As a D4 Chemical Analysis student, I was pretty busy in the lab, with most of my time spent in class. I’d say the balance was about 70% lab and 30% lecture. We did most of the experiments the traditional way. The tools they use are simple and rarely modern. Even lab reports must be written by hand on paper. I often wonder why, in this modern era, all laboratory exercises have to start with the most basic methods. Why do reports have to be written by hand when laptops are so readily available? It turns out that these “old-fashioned habits” actually have significant benefits that help develop our skills as future professionals.
Conventional practicums aren’t just about doing outdated procedures—they help you understand the fundamentals. As Amna Emda (2017) pointed out in the Lantanida Journal, “Laboratories are key to helping students improve their knowledge and skills in science learning activities.” Laboratories are places where we can “prove something that must be done through experimentation,” so that the theories learned in class are truly tested through practice. Laboratory activities are a key part of chemistry learning, helping students understand the material better through hands-on experiments.
Practical skills
In regular labs, students learn to take precise measurements, handle chemicals, and spot changes in color or phase. These are basic skills that aren’t easily picked up from computer simulations alone.
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Problem solving
With manual experiments, we have to redesign steps if something goes wrong—like air bubbles in a titration burette. These experiments teach you to be precise and think critically.
Discipline and precision
When you record your experiment results and write them down by hand, it teaches you work discipline. If you focus on your hand movements and really concentrate when you write, it’s been shown to help strengthen your long-term memory.
Wenzel et al. (2022) say that chemistry grads need to be pros at important process skills. This includes being able to use scientific literature, communicate well, work well on a team, make ethical decisions, and solve problems. They’ve got to be able to figure out problems, design and run experiments, and analyze data. You can develop these skills by doing some hands-on experimentation: “Designing and conducting experiments” is part of the core competencies for a career in chemistry. It’s no surprise that a lot of experts suggest an active learning approach based on hands-on work. Studies show that this method improves student achievement and confidence.
Why do reports have to be handwritten? It turns out that modern research has shown the benefits of handwriting for the learning process. Tim Van der Weel and his team did an EEG study on students who typed and wrote words by hand. The results were surprising: when writing by hand, brain connectivity patterns were far more complex than when typing. This means that handwriting engages a wider area of the brain and higher frequencies of activity linked to creating new memories. The researchers said that the controlled hand movements involved in writing “broadly contribute to brain connectivity patterns that support learning.” On the other hand, pressing a single key on a keyboard doesn’t trigger these patterns. Studies have shown that handwriting “requires fine motor control… and forces students to pay attention to what they are doing.” These deliberate writing movements actually sharpen focus and memory better than fast typing.
Handwriting gets us more physically and mentally involved in the learning process. Other studies have also shown that handwriting helps us spell better, understand letters and symbols, and improve memory. Basically, taking notes by hand in the lab actually helps students remember the info from the experiment. Even though technology keeps getting better, studies show that handwriting should still be a part of the learning process.
After going through this intense learning process, I got the philosophy behind traditional methods. The basics of experimentation teach you the patience and keen observation required in a sophisticated lab. As the old Chinese proverb says, “What you hear is easy to forget, what you see is easy to remember, but what you do is what you really understand.” In the lab, we turn theory into real-world experience. This approach helps analysts develop their skills and knowledge, which is essential for modern analytical chemists. As Emda says, the lab is a place to “test scientific theories… using the right tools,” so we can adapt to new technologies with a good understanding.
So, using regular methods and handwritten reports in the lab isn’t a step backward. It’s a way to produce chemists who are competent and have strong character. What we think of as “old-fashioned” today is actually an educational legacy that equips us to face the analytical challenges of the future.
Sources:
ADDIN Mendeley Bibliography CSL_BIBLIOGRAPHY Emda A. 2017. Laboratorium Sebagai Sarana Pembelajaran Kimia Dalam Meningkatkan Pengetahuan Dan Ketrampilan Kerja Ilmiah. Lantanida J. 5(1):83.doi:10.22373/lj.v5i1.2061.
Van der Weel FR (Ruud), Van der Meer ALH. 2024. Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity: a high-density EEG study with implications for the classroom. Front. Psychol. 14.doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945.
Wenzel TJ, Kovarik ML, Robinson JK. 2022. Looking to the Future of Analytical Chemistry Education: A New Resource to Help Instructors. ACS Meas. Sci. Au. 2(2):76–77.doi:10.1021/acsmeasuresciau.2c00014.
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