District Environmental Science Position Paper on the 3 Semester Credit Hour versus 4 Semester Credit Hour
Laboratory Science Core Curriculum Requirement
The District Environmental Science Committee strongly supports the 4 semester credit hour option for inclusion in the
Core Curriculum. The laboratory experience is not replicated by any other course in the Core Curriculum.
The committee identifies the following reasons to support the inclusion of 4 semester credit hour science courses in
the Core Curriculum (Scenario 2). These reasons are student success-centered.
Labs are essential to Science as they
 help fully integrate the objectives of the lecture portion
 provide an opportunity for students to gather data and analyze the results
 provide a venue to transition from theoretical knowledge to actual experimentation
 allow students to experience scientific investigation, increasing their ability to identify credible information
 provide the best environment for students who are visual- or tactile-learners
Labs are vital to the Core Objective of the Core Curriculum as they
 provide a venue where the Core Objectives of the Core Curriculum can be taught and assessed
 meet with SACS compliance
Labs reinforce the lecture portion of the course as they
 give students a practical opportunity to understand the theoretical knowledge from the lectures
 provide a venue for instructors to work with students individually
 allow students to learn about a concept in a variety of different ways
Labs teach and reinforce teamwork as they
 provide numerous roles for students to carry out that require them to work together as a team
 encourage students to work diligently and methodically
 show that each student is a vital member of the group
Labs support student success as they
 allow instructors to work with students one-on-one to identify barriers to learning
 allow students the opportunity to learn in team- and student-centered environments
 increases problem-based learning (PBL)
 give students more time to practice skills and to master concepts
Labs are necessary for transfer students as
 many out-of-state Universities and Certification programs require labs
 the total cost of tuition is lower for the student if the courses are transferable
 current transfer agreements require lab science courses
 university students can take courses which are fully transferrable at a lower cost
 university students can take courses which are fully transferrable when they are home during the summer
Labs prepare students for upper level courses as they
 allow students to master the use of scientific equipment required at the university level
 provide an opportunity for students to practice the steps of scientific investigation
Labs prepare students for the real world by
 teaching them to follow instructions
 providing training in the use of equipment vital to certain workplaces
 exposing them to techniques used in STEM fields
 encouraging them to become scientifically literate citizens in a global world
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National Science Organization Positions on Laboratory Science: Additional Support for Scenario 2
 National Science Teachers Association: http://www.nsta.org/about/positions/laboratory.aspx
o Position Statement: The Integral Role of Laboratory Investigations in Science Instruction – “For
science to be taught properly and effectively, labs must be an integral part of the science curriculum.”
“Students should have the opportunity to design investigations, engage in scientific reasoning,
manipulate equipment, record data, analyze results, and discuss findings.” The laboratory fosters the
development of these skills.
o The college section of the position paper states that “All introductory courses should include labs as in
integral part of the science curriculum. Laboratory experiences should help students learn to work
independently and collaboratively, incorporate and critique the published work of others in their
communications, use scientific reasoning and appropriate laboratory techniques to define and solve
problems, and draw and evaluate conclusions based on quantitative evidence. Labs should correlate
closely with lectures and not be separate activities.

American Chemical Society:
http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_SUPERARTICLE&node_id=2223&use
_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=146d4de0-d291-4912-b8f4-118634df0d87
o Position in Brief from the article above: “Computer simulations that mimic laboratory procedures have
the potential to be a useful supplement to student hands-on activities, but not a substitute for them.”
o In the lab chemistry students “directly experience laboratory chemicals and their properties, chemical
reactions, chemical laboratory apparatus, and chemical laboratory instruments. These activities are
essential for learning chemistry.”

American Chemical Society:
http://portal.acs.org/portal/acs/corg/content?_nfpb=true&_pageLabel=PP_SUPERARTICLE&node_id=1892&use
_sec=false&sec_url_var=region1&__uuid=d9888fb7-fc60-4f88-8e08-f7c6bc702618
o
The Higher Education section of this article includes a statement, “Supporting construction or
remodeling of chemistry facilities and funding for modern instructional laboratory equipment and
instrumentation, including maintenance and faculty training.”

American Chemical Society:
http://portal.acs.org/portal/PublicWebSite/education/policies/twoyearcollege/CSTA_015380
o Page 11 under Pedagogy: “As an experimental science, chemistry must be taught using appropriate
and substantial laboratory work that provides opportunities for open-ended investigations, which
promote independent thinking, critical thinking and reasoning, and a perspective of chemistry as a
scientific process of discovery.”

STEM Grants: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/hsiccraa/hsiccraa-abstracts2008.pdf
o El Centro and Mountain View College participated are listed in the 2008 project abstracts for CCRAAHispanic Serving Institutions Program grants. These grants helped to build the laboratory infrastructure
for STEM programs and emphasized hands-on laboratory experience.

National Science Foundation – Geoscience Education: http://www.nsf.gov/geo/adgeo/geoedu/97_171.jsp
o This document supports hands-on, “discovery-based, or inquiry-based learning " at the undergraduate
level.
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Following are the possible disadvantages to the 4 semester credit hour science classes. The environmental science
committee does not view these disadvantages as reasons to reject the 4 semester credit hour science classes (Scenario
2).
 Possible loss of DCCCD enrollment if other institutions switch to 3 semester credit hour science classes.
 The student may need to purchase a lab manual.
 No budget reduction since labs are still maintained.
 No improved classroom usage since the lab space is not utilized for lecture.
 Students do not take more classes per semester since lab occupies time on their schedule.
 Online classes need a lab component.
 Students cannot move as quickly through college (more time is required with working in the lab times)
The environmental science committee believes that the following reasons in support of a 3 semester credit hour science
core curriculum (Scenario 1) do NOT justify a change.
 Budget reduction (fewer adjunct faculty needed)
 Classroom usage is improved as labs can be used as lecture rooms (though not an ideal lecture space)
 Students take more classes per semester without labs to interfere with schedules
 Easier online classes since there is no lab component
 Less lab expenses since there are no labs to support
 Move students through college more quickly since they can take more classes in a semester
The environmental science committee believes that the following disadvantages of the 3 semester credit hour science
core curriculum should result in rejecting Scenario 1.
 Less hands on lab experience in preparation for the workforce
 Less transferability to Universities and Certification programs out-of-state
 Reduced revenue with fewer credit hours needed from the 47 SCH
 Not properly prepared for upper level science courses
 Fewer contact hours
 Higher cost to student (since courses may not nontransferable or the student will need to take the lab at a
higher cost at the University)
 Cannot effectively teach the new Core Objectives (Critical Thinking, Communication, Empirical and Quantitative
Skills, and Teamwork) in the new Core Curriculum
 Lower summer enrollment because of the lack of transferability
 Out of SACS compliance with our Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)
 Reduced opportunities for teamwork and student-centered learning
 Less competitive with other out-of-state institutions (if they use 4 semester credit hour courses)
 Reduces problem-based learning (PBL)
 Less science credibility
 Loss of the ability to use the lab time to continue with concepts introduced in lecture
 Loss of the ability to gather data, analyze results, and experience scientific investigation.
 Less time available for one-on-one interaction between the student and instructor.
Based on the pros and cons of both Scenario 1 (3 semester hour) and Scenario 2 (4 semester hour), the
environmental science committee strongly supports Scenario 2 which retains the 4 semester credit hour science
classes in the core curriculum.
Prepared by the District Environmental Science Curriculum Committee (September 2012)
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