The laboratory was the original hands-on component in undergraduate engineering curricula. The laboratory has fallen out of favour over the years, partly due to resource limitations and partly due the fact that without continuous nurturing by a dedicated faculty member, they tend to devolve to cookbook exercises in data collection. Over the same period of time, the team design project has become a key method for the delivery of a CDIO oriented engineering curriculum. To a certain extent, the design project has taken over the role originally fulfilled by the traditional laboratory. This paper examines the purpose of the undergraduate laboratory, highlights problems associated with lab-based learning, reviews a number of specific examples, and finally lists points for discussion about the role of the laboratory in the CDIO context.
