Grading

Final Grade Calculation

A student's final grade in 7.02 / 10.702 is determined based on his/her performance in three areas:
exams; laboratory work; and SciComm. (See below for more details on grading in each area.)
These areas contribute to the final grade as follows:

ACTIVITIES PERCENTAGES

Exams (One per Module) 50%

Laboratory Performance (Four

25%
Modules)

Scientific Communication 25%

Exams
7.02 / 10.702 exams are one hour, are held during lecture time, and cover material from both lecture
and laboratory. If for any reason you cannot make it to an exam, you must notify instructors.
Many students perform below their potential on their first exam. Often this is because the students fail to
prepare effectively for the type of exam that is given in this course. Exams in 7.02 / 10.702 are not
generally recall (memorizing) type exams - though there will likely be at least one "recall" question on
each exam. Rather, our exam questions are designed to make you think about what you've learned in
lecture and laboratory, and to apply it to a new situation. For example, we may ask you to analyze a set
of data and formulate a model, or ask you to figure out how a change in the protocol might affect your
results. If you have to do calculations in a particular module, there is a great chance that you will have to
perform similar calculation on that module's exam.
More information about studying for the exams as well as an example set of exam study questions can
be found in the exams section.
Laboratory Performance
Your laboratory performance score will be assessed based on your written record of experimental
procedures (laboratory notebook) (55%) and your in-lab skill (45%).
Information about the laboratory notebook score and in-lab skill score is provided in the labs section.
SciComm
Your score in SciComm is determined by adding up your "in-class," "out-of-class," and "long term
project" scores as follows:

In-class score: up to 20 points

Out-of-class scores: up to 30 points
Long Term Project score: up to 50 points
Thus, the maximum number of points a student can obtain in SciComm is 100 points (or a 100%
SciComm average). For more details about the "in-class" and "out-of-class" writing assignments and the
"long term project", see the 7.02CI OCW Web site.
Course Policies
Attendance Policy
As noted in the course description, learning in 7.02 / 10.702 is very "hands on" - whether it is completing
experiments in the teaching lab or working on in-class writing exercises in SciComm. Thus, most of the
experiences cannot be replicated outside of the lab/classroom setting. For this reason, attendance at
all laboratory, recitation, and SciComm sections is required.
Occasionally, an extraordinary circumstance may arise (illness, family emergency) that requires you to
miss laboratory or SciComm. If you know that you will need to miss lab, you must contact the laboratory
instructors and your laboratory partner. If you are going to miss your SciComm section meeting, you
must contact your SciComm instructor. Absences from laboratory or SciComm will only be excused with
a note from the Counseling Dean's Office. Additionally, students that need to miss laboratory/SciComm
for religious reasons will be accommodated, per MIT policy.
Students who miss laboratory without an excused absence will receive zero points for that day's
laboratory notebook entry and technique section. Students that miss SciComm will have points
deducted from their "in-class" work score.
Note to Intercollegiate Athletes
The majority of laboratory exercises in 7.02 / 10.702 can be completed by 5 PM provided that you are
organized and work efficiently in lab. There are a few days during the term, though, that are historically
"long." Please let one of the laboratory instructors know if you are an intercollegiate athlete so we can
help you get to practice on time!

Policy on Making up Missed Laboratory/SciComm Time

There are no "makeup" laboratory days in 7.02 / 10.702, so there is usually no opportunity to make up a
missed experiment. If you have an excused absence from laboratory, you are still responsible for
completing laboratory notebook entries for days that you missed by the next laboratory period. This
includes getting data and observations from your laboratory partner, obtaining interpretation questions
from the course Web site, and obtaining any lecture/recitation notes from a classmate.
Students that miss SciComm must attend another meeting of the same topic (e.g. Introductions) with
permission of their instructor.

Policy on Late Work

Students are responsible for completing their "prelab" notebook entry by 1:05 PM each lab day (that is,
prior to the start of recitation or lab). Students may complete the data/observations and interpretations
sections of their notebook at home, but these must be turned in by 1:05 PM on the next lab day. Late
notebook entries will receive zero points.
SciComm assignments will be due almost every week of the semester, though you will only meet with
your SciComm instructor every other week. The SciComm instructors will provide information on their
late work policies at the first SciComm section meetings.

Academic Honesty and Use of Materials from Previous Terms

Students in 7.02 / 10.702 are expected to complete their own work, including (but not limited to)
laboratory notebook entries, SciComm assignments, and exams. Discussion of data with laboratory
partners and colleagues is permitted - as would be done in a research laboratory - but each student
should write their own interpretations of the day's work and answer his/her own interpretation questions.
7.02 / 10.702 exams are closed book/closed notes. Students caught with unauthorized material at the
exam, providing unauthorized assistance, or receiving unauthorized assistance will receive a zero on
the exam. Students requesting an exam regrade must do so within one week of when the exam was
returned, and the exam must be accompanied by a completed "regrade request form" (available online).
We will also photocopy exams before returning them.
Old laboratory notebook entries (from previous semesters) are not to be used as aids in writing up
notebook entries. In many instances, the material changes from semester to semester, and thus it is
often obvious to your TA that you have copied from someone else's work. Students who are found to
have copied from a previous semester's notebook (or from their laboratory partner) will receive no credit
for that assignment.
Students who behave in an academically dishonest manner will be penalized in 7.02 / 10.702 and may
be referred to the Institute's Committee on Discipline. If you have any questions about what is
considered acceptable collaboration, please speak to one of the Instructors.