|
Laboratory
Grading Policies in MCB 229, "Fundamentals of Microbiology"
MCB 229. Spring 2000. Univ. of Conn.
Professor Thomas M. Terry
Last revised: Friday, April 28, 2000
|
Item
|
%
|
Description
|
|
Weekly
Quizzes
|
30%
|
Each
lab period (except the first and the last) will begin with a short quiz,
including questions on the previous week’s lab and on the lab you are
about to begin. Lowest of 11 quiz grades will be automatically dropped. If you
are late or otherwise miss a quiz, that will be the grade dropped.
|
|
Final
Quiz
|
10%
|
The
last lab period will begin with a quiz that reviews major procedures learned
throughout the semester, including such questions as how to obtain and store
pure cultures, and the ability to demonstrate good culture isolation by streak
plating.
|
|
Short
lab reports
|
40%
|
With
a few exceptions noted below, you should hand in a short report the period
after completing each lab, using the report sheets at the end of each exercise.
Each report should include a short (1-2 sentence) description in your own words
of the focus of the lab, data that you recorded, and brief interpretation of
the data and of any anomalies.
|
|
Major
lab reports
|
15%
(5%
each)
|
Included
in the variety of exercises you will carry out this semester are three projects
that involve substantial opportunity for data collection and analysis. Reports
for these 3 projects should be submitted in standard scientific format,
including: Introduction, Materials and Methods, Results, Discussion, and
Conclusions. The 3 reports are:
(1) Identification of Unknown Bacteria
(2) Control of Microbial Growth
(3) Scavenger Hunt
(Note: a fourth report on "Water and Food Testing" was eliminated from this reporting format after student requests)
|
|
Safety
Behaviors
|
5%
|
Observing
safe behaviors is especially important in microbiology laboratories, including
decontamination of benches before and after lab, hand washing after labs,
developing good aseptic technique, and proper microscope cleaning, use, and
storage.
|
.
During
each exercise, you should record data and answer questions in the spaces
provided in your lab exercise. Always report what you observed, not what you
think you should have observed, and always provide explanation for any
anomalous data you observed. You may need to complete this work after the lab
period. Review this material before the next week's lab to help prepare for the
weekly quiz. Also read the upcoming exercises; the weekly quiz will include 1-2
questions on these exercises.
Reports
are due at the beginning of the lab period, and are considered late if handed
in any time after the quiz is collected. If reports are turned in late, there
is an automatic 2 point penalty (out of 10 possible points). Late reports must
be handed
in
person
to one of the following people by 4 p.m. on Friday of the week due to receive
credit. After that time, late reports will not be graded and receive automatic
zero grades.
•
Professor Terry
•
Rene Bruce (secretary in TLS 265)
•
Debbie Hanna (microbiology lab coordinator in TLS 211)
•
One of your lab TAs (see course Web page for office locations)
Reports
that are left in a mailbox, under a door, etc. are not accepted. Late reports
must be handed to a live person, who will note the date and time received.
You
should attend the lab section for which you are registered. Most sections of this course are filled to capacity, and lab sections are as crowded as we can handle. If you must miss a lab
for a valid reason, ask Prof. Terry as soon as possible if there are any spaces
available in other labs that week. If possible, the instructor will issue you a
lab pass to attend a different lab. However, this depends on the availability
of a vacant seat, which may not be possible if sections are filled to capacity.
No student may attend a different lab without a pass from the instructor. Note
that even if you miss a lab, you are still responsible for the material; it
will show up on the quiz for the next week.
A Caution about Plagiarism
Plagiarism
is defined as the submitting of another individual's work as your own, and is
not allowed. Even though you will be often be working together with a lab
partner and collecting data together, you must answer questions on the report
handouts in your own words. If two (or more) students hand in identically
worded materials, it will be assumed that plagiarism has occurred, and a grade
of zero will be given for all such work, pending review of circumstances by the
TA and course instructor. Any repetition of plagiarism will raise the
possibility of more stringent disciplinary action. Consult the UConn Student
Conduct Code for further details on academic honesty, and possible sanctions
for violation.
|
|
