General chemistry courses predominantly use expository experiments that shape student expectations of what a laboratory activity entails. Shifting within a semester to course-based undergraduate research activities that include greater decision-making, collaborative work, and "messy" real-world data necessitates a change in student expectations and epistemology. Design considerations for laboratories that transition students and teaching assistants from one format to another are described here along with experiences when implemented in the second semester of a large-enrollment general chemistry course.