Technical Session B5 Mobility, New learning/Teaching Tools & Envrionmental Awarness in the REs – (I)

Graded Laboratory Experiments – An Innovation

Dr. Joshua Earnest
Prof.& Head, Dept of Electrical Engineering
Technical Teachers' Training Institute
Shamla Hills, Bhopal - 462 002, INDIA
E-mail: joshuaearnest@hotmail.com

Keywords: ‘TTTI - St. Xavier Laboratory Design’ skills, competencies, laboratory experiments,
Conventional type, Structured-discovery type, Investigation type, Problem-solving type, Project type,
Teacher Guide

SUMMARY: The premise of this experiment was that, if the teachers takes the student through such
graded laboratory experiments, the student is progressively encouraged to leave full dependence on the
teacher in undertaking experiments and become fully competent in performing independently these
skills/competencies that are generally an integral part of small/large projects when the student enters
the ‘world of work’. This philosophy further renders the transition towards full independence to be
smooth from ‘full dependence’ on the teacher to ‘full independence’, thereby allowing comparatively
lesser ‘educational jerks’. The salient features of the design of these experiments, its benefits to the
students and teachers are discussed in this paper.

1. NEED FOR GRADED LABORATORY EXPERIMENTS

Laboratory experiments are to be powerful tools in technical education, since the laboratory is the
primary location, that are to be used to develop the competencies, and skills that the
industry/community needs. With globalization and technological advancements, the profile of
technically qualified personnel needed by the industry has changed phenomenally. Hence various
stakeholders of technical education systems were feeling a lot of concern. As the current methods of
laboratory experimentation has not been very effective in making the student fully independent in
when he/she enters the ‘world of work’, Technical Teachers' Training Institute (TTTI), Bhopal – a
premier institute established by the government of India for the development of the technical education
system in the country – initiated an innovative approach for laboratory manual design with the primary
focus on developing the requisite competencies/skills in the students of the technical colleges (called
polytechnics in India.

2. PREVALENT PRACTICES
Usually a group, consisting of 3 to 10 students, performs the experiments given by the teacher in
the technical college laboratory. In the current laboratory manual designs in India, the common
practice has been to provide all the instructions to the students regarding the performance of every
experiment. Many of the times, only one or two students of the group do the experiment while the rest
watch on.. After the laboratory session, each of them presents a report of the experiment undertaken.
Often the emphasis of the laboratory experiments has been for verifying of the theory taught in the
class (rather than developing skill/competencies). This rendered the experimentation less interesting.
In the final semester/year, some form of project is given to a group of students, which may or may not
be laboratory-based. Therefore, the purpose of integrating the skills/competencies through the project
work is not designed purposefully and therefore not fully achieved.

With this current practice of providing all instructions to the students for performing every
experiment, it is difficult to develop problem-solving skills, decision-making skills, creativity etc. But
laboratory learning should be an experience that every student should look forward to and therefore, it

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has to be made challenging and interesting. With such a substantial investment in the laboratory of
technical institutions, it is necessary that the precious resources be used for developing those skills,
which cannot be developed in the classroom. This is where ‘laboratory innovation’ becomes the key to
make the laboratory an interesting place for the ‘teacher and the taught’.

3. THE INNOVATION
This innovation of graded laboratory experiments was a reengineering exercise, as it brought a
thorough re-thinking of the engineering laboratory experimentation processes. By providing meaningful,
purposeful and challenging experiments through ‘innovative laboratory exercises’, the chances of the
student acquiring competencies are brighter. In an engineering laboratory, it is difficult to jump, all of
a sudden: from a ‘conventional’ type experiment i.e. ‘teacher-centred experiment’ (TCE), where the
students are given all the instructions, to undertake a ‘project type’ laboratory experiment’ i.e.
‘student-centred experiment’ (SCE), where the students are abruptly asked to become fully
independent. Generally, the average students cannot cope up with this sudden change. But
unfortunately, that is what has been happening in most of the technical colleges. Therefore, the concept
of ‘graded laboratory experiments’ was experimented by the author. By taking a student through the
following five types (Chandran, 1980) of experiments illustrated in the Fig.1.

Teacher - Student -
Centred Centred
Experiment (TCE) Experiment(SCE)
C O N T I N U U M

Conventional Structured- Investigation Problem Project

Type Discovery Type Solving Type
Type Type

Fig. 1 Laboratory Experiment Continuum

 Conventional type
 Structured-discovery type
 Investigation type
 Problem-solving type
 Project type

It can be seen that at the extreme left in Fig.1 is the TCE. Here the students have very little
freedom for adapting other alternatives. These were called the ‘conventional type’ because this is the
normal convention in most of the technical colleges. On the other extreme of this continuum is the SCE
or the ‘project’ type experiments, in which the students are given full freedom to undertake the laboratory
experiments and the teacher’s role is that of a guide and facilitator of developing the skills/competencies.
Of these types of experiments, most of technical colleges have been using, in some form or the other, the
first and the last type i.e. the conventional type and the project type respectively, though they may not have
called them by these names. On this continuum from left to right lie the other three different types of
experiments; progressing from the ‘structured-discovery’ type, to the ‘investigation’ type and to the
‘problem-solving’ type where:

 Student’s role in decision making increases, from left to right

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 Teacher’s role reduces. However, the students can fall back on the teacher in times of difficulty.
 Laboratory experiments become more and more open-ended. At the extreme left laboratory
experiments are close-ended; towards the project type they become open-ended.

Another interesting aspect is that, each type of the laboratory experiment illustrated here is built upon
the preceding one as seen in Fig.2.

Project type P
Student--centred
Problem solving type experiment
Investigation type

Structured discovery type

Conventional type
Teacher-centred
experiment

Fig. 2 - Ladder of Graded Laboratory Experiments

A student who is progressively administered these graded laboratory experiences over the entire period
of the semester/year, could be symbolically compared to the analogy of 'new-born baby and mother’
in Fig.3 and explained in table-I (Shrivastava, 1999, Earnest, 1996).

Teacher-Centred C O N T I N U U M Student-Centred
Experiments Experiments

Conventional Type Structured -Discovery Problem Solving Type -

Where most of the Type – Discovering rules, Only one problem given Project Type -
instructions are principles, laws etc. in an experiment Multiple problems
given to be solved.
Investigation Type -
Relationships, investigations,
devising own strategy etc.

Fig. 2 Analogy of Different Types of Experiments

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Table - I Analogy of Baby & Mother for Graded Laboratory Experiments

Types of Analogy
Experiment
Conventional A newborn baby lying on its back cannot do anything without its mother. It is fed
Type by its mother. This is similar to the polytechnic laboratory, where all instructions
are given to the students. This will be more suitable in the beginning of a
semester/year when the student is new to laboratory experimentation process, or
for higher level competencies/skills that are to be developed, or when
sophisticated equipment is to be operated

Structured- This baby then slowly learns to crawl on all fours and discovers things for itself.
discovery Mother protects it and guides in this discovery.
type In the polytechnic, the teacher could guide the students in such a way that the
students learn to discover on their own. This is also an inductive method of
teaching- learning, giving the students the joy of discovering for themselves,
instead of directly being told what to do. One of the salient feature is that inter-
woven questions are built into the procedure which triggers the thinking process
leading the student to discover the intended facts, concepts, rules, principles
and/or some relationships

Investigation Baby then begins to walk with both hands held by mother and investigates the
type things it discovered. Mother gives a little more freedom to baby in this
investigation, though still protecting it by both hands.
In the polytechnic, this type of experiment should utililise the facts,
rules/principles already discovered and the skills already acquired in the previous
experiments. The student is required to plan his/her own experimental strategy,
collect experimental data and draw conclusions. Therefore, complete procedural
instructions are not usually provided – they are partially structured and partially
open-ended, thus making the student to think and act more independently than in
the discovery type. This will progressively take the student more nearer to the
next one i.e. the problem-solving type of experiment

Problem- Later, the baby learns to walk with only one hand held by the mother and there is
solving type more freedom. It tries to solve the problems as they come along.
The polytechnic student will have to solve problems later in the work place.
Therefore, in the polytechnic itself, simulated scaled down problems need to be
given. Here, the laboratory experiment is presented to the student as a live
‘problem statement’ as it would occur in the industry, which he/she will solve in
consultation with the teacher and report in the format given below. This type
integrates the concepts and principles already learnt and the skills already
acquired in the previous experiments into a competency to solve the given
problem. In this process, the student develops self-confidence, becomes more
independent and competent. Generally, in a semester one, or at the most two,
‘problem-solving’ type are only given. To begin with complex problems could be
avoided.

Project type Finally, the baby walks without holding mother's hand, and goes independently

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Types of Analogy
Experiment
into the world to fend on its own. It starts to solve complex inter-related problems
on its own without taking its mother’s help.
In the industry, the student is required to solve a set of more than one inter-
related complex problem, called projects. ‘Mini-projects’ can be given in the
earlier semesters, while bigger projects can be provided in the later semesters to
make the student fully independent. At this stage, the teacher acts as a facilitator
and gives broad guidance in preparing the project proposals/ reports. Therefore, to
render the student competent for the industry, live projects or simulated project
type experiments need to be provided to make the student ‘work-ready’ as he/she
steps out of the polytechnic into the ‘world of work’

4. COMPONENTS OF THE INNOVATION

Much of the details of this graded laboratory experiment design are beyond the scope of this paper, but the
following 14 sub-titles were adapted for designing the graded laboratory experiments reasonably give
information of the design of the experiments.

TITLE (of the graded laboratory experiment)

1. Practical Significance: to inform the student of the importance of this experiment
2. Competency/skills: are action oriented and are intended to be developed through
this experiment. As these skills are generic, as against ‘experiment specific’, they
are to be repeated in several other experiments, seen in Fig.1
3. Experimental Objectives: these are ‘experiment specific’, ‘action oriented’ and
play the multiple role to serve as vehicles for the skills development specified in
sub-title No. 2 and also clarifies related engineering concept/principle.
4. Theoretical Background: just enough to undertake this experiment
5. Experimental Set-up: in the form of a circuit diagram or a sketch of the
experimental set-up
6. Resources Required: name of equipment/instrument along with the specification
and quantity, preferably in a tabular form for more clarity.
7. Precautions: so that no harm occurs to person(s) or equipment
8. Procedure: self-understanding instructions written in discrete steps logically
sequenced.
9. Observations and Calculations: generally in a tabular form and followed by
some calculations when necessary
10. Results: in the form of different type of graphs, statements or numerical values
11. Interpretation of Results: is ‘experiment specific’ directly based on the results
obtained.
12. Conclusions: a generalisation/decisions based on results and interpretation of
results
13. Experiment Related Questions: asked to consolidate the cognitive and practical
skills acquired through this experiment

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14. Assessment Scheme: 'process' and 'product' activities for assessing the skills
developed.
5. TEACHER GUIDE
The teacher guide has been another unique aspect of the graded laboratory success of the this
design lies in the effective administration of the graded laboratory experiments by the teacher
concerned. Therefore, the design team evolved the TEACHER GUIDE so that any teacher who wants
to use the graded laboratory experiments can effectively implement the laboratory manual to
progressively develop the stipulated competencies/skills.

6. FACTORS THAT MADE THE INNOVATION A SUCCESS

Many factors made this laboratory innovation a success.
a. The list of skills at the beginning of the laboratory manual and teacher guide informs
the student and the teacher that skill development is the focus of the laboratory sessions
throughout the entire semester/year. Further, the following page indicates through
which all laboratory experiments they are develolped.
b. The teacher guide has been a great help to the teachers in effectively implementing the
the experimentsd, as the designers of the graded experiments are generally different
than the implementing teachers
c. Practical significance was a good motivator to the students regarding the future world
of work
d. Primary focus of each laboratory experiment was developmentof the skill/competency
rather than verification of theory, thus rendering it more useful from the student’s point
of view also.
e. The skills get repeated in several experiments which is quite quite essential for mastery
learning
f. The sub-titles on Interpretation of Results in every experiment makes the student to
think analytically
g. The sub-titles on Conclusion in every experiment, develops the decision making
capability
h. By providing the assessment criteria, the student knows which part of the experiment
more care has to be given thus helping the student to acquire the skill and at the same
time rendering the assessment more transparent andd impartial.

7. DIFFICULTIES ENCOUNTERED AND HOW THEY WERE OVERCOME

Any change anywhere is not very welcome, and so it was naturally with this also. But the strategy
was to involve the ‘resistors’ to this change. In so doing, to begin with the teachers who would
implement were trained on how to design and also encouraged to develop a laboratory manual, which
would be published in their name. This was one of the incentives. Secondly, the teachers knew that
such a laboratory manual makes the experimenting more interesting to the students and teachers alike
and in the long run reduce extra work. This was explained to them and they also realised it. The
students liked it because there was a lot of clarity in what is expected of them and how they will be
assessed right at the beginning in each of the designed experiment.

9. CONCLUSION
The ultimate goal dof this innovation was to take the student gradually and systematically from
teacher-centred experiments to student-centred experiments and make him/her fully independent in
solving industry-like problems and projects. This paper gives only an overview of the entire
innovation, which the author and members of Technical Teachers’ Training Institute, Bhopal initiated
was, carried out over past 2-3 years. Therefore, it is beyond the scope of this paper to discuss in more

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detail. However, examples of the design would be presented at the time of presentation of the
conference.

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References:
1. Chandran, G.S. 1980. Design Laboratory Experiment- Competency-based Teacher Education
Module No.19, Technical Teachers’ Training Institute, Bhopal, India
2. Earnest, Joshua & Kerkal, S.R. Competency-Based Laboratory Manual - A Study; Pune, India:
Journal of Engineering Education; Vol: XII Iss:2.pp.12-19.
3. Earnest, Joshua , 1996 Skills Development Through Laboratory Work. Pune, India: The Journal of
Engineering Education, Vol. IX Iss.4 pp.24-29.
4. Shrivastava, M.K.; Earnest, Joshua; Mathew, Susan.S.; Banthiya, N.K.(July, 1999Design Suitable
Learning Experiments for Laboratory Work and Direct Laboratory Experiments To Achieve
Specified Aims. Bhopal, India: TTTI, Bhopal, Competency-based Self-learning Module.No.4;
REC-British Council India Project.

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Curriculum Vitae

Dr. Joshua Earnest has an experience of about 17 years in the area of technical education and
about six years in the industry. He holds an M.Tech. in Electrical Engineering, a Masters in Technical
Education and a Ph.D. in Technical Education. He teaches curriculum development, instructional
system design and educational technology for Master of Technical Education at the university level
and undertakes research in several areas of technical/engineering education.

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