Hobbies And Interests
Accuracy
Laboratory observation typically involves shadowing highly skilled professionals with extensive experience in the field. The student observes how actual situations are handled and often gets opportunities for hands-on participation with seasoned professionals using proven methodologies. The potential for this advantage to become a disadvantage comes when the student is assigned to less experienced laboratory instructors; they may receive incomplete or inaccurate information, based on theory rather than actual experience.
Application
Laboratory observation works well for manual and routine tasks, such as assembly line work and accounting. These tasks have very specific requirements that observers only need to follow to do the job correctly. On the other hand, jobs such as medical and allied health applications often need more comprehensive data gathering and even require some experience to properly execute the job. Using laboratory observation for this application may produce limited positives.
Observer Skills
The effectiveness or ineffectiveness of a laboratory observation relies on the observer's abilities. It can be advantageous to observers who often ask questions, take note of procedures and shadow instructors closely. Observers not having these skills may find themselves in a disadvantaged position, not only because they will not learn anything, but because they may also become a liability to the professional trying to teach them while working.
Sample Size
Laboratory observations often have a specific sample size to study. The advantage of this is that observers only need to follow a certain schedule or pick out specific cases to observe. The disadvantage with this controlled sample size and scheduling is that observers will not experience the actual situation that happens on the job they intend to do and may be confined to limited knowledge and observation opportunities.