A FORCIBLE METHOD OF EMPHASIZING LABORATORY TECHNIC LAWRENCE E. STOUT,MIAMIUNIVERSITY, OXPORD, OHIO Teachers of general chemistry are well aware of the difficulty of getting students to carry out their experiments in a workmanlike manner. Many students possessing varying degrees of interest in the work measure their attainments by the quantity of work which they can turn out, regardless of the technic displayed. Moreover, students interested in quantity production of laboratory experiments are very likely to be careless with side-shelf bottles, balances, and all factors pertaining to the general welfare of a laboratory. Various schemes have been tried in this laboratory to stress proper technic. Fines were assessed for dirty equipment and unworkmanlike procedures, grade deductions were imposed, and even the privilege of working a t extra periods was denied to careless workers. After the admitted failure of all of these schemes to correct the existing evil, a new idea was worked out which has met marked success. It is based upon the fact that the poor technician is generally the sloppy worker. Therefore, he is the man who makes the laboratory unsightly. According to our scheme, when a student is seen performing any operation in an unworkmanlike manner he is placed on "K.P." duty for the next laboratory period. It is the duty of the "K.P." squad to s m b all side shelves, clean all reagent bottles, balance cases, and general laboratory equipment a t the beginning of each laboratory period. At the close of the same period the same squad again cleans up the laboratory, puts the iron ware in its proper place and sees that all side-shelf reagents are in order. Whereas our other schemes left little or no impression upon the offender, this menial labor performed before the whole class is as little sought after as was "K.P." duty in the army. Violators once apprehended are much more liable to do their next experiment in a workmanlike manner in order to prevent a second "K.P." assignment. Of course, if all students carry out their experiments in a thoroughly workmanlike manner there will be no "K.P." squad available and neither will one be needed. The laboratory instructors are "urged to watch for violators under the ruling that a disordered laboratory with no "K.P." assignments must be cleaned up by the laboratory instructor himself.
