North Carolina State University©2004 Labwrite Project

LabWrite main homepage

Labwrite Stage

ResourcesSpecial Features

How to use LabWrite

User Tabs

PreLAB: Getting started

Questions to answer before doing the lab:

1. What scientific concept(s) is this lab about? 2. What are the objectives for this lab? 3. What is the overall purpose of the lab? 4. What is your hypothesis for the lab experiment? 5. What reasoning did you use to arrive at your hypothesis?

InLab: Doing the lab

A guide to completing the lab and managinglab data:

1. Setting up the lab 2. Getting ready to collect data 3. Preparing a table or spreadsheet for recording your data 4. Conducting the experiment5. Visualizing the data 6. Making sense of your data

PostLAB: Writing your lab report

A step-by-step guide to

help you write each

section of your lab

report:

LabCheck: Making sure it’s right

LabCheck is made up of the LabChecklist &the Evaluation Guide:

• Use the labChecklist to check off all the items that need to be in your lab report.

• Use the Evaluation Guide to view the criteria your instructor will use to grade your lab report.

LabChecklist

Lists all the itemsthat need to be in your lab report

LabCheck Evaluation Guide

Lists the criteria your instructor will use to grade your lab report.

You can also click on the links to get help for improving your lab report.

Start with a LabWrite stage

From the main homepage, click on a stage. This will take you to a stage homepage where you can select what you need.

What you’ll see when you click a stage, for example PreLAB :

For hypothesis-driven labs, use the materials under “Standard Laboratory

Experiment.” Choose Tutor for an interactive mode to write your lab reports on-line. Choose Self-Guide for the standard website. The Handout is for printing and filling in.

For labs not driven by hypotheses, or labs you designed yourself, use the websites and handouts from this location

Using the Self-Guide Mode

• Structured so that you can use PreLab, InLab, or PostLab with any word processing program

• Has pop-up windows with definitions of important terms

• Has “more help” links that give you more information

• Takes you to resources you may need • Has “printable” versions of all materials

Self-guide: Step-by-step instruction

One question or step at a time guides you through your work.

Additional information provides support when you need it.

Self-guide: Pop-up definitions

Click on highlighted words to bring up a pop-up window with

a definition

Self-guide: More help

When you click on “MORE HELP” links, you’ll find additional information as shown below:

Self-guide: Resources

Resource links willtake you to a specific

resource you may need to accomplish a task.

You may also go to any resource from the main

homepage menu.

Self-guide: Printable versions

Click on “Printable Version” on a Self-guidePage to view and print a hardcopy of any materialsyou may need. More Help and Pop-ups are included.

Using handouts

• Handouts give you the opportunity to fill in your answers to the PreLab and InLab by hand or by copying into a word processing program.

• Handouts are located on the home pages for each stage or next to the printer icon in the self-guide pages.

Using the Tutor

• The Tutor offers an interactive interface that prompts you step by step through all the stages of labwrite.

• This is what the interface looks like:

Clicking on Tutor

• When you click on “Tutor” from any stage home page, you’ll see the window below. Type in the name you would like for your lab work and lab report and click “submit.”

Retrieving an existing file

If you have already created a lab report file, click “Browse” and find the file on your computer. Clickon the file to choose it and hit“Open.”

Retrieving an existing file

When you find your file, Tutor will list it in the “existing labwrite file”window and you’ll have to click submit. Doing so will take you to where you left off in the tutor. Notice that Tutor saves your work in “.xml” You will only be able to open Tutor files in the Tutor mode. Once done with Tutor, you can save in “MS Word” or other text program.

Working with Tutor• Once you have created or retrieved a file, you are

ready to use the Tutor. • Tutor will show a question or a phrase in the

“prompt window” to let you know what you have to do.

• You can click “MORE HELP” for additional information.

• You’ll be able to type in your answers in the “text box” and save your work.

• Tutor will keep track of your progress.

Working with Tutor• You’ll have to save your work periodically. Tutor

will remind you sometimes. Click “SAVE.” • You can view your work by clicking “VIEW.”• You can export your work to a text file by clicking

“EXPORT.”• Clicking “EXIT” will remove you from Tutor.

You may lose unsaved work.

Tutor Elements

More Help

EXIT

VIEWEXPORT

SAVE

Resources

Stage

Stage

Progress Dial

Click here and type your text...

Prompt Window

List of completedwork goeshere whenin postLab

FileName

Tutor Prompts

• Use the “step arrows” to go from one prompt to the next. In postLAB, you’ll have several prompts for each section of the lab report. Prompts are listed as 1 of 6, 2 of 6, etc.

Tutor Prompts• Click “MORE HELP” in the prompt box to get a pop-

up window with more information:

Using Resources in Tutor

Clicking a resource link, whetherfrom a prompt or from a resourcetab on the bottom of the Tutor interface, will open up a new window with theresource you need.

Viewing your work in Tutor

As you complete each labwrite stage, you’ll be able to view your workwhen you click on “VIEW.”You may also print from “VIEW” by choosing File->”print”

Viewing your lab report in Tutor

As you completesections of your labreport, you’ll be ableto view your report inprogress when you click on “VIEW.”You may also print from “VIEW” by choosing File->”print”

Saving your work in Tutor• Every time you click “SAVE,” Tutor downloads a

temporary .xml file on your computer. You will not be able to open this file, but you can save it.

You’ll see the following window. Click “Save this file to disk”and then click “OK.”

Saving your work in Tutor

• When you “save a file to disk,” you’ll be asked to select where you want to save it.

Select where you want to save it, and then click “Save.” Do notchange the file name at this point.

Saving your work in Tutor• If you had saved your file before, Tutor will ask

you if you want to replace the existing file when you try to save. The window will look like this:

Click “yes” to save the most current version of your work.do not change the file name atthis point.

Saving your work in Tutor• Once you’re done saving your file, you’ll get a

“Download complete” window that looks like the one below:

Click “Close” to finish savingyour work file. The fileis saved on your computer for usingin Tutor. You will not be able to open the file until you export it asa text document.

The “EXPORT” function

• Click on “EXPORT” on the Tutor:

Exporting your work to a text file• “EXPORT” will save your file in “rich text

format (rtf), which you can open in “MS Word.” You’ll get a window like this one:

Click “Save this file to disk” followed by “OK.”

Exporting your work to a text file

• Next, you’ll see the window below. Make sure to select where you want your file saved.

When naming your file, makesure to leave “rtf” at the endof the file name. Click “Save”when you’re done.

Exporting your work to a text file• When you are done saving your work in the

“EXPORT” function, you’ll get the following window:

You’ll now be able to click “Open” to see your work in a text format. This will be a regulartext file that you can modify andprint.

Exiting the Tutor

• Click “EXIT” to leave the Tutor. It will prompt you as follows:

Click “Yes” just to besure.

Exiting the Tutor• Next, Tutor will ask you to save your work

again. You’ll see the following window:

Click “OK” just to besure. This will saveyour work in .xml so that you may retrieveit when you need to continue working in theTutor mode.

Exiting the Tutor• You’ll have to save as you did before by

selecting where you want your file saved.

Click “Save” when you’redone. Remember not tochange the file name here.

Exiting the Tutor• When you click “Save,” it will ask you if

you want to replace the existing file. Click “Yes” to save the current version of your file.

Exiting the Tutor• When you’re done saving, you’ll get a

“download complete” window:

Click “Close” to finish savingyour work file. The fileis saved on your computerfor using in Tutor next time.

Exiting the Tutor

Once you’re done savingunder the “EXIT” function, you may safely close your browser window to finally exitthe tutor. Click File->Close or just click on the upper right hand box

Clicking on “Tutor”

• When you click on “Tutor” from any stage home page, you’ll see the window below. Type in the name you would like for your lab work and lab report and click “submit.”

Retrieving an existing file

If you have already created a lab report file, click “choose file” and find the file on your computer. Clickon the file and choose it.

Retrieving an existing file

When you find your file, Tutor will list it and you’ll have to clicksubmit. Doing so will take you to where you left off in the tutor. Notice that Tutor saves your work in “.xml” You will only be able to open Tutor files in the Tutor mode. Once done with Tutor, you can save in “MS Word” or other text program.

Working with Tutor• Once you have created or retrieved a file, you are

ready to use the Tutor. • Tutor will show a question or a phrase in the

“prompt window” to let you know what you have to do.

• You can click “MORE HELP” for additional information.

• You’ll be able to type in your answers in the “text box” and save your work.

• Tutor will keep track of your progress.

Working with Tutor• You’ll have to save your work periodically. Tutor

will remind you sometimes. Click “SAVE.” • You can view your work by clicking “VIEW.”• You can export your work to a text file by clicking

“EXPORT.”• Clicking “EXIT” will remove you from Tutor.

You may lose unsaved work.

Tutor Elements

More Help

EXIT

VIEWEXPORT

SAVE

Resources

Stage

Stage

Progress Dial

Click here and type your text...

Prompt Window

List of completedwork goeshere whenin postLab

FileName

Tutor Prompts

Use the “step arrows” to go from one prompt

to the next. In PostLab, you’ll have several

prompts for each section of the lab report.

Prompts are listed as 1 of 6, 2 of 6, etc.

Tutor Prompts

Click “MORE HELP” in the prompt box to

get a pop-up window with more information:

Using Resources in Tutor

Clicking a resource link, whetherfrom a prompt or from a resourcetab on the bottom of the Tutor interface, will open up a new window with theresource you need.

Viewing your work in Tutor

As you complete each labwrite stage, you’ll be able to view your workwhen you click on “VIEW.”You may also print from “VIEW” by choosing File->”print”

Viewing your lab report in Tutor

As you completesections of your labreport, you’ll be ableto view your report inprogress when you click on “VIEW.”You may also print from “VIEW” by choosing File->”print”

Saving your work in Tutor

• Every time you click “SAVE,” Tutor downloads a temporary .xml file on your computer. The download list will look something like this:

Files will be named with the name you chose for your labwrite work, the numberof the file, and “labwrite.xml”These files should be kept untilyou are sure that you’re donewith Tutor for a particular lab.

Exporting your work to a text file

• There are two ways you can save your work to a text file for printing and turning in:– Click on “EXPORT” to save your file in “rich

text format (rtf).– Click on “VIEW,” and hit file-> “save as.”

Name it as you’d like. It will save it as .html file, which you can open, copy, and paste into a word document.

The “EXPORT” function• Click on “EXPORT” on the Tutor:

You’ll get a file on your desktop that looks likeThis:

Replace the numerical file number with the name you want for your report. Open “MS Word” or other text program and hit file-> “open” to open it from there.

Exiting the Tutor

• Click “EXIT” to leave the Tutor. It will prompt you as follows:

Click “yes” just to besure. This will saveyour work in .xml so that you may retrieveit when you need to continue working in theTutor mode.