Replication Laboratory Assignments in Introductory Sociology: How Do They Shape Learning?

• In Event: Sociology and Critical Data Literacy in a Changing Knowledge Eco-system

Abstract

Replication laboratory assignments are hands-on learning activities that ask students to replicate aspects of existing scientific studies using a novel data set (Straus & Nelson, 1968; Straus, 1969). For these assignments, students complete a modified “micro-version” of the scientific research process: they read academic articles, state hypotheses, select and test variables, analyze quantitative data, and communicate findings. The idea of using replication laboratory assignments to introduce sociology students to the basics of social research was developed by Straus and Nelson (1968) and Straus (1969) in two instructional manuals. In both manuals, the authors contend that replication laboratories assist students in gaining a deeper understanding of theoretical concepts and expose students into the skills and professional expectations of the scientific community.

From an instructional standpoint, replication laboratory assignments may represent a valuable hands-on learning strategy for introducing novices to the basics of empirical sociology and corresponding professional norms. However, little is known about exactly how such activities shape learning about sociology. I was unable to locate research studies or teaching/learning discussions that either tested or evaluated the learning effects of replication laboratory assignments within the context of sociology instruction. In this presentation, I report and reflect on the development and initial implementation of replication laboratory assignments in three Introduction to Sociology courses offered at a small, rural midwestern community college during the Fall 2025 semester. By drawing on my own observations and student experience data collected via a “Student Experience and Feedback Form,” I assess the ways in which replication laboratory assignments contribute to student learning in sociology and consider the potential strengths and weaknesses of this pedagogical approach.

Author

• Erwin Selimos, West Shore Community College