Email Memorandum – Progress Report
To: Dr. Erika Paterson, ENGL 301 Instructor
From: Kashish Garg, ENGL 301 Student
Date: February 28, 2022
Subject: 301 Progress Report: Feasibility Analysis of Transitioning Biology Lab Courses to an Ungraded Approach at UBC
I have posted the formal report outline on my team forum Team 5 as per lesson 2:3. Please find the progress report of my formal report below.
Intended Audience
Meigan Aronson, Dean of the Faculty of Science at UBC
Purpose and Significance of Report
The purpose of this report is to determine the feasibility of transitioning biology lab courses at UBC to an ungraded approach, and to recommend a course of action to the Dean of the Faculty of Science.
This investigation and resulting recommendations are important for providing the learning approach that is best suited for biology lab courses at UBC. This will improve the quality of education in the biology program and Faculty of Science at UBC.
Report Objectives
The objectives of this report are to:
- Identify instructor and student opinions on biology lab courses with an ungraded approach
- Confirm the feasibility of transitioning biology lab courses at UBC to an ungraded approach
- Provide recommendations on which learning approach is best suited for biology lab courses at UBC
Methods
Primary data collection via an online survey targeted to Dr. Celeste Leander, a UBC professor that teaches BIOL 342, a biology lab course that follows an ungraded approach. Attached is the link to the survey questions being used for this report: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0TlteGplZLEHlfE
Primary data will also be collected via an online survey targeted to current and past students of BIOL 342, via Facebook group “Biol 342, 2021.”. Attached is the link to the survey questions being used to gather data for this report: https://ubc.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_7QYo4inMsSFqVWS
Secondary sources will include peer-reviewed research that discusses the benefits and drawbacks of both the graded and ungraded approaches to learning.
Formal Report Outline
Attached is the link to the outline for the formal report: https://blogs.ubc.ca/engl301-99c-2021wc/2022/02/28/formal-report-outline-3/
Research Plan
In order to analyze feasibility and provide effective recommendations, I plan to:
- Identify the extent of the problem: Secondary research on the drawbacks of a graded approach
- Identify primary data sources: UBC biology lab instructor and students
- Compose surveys targeted to primary data sources with an ethical introduction: See methods section for survey questions
- Conduct surveys with primary data sources: Dr. Celeste Leander and students in the “Biol 342, 2021” Facebook group
- Perform secondary research with peer-reviewed articles discussing the benefits and drawbacks of the graded and ungraded learning approaches
- Analyze primary data from surveys
- Produce visuals based on survey data
- Evaluate primary and secondary research to recommend the best-suited learning approach for biology lab courses at UBC
Writing Schedule
Attached is my writing schedule for the coming weeks: 301 Kashish Garg Writing Schedule
Thank you for taking the time for your review and professional feedback that will allow for improvement on this formal report.
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