Course Format: The class meets once a week to conduct lab experiments. Class time will generally consist of:
i. Mini-Lecture and Experiment Overview
ii. Data Collection
iii. Lab Report Preparation
Grades: The weights assigned to various components of the course are shown below.
Weekly Reports 25 % (Formative)
Feedback Meetings 25% (Formative)
Individual Lab Report 50 % (Summative)
Leaving Lab Early: Students are responsible for their own learning, and for completing the assigned lab assignments, as well as reports. For some weeks, lecture and data collection activities may take the entire allotted time for the lab. Other weeks, students will have significant time available to prepare lab reports. I highly recommend taking advantage of this in-class time, rather than leaving the lab early. Staying the whole time will often allow students sufficient time to finish most or all of the lab work before leaving. Leaving early will mean more homework, and also students will be depriving themselves of the instructor’s guidance and input, which may further increase their out-of-class workload. Thus, it is not recommended; however, student attendance will only depend on participation in lectures, experimental overviews, and data collection. Other activities may be completed outside of lab time at the discretion of the student.
Grade Mapping and Ethics: The mapping between course scores and grades is given as follows.
A 100 % to 93.3 %
A- < 93.3 % to 90.0 %
B+ < 90.0 % to 86.6 %
B < 86.6 % to 83.3%
B- < 83.3% to 80.0 %
C+ < 80.0 % to 76.6 %
C < 76.6 % to 73.3 %
C- < 73.3 % to 70.0 %
D+ < 70.0 % to 66.6%
D < 66.6% to 63.3 %
D- < 63.3 % to 60.0 %
F < 60.0 % to 0.0 %
At the end of the semester, some students inevitably feel that they should be awarded a higher grade than what they have earned. For example, a student finishes the semester with an 86.5% in the course. Although this student has earned a “B” according to the above grading policy, this student feels entitled to a “B+” or even an “A-.” So, they email the instructor and ask for a higher grade. I’ve heard many reasons for these things over the years, but I think students don’t realize that instructors don’t award grades to students. They set up the rules for the course...rules which apply equally to all students. They evaluate student work according to the rules, standards, and guidelines provided, and then compute grades. Asking an instructor to change the rules just for you is asking the instructor to compromise his integrity. This is not particularly good, and does not reflect well on the student. It also doesn’t reflect well on the instructor that a student would think the instructor has so little integrity that he would be willing to compromise it for the student. These requests will be denied, so please save yourself the time, effort, and embarrassment...don’t be the person to send that email.
If you find a mistake in the grading scheme, answer key, or inconsistency with the grading policy as stated and as implemented, please bring this to the attention of the instructor. These types of things are greatly appreciated, and appropriate corrections will be made according to the specifics of the situation.
Generative AI: I am keenly aware that many tools exist to help you with your school work, especially writing. Some of these digital tools, such as Grammarly or openai.com (ChatGPT). I encourage you to make use of all the tools available to you, including these. I do, however, have a few requirements and comments. First, I have a strict transparency requirement. If you use generative AI or other writing-assisting digital tools, then you must create an appendix in your written work that includes a complete transcript of all your chat conversations that led to the writing you are submitting. This may be long, but since I don’t plan to ever print that appendix, don’t worry. The trees are safe. Nobody will mind the use of a few extra bits of memory, and the environmental impact will be negligible. It is important to keep in mind, however, that as the author of the work, you are still responsible for the final product. This may change over time, but I have found that the writing produced by these programs on engineering reports is not of sufficient quality to earn a passing grade in my course. You may use these as an aid, or as a starting point, but unless you are an expert AI trainer, I would advise against using the writing from these as the final product you submit.