Speaker
Description
Despite the progress in technology that allows many undergraduate experiments in the physical sciences to be simulated, these digital models cannot fully replace the learning benefits of real laboratory work. Hands-on laboratory experiences remain a part of undergraduate science education. They help students build skills, think scientifically, solve problems, and understand the uncertainties that come with real scientific research. In education, the success of lab learning depends on collaboration among lecturers, laboratory managers, and laboratory demonstrators. Each of these roles brings technical and teaching support that helps students get the most out of hands-on activities.
Laboratory demonstrators are especially important. They guide students before, during, and after lab sessions. This support helps students connect what they learn in lectures with what happens in the lab. This work reports on the roles and impact of laboratory demonstrators, laboratory managers, and lecturers at the South African university. It focuses on how they help students during physics and chemistry laboratory sessions.