Lab Skills Line Year 1

Full course description

The practical skills longitudinal line is one of the three longitudinal lines, and runs through the first two years, as Laboratory Skills I (year 1) and Laboratory Skills II (year 2), each worth 7 ECs. Lab skills trainings are mainly concentrated in the 8-week periods, in which the experiments are aligned with the content of the courses. Every 8-week course, students need to demonstrate sufficient skills in preparing experiments (preparing the practical, performing lab-related calculations) and carrying them out, keeping a lab journal, and basic lab skills (weighing, pipetting, etc.). As the practical sessions are all part of the lab skills line, repeated practice of skills, with increasing degree of complexity throughout the bachelor is achieved, and longitudinal tracking of development of lab skills is possible. Importantly, students will also be able to practice and further develop their practical skills in a self-directed manner within the design project; this is aligned with the lab skills line.

Students receive regular formative feedback by staff and peers on these skills, which will be added to the portfolio at the end of each 8-week course. Next to this, students are assessed on their performance by means of a summative practical exam consisting of two parts (in periods 3 & 6 each year). The lab skills line formally ends at the end of year 2.