance he sense o p esence, i s impac on s uden s’ lea ning is
s ill deba ed, as i may inc ease ex aneous cogni i e load, o ins ance see
Mak ansky e al. (2019).
O e all, i is o en ad isable o ake ad an age o di e en modes o deli e y, as hey
o e unique and use ul a o dances (Rau, 2020; Wö ne e al. 2022). As He adio e
al. (2016) a gued, “ i ual, emo e, and hands-on labo a o ies a e no mu ually
exclusi e; hey can be in eg a ed and complemen each o he in a single lea ning
uni ” (p.16). Fo expe iencing mo o skills, o example, using conc e e ma e ials and
equipmen is bene icial, while o epea ing accu a e measu emen an e o - ee
measu emen en i onmen may be mo e sui able (Zacha ia, 2007). The e is g owing
e idence o s uden s’ imp o ed achie emen when combining non- adi ional and
adi ional modes o deli e y, pa icula ly in e ms o concep ual unde s anding (e.g.,
Jaakkola e al. 2011; Kapici e al. 2019; Zacha ia, 2007; Zacha ia e al. 2008). While
hese indings a e scien i ically aluable, hei p ac ical applica ion should be
app oached wi h a heal hy deg ee o skep icism. Bumbache e al. (2018) highligh ed
limi a ions in empi ical s udies, no ing ha hey o en ail o adequa ely conside he
inqui y p ocess in addi ion o he ou comes, and o e look he unique a o dances o
di e en mediums, which can a y in mo e han one aspec . Mo e ecen ly, Ga i e e
al. (2024) a gued ha ins uc ional design mus le e age he a o dances o a ious
modes o deli e y. They iden i ied h ee key ea u es c i ical o he e ec i eness o
combining physical and i ual labo a o ies: i) o de , he o de in which ac i i ies a e
comple ed, ii) deg ee o eplica ion, how closely objec i es, condi ions, and
pa ame e s a e eplica ed ac oss modes, and iii) p esc ip ion, he ex en o which
p ocess pa ame e s a e p esc ibed. In p ac ice, he a o dances o lea ning
en i onmen s in e ac wi h s uden s’ cha ac e is ics, pedagogical app oaches, and
he me hods used o guide hem. Fu he mo e, simply epea ing he same ac i i ies
o conduc ing di e en expe imen s ac oss a ious mediums does no necessa ily
p o ide insigh s in o designing a comp ehensi e expe imen al lea ning ac i i y ha
ully le e ages he a o dances o bo h non- adi ional and adi ional labo a o ies.
3 OVERVIEW OF THE THREE PHASES OF A LABORATORY ACTIVITY
While p o iding de ailed, gene ic guidelines conside ing all he elemen s o a
labo a o y is beyond he scope o his pape , we aim o sugges a necessa y
s uc u e o any labo a o y ac i i y. We ad oca e o eimagining labo a o y ac i i ies
h ough a p e-labo a o y, labo a o y, and pos -labo a o y s uc u e.
The p e-labo a o y phase should ocus on e eshing p io knowledge, in oducing
necessa y concep s, p epa ing measu emen s (ins umen a ion, calcula ion shee s,
e c.), acili a ing c i ical e lec ion, and p o iding eedback. P e ious li e a u e has
add essed he use o non- adi ional modes p io o in-pe son, hands-on labo a o ies,
ecognizing i as a o m o p e- aining ha bene i s uden s by inc easing hei
con idence and sel -e icacy, amilia izing hem wi h key concep s, and educing
cogni i e load (Abdulwahed & Nagy, 2009; Mak ansky e al. 2016; Meye e al. 2019;
See y e al. 2019; Singh e al. 2021; Ve els e al. 2009). The labo a o y phase
e e s o he in-pe son, (hands-on) s age, which can be implemen ed as needed. The
pos -labo a o y phase ocuses on acili a ing c i ical e lec ion, da a analysis,
w i en epo s and p esen a ions, emphasizing addi ional concep s and p o iding
eedback.
The h ee-phase amewo k is being used in se e al labo a o ies a KU Leu en,
including he Biochemis y and Cell Biology Labo a o y (Bo emans e al., 2024) and
he Chemical Lab Techniques (Szeké , 2025), among o he s. P e-labo a o y
ac i i ies a e designed o p epa e s uden s bo h cogni i ely and a ec i ely o in-
pe son sessions, he eby allowing mo e ime o hands-on p ac ice and deepe
engagemen du ing con ac hou s. Fo example, in he Biochemis y and Cell Biology
Labo a o y, s uden s a e equi ed o unde ake ex ensi e p epa a ion p io o each
session. Ins uc o s encou age s uden s o (i) engage in sel - e lec ion by posing
c i ical ques ions and an icipa ing possible answe s, and (ii) independen ly esea ch
ele an in o ma ion in ad ance (Bo emans e al., 2024). A he beginning o each
lab session, s uden s comple e a quiz ha assesses bo h heo e ical unde s anding
and knowledge o expe imen al p ocedu es. No ably, some s udies ad oca e
p io i izing suppo i e in o ma ion—such as unde lying heo y and he a ionale o
pa icula expe imen al app oaches—o e p ocedu al ins uc ions du ing he p e-
labo a o y phase (Agus ian & See y, 2017).
The s uc u e o he labo a o y phase can a y depending on se e al ac o s,
including he le el o p esc ip ion, he quan i y and quali y o p e-labo a o y
in o ma ion, he induc i e o deduc i e na u e o he expe imen a ion, and whe he
ou comes a e p ede e mined o explo a o y (Domin, 1999; Domin, 2007). In he
con ex o expe imen al physics, Smi h & Holmes (2021) a gued ha labo a o ies
should emb ace complexi y and se e he expe imen a he han heo y. Fo
ins ance, i he p ima y objec i e is o unde s and a physical model, demons a ions
o simula ions may be mo e app op ia e han hands-on expe imen a ion (Smi h &
Holmes, 2021). O e all, while s uden agency and engagemen should emain
cen al, he e is no uni e sal model o s uc u ing he con ac phase; app oaches
mus be adap ed o he speci ic domain, expe imen al se up and p ocedu e, and
lea ning objec i es.
The pos -labo a o y phase should be ega ded no me ely as a mechanism o
assessing s uden achie emen , bu as an in eg al componen o he lea ning
p ocess. Wi hin he inqui y-based lea ning amewo k p oposed by Pedas e e al.
(2015), communica ion and e lec ion a e conside ed ongoing p ocesses applicable
o a ious phases o inqui y pa hways. Pu di e en ly, oppo uni ies o e lec ion, o
ins ance, should be embedded h oughou he lea ning expe ience.
4 DESIGNING A LABORATORY SESSION: A HOLISTIC
CONCEPTUALIZATION
We a gue ha designing labo a o y expe imen s, like any o he lea ning ac i i y,
should be in o med by ins uc ional design amewo ks, aligning key elemen s such
as s uden cha ac e is ics, lea ning objec i es, lea ning ac i i ies, lea ning
en i onmen s (including ma e ials, ins uc ional me hods, and sca olding ools), and
assessmen (Biggs, 2003; KU Leu en Lea ning Lab, 2024), and guiding ques ions o
help educa o s make decisions in each phase.
A a mo e mac o-le el unde s anding s uden s’ cha ac e is ics and iden i ying
lea ning objec i es a e essen ial. When conside ing s uden s’ cha ac e is ics, we
highligh he impo ance o p io knowledge. This is c i ical o adjus ing pedagogical
app oaches o suppo s uden s’ lea ning and help b idge exis ing and new
knowledge. Cogni i e lea ning heo ies emphasize he ole o lea ne s in
cons uc ing and econs uc ing hei own unde s anding when encoun e ing new
expe iences (P ince & Felde , 2006). Lea ning is s imula ed when p io knowledge is
ac i a ed, and s uden s can con i m o co ec exis ing men al models, leading o
changes in hei unde s anding (La uca & S a k, 2009; News e e & S inicki, 2014).
The e o e, i is c ucial o ocus on he ole o he lea ne , hei exis ing knowledge,
and o c ea e oppo uni ies o ac i e engagemen . G aphical ools, such as concep
maps, can help o ganize knowledge by ep esen ing co e concep s and hei
ela ionships (No ak & Cañas, 2008; Jackson e al. 2023). These ools aid s uden s
in isualizing and unde s anding he con en , linking new in o ma ion wi h p io
knowledge, and p o iding a basis o e lec ion, discussion and assessmen .
Rega ding lea ning objec i es, o mula ing clea objec i es is one o he mos
impo an s eps in designing any lea ning ac i i y, p o iding a oadmap o educa o s
in designing e ec i e lea ning ac i i ies and assessmen s. Olympiou & Zacha ia
(2012), in hei amewo k o blending physical and i ual lea ning en i onmen s,
emphasized he alignmen o lea ning objec i es wi h he a o dances o each
en i onmen o speci ic expe imen s. Simila ly, He adio e al. (2016) highligh ed ha
he choice o deli e y mode is in luenced by he lea ning objec i es (He adio e al.
2016). Se e al amewo ks a e widely used o add ess labo a o y lea ning objec i es
in science and enginee ing (B inson, 2015; Edwa d, 2002; Feisel & Rosa, 2005; Ma
& Nicke son, 2006; Nikolic e al. 2021; Na ional Resea ch Council, 2006). Common
lea ning objec i es include unde s anding key concep s, sol ing p oblems h ough
he design and cons uc ion o new a i ac s o p ocesses (Ma & Nicke son, 2006),
iden i ying unsuccess ul ou comes and e-enginee ing e ec i e solu ions, and
demons a ing compe ence in selec ing, modi ying, and ope a ing app op ia e
enginee ing ools and esou ces (Feisel & Rosa, 2005). Labo a o ies can also se e
as e ec i e en i onmen s o os e ing s uden s’ ans e sal compe encies, such as
eamwo k and communica ion, al hough hei explici in eg a ion equi es sys ema ic
ins uc ion; see, o ins ance, Isaac e al. (2024) and Jalali e al. (2024).
On a mic o le el, se e al p inciples apply ega dless o he phase o deli e y mode.
In con as o he cookbook app oach o labo a o y ins uc ion, which o en ails o
p omo e deep lea ning o highe -o de cogni i e skills (Domin, 1999), esea che s
ad oca e o exposing s uden s o open-ended si ua ions. These si ua ions gi e
s uden s mo e esponsibili y o he lea ning p ocess, encou aging hem o design
expe imen s, collec da a, and analyze esul s (Kapici e al. 2022; Ma & Nicke son,
2006). Felde and B en (2024) a gued ha achie ing in ended lea ning objec i es is
no possible wi h “ca e ully sc ip ed expe imen s”, and educa o s need o mo e away
om de ailing e e y s ep and spelling ou e e y hing s uden s need o do. The
au ho s ecommended assigning ewe expe imen s bu adop ing open-ended o ma
wi h minimum ins uc ion (Felde & B en , 2024). Fo ins ance, when designing
expe imen s, s uden s may be asked o speci y he dependen , independen , and
con ol a iables, and selec speci ic alues o independen a iables ( an Riesen e
al. 2022).
In designing inqui y-based ac i i ies, hen, i is necessa y o ca e ully conside
s uden s’ p io knowledge and he le el o guidance p o ided. I is easonable o
specula e ha ad anced lea ne s, in con as o no ices, equi e less di ec ion o
na iga e he complexi y o he lea ning p ocess. Speci ic ins uc ional app oaches
such as P edic -Obse e-Explain (POE) (Al Mamun e al. 2020; Felde & B en ,
2024) can se e as sca olding ools o suppo s uden s’ lea ning. POE in ol es
s uden s p edic ing he esul s o expe imen s, conduc ing he expe imen , and
examining di e ences be ween p edic ions and obse a ions. This s a egy can also
be used as a sp ingboa d o discussion, co ec ing misconcep ions, and p omo ing
concep ual unde s anding (Felde & B en , 2024).
Fu he mo e, o design e ec i e labo a o ies— ega dless o he mode o deli e y—
s uden s should be p o ided wi h oppo uni ies o ac i ely engage wi h lea ning
ma e ials; his includes na iga ing he en i onmen , adjus ing and manipula ing
a iables, obse ing he esul ing changes, and oubleshoo ing, as well as e lec ing
on hei expe iences. In addi ion o in e ac ions wi h lea ning ma e ials, s uden -
con en in e ac ions, educa o s should also conside o he dimensions o
engagemen , including s uden -s uden and s uden - eache in e ac ions (Moo e,
1989), o example by p o iding oppo uni ies o g oup wo k, and communica ion
and discussion in o ums. Encou aging s uden s o pose a ge ed ques ions, along
wi h s uc u ed discussions and b ie ings p io o he expe imen , o ins ance,
p omo es engagemen ac oss mul iple dimensions.
While he ype o ques ions educa o s should conside when making decisions
ollows om he discussion so a , his does no de e us om sugges ing se e al
guiding ques ions o each phase in designing a labo a o y ac i i y (Figu e 1).
5 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION
In his pape , we p oposed adop ing a comp ehensi e app oach o labo a o y
ins uc ion in science and enginee ing educa ion, using h ee phases o p e-
labo a o y, labo a o y, and pos -labo a o y. While his s uc u e is no no el, see o
ins ance Ve els e al. (2009), we would ecommend employing he h ee-phase
amewo k o designing each labo a o y ac i i y. We a gue ha he ques ion o
selec ing modes o deli e y ( he “wha ”) canno be sepa a ed om how hese modes
a e used and in eg a ed in o he design o labo a o y ac i i ies ( he “how”). In o he
wo ds, he choice o deli e y mode is no solely in luenced by con ex ual ac o s like
cos o sa e y; a he , he design o any labo a o y ac i i y should be conside ed
wi hin a b oade , mo e holis ic model o ins uc ional design ha se es as a s a ing
poin o a p ocess-o ien ed app oach ha emphasizes he mechanisms and
p ocedu es ha in luence s uden s’ lea ning, including s uden cha ac e is ics and
lea ning objec i es, lea ning ac i i ies and suppo p o ided o s uden s.
Fig 1. Th ee-phase amewo k o labo a o y ac i i ies and guiding ques ions
The e a e se e al easons o belie e ha hands-on labo a o ies will con inue o play
a i al ole in science and enginee ing educa ion. They add ess he c ucial need o
connec heo y wi h p ac ice, p o ide oppo uni ies o wo king wi h ools and
equipmen , and os e c ea i i y and p oblem-sol ing when s uden s encoun e
disc epancies o unexpec ed esul s. Meanwhile, he use o echnology, such as
simula ions o ins uc ional ideos, has g own as a supplemen o p e-labo a o y
ac i i y. The challenge emains in e ec i ely in eg a ing he a ious esou ces
a ailable o educa o s.
We p esen ed key ques ions o each phase o labo a o y ac i i ies o guide
educa o s in e lec ing on essen ial elemen s ha in luence hei choices. A he co e
o hese ques ions is he impo ance o s uden agency and engagemen (Mak ansky
& Pe e sen, 2021; Mo eno & Maye , 2007; Zacha ia, 2007). As such sus aining
s uden mo i a ion h oughou he lea ning p ocess is essen ial. E ec i e s a egies
include inco po a ing inqui y-based lea ning, using me hods such as POE (P edic -
Obse e-Explain), posing open-ended ques ions o encou age s uden explana ions,
and p o iding mul iple oppo uni ies o e lec ion, discussion, and eedback.
Howe e , conside ing he di e si y in s uden s’ p o iles and he complexi y o he
equipmen and expe imen s, educa o s mus adop s a egies ha connec lea ning
con en o s uden s’ in e es s and backg ounds, ac i a e and link p io knowledge o
new ma e ials, and highligh he au hen ici y o he asks and p ac ical signi icance o
wha s uden s will expe ience in he expe imen .
The h ee-phase amewo k encou ages educa o s o adop a mo e holis ic app oach
in u ilizing a ious esou ces. Gi en he p esence o ad anced ye cos ly acili ies,
he cons ain s o expe imen al p ocedu es, and he limi ed a ailabili y o ime,
imp o ing e iciency and ensu ing accessibili y o di e se s uden g oups ha e
become p essing conce ns. In ensi e sho - ime access o labo a o ies, o ins ance,
has been implemen ed as pa o mul icampus p og ams (Wuy s e al. 2015).
O e all, inco po a ing such holis ic app oach is an essen ial s ep o op imizing
labo a o ies o c ea e mo e lexible lea ning pa hways, suppo ing lea ning mobili y
and oppo uni ies o li elong lea ning, and add essing he di e se needs o s uden s
a di e en Eu opean Quali ica ions F amewo k (EQF) le els. While he bene i s o
explici in eg a ion o he model on he e iciency a e e iden , i s impac on he
e ec i eness o labo a o y sessions equi es u he empi ical alida ion. He e, we
ei e a e he inhe en complexi y o e alua ing lea ning en i onmen s conside ing
bo h p ocesses and ou comes (Bumbache e al. 2018), as well as he need o
paying close a en ion o esea ch design in any compa a i e s udy (Domin, 2007;
Ho s ein & Lune a, 1982).
Al hough his wo k is s ill concep ual, we hope i will ca alyze a en ion o he
complexi y o labo a o y ins uc ion. To make he discussion mo e ele an o
science and enginee ing educa o s, a mo e in-dep h analysis o speci ic ac i i ies is
necessa y. Ou u u e wo k will ocus on examining se e al labo a o y se ings,
expanding he guidelines and p oposing speci ic ecommenda ions o edesigning
labo a o y ac i i ies.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We would like o hank Inge Holsbeeks, Ka helijne Szeké , Lie en De Sme , and
Ma ijn an Bommel o hei aluable eedback and cons uc i e commen s.
