Integrating The Financial Aspects Of Laboratory Procedures Into Electron Microscopy Courses At A Community College And Materials Science Courses At A University

Basic financial issues related to the cost of performing standard laboratory procedures and materials analyses have been incorporated into two courses in an attempt to teach students how to plan an experiment from the financial and time viewpoints. These two course involved two very different audiences (technical program students at a community college, engineering students at a research university), but in both cases the student’s responses were similar. They did not realize how much of the total cost was personnel, they consistently underestimated how much time various procedures take. Also, when planning an experiment where the cost perspective was considered, it helped them see the resource side of experimental work, not just the academic side, and it helped them manage their time better. It also helped them understand how one makes money in engineering.