The following is the exchange we had via email:
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Lab Report 2 graded. Please read over the comments and use them to help write your Lab Report 3.
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Dear Allyson,
I feel your grading is a bit harsh and irrational and there are things that must be addressed. My sole intention is to clarify these issues, ask you to be more concise in what you are looking for, and ultimately to email me back on what I can do to improve further reports.
I do recall you specifically saying our incubation time was till one, which you announced around twelve. If not, then we did did not have an incubation time told to us. I also do not recall what DO stood for, so that was obviously my mistake and should have asked. You also just told us it was at a boat basin, how am I supposed to describe a boat basin to you? I was not there when the sample was collected. I was not quite sure what you were looking for in that part of the report. If you can help with some tips on future reports I would be forever grateful or should I just read your comments and go from there? Thank you.
-K
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Dear K,
As you know, this is a writing intensive course with the objective of instructing you on how to become a better author of scientific material. The grade and comments that you received were reflective of your work and given to help you improve.
As for what I’m looking for when grading, I grade with the rubric, which you have. You should use the rubric as a checklist to make sure that you have addressed everything in your report. If you are unsure of how to write a scientific lab report, there is a folder on eLearning with tips, in addition to the section in the lab manual about scientific writing and the Writing Center in CLB. During the incubation period in this week’s lab I will be going over some comments, tips and suggestions for writing lab reports.
As for the comments you have above: It is not my responsibility to provide the exact incubation time, though it was written in the methods of the lab manual. It is your responsibility as a student to pay attention to the details of your experiment. I announced that the water was taken from the small boat basin. If you were/are unclear about the study site, you should ask. Scientific papers are precise in their description of their study site, i.e. environmental conditions (temperature, weather, salinity if possible) and location of sampling (for example, in the report it would be Texas A&M University at Galveston small boat basin in Galveston, TX).
In reading your report, it appears to DQ and me that you did not understand the experiment or the processes behind it. If by the end of the lab session you are unsure of anything regarding the experiments, please ask, preferably before the report is due.
If you would like additional recommendations or comments I am happy to provide them. If you would like to neglect my advice your grades will reflect that.
Regards,
Dear K,
As you know, this is a writing intensive course with the objective of instructing you on how to become a better author of scientific material. The grade and comments that you received were reflective of your work and given to help you improve.
As for what I’m looking for when grading, I grade with the rubric, which you have. You should use the rubric as a checklist to make sure that you have addressed everything in your report. If you are unsure of how to write a scientific lab report, there is a folder on eLearning with tips, in addition to the section in the lab manual about scientific writing and the Writing Center in CLB. During the incubation period in this week’s lab I will be going over some comments, tips and suggestions for writing lab reports.
As for the comments you have above: It is not my responsibility to provide the exact incubation time, though it was written in the methods of the lab manual. It is your responsibility as a student to pay attention to the details of your experiment. I announced that the water was taken from the small boat basin. If you were/are unclear about the study site, you should ask. Scientific papers are precise in their description of their study site, i.e. environmental conditions (temperature, weather, salinity if possible) and location of sampling (for example, in the report it would be Texas A&M University at Galveston small boat basin in Galveston, TX).
In reading your report, it appears to DQ and me that you did not understand the experiment or the processes behind it. If by the end of the lab session you are unsure of anything regarding the experiments, please ask, preferably before the report is due.
If you would like additional recommendations or comments I am happy to provide them. If you would like to neglect my advice your grades will reflect that.
Regards,
Allyson
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Thank you. I try my best. And I will keep trying my best, hopefully you and DQ will see that.
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Okay. I'm sorry but I would NEVER, EVER have talked like that to my TA. Who the hell does this kid think he is? Does he think I don't talk to the prof that teaches the class (and is also my advisor for crying out loud?!)?? I showed DQ his report with my comments on it, and while reading it she repeatedly gasped "What?!" It was very clear that he didn't understand the experiment, what was happening during the experiment, or the basic processes of photosynthesis and respiration. Which I don't understand because this is a SENIOR. LEVEL. CLASS. for which introductory biology and marine biology are prerequisites.
But the kid has balls, I'll give him that.
Sorry dude, I can't give you a grade for effort. If I could, it would probably be lower than what you got the first time.
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