Influence that the order of practice and lecture gives to understanding level of student of Department of Pharmacy

Visible absorption spectrum of pigment of plant

Abstract

We examined how the order of lecture and experiment has an influence on students' understanding. The experiment was to extract pigments from some common foodstaff and measure their absorption spectrum. Half of the students took part in the experiment before they attended a lecture on the absorption and reflection of light. The other half heard the lecture before performing the experiment. A mini-test was given after both groups finished the course. It was found that the order of lecture and experiment had virtually no influence on the understanding of the students. More than 70% of the students felt
that it would be better for their understanding to have the lecture first. This may imply the importance of enhancing their motivation when experiment comes first.