Laboratory instruction presents unique opportunities and challenges: instructors must motivate students to prepare in advance, as preparedness directly affects not only learning outcomes but also the efficiency and safety of hands-on activities. For the fourth consecutive year, our Faculty Learning Community (FLC) has brought South’s lab educators together to examine best practices in instructional support, enhancing student engagement, and collaboratively design meaningful, transparent lab experiences. This year, our FLC centered its work on understanding preparedness from the student perspective. We surveyed more than 1,000 students enrolled in 11 lab courses across four departments—Biology, Geology, Chemistry, and Physics—to better understand their preparation habits, perceived barriers, and support needs. In this roundtable session, we will share our survey design, key findings, and engage participants in discussing strategies and practical approaches for fostering meaningful pre-lab preparation and improving the overall laboratory learning experience.

Presenters

• Jackie Howell jackiehowell@southalabama.edu, University of South Alabama
• Erin Itza eitza@southalabama.edu, University of South Alabama
• Samantha Camarda scamarda@southalabama.edu, University of South Alabama
• Leigh Delany-Tucker leighdelaney@southalabama.edu, University of South Alabama
• Rachel Rodenberg rodenberg@southalabama.edu, University of South Alabama
• Richard O’Brien robrien@southalabama.edu, University of South Alabama
• Milorad Stojanovic stojanovic@southalabama.edu, University of South Alabama
• Marija Novovic mnovovic@southalabama.edu, University of South Alabama
• Lee Yokel lyokel@southalabama.edu, University of South Alabama