Programme

Undergraduate Foundation Programme: Life Sciences pathway

Module

UFPL3: Skills for Science - Life Sciences

Assessment title

Skills for Science - Lab Assessment 1 – Planning

Chemistry-based

Deadline date

To be confirmed by your tutor

Weighting

This assessment counts for 40% of your overall grade for this module

Pass mark

40%

*please note your University may require a higher grade for progression.

Assignment summary

Throughout the Skills for Science module, you will learn key skills and techniques that support your studies on the Life Sciences pathway. In this assignment, you will complete sections of a lab report to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of laboratory report writing.

Submission of work

Submission of work via Turnitin Assignment.

Feedback

http://www.turnitinuk.com

Feedback will also be communicated back to you via your tutor. They will confirm the timescale in which you will receive your feedback.

Word count

2,000 words

File type

Word Processed/PDF – you may also wish to include images or screenshots of hand-drawn diagrams, graphs and calculations, however these can also be produced digitally

Font

12 pitch font – Arial or Times New Roman

Format

Double spaced and justified

Referencing

Harvard system (or any other scientific referencing format)

Notes

Your assignment must include page numbers and word count.

You will receive a 10% penalty for this assessment if you go over the word count by more than 10%. If your assignment is significantly under the word count, you may not have answered the question in full. This will be reflected in your overall mark and feedback given by your tutor.

The word count does not include contents, diagrams, graphs, calculations or end of text references or appendices.

Module learning outcomes:

On successful completion of this assessment, you will have met criteria towards the following module learning outcomes:

Knowledge based outcomes:

LO1. Demonstrate and describe ethical, safe and skilful practical techniques, selecting appropriate methods for an investigation.

LO2. Interpret and analyse the importance of reliable results in experimental investigations.

LO3. Evaluate the impact of scientific methodologies, making suitable recommendations for future work.

Skills based outcomes:

· Analytical and problem solving

· Carrying out experimental work in a safe, reliable and efficient manner

· Expanding the range of scientific skills and techniques, both quantitative and qualitative

· Time management, planning and organisational skills

· Ability to work competently both collaboratively and independently

· Being aware of own strengths and weaknesses and to understand when support is needed

Assessment criteria:

In order to successfully complete this assessment and meet criteria towards the above learning outcomes, you must satisfy the following criteria:

AC1.1 Recognise the importance of safe working practice within a laboratory environment

AC1.2 Explain how to identify potential risks and hazards to an investigation and the environment

AC1.3 Demonstrate an analysis of safe equipment use and safe methodology procedures of an investigation

AC2.1 Demonstrate ability to identify uncertainties in measurements and select appropriate techniques to perform. error calculations

AC2.2 Interpret the reliability of results and analyse how potential sources of error, uncertainties, and anomalies impact findings

AC3.1 Critique experimental design and processes within a given experiment

AC3.2 Offer suitable recommendations and improvements that can be implemented in future experimental work

Assignment instructions:

You are required to produce the Planning sections of a lab report to demonstrate your knowledge and understanding of effective laboratory writing skills. In the assignment, you will be provided with an aim and will then need to follow the prompts provided and complete the sections as instructed. The final piece of work should be maximum 2,000 words and submitted on Turnitin.

If you need to draw graphs, diagrams or write calculations, these can either be done digitally using Excel/appropriate software, or by hand and included as a screenshot or image as part of your electronic submission.

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Lab Assessment 1 – General instructions for planning all lab reports.

You have been provided with an Aim, Results graph, Discussion and Conclusion sections of a Lab report. In Section 1 (Comprehension Questions), you must answer questions based on the information provided. You must then complete the rest of the sections to complete the rest of the Lab report, as you have been taught to do in Skills for Sciences classes. Finally, in Section 5, you are to observe an extension experiment and answer questions related to the introduction, method and safety sections of the investigation.

The questions and instructions for each of the tasks can be found in Appendix A.

Please ensure you create your lab assessment in a separate document.

Do not write it directly on the instructions sheet.

SECTION 1 - Comprehension Questions

Read the information provided in the Discussion and Conclusion sections to answer the questions. Use your own words to answer or paraphrase the information. This will only take 1 or 2 short sentences.

SECTION 2 – Introduction:

Using the aim and the results, you must create an Introduction section.

The Introduction should include:

· The main scientific background related to the aim of the investigation. This should include any equations or scientific laws that will need to be used.

· A brief history of the theory, scientist or law that is related to the topic of the investigation.

· Suitable resources to demonstrate the research you have completed which should be referenced correctly in the Reference section (Section 6).

· Hypothesis: State the expected result or prediction of the experiment. This may be a theoretical value or a theory.

SECTION 3 - Method and Safety:

Using the information provided by the aim and the results sections, create a method section.

The method section should include:

· A list of apparatus: Identify the equipment and materials required to perform. the investigation along with the reason it is appropriate to use, the units and the precision (number of decimal places) it is measured to. Remember that half of the smallest unit.

· Procedure: Explain how to conduct the experiment, using the correct format for writing a method in impersonal, past tense.

· A Diagram: Draw a suitable schematic diagram of how the equipment should be set up, including labels. This must be your own creation and not images from online.

· Variables section: Identify all variables and their units in the investigation. Explain how the control variables are controlled and what happens to the results if they are not controlled. A table is a good way to approach this.

The Safety section must include:

· A full risk assessment demonstrating all of the risks & hazards and how to safely deal with each of them. A table is a good way to approach this.

· General safety rules in a lab.

SECTION 4 – Results Table and calculations:

Using the aim and the graph given, construct a suitable results table (without data) for the results to be collected in. This should include:

· A results table with correct headings and columns.

· Calculation section: List the examples of the calculations that will need to be used in this lab experiment or in the table.

SECTION 5 – Observe and Plan:

You have been provided with a link to an investigation to read or to watch a video of an experiment. Using the information provided, answer the questions to plan the first sections of a lab report. This includes explaining the context of the introduction of the lab and creating a method or safety section.

SECTION 6 - References:

Your reference section shows all the resources used to construct the Introduction section. You may use Harvard referencing or any other suitable scientific referencing format.

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