824 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXXII. No. 832 



room, this not only on account of seeing, but 

 also on account of holding the attention of all 

 students. 



The quiz is given on Friday, and is based 

 on the topics covered in the lectures. The 

 quiz sections are made up of from 18 to 25 

 students, the plan being to keep the number 

 down to 20 if possible. These sections meet 

 throughout the day, not all of them at the 

 same hour. A mimeographed quiz sheet is 

 prepared under the direction of the lecturer, 

 and forms the basis of the quiz. The quiz 

 instructors meet with the lecturer before 

 Friday for a discussion of the quiz sheet, thus 

 securing uniformity of presentation. 



The laboratory work runs parallel with the 

 lectures, and frequent conferences between 

 instructors in both courses gives unity of 

 presentation and of topics, so that the two 

 courses are practically one. With such large 

 classes it is evidently necessary to have a 

 large number of students scheduled for lab- 

 oratory at the same hour. This means either 

 a large section in one or two large rooms or 

 else a number of small sections in smaller 

 rooms. Small separate sections involve a con- 

 siderable number of experienced instructors, 

 each more or less independent, and this pre- 

 sents a difficult executive problem. Even with 

 plenty of money it is not easy to get and 

 keep a large number of instructors of this 

 kind, and harmony among them is also not 

 always easy to maintain. Then it is not al- 

 ways possible to get a large number of sepa- 

 rate laboratories. We have used the plan of 

 a large section, in a large laboratory, with an 

 efficient executive aided by assistants, and 

 have duplicated apparatus throughout so as to 

 unify the instruction. Three experiments are 

 run at one time, and there are ten sets of 

 apparatus for each experiment. Thus if two 

 students work with one set of apparatus, 60 

 students can be accommodated in a section. 

 The student performs these experiments in 

 rotation, one at each meeting of the section, 

 thus taking three periods. The fourth 

 period is not taken for experimental work, 

 but half of it is used for an oral or written 

 quiz on work of the preceding experiments 



and the remaining half for a discussion of the 

 next set of experiments. The practise is also 

 followed whereby the section is divided into 

 three parts, each division meeting with an 

 instructor for a few minutes at the beginning 

 of the laboratory period for a discussion of 

 the experiment about to be performed. Stu- 

 dents are supplied with printed directions 

 written especially for the apparatus and ex- 

 periments of this course. 



On arriving at the laboratory, the student 

 is given two blank data forms that indicate 

 the experiment to be performed, and the table 

 in the laboratory at which the student is to 

 work. The student is given also a key to an 

 apparatus locker. He secures the necessary 

 apparatus and takes it to the table assigned to 

 him. Presently he is joined by a second stu- 

 dent who has received the same assignment as 

 the first student except that he is given only 

 one blank data form and no key. These two 

 students perform the experiment together, 

 record the data in pencil on the third blank 

 data form, copy this data in ink on the two 

 remaining data forms. Meanwhile the in- 

 structors go around to give help when needed. 

 The general rule is to have one instructor for 

 each fifteen students, but the instructors need 

 not be all experienced teachers. One instructor 

 is in charge and is responsible for the period. 

 Upon completion of the observations the 

 apparatus is returned to the locker, the 

 table is cleaned up and the three data forms 

 and key are presented to the instructor. The 

 data forms are stamped with the date, the 

 pencil copy being retained by the instructor, 

 and an inked copy by each student to be 

 used in writing his record of the experiment. 

 This record is due a week later bound in a 

 printed manila cover. 



The laboratory procedure is given in detail 

 in order that several fundamental principles 

 may be brought out. The method is such that 

 a section of 60 students may be started in 

 five minutes, and the instructors' are then 

 free to go around, asking questions and giv- 

 ing advice and help. By having the appa- 

 ratus in lockers, the laboratory is kept orderly 

 at all times. Furthermore, it is easy to keep 



