Laboratory Grading and Lab Teams

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 Experiments. The grade for each experiment is determined by the following:

• Lab Notebook: Pre-Lab Plan = 10%,
• Lab Notebook: In-Lab Journal = 10%
• Lab Report = 50%
• Quality of Lab Work = 10%
• Lab quizzes = 20% 

Grading of Molecular Modeling Exercises. The "Learning from Molecular Modeling" worksheets should be completed during lab working with your lab team. The worksheets will be assigned a grade out of 100 points and counted equal to a full experiment for purposes of calculating the overall lab average.

Grading of Laboratory Notebooks. (20%) 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. 

• In-Lab Journals receive a team grade although one person will be assigned as the primary note taker for each experiment.
• Pre-Lab Plans are prepared by each student individually.

Grading of Lab Reports. (50%) Lab reports are graded primarily on the completeness and quality of each section as delineated in the guidelines. The results and discussion section and results tables section are probably the most important parts and receive the greatest emphasis in grading. The overall writing quality (including neatness, organization, and writing quality) will also be factored into the grade for each report.

Quality of Lab Work. (10%) Lab grades also factor in the quality of your lab work. 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.

Lab Quizzes. (20%) Lab quizzes will be given periodically throughout the semester. Some of the lab quizzes will be given at the start of lab before carrying out the experiment (pre-lab quizzes) others will be given after the report is turned in (post-lab quizzes). The lab quizzes can be on any aspect of the experiment, from spectra interpretation to reaction mechanism to purification procedures to calculation of the theoretical yield, etc.

Due Dates. Due dates for the reports are one week after completion of the experiment (unless otherwise announced) and late lab reports will be penalized at least 5%. (Under certain circumstances you may be 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 and will be checked immediately for completeness. 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 teams of three as determined by a draw of a playing card during the third lab period. In addition, you will work with a new team for each new experiment (see table below).  The highlighted individuals in the table are the desginated note-takers for the in-lab journal for that experiment. (Remember, however, that pre-labs are done independently by all team members.)

You may want to delegate assignments both during the laboratory period as well as for the writing of the lab reports. However, it is expected that all three team members contribute in good faith to both the in-lab work and the writing of the report for each experiment.

Team Contribution Surveys (TCS). When turning in the lab report for each experiment each team member must also submit a team contribution survey. The TCS are available electronically at the course D2L site. Each TCS will ask you to rate (on a scale of 1 to 5) yourself and your teammates in the two main areas for each experiment; the in-lab work and writing the report.

• 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 the report and at least one of your teammates is honest about it and rates you a 3 or less on the report, then you lose 5 points. (Ratings of 1 or 2 will cost even more points).
• If you do rank one of your teammates at 3 or less for any of the phases of an experiment, then you should use the provided survey item to explain your rationale for doing so. This should ensure that poor ratings are not arbitrary, malicious or without good reasons to back them up.
• When you submit a TCS you earn 5 bonus points for that experiment. Not submitting a TCS incurs a 5 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.