WGU C938: Preclinical Experiences in Science

What C938 Preclinical Experiences in Science Actually Is

WGU C938: Preclinical Experiences in Science is a field-based course in the School of Education for candidates preparing to teach science at the secondary level. Instead of sitting an exam in front of a screen, you spend supervised time inside a real K-12 science classroom, observing an experienced mentor teacher, participating in instruction, and documenting what you do. It sits inside WGU's larger developmental framework for teacher preparation, bridging the gap between the education theory you have already studied and the full student-teaching (demonstration teaching) placement that comes later in your program.

Direct answer: You pass C938 by securing an approved classroom placement early, logging the required in-classroom hours across the correct experience categories, and submitting a complete, honest, well-organized performance assessment portfolio (your Preclinical Experiences Log, signature form, and reflections) that clearly documents each hour. It is a documentation-and-fieldwork course, not a memorization test, so organization and follow-through matter far more than cramming.

This course matters because it is your first sustained, structured contact with the profession you are training for. It is where lesson-planning frameworks, classroom management strategies, and inquiry-based science teaching stop being abstract ideas and start being things you watch a real teacher do, and then attempt yourself. Candidates who take these preclinical hours seriously usually walk into their demonstration teaching term far more confident.

What the Performance Assessment Requires

C938 is assessed through a Performance Assessment (PA) submitted as a portfolio. There is no objective multiple-choice exam. The core requirements center on completing and documenting in-classroom time and reflecting on it. The typical components are:

• A set block of in-classroom hours. Preclinical courses require a defined minimum of in-classroom observation and experience hours. Students commonly report a figure in the neighborhood of several dozen hours, but the exact minimum varies by program version, so confirm the number on your current course page rather than relying on a figure you read secondhand.
• Experience categories. Those hours are spread across defined categories such as classroom observation, active teaching experiences, lesson planning, and additional experiences, rather than all being one type.
• Active instruction. A portion of your hours must be spent actively engaging and interacting with students, for example co-teaching a lesson with your mentor, leading a small group, or facilitating an activity. Check your rubric for the exact minimum your term requires.
• The Preclinical Experiences Log. A completed log documenting your hours by date, category, and activity is submitted as part of the assessment.
• A signature form. A signed form certifying that everything recorded in your log is true and correct.
• Reflection. Written reflection connecting what you observed and did to sound teaching practice and science pedagogy.

Exact task numbering, hour splits, and rubric wording change between program versions, so always treat your current course page and the official WGU Clinical Experiences resources as the source of truth for your term.

How Hard Is It, Really?

The academic difficulty of C938 is low; the logistical difficulty is where students get stuck. There is no dense content to master and no test to fail. Instead, many students report that the genuine challenges are securing an approved placement, coordinating schedules with a working mentor teacher, and physically completing the required hours around a job and family. Once you are placed and logging hours, the course tends to move smoothly.

For realistic planning, treat this as a multi-week commitment rather than a weekend sprint. The required hours cannot be manufactured at the last minute, and schools have their own calendars, holidays, and testing windows. Many students spread the hours over several weeks, aiming for a steady handful of hours per week. Start the placement paperwork the moment the course opens, because approval and scheduling are the slowest part.

Your Prep and Execution Plan

Because this is fieldwork plus documentation, your "study plan" is really an execution plan. A few course-specific tactics:

• Front-load the placement. On day one, contact WGU's field placement team and begin identifying a science classroom and mentor. Nothing else can start until this is approved, so it is your critical path.
• Read the rubric before your first hour, not after. Print the task requirements and the log categories, and keep them beside you. Knowing exactly which categories need hours prevents you from spending all your time observing and none actively teaching.
• Log the same day. Apply the principle of spaced, consistent recording: write your log entry and reflection notes the day of each visit while details are fresh. Reconstructing dozens of hours from memory a month later is painful and produces weak reflections.
• Turn observation into active recall. After watching a lesson, before you leave the parking lot, jot down what the teacher did to open the lesson, check for understanding, and manage behavior. Recalling it from memory cements the technique better than passively watching.
• Rehearse your active-instruction moments. When it is your turn to lead a small group or co-teach, plan it, and if your mentor allows, run through it once. Treat each attempt as practice you will reflect on and improve.
• Connect every reflection to a standard or strategy. Graders want to see that you can link what you saw to inquiry-based instruction, formative assessment, or classroom management, not just narrate your day.

Common Mistakes in This Course

• Starting the placement late. The single most common delay. Students treat it like a normal course and lose weeks waiting for approval.
• Logging everything as "observation." If you never move into the required active-instruction and other categories, your log will be rejected even if the total hours are met.
• Thin reflections. Writing what happened instead of what it taught you about teaching science. Evaluators look for analysis, not a diary.
• Sloppy or inconsistent logs. Missing dates, vague activity descriptions, or totals that do not add up trigger a return for revision.
• Waiting for one big block of hours. Real classrooms rarely give you the full block of hours at once. Students who do not schedule steadily run out of calendar.

C938 Readiness Checklist

• Can you confirm your classroom placement and mentor teacher are officially approved by WGU?
• Can you list each required hour category and the minimum hours each one needs?
• Can you show a running total that reaches the required minimum in-classroom hours?
• Can you point to specific hours where you actively taught or led students, not just observed?
• Can you produce a dated, complete Preclinical Experiences Log with clear activity descriptions?
• Can you connect at least a few observations to named teaching strategies or science pedagogy?
• Have you obtained the required signatures certifying your log is accurate?
• Have you re-read the current rubric and confirmed every task deliverable is included?

FAQ

Is C938 an OA or a PA?

It is a Performance Assessment. You submit a portfolio built around your fieldwork, log, and reflections rather than taking a proctored objective exam.

How many hours does C938 require?

Preclinical experience courses require a defined minimum of in-classroom hours, split across categories such as observation, active teaching, and additional experiences, with a portion spent in active instruction. The exact totals vary by program version, so confirm the current numbers on your course page rather than relying on a figure from a forum.

How long does C938 take to finish?

It depends almost entirely on how fast you get placed and how often you can visit. Many students report spreading the hours over several weeks; the placement paperwork, not the hours themselves, is usually the slowest step.

How hard is C938?

The content is not difficult, but the logistics can be. Many students report that scheduling, coordinating with a mentor, and completing every hour category on time are the real challenges rather than anything academic.

How many competency units is C938 worth?

WGU measures courses in competency units. The exact CU value for this course is not something we can verify from public sources here, so check your official WGU program guidebook or the institutional catalog for the current number.

Do I need to have passed my science content courses first?

Preclinical experiences are designed to build on earlier coursework, so your program will usually sequence content and pedagogy courses before or alongside this field experience. Follow your official degree plan and course prerequisites for your term.

Related Guides and Next Steps

If you are moving through the School of Education sequence, these guides pair naturally with your preclinical work: our D184 Standards-Based Assessment guide helps you talk fluently about the assessment strategies your reflections should reference, C362 Calculus I is useful if your science track requires it, and D268 Introduction to Communication sharpens the communication skills you will lean on with mentors and students. You can also browse the full School of Education hub or the complete index of WGU course guides. For official program details, see the WGU Institutional Catalog.