Habibi, C., & Fearing, C., & Muslu, M. (2016, June), Pros and Cons of Laboratory Methods  Used in Engineering Education    Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana. 10.18260/p.26011

\bibitem{asee_peer_26011}
  Habibi, C., \& Fearing, C., \& Muslu, M. (2016, June), \emph{Pros and Cons of Laboratory Methods  Used in Engineering Education  }
  Paper presented at 2016 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana.
  10.18260/p.26011

Cyrus Habibi P.E., Chase Fearing, and Mesut Muslu P.E..  "Pros and Cons of Laboratory Methods  Used in Engineering Education  ".  2016 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2016, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2016.  https://peer.asee.org/26011 Internet.  11 May, 2025

\bibitem{asee_peer_26011}
  Cyrus Habibi P.E., Chase Fearing, and Mesut Muslu P.E..
  "Pros and Cons of Laboratory Methods  Used in Engineering Education  ".
  \emph{2016 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, New Orleans, Louisiana, 2016, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2016.
  https://peer.asee.org/26011 Internet.  11 May, 2025

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_26011
author = "Cyrus Habibi P.E., Chase Fearing, and Mesut Muslu P.E."
title = "Pros and Cons of Laboratory Methods  Used in Engineering Education  "
booktitle = "2016 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2016"
month = "June"
address = "New Orleans, Louisiana"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/26011}
number = {10.18260/p.26011}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Pros and Cons of Laboratory Methods 
Used in Engineering Education  


Laboratory activities are an essential part of engineering education. Through hands on work in the laboratory, students are able to learn in depth concepts and practical skills that help them succeed academically and prepare them for their careers.
Currently, instructors are employing multiple methods to integrate hands on learning into engineering courses. One of the commonly used methods involves preparing a lab manual, also known as a “cookbook”, which includes step-by-step instructions for students to follow. The cookbook method reduces the time required to perform an experiment and is typically less demanding. Therefore, students are able to perform more experiments over the course of a semester. On the other hand, the cookbook method decreases self-directed learning and does not provide opportunities for students to solve open-ended problems.  
In another method students are only given design specifications and must independently define a method to achieve anticipated results. In essence, students create their own lab instruction. The design method requires more involvement and stimulates self-directed learning and allows students to draw their own conclusions. 
The final method is proposal based and gives students the freedom to define the problem, develop methods to arrive at a solution, and compose evidence-based conclusions. The proposal method requires the highest level of involvement and its effectiveness is often dependent on the students’ motivation and interest level. When done properly, proposal based projects stimulate creative problem solving and are typically memorable for the student. 
The Electrical Engineering department at the University of XXX integrates design into many of its courses. Typically a course will have anywhere from 3 to 7 lab projects throughout the semester. In Analog Electronics classes, labs are design based and students are responsible for designing, fabricating, and proving that the design meets provided specifications. Many of these classes also have a final project that is proposal based. In classes where materials are limited or safety is a concern, lab experiments are cookbook based and students are responsible for following instructions and describing phenomena observed.
In this paper the pros and cons of each of the aforementioned methods will be explored. To support the discussion the students of an Analog Electronics class will be given three different types of lab experiments, each type employing one of the methods described. After completing each type of lab experiment a survey will be conducted and the students’ opinion regarding these experiments will be collected. The survey will consist of questions including but not limited to:        
1.	What is your interest level in this course? (High, Medium, Low)
2.	What type of lab do you prefer? (Cookbook, Design Based, Proposal Based) 
a.	Why?
3.	What project type was the most challenging ?
a.	Why?
4.	On Average, How much time was required to complete each of these projects?
a.	Did other commitments conflict with your ability to finish the project?
5.	How well did each project type contribute to your understanding of the course material (Contributed greatly, some, not at all)
6.	Through what project type were you able to retain the most knowledge?
a.	Why?
7.	What project type, if any, helped you gain skills relevant to your future career?
8.	Did you have enough time to complete your proposal-based project?
a.	If you had more time would you have chosen a more challenging /interesting design?
9.	How much help outside lecture was required to complete each of the project types?
a.	What were the sources of help?






AU  - Cyrus Habibi P.E.
AU  - Chase Fearing
AU  - Mesut Muslu P.E.
CY  - New Orleans, Louisiana
DA  - 2016/06/26
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Pros and Cons of Laboratory Methods  Used in Engineering Education  
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/26011
DO  - 10.18260/p.26011
ER  -