Re: Extra Credit

["B. Esser" <besser@MARIAN.CREIGHTON.EDU>]

On Fri, 7 Jul 2000, Michael Edmiston wrote:

> I will pre-read a section of the next lab report (before it is due) and make
> suggestions.  (This can be dangerous because some students will want me to
> pre-grade the whole report and let them rewrite it.
A few years ago we instituted a requirement that each quarter a lab group
has to do a "formal" lab report. This report has to be done as if it was
going to be published in a typical physics journal.  The formatting
requirements are rigorous to the point of typeface, point size, margins
etc. Everthing must be written in third person etc. etc. The final report
is formatted like a typical AJP article.
The students turn in their report to an editor (either me or the other
physics teacher here).  The editor can accept it or require additional
revisions. Eventually every report is brought to a satisfactory level.
Grading is done as follows.  If it is accepted on the first submission it
will receive an A. On the first revision the highest grade they can
receive is in the B range.
 From our experience we have seen two unexpected pedagogical benefits. The
first is that our students have very little experience in writing in the
third person before taking physics. They have much difficulty expressing
their thoughts clearly when using third person and their conceptual errors
are quite apparent. The second is that most of our students have never
worked in a submit/revise environment. It is a good experience for them to
have to work with an "editor".




Bruce Esser
Physics Teacher                    Something witty
Marian High School                     Should go here
http://marian.creighton.edu