Resource

Laboratory Report

Author: ATU Galway

What is it?

Students write a report for practical’s undertaken in the lab. These include information about the procedures, results, and skills demonstrated. This helps to assess students’ subject knowledge, literacy, numeracy and understanding.

Advantages & Challenges

Advantages

Challenges

Advantages

Laboratory reports provide students with hands-on experience in conducting experiments, collecting data, and analysing results, allowing them to apply theoretical knowledge to real-world situations.
Writing laboratory reports requires students to critically analyse experimental data, interpret results, and draw meaningful conclusions.
Laboratory reports help students develop effective communication skills by requiring them to clearly articulate their experimental procedures, findings, and conclusions in a written format. This prepares them for future academic and professional endeavours.
Laboratory reports provide opportunities for feedback and reflection, as students receive feedback on their reports and reflect on their own learning and experimentation process.

Challenges

Tips for Use

Define the learning objectives or competencies that the laboratory report will assess. Determine what skills, knowledge, or abilities students should demonstrate through their experimentation, data analysis, and reporting.
Provide detailed instructions for conducting the experiment, collecting data, and writing the report. Clearly outline the format, structure, and content expectations for the report, including sections such as introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion.
Ask students to interpret their experimental results, draw conclusions, and make connections to course concepts or real-world applications.
Consider incorporating peer review or feedback as part of the assessment process. Encourage students to peer-review each other’s laboratory reports, providing constructive feedback on experimental design, data analysis, and interpretation.
Provide guidance on how to properly cite sources, acknowledge contributions from others, and avoid plagiarism. Consider using plagiarism detection software to ensure originality of student work.

Resources

Lawrie, G.A., Grøndahl, L., Boman, S. & Andrews, T. (2016) Wiki laboratory notebooks: supporting student learning in collaborative inquiry-based laboratory experiments, Journal of Science Education and Technology, v25 n3 p394-409

Trinity College Dublin (TCD): Centre for Academic Practice, Trinity Teaching & Learning – Trinity College Dublin (tcd.ie)

University of Warwick: Laboratory notebooks and reports (warwick.ac.uk)

Sample Rubrics

Chan C.(2009) Assessment: Report, Assessment Resources@HKU, University of Hong Kong: TALIC – Assessment Resource Centre (hku.hk)
Biology Corner: Lab Report Rubric and Guidelines (biologycorner.com)

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