Open a Microsoft Word document to keep a live journal of your experimental procedures and your results. Include all deliverables, (data, graphs, analysis, outcome). Write a 'mini-reflection' immediately after finishing each investigation, experiment or activity, while the logic is fresh in your mind.
What 'Deliverables' mean in a physics lab report
In a physics lab course, deliverables are the specific items you must submit to demonstrate what you did, what you measured, and what you learned. They are the products of the lab activity.
Grading scheme for all labs:
25% for completion
In order to receive full
credit, you have to complete the entire lab and answer all parts.
Use full sentences explaining your results, show your work, insert and properly label tables
and plots, proofread, and use correct units. Make comments if you are
stuck or if your results seem to have errors. Mention what could have
caused these errors in your results and how the results could be improved. The journal
will help
you think about the material.
25% for accuracy
You do have to put effort into
these labs. This is a 4 credit-hour course with lab, so, just like for
in-person labs, you have to set aside time to work on the labs.
50% for the mini reflections and a short summary
reflection at the end of your journal, i.e. a
personal account of your experience with the lab. It should be written
in the first person. You can format it as a report to a friend or
acquaintance.
You should reflect on the material and mention how well you understood
it.
Did you understand what you were doing during an exercise or activity, or did
you just follow instructions?
Do your results make sense to you, or do you expect them to be wrong? Why?
Do you have suggestions on how to improve the exercise or activities so students
can learn more from them?
...
Some of the phrases you may want to use are:
The most important thing was...
I learned that...
At the time I felt...
This was likely due to...
After thinking about it...
Later I realized...
This was because...
This was like...
I wonder what would happen if...
I'm still unsure about...
...