Chemistry 210 Laboratory Grading

Prof Nalli, Winona State University, Summer 2011

General Grading Policies

A total of 9 experiments will be carried out. Each experiment counts equally toward your overall lab grade in the course.
Your prompt attendance at the laboratories 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. An unexcused absence will result in a grade of zero for the experiment. Three zero grades will result in an automatic failure for the course.
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. Each experiment is graded on the basis of 100 points. The grade for the experiment is the composite of the five separate items below.

The Lab Report - 50 pts. Lab reports will be graded primarily on the degree to which they demonstrate a good understanding of the experiment. The correctness of the answers to the questions, the correctness of the calculations, and your interpretations of the data and observations as shown in the results summary tables, are all critical to obtaining a good grade on the lab report. The overall writing quality (including neatness, completeness, organization, spelling, and grammar) will also be factored into the grade for the report. Lab reports are due one week after completion of each experiment. Late lab reports will be penalized.
The Data/Observations Sheet - 10 pts. Each lab handout includes a data/observations sheet to be filled out when actually carrying out the experiment during the lab period. Make sure you give units where required and obey significant figure rules when recording data. Also record all observations completely and in detail. Omission of a key observation or piece of data will lead to deductions to your score on this part of the lab. Get the instructor or TA to initial your D/O sheet before leaving the lab each week.
The Pre-Lab Assignment - 10 pts. It is important that all students come to lab fully prepared to do the required experiment. Each lab handout includes a pre-lab assignment of 2-5 questions. You should work with your team to complete these questions prior to lab.
The quality of your lab work - 10 pts. You may be penalized for poor results, incomplete results, failure to follow directions, excessive glassware breakage, failure to follow safety rules, or poor housekeeping.
Post-Lab Quiz - 20 pts. A lab quiz on each experiment will be given shortly after the reports for that lab have been turned in for grading.

Lab Teams.

You will work in instructor-assigned teams of two to three students.
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.

Team Contribution Surveys (TCS).

When turning in the lab report for each experiment each team member must also submit a team contribution survey (TCS), which are available electronically at the course D2L site.
The TCS asks you to rate yourself and your teammates on your participation in all four phases of each experiment; the prelab, 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 teammates 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.
TCF 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 wite up a short explanation (last question of the survey) 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 TCS for any experiment incurs a five point penalty.