Chemistry 351 Laboratory - Grading

Grading of Labs. The grade for each experiment is a composite of the lab notebook (20%) (pre-lab plan = 10%, in-lab journal = 10%), the report (50%), the quality of your lab work (10%), and your understanding of the experiment as determined by a lab quiz (20%).  The grade in the laboratory counts 25% toward your overall grade for the course. A passing grade must be obtained in the laboratory in order to pass the course.

Grading of Laboratory Notebooks. Lab notebooks are graded on the degree of adherence to the format described in the guidelines and on the completeness and quality of each section.  Omissions will lead to significant deductions so make sure your notebook is complete. 

Grading of Lab Reports. Lab reports will be graded primarily on the completeness and quality of each section as delineated in the guidelines. The results section, the questions,  the conclusions, and the attachments are all equally important. The overall writing quality (including neatness, organization, and writing quality) will also be factored into the grade for each report.

Quality of Lab Work. Please notice that the grades on the labs include a contribution reflecting the quality of your lab work (10%). Low yields, impure products, or otherwise poor results and excessive amounts of glassware breakage will adversely effect your grade in this area. The products from each experiment are always submitted for grading prior to proper disposal.

Due Dates. Due dates for the reports are one week after completion of the experiment (unless otherwise instructed) and late lab reports will be penalized at least 5%. (Under certain circumstances you granted an extension of a report deadline. Ask the instructor if you feel you need an extension. ) The pre-lab is due at the start of the lab period the lab is to be performed. Late pre-labs do not receive credit and you will not be allowed to work on any experiment without handing in a complete pre-lab. The in-lab journal is always due the same day it was written and is turned in before leaving the lab.

Lab Teams. You will work in instructor-assigned teams of three for the labs in this course. You may want to delegate assignments both during the actual laboratory periods as well as outside of lab when writing prelabs and reports. However, just as it would not be permissible for only one team member to carry out the experimental procedures during the lab, it is equally not permissible for only one team member to be involved in the preparation of a prelab or a lab report. It is expected that all three team members work together on the prelab and the report for each experiment. To ensure fairness of lab grading, all lab teams will be switched around after experiment 5. 

Team Contribution Forms. When turning in the lab report for each experiment each team member must also submit a team contribution form. The TCF forms are available electronically at the course D2L site. The TCF forms ask you to rate (on a scale of 1 to 5) yourself and your teammates on your participation in all four phases of each experiment; the prelab plan, the in-lab work, the report, and the group meetings.

You will be penalized 5 points for every rating of 3 or less in any of the individual phases of the experiment. In other words, if you don't help with a prelab and at least one of your teamates is honest about it and rates you a 3 or less on the prelab, then you lose 5 points. (Ratings of 1 or 2 will cost even more points). Same thing goes for the in-lab work, the report, and the meetings participation.

These penalties will be applied at the end of the semester, not as we go along. In other words, you will not find out about any penalties that were assessed until the end of the semester. I am doing this so that people can feel more free about rating the other people on their team honestly, without fear of any kind of reprisal.

If you do rank one of your teammates at 3 or less for any of the phases of an experiment, then you should follow up with an email to the instructor that explains your rationale for doing so. This should ensure that poor ratings are not arbitrary, malicious or without good reasons to back them up.

Not submitting a TCF form for any experiment incurs a five point penalty.

Attendance. Your attendance at all scheduled labs is required. If you have a legitimate excuse then it is your responsibility to contact the instructor prior to the lab in order to work out arrangements to make up the lab if possible. One absence may be acceptable as determined by the instructor considering the circumstances. Additional absences will receive a zero grade for the experiment.