BIOS 413 Assignments and Grading

Experimental Molecular Biology Assignments and Grading

BIOC 413 is a CAPSTONE laboratory course. We assess your abilities to apply knowledge you've gained in other laboratory and lecture courses to the presentation and communication of a real research project.

Several of you have worked or are working in Dr. Braam's lab. Although this experience may give you an advantage in performing the experiments and/or understanding the results, you are still expected to meet our standards (see our Laboratory Learning Objectives) for keeping a laboratory notebook and preparing a scientific poster. Do not make the mistake of assuming this lab will be "easy" just because you've worked with Arabidopsis before. Remember, the challenge with molecular biology is figuring out what the results really mean, especially when those results are unexpected!

Remember, the undergraduate program is a series of steps. Keep in mind that a level of performance that would result in a B/B+ or sometimes even an A at the introductory level, does not (and should not) translate into a high grade at the advanced level. We forgive a lot of mistakes early on but you must recall the lessons learned from these mistakes when you conduct similar work at an advanced level.
Additionally, the criteria we use to evaluate your performance in an advanced laboratory course are different from those we use in an introductory course.

"Fairness" in this course means everyone is evaluated on the same criteria.
Since everyone does not have the same ability, everyone does not get the same grade; this outcome is not "unfair" but rather is simply reality.

Please read my Honor Code Policy.
A total of 200 POINTS is available in this class.

Due dates are subject to change. Do not ask for an individual extension to a due date because you have a paper due, or three exams, or you lost your disk; due dates are set so that you have plenty of time to complete your work. Don't wait until the night before to start - there is no penalty for starting early. Notebook pages are due at the END of each lab session. The final notebook pages and poster must be turned in by the specified date/time. Please read the policy concerning late assignments.

Contributions of individual assignments are as follows:
- 100 points = Scientific Poster (each member of the team receives the SAME grade)
- 50 points = Lab Notebook (graded ONCE, after the lab ends)
- 30 points = Laboratory Performance
- 20 points = Poster Knowledge and Expertise (you will be asked a question(s) about your poster individually)
The scientific poster is 50% of your final grade.
Remember, this poster is a TEAM project, and each member will receive the SAME grade.
Therefore, EACH of you is responsible for the ENTIRE poster, not just the part(s) you worked on.
Furthermore, you are expected to understand the rationale behind all of the experimental procedures and the meaning of the results.

We will use the Poster Evaluation Form to grade your poster.
Poster CONTENT accounts for 80% of your grade; poster APPEARANCE accounts for 20%.
The lab notebook is 25% of your final grade.
You learned how to keep a research quality notebook in BIOS 211 and were expected to maintain a research quality notebook in BIOS 311. The SAME is expected of you in BIOS 413; it is YOUR responsibility to review our guidelines for keeping a proper notebook. If you have any questions, please ask.

We will use the BIOC 413 Notebook Checklist to grade your lab notebook.

We intend to use the overall quality of the laboratory notebook and your specific notebook entries to evaluate your individual effort. A single team member must not, for example, act as a recordkeeper by writing in the notebook while the others carry out the work.
GRADING SCHEME:
- 95% & up = A+
- 90 - 94% = A
- 87 - 89% = A-
- 84 - 86% = B+
- 81 - 83% = B
- 78 - 80% = B-
- 75 - 77% = C+
- 72 - 74% = C
- 69 - 71% = C-
- 60 - 68% = D
- below 60% = F
- You will be graded against this absolute scale, NOT against your classmates.
- Grades posted on Esther are FINAL and cannot be changed.
COMMENTS ABOUT LABORATORY PERFORMANCE: We expect students to follow explicit instructions and to recall and apply previous training to each experimental procedure. Puncutality, safe conduct in the laboratory, and efficient completion of responsibilities will enter into the evaluation of overall performance.
- You will be assessed each week in the following areas:
  
  Preparation and familiarity with procedures (you're not expected to know how to do the procedures already, but you are expected to have read over the procedures and be familiar with the "big picture" for the day)
  Proper lab notebook (i.e., recording notes DURING experiments, NOT writing on scrap paper and copying at the end of lab or exchanging notebooks with your team at the end of lab)
  Teamwork (collaboration, division of labor, troubleshooting, and time management)
  Ability to function independently (troubleshooting and time management)
  Experimental technique
- You are expected to function both as a member of a TEAM and as an INDEPENDENT investigator.
  Follow the experimental procedures, record the results, and analyze/interpret your findings.
  
  Accomplishment of the laboratory goals requires contributions from EACH team member.
  If a team member does not carry his/her weight, focuses only on his/her own work, or is not competent in the lab please bring this matter to our attention; be honest and objective (your comments will remain confidential). A conscientious evaluation of your peers will be appreciated and will be considered when determining the laboratory performance grade.
- You do not necessarily EARN points for "experimental technique" by obtaining the expected results (i.e., performing the experiment properly); likewise, you do not necessarily LOSE points if you don't obtain the expected results. You are evaluated on HOW you get the results, not the results themselves. In other words, even if your PCR reactions or transformations do not work, you can still earn an "A" in lab performance.
  
  You will likely make mistakes, especially with a procedure that is brand new and strange--that's ok when that happens. I will help you troubleshoot so you can decide what steps to take next. Many times when I've made mistakes or something just didn't work the way it was supposed to I actually learned more and understood the procedure better than when/if it worked as expected.
  
  Sometimes experiments fail, or the results don't make sense, or your findings are at odds with published studies. Because of time constraints and limited materials you may not be able to repeat the procedure in a lab course; however, you should recognize that in a research setting you would perform the experiment again.
- EXAMPLES of how to LOSE Points (this list is NOT all-inclusive):
  
  failing to follow explicit instructions in the procedures
  showing up late
  snoozing during the pre-lab lecture
  writing on scratch paper instead of in your notebook
  staying for an extended period after you've finished the procedures to write in your notebook
  not using your time efficiently
  not working with your team
  using the WRONG reagents
  not following lab safety rules (e.g., wearing sandals or eating/drinking in the lab)
  listening to your iPOD during lecture or lab
  talking on your cell phone or the lab phone during lab
  surfing the net or attempting to check e-mail or Facebook

****Come to lab prepared and learn to work effectively as a TEAM. Focus on learning and you should do fine.****

Copyright, Acknowledgements, and Intended Use
Created by B. Beason (bbeason@rice.edu), Rice University, 16 June 2006
Updated 29 December 2011