Deliverables Required from the Students

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Analytical Sciences Digital Library

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Several types of reports fit well into the theme-based approach to analytical lab. Throughout the semester, students are expected to complete short writing assignments that describe and outline the instrumental aspects of the work they are completing. These are graded and returned to the student so that they can incorporate the information into a final report. Once the experimental work and data analysis is completed, students work collaboratively on a manuscript-style report to summarize the significance, previous work, procedure, data, results, and conclusion. A formal poster and subsequent poster presentation summarizing their work for a larger audience is also required. Examples of the reports and posters are provided in Appendixes D and E. Oral reports are often incorporated in a “group-meeting” setting so that individual groups can report to the entire class on a smaller aspect of the overall project.

Often, students will not collect data that allows them to conclusively address their primary goal or research question. This does not mean that the experience failed or that they as a research team failed. Usually it is a question of time and resources and not a question of effort. In this case, students should be made aware of the successes they have had in their semester and should be encouraged to report on the process of the work and not simply on the outcomes. In this way, students still feel a sense of accomplishment and are able to take pride in their work. The learning process is as essential as any final results the students may obtain and through the attempts and failures involved with doing science, real learning takes place.