After
conducting this practical, we found that there are a lot of advantages of using
data logging device over the manual data collecting method. The most
significant advantage is measurement is always taken at the right time. Unlike
human, the device will not miss to take a reading and data logger can collect
data more often even at every second in which humans normally cannot.
Besides
that, all the usual mistakes made by human while taking the measurement can be
avoid when using this application. For
example humans can make errors when they read the temperature of a thermometer
and the result is always not very accurate. But, by using data logger all the
possible error made by human can be eliminate and it can make measurements with
greater accuracy. Not only that, graphs
and tables of results also can be produced automatically by the data logging
software since the data is available straight away to be analyzed by the
computer. In that case, it allows data to be shared easily among students and
allow the data to be analyzed much more easily than data collected by hand.
Furthermore, it frees our mind from difficulties in manual graph drawing.
Moreover, data logger can store and collect
data independently and save data in memory, therefore a person does not need to
go and collect it. With this advantage, in the real practical class situation
students will have more time to relate practical to theory while the
measurement is recorded by the data logger. With this, the data logging
software can give rise to much discussion, asking question, writing-up the
experiment and so on. Also, because of the time saving factor when using data
logging equipment, students will have opportunities to re-doing the experiment
to get better results and also gives students the opportunity to quickly try
out ideas with different data.
However,
for a new user like us more practical need to be conducted because before a
data logging system can be used we need to consider a few things including what
we want to measure, what type of sensors we will use for our measuring, what
range we will need our sensors to take measurements, where we will position the
sensors and over how long the measurements will take place (the period of
logging). Without proper training we might encounter problem when dealing with
this device. For example, the device might not operate as what we want and we
might take longer time to set up the equipment.
Despite
all the advantages, data logger is very sensitive toward the surrounding
condition. Therefore, it is important to take into account all the outside
parameters that may affect the result of the experiments. In addition, teacher
must be prepared to encourage their students to talk about what they are doing
and findings because while waiting for the device to take the reading, students
might spend their time talking about other things.
As
conclusion, if data logging is to be successfully introduced into school
laboratories then teachers must look carefully at their teaching methods and be
prepared because the effect might turn the other way round.
0 kind-hearted people