5. Discussion Notes by Secrefary N o r r i s
Bacon (Union College) : We use a notebook method which is very convenient, by which each student leaves a carbon copy of his notebook record each period when he leaves the laboratory. These are filed and constitute an immediate record of the student's daily progress. Ullmann (Lehigh University): In my opinion i t is essential that notebooks be indexed and supplied with cross references to facilitate finding material when one wishes to look for it. Coburn (Hercules Powdet. Co.): The necessity of using several notebooks when several projects are in course has been mentioned. I find it just as convenient to use a single book, drawing a heavy line between the records of different projects as they are entered, and noting the page numbers on which they are continued. This indicates the continuity of the work without breaking the chronological sequence. Miss Patfen (Medford High School) : I should like to ask how one is to prevent students cheating and stealing records if notebooks are allowed to be taken from the laboratory. This is often a great problem in the high school. Mattern (McKinley High School, Washington): It is my idea that the problem of a laboratory notebook is to get something into the student's head, and for this purpose a quiz a t the student's desk is most important. One must impress the student with the fact that honesty in his records is one of the most valuable results to be obtained from his work. Newel1 (Boston University) : One should start the student out with the idea that the notebook is a record of facts. After proper appreciation of this is reached there will be no incentive for cheating on the part of those who are fundamentally honest by nature. If they are not it is difficultto say what can be done about it. Furthermore, if one realizes the tremendous amount of work which is required of the high-school student, how rushed he is in all of his classes, and what great temptations there are to find short-cuts, it is a wonder that so many of them actually do their own work honestly. Hendricks (University of Nebraska) : I should like to say a word in defense of the student. We require him to be honest, but on the other hand, are we really honest with him? We make strict requirements concerning his notebook and tell him that it is highly important, but after all, do we really read it? And if we do, how much actual credit do we give it? Stillwell (University of Illinois) : The value of the notebook must, of coul;se, be impressed upon the student, and one way to do this is to have hour quizzes in which the notebook can be actually used. In order
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to do this the notebook must be readable and understandable. This method eliminates the tedious grading of notebooks and puts the emphasis upon the student's ability to reproduce what he has done. Day (Ohio State) : We need a clarification of objectives in laboratory work. Among these, certainly from the standpoint of the program in an Arts College, is an appreciation of the scientific method. We need to develop the powers of observation and the ability to draw conclusious. To this must be added a certain amount of training in actual technic. I think it is not sufficiently realized that training in the physical sciences is important in maintaining the democratic nature of our society. For here we meet upon a common field, with a common end, in such a way as to level class distinctions. Something has been said concerning the writing of reports. This element in a student's laboratory work should come later in his course, say in the senior year, rather than in the first year. We have no time here to devote to the work of English composition. No one can possibly be a scientist unless he can be exact in his statements. This point should be emphasized in elementary notebooks; the book form is immaterial. We cannot treat a report as an English composition. Nelson (Purdue University): Is it advisable that graduate students in college sign, date, and witness their notebooks as has been mentioned as essential in industrial laboratories? Baker (College of the City of New York) (Answer) : I think i t is not too much to expect that a graduate student should have the date, the title of his work, and his signature on each page of his notebook. After all, each student should be able to say, "This is a record of what I did on that day." Once he gets this habit i t will be valuable to him subsequently. The General Electric Company, for example, never criticizes its workers for including too much in their notes. Even casual observations such as the stopping and starting of machinery or conversations with colleagues or visitors are oftentimes found in their notebooks. Furthermore, it is not too much to expect that a student should be able to write a report showing that be appreciates the bearing and meaning of the experiments he is doing. Unfortunately this capacity is not always developed. Day (Ohio State) : What a student may be expected to do in this direction seems to me to depend upon the type of student. We admittedly use two different types of procedure for two different types of students. Zachlin (Willard Storage Battery Co.): Emphasis has been placed on two types of records, the "daily log" versus the regular report. But it seems to me the time to require a comprehensive and explanatory report
is when a piece of work has been brought to final completion and this cannot he specified in terms of days or weeks. (Dept. of Agriculture): I should like to know if instruction is actually being given in keeping records and making reports. It is easy enough to tell what is wrong but is anything being done to show how to do i t right? Evans (Ohio State): At the Denver meeting we passed out some mimeographed material showing the results of cooperation between the departments of chemistry and English. The latter was invited to cooperate in reading reports on lectures in a course that we give on The Nature of Matter. In this case the English department did actually give instruction by working out a "style sheet" in some detail, showing how such reports can best be written. These reports were accepted as term papers in chemistry and also for credit as English themes. Such suggested forms as were given do not take away individual originality but serve as a guide in instrnction. Naucll (Boston University) : There have been cases of cooperation with other departments than English. I
know of cases where the departments of history and social sciences have been brought into consultation in connection with chemistry courses as, for instance, in the history of chemistry. These departments can contribute something in the way of content, just as the English departments can in form. Evans (Ohio State) : The English Teacher's Association in our State asked that the material which I have just mentioned he presented before one of their meetings and considerable interest was shown. Day (Ohio State): In connection with this same project, I might say that the students were referred to the JOURNAI. OF CHEMICAL EDUCATION to find forms for reports, etc. Gordon (Johns Hopkins) : It seems to me that one of the principal reasons for poor notes and reports is the fact that students do not know what they are going to do and why. They have no clear objective in view when they start experiments and consequently i t is not surprising that their records are confused. The research worker, on the other hand, generally has his objectives clearly in mind and is consequently able to make a more intelligible record of his results.
