Purpose
- The lab marking policy should encourage students to be:
- safe,
- careful,
- efficient, and
- independent
when working in the lab.
- The marking scheme should encourage students to seek help when necessary.
- Students should not be penalized for factors beyond their control.
Marking Scheme
- Ten percent (10%) will be deducted from the lab mark for each student-initiated request for assistance that that the instructor decides meets one of the criteria described below.
- To encourage timely completion of lab work, a student may request assistance three (3) times per lab session without penalty.
- Marks will not be deducted if the instructor volunteers the assistance.
Deductions
Marks will be deducted for errors due to carelessness such as:
- misreading documentation (lab procedures, specifications, data sheets, …) resulting in:
- skipping steps,
- incorrect component orientation, pin numbers, supply voltage, logic levels, …,
- selecting incorrect components or component values,
- wiring errors,
- incorrect use of test equipment (x10 probe correction, trigger source or level, voltage or sweep rate, AC coupling, H/V position, …), or
- calculation errors.
Marks will be deducted if a student asks the instructor for help before isolating the cause of a problem. The student should first check all of the following, preferably with an oscilloscope:
- Power supply and ground voltages at IC terminals.
- Clock or oscillator input frequency and level.
- Input and output signals of each accessible stage in order from input to output.
In each case the student should have compared the measured and expected values.
Exceptions
Marks will not be deducted if the problem is caused by:
| Cause of Problem | Action Taken |
| missing, ambiguous or incorrect documentation | documentation will be supplied, corrected or replaced |
| faulty lab equipment | equipment will be removed from service |
| faulty component | component will be discarded |
Leave a Reply