Re: [Phys-l] format for lab reports

["Paul Lulai" <plulai@stanthony.k12.mn.us>]

I am teaching a Physics By Inquiry class at my hs in cooperation with  
U of MN.  Dr Leon Hsu is the guy at the U leading the course.
Dr Hsu is using the same methods Rick discusses. It works pretty  
nicely.  As a result of the PbI and lab notebook / quiz methods, kids  
are forces to focus on how they know something, what they have done  
that confirms their solution, and what this might mean for an new  
problem.
The lab notebooks are used on quizzes in a manner similar to Ricks.  
Additionally, the quizzes ask students to site specific experiments  
that have been done to substantiate the students solution to a  
problem. The experiments are numbered, not named. So a student can't  
site "that lab abc where we did xyz." they must site simething like  
"experiment 3.6 demonstrates that flow is not used up as it continues  
through the circuit."
Neat, effective, and efficient.

I should point out that I put the first paragraph in to direct the  
credit to Dr Hsu for this method (not me, and Not to deflect the  
anything from Rick)  I thought about adding that I've been teaching  
for about 15 years to show that I i can be trusted, have a lot of  
experience with these things. I decided against it. ;^)



Sent from my iPod so I can blame Apple for my typos.

Paul Lulai
St. Anthony Village Senior High
Http://prettygoodphysics.wikispaces.com
US First RoboHuskie Team 2574


On Nov 5, 2009, at 1:57 PM, "Rick Tarara" <rtarara@saintmarys.edu>  
wrote:

> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "LaMontagne, Bob" <RLAMONT@providence.edu>
>
>
> > Formal lab reports certainly have their place.
> I'm just not sure where?  When, as a practicing physicist, has  
> anyone ever
> written a formal lab report?  I guess it might happen in industry or
> government work, but even there........  Sure most of us have  
> written papers
> based on our lab work, but that is considerably different than  
> writing a
> 'lab report', at least it seems that way to me. My thesis work is  
> sitting on
> a shelf here--about two dozen 3-ring binders full of data sheets and  
> (hand
> drawn and analyzed) plots of the data--no lab books, no lab  
> reports.   In my
> classes (and I have the curse or luxury of having no physics majors-- 
> we have
> none here) I emphasize having the necessary information recorded and  
> having
> the calculations, analysis, and conclusions written IN the lab  
> book.  To get
> to this state we have open lab-book quizzes where I ask for certain  
> pieces
> of data, a quantity that would come from the slope of a graph that  
> should
> have been made (WITH UNITS and without too many extraneous digits),  
> I can
> ask for a particular calculation or to draw a conclusion on some  
> aspect of
> the experiment (and justify that conclusion),  but provide very  
> little time
> to write this information down.  If it is in the lab book it can be  
> copied
> out, if not, then there is insufficient time to do the analysis,  
> equation,
> etc.  I have recently switched to this rather than wading through  
> individual
> lab books looking for this information or having formal reports  
> written.  It
> is a lot easier via quizzes but still assesses the same points that  
> reading
> books or reports would.
>
> Sorry if these points have been expressed previously as I just  
> picked up on
> the thread and am too lazy (sorry--busy) to look through the  
> archives.  ;-)
>
> Rick
>
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