With
an
ever
demanding
job
market
and
indu
stry
complaints
of
grade
inflation
in
the
university
sector,
o
ur
graduates need
m
ore
t
han
jus
t
good
grades
to
obtain
su
ccess
ful
employment.
They
need
to
be
a
b
l
e
to
demonstrate
a
wide
variety
of
skills
such
as
problem
solving,
team
work
and
the ability to
work on t
h
eir own initia
tive.
This paper discusses a new type of chemistry
practical
that
tries
to
incorporate
all
of
these
skills
in
to
a
n
engaging
undergraduate
la
b
oratory
entitled
“Mystery Death on a River”.
Chemistry
undergraduate
labs
a
t
present
o
f
ten
follow
the
cookbook
recipe
appro
a
ch
where
students
follow
a
distin
ct
recipe
wi
th
help
from
a
de
mon
strator.
While
these
type
s
of
laboratories
provide
the
students
with
valuable
skills,
they
inhibit
th
e
student’s
ability
to
understand
or
pr
o
vide
insight
in
to
what
they
are
a
ctually
d
o
i
n
g
throughout
the
practical
(Beussman
2007).
This
paper
discusses
the
advantages
of
a
‘Myster
y
Death’
labora
tory
where
the
students
work
in
groups
to
solve
the
mystery
with
little
help
from
demonstra
tors.
The
students are
pre
sent
ed with a
scenario
of a
deat
h
and are
asked
t
o
w
o
r
k
t
ogether
t
o
de
sign
and
carryout
the
experiments
necessary
for
solv
ing
the
mystery
death.
They
are
provided
with
glassware,
chemicals
an
d
instruments
to
carry
out
the
experiments
and
must
finish
the
da
y's
work with a presentation of their findings.
This
study
provides
an
interesting
in
sight
into
group
work
,
stud
e
nt’s
skills
in
the
laboratory,
problem solving and engaging students within a relaxed laboratory environment
