A common complaint from students is that laboratory exercises do not relate to the lecture material presented in class. Laboratory exercises will be more meaningful if students understand the relationship between the lecture and laboratory, especially if they are able to make this connection themselves.
To clarify the relationship of laboratory exercises to lecture material, it can be useful to obtain the relevant powerpoint slides from a professor and show them prior to the laboratory. This makes the connection between lecture and laboratory clear and has the added benefit of reinforcing the material in the students minds, both of which can greatly enhance learning in a laboratory setting.
In some classes, lectures may be distributed digitally, and students do not attend a physical lecture. In these classes it is especially important to present the relevant lecture material in the laboratory.
