Pitcha Sudjaritjuntorn

Professor Clark

English 21007-B

15 October 2018

 

Self-Reflection on Lab Report

            The purpose of this assignment was to write a technical lab report on an experiment of whether bananas would be preserved better in the refrigerator or in the freezer in comparison to the degradation rate under room temperature. From doing this assignment, I learned that bananas react to different temperatures and that there are several factors that can affect the accuracy of the results such as the refrigerator and freezer door being opened many times. The format of a lab report was difficult to write in because this was my first time writing one. Firstly, the report was supposed to be in a passive voice which meant that I was not able to use “I” or “my” since I had to make the experiment seem applicable to everyone. Secondly, the report followed APA format which was something I am unfamiliar with because I have been using MLA format in my previous writing classes. However, this assignment did help me become more familiar with using the APA format. Thirdly, this lab report was difficult to write because I tend to be very wordy in my writing and it was difficult to make my report sound less complex.

Although there were several components of the lab report that made it challenging for me to write, however, this experience of writing a lab report have also helped me achieve some of the course learning outcomes. I was able to enhance strategies for reading, drafting, revising, editing, and self-assessment since I peer-reviewed another classmate’s report. I also received comments and suggestions from my professor and my peer reviewer on what to fix in my report. I was able to formulate and articulate a stance, which was my hypothesis throughout my report. I used the Internet to locate sources such as the history and statistics of bananas; the sources helped me understand the topic of my report such as finding out that bananas do not do well in cold climates. Lastly, I was able to strengthen my sources by integrating it in my introduction and discussion to support my interpretation of the results. In conclusion, I applied my previous knowledge of lab reports based on the lab report analysis and the findings of my banana experiment to write a final lab report.