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Investing in Laboratory Courses

In a recent editorial (J. Chem. Educ. 2019, 96 (2), 193–195), the chemistry community was challenged to address the need for evidence supporting the role of the chemistry laboratory in student learning in order to justify the expense and resources required for laboratory courses. We suggest that laboratory coursework offers unique learning opportunities that justify the expense and conceivably warrant greater investment. Rather than viewing the resources dedicated to laboratory coursework as excessive, we consider the affordances of smaller class sizes, higher instructor to student ratios, and the diverse learning possibilities of laboratory classrooms as worthy of increased support. We call on the chemistry community to reflect on whether our actions are consistent with our beliefs about the value of laboratory coursework.