We are in a department discussion about electronic lab notebooks (ELN) and
upper division lab work. Currently we have no policy and it is a hodgepodge
of paper notebooks, actual ELNs, and things like OneNote, Notability, or
even just a pile of Google Docs (gasp).
Our upper division curriculum is especially heavy on lab courses and we
(the upper-division lab committee) are thinking that a cohesive choice here
might be good for both students and for faculty trying to grade a mix of
formats.
1. What are other physics (or chemistry) departments doing in this
respect?
2. If you are using an ELN, do you have a preferred one and why?
3. If you are going digital but not with an *actual* ELN what are you
using? (OneNote for example.)
4. Any general thoughts? Flame wars? Advantages? Disasters? Whatever.
Our students have a mix of platforms from laptops to Macbooks to
Chromebooks, to tablets/iPads, etc. None of them are trying to do
everything on their phone, thankfully, but I could see that happening in
the future. (I know that some of my intro level students do all their
reports on their phones.)
One thing is certain: grading a mix of all different formats is misery.
Thanks,
John
- - - -
John E. Sohl, Ph.D.
WSU Brady Presidential Distinguished Professor of Physics
Weber State University
1415 Edvalson St., Dept 2508
Ogden, UT 84408-2508
Office: TY 326
Office phone: (801) 626-7907
cell: (801) 476-0589 (Text me, I don't answer the phone if you are not in
my contacts.)