Torturing Our Students: Can We Teach Lab Reports Better?
Tested Studies in Laboratory Teaching, 2016, Volume 37
Randi Mewhort, Christina Elliott, & Kathy Davies
Abstract
We have attempted to improve student skills and comfort with scientific communication by
practicing writing in one first and one second year course. We have developed scaffolding strategies
within and between these courses to help our students learn the format and content of a scientific paper.
Our assignments in first year give students the opportunity to practice individual sections of a paper with
a focus on citing and academic integrity. In our second year lab, we use group work to accomplish a
bigger project focusing on hypothesis formation and data analysis. Qualitatively, student feedback has
improved since implementing these strategies.
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