Anecdotally, students enjoy this laboratory and they see
concrete benefits in completing it. Because instructors directly
interact with students as they build their models, perplexing concepts are immediately identified. For example, students have
particular difficulty visualizing where tetrahedral or octahedral
holes exist within certain lattices. The ability for an instructor to
directly point out their locations in the plastic models quickly
enhances overall recognition and comprehension. This lab is
often noted in course evaluations as being interesting, useful,
and fun.