Nichole Powell
Our collaborative laboratory environment is designed using a social constructivism model, and students work in groups to decide on the best ways to achieve the goals for each laboratory session. This often involves discussion to decide on the best method for collecting the necessary data as well as division of labor. We piloted the use of electronic laboratory notebooks as a cost saving and sustainability measure. Our observations that students working in these pilot lab sections behave differently (and develop a different learning culture) from those in paper-notebook course sections, have led us to question what is happening when students use an electronic laboratory notebook in a collaborative learning laboratory environment. We will present observations of student behaviors as well as student perspectives gained from interviews.
