Mathematics and Society - OS X Lion Server

DIDACTICSTEACHING VIA LAB APPROACHESfound (e.g., Smith, 1974). These results are puzzling since many teachers are convincedthat lab lessons are effective, having found that their students have been"turned on" by such lessons.The lack of uniformity for the meaning of "laboratoryapproach" is no doubt part of the reason for the mixed results.Perhaps a more importantpoint is that the major outcomes from laboratory approaches may not be measuredbythe usual paper-pencil methods that research studies are almost necessarilyconfined to.What are some of these other considerations?(No claim is made thatthese outcomes are unique to laboratoryapproaches.)A first area isthat of process-oriented learning.Inlaboratory lessons it is often naturalto focus on how one goes about learningLABLESSONS GIVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR--PROCESS-ORIENTED LEARNING--LEARNER INDEPENDENCE--GROUP MEMBERSHIP SKILLS--GROWTH OF SELF-CONCEPT--CONCRETE BASES FOR CONCEPTSsince the students may be faced with the problem of collecting relevant data, organizingthem and drawing some conclusion (e.g., see Litter Watch in MATHEMATICS ANDENVIRONMENT).A laboratory lesson may also be a discovery lesson in which studentspractice problem-solving skills such as looking at simpler cases or lookingfor a pattern.Exploration and pursuit of open-ended questions can also beincorporated into laboratory approaches--some say they must be.(Related to this process-of-·learning area is the development of learner indepen-·dence and feelings of growing adequacy.That is, the students can take responsibilityfor their own learning ratherthan wait for the teacher to tell themhow to do the problem. No doubt youhave had students who have learned toowell to pretend they are confused orwho seam ~aspend more time asking youwhether their work is correct than they do working.I-\OW COULD'