Title: You Call That a Lab Report? This is a Lab Report! What students think and
what lecturers want.
Project Leader:
Dr Michael McEwan (Learning and Teaching Centre)
Other Collaborators:
Dr Peter Sneddon (School of Physics and Astronomy)
Prof. Bob Hill (School of Chemistry)
Dr Mary McVey (School of Life Sciences)
Dr Chris Finlay (School of Life Sciences)
Mr Scott Ramsay (Student Learning Service)
Contact:
Michael.McEwan@glasgow.ac.uk; Phone: x6244
Summary
It is recognised that the conceptions which students have of university learning, teaching and
assessment will be heavily informed by previous educational experiences (Ramsden, 1992)
and if these conceptions do not match their teachers’ then there may be a consequence for
student outcomes, and ultimately progression and retention. The potential for significant
differences between student and staff conceptions is more likely for first year undergraduate
students undertaking unfamiliar tasks early in their university careers. This project aims to
identify and understand the conceptions of first year students in physics, life sciences and
chemistry and current teaching staff have towards a particular category of assignment
frequently used to assess links between practical work and theory in the sciences: the lab
report. Students and teaching staff will be surveyed regarding their approach to planning and
writing lab reports for assessment as well as determining disciplinary notions of the academic
practices which constitute a good lab report. Accordingly, the extent of the alignment
between the teacher and student conceptions of lab report writing can be determined and
appropriate interventions can be planned.
The findings can be used to provide more effective, targeted student support for assessment
in the sciences in classrooms, in private study and through the Student Learning Service. As a
result, lab reports produced by students in the sciences are more likely to match the subject
conventions, thus enhancing the student learning experience and satisfaction, student
outcomes and university teaching. Ultimately, the findings of this project can be used to
create effective learning and teaching resources for new university students, new graduate
teaching assistants (GTAs) in the sciences as well as new academic staff enhancing the
quality of support and learning opportunities for students, whilst continuing to develop
excellent skills in teaching and supporting learning in our staff.
Aims and Outcomes
The aims of this project are:
•
•
•
To enhance the understanding of first year student and staff conceptions of lab report
production for assessment in the disciplines of physics, life sciences and chemistry;
To analyse the differences, and any potential impact of those differences, in order to
inform targeted support for physics, life sciences and chemistry students for lab report
assessments; and
To provide a lasting learning and teaching resource for students, tutors, demonstrators
and new academic staff to better communicate the conventions of academic report
writing in the abovementioned disciplines.
The potential outcomes of this project are:
•
•
•
The production of a lasting on and offline learning resources informant to students
and teachers of physics, life sciences and chemistry within the University of Glasgow
and, potentially other HEIs;
Data and findings informant to CPD courses for teaching and learning aimed at new
tutors and demonstrators (i.e. graduate teaching assistants) as well as novice
university teaching staff*; and
The potential for publication and wider dissemination and applicability through the
University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching Conference and/or relevant science
education journals such as the European Journal of Physics, the Chemistry Education:
Research and Practice journal or the European Journal of Engineering Education.
*
For the avoidance of doubt this bid does not request funds for PGR student training or
development, but instead requests funds for undergraduate student learning resources and
training and development resources for lecturers, university teachers and GTAs.
Previous Work
Previous LTDF projects have focussed on the attitudes of students towards practical work in
physics, chemistry, earth sciences and engineering (Sneddon et al, 2011) but not specifically
on the academic skills of lab report writing. This project would build on the work of Hanif et
al (2009) in physics and also Sneddon and Hill (2011) in chemistry education. Hanif et al
(2009) highlighted that a significant proportion of undergraduate physics students were
unsure what was expected of them when they were required to write up their practical work.
Moreover, the first year undergraduate students in that study were less sure when compared
to second and third year undergraduate students; however the second and third years still
reported a lack of awareness about what was expected in their written lab work.
This project would also build on the work of the Effective Learning Advisors in the Student
Learning Service (SLS) who already provide some workshops for students regarding lab
report writing. These workshops are remedial in nature, with student participants either being
proactive in seeking help developing their academic skills of being referred to attend SLS
workshops. This project would adopt a more proactive stance in providing academic skills
support for lab report writing, for use in classes or in courses at School level as well as
providing learning resources to enable teachers and GTAs to develop their approach to
teaching and supporting student writing. Finally, this project also builds on the related work
by Dr McEwan which has student and staff conceptions of essay writing as a focus with a
mind to produce effective, targeted resources aimed at supporting undergraduate students’
first attempts at essay production in Higher Education.
Student Engagement
Students will be actively involved throughout this project. The project relies on
undergraduate student input via a survey to inform the nature of teaching and learning
resources. The empowerment of undergraduate students in contributing to and shaping their
learning experience is likely to enhance the supportive environment in which they study.
Another of the key elements of this project is the involvement of GTAs from each of the
Schools of Life Sciences, Chemistry and Physics in the data collection and analysis phase of
the project. Moreover, GTA involvement in the production of learning and teaching resources
for students and for staff will help ensure relevant, valuable academic development materials
are produced.
Methodology
The project involves two distinct phases; an exploratory phase and a production phase.
Exploratory Phase
The proposed methodology draws on the teaching experience of the co-contributors in their
respective disciplines. Initially, the project contributors will develop a survey instrument
which aims to identify the aspects of lab report writing which students frequently find
challenging, and the aspects which frequently are highlighted by students through feedback,
evaluations and interactions with staff in the Student Learning Service. The survey
instrument will be developed along two parallel strands; one student facing survey and one
staff facing survey. Each will be designed to gauge the participants’ conceptions of lab report
writing, the areas of value, challenge and the academic practices which are expected in lab
report writing. The survey will also gauge some demographic information, including subject
discipline, previous experience of lab report writing and domicile. The survey will therefore
allow for a comparison of student and teacher conceptions of lab report writing, as well as
some information related to students’ conceptions and previous educational experiences. All
participants are members of the community of teaching staff and first year undergraduate
students studying courses at level 1 in the Schools of Physics, Life Sciences and Chemistry.
Once a suitable instrument has been developed, three Graduate Teaching Assistants (PGR
students) will be recruited from each of the Schools of Physics, Life Sciences and Chemistry
to act as a research assistant during the exploratory data collection and analysis phase of the
study. Each GTA will recruit participants from their own school, and collect and analyse the
data from that school in order to produce initial findings which are discipline specific.
Findings which are relevant to all disciplines will also be identified, but it is hypothesised that
different subject disciplines, hence different schools, will have distinct conceptions of lab
writing which will be uncovered. The findings from this exploratory stage will be used to
inform the development of on and offline teaching, learning and support materials which aim
to support student lab writing. This development will take place in the production phase of
the study.
Production Phase
The second phase of the proposed study involves the production of suitable teaching
materials informed by the exploratory phase of the study. Each GTA will use their findings to
create some student facing teaching and support resources aimed at improving student
performance in lab report writing, and communicating the norms of lab report writing quickly
and effectively to first year students. Importantly, the materials will be focussed to the actual
conceptual difficulties which students and staff find challenging to negotiate.
Thereafter, the Learning and Teaching Centre representative, Dr McEwan, will undertake the
development of staff facing resources which will be used as part of PGCAP and DAT
delivery, as well as being available for other CPD of school related academic development
within the sciences. These resources should ensure that staff have relevant, up to date and
targeted knowledge and resources which meet students’ needs in terms of lab report writing.
Ethical Application
Ethical approval for the survey of students and staff has not yet been sought. However, a
similar study involving essay writing as the focus is currently being undertaken in the Adam
Smith Business School, so ethical approval is expected to be granted.
Sustainability & Transferability
This project should inform student facing resources for sustainable use in School level
teaching or assessment support for the three disciplines outlined above. Additionally, the
outputs can form part of the curriculum of the professional development programme for
GTAs: Developing as a Teacher, administered by the Learning and Teaching Centre and can
be further utilised by colleagues developing new academic staff as part of the Postgraduate
Certificate in Academic Practice. Although the initial scope of the study is limited to student
and staff in the three traditional sciences of chemistry, physics and biology, there is clear
applicability to subjects which frequently adopt technical report writing as a form of
communication and assessment. The disciplines of psychology, mathematics, statistics,
computer science, earth science and engineering could all draw from the learning and
teaching resources which are produced, as well as the data and analyses which could prove
informant to their own planned interventions and production of tailored materials for student
and staff development.
There are multiple routes for disseminating the project findings and outcomes. The main
internal dissemination routes will be through the production of learning resources for students
and teaching resources for Schools, the Student Learning Service and for the Learning and
Teaching Centre’s CPD programmes (PGCAP, DAT, etc.). Additional routes for external
dissemination include presentation at the University of Glasgow Learning and Teaching
Conference and the preparation and publication of articles in relevant science education
journals such as the European Journal of Physics, the Chemistry Education: Research and
Practice journal or the European Journal of Engineering Education.
Evaluation
Although difficult to evaluate, ultimately student attainment in lab report assessments would
form a relatively easy way to gauge the impact on student learning. Student feedback can be
gathered which compares student conceptions of a lab report early on in their university
careers with a second collection occurring after some intervention has taken place. Student
feedback can also be gathered on the effectiveness and value of the materials produced, and
staff feedback can be sought in the same regard. Evaluation questions such as the level of
comprehension of ‘what was expected of you’ in lab report writing would be useful in
evaluating the study and its outputs as well as evaluation questions which address the
graduate attribute of effective communication and ‘how supported did you feel in preparation
of your lab report’.
Budget
Project coordination and leadership will be undertaken by Dr McEwan as part of his normal
duties. Accordingly, funds are requested mainly for the GTA staff costs and other associated
project costs. Funding is not requested to buy out any full time University of Glasgow staff
time.
Description
3 x GTAs (6 months @ 3 hours per week)
Consumables (paper, ink, etc for GTAs)
Dissemination and resource production costs
Cost
£3812
£250
£500
Timetables and Milestones
Approximate Date
Description
2014: September to November
Development of survey instruments, ethical approval
sought; recruit GTAs, identify research sample groups.
Survey of participants and systematic review of
literature around lab report and scientific writing.
Data analysis.
Initial production of report and development of student
resources, potential for presentation of initial findings at
the Learning and Teaching Conference.
Continuing development of student resources,
development of teacher facing developmental resources
(i.e. CPD workshops, etc.).
Submission of LTDF report.
Ongoing evaluation of resources will be undertaken,
draft articles prepared for submission to higher
education journals
2014: November to December
2015: January to February
2015: February to April
2015: May to July
2015: August
Ongoing
Milestone 1 November 2014: achieve ethical approval, appointment of GTAs.
Milestone 2 December 2014: data collection completed by end of 2014.
Milestone 3 February 2015: data analysis complete by end of February 2015.
Milestone 4 December 2015: project completed and evaluated December 2015.
Approval
Should this application be successful and granted funding, I give consent for this application
to be published on the Learning and Teaching Centre website.
Michael P McEwan
Initial Indicative References:
Ramsden, P. (1992). Learning to teach in higher education. London: Routledge.
Hanif, M., Sneddon, P.H., Al-Ahmad, F.M., and Reid, N. (2009). The perceptions, views and
opinions of university students about physics learning during undergraduate laboratory
work. European Journal of Physics, 30 (1). pp. 85-96.
Sneddon, P.H., Curry, G., Davies, J. & Hill, R.A. (2011). Attitudes of College of Science and
Engineering students to practical work at school. Poster presented at University of Glasgow
Learning and Teaching Conference, 21st April 2011, Glasgow.
Sneddon, P.H., and Hill, R.A. (2011). Perceptions, views and opinions of university students
about chemistry learning during practical work at school. Chemistry Education: Research
and Practice, 12 (3). pp. 312-321.