Lab Answer Keys¶
Instructor material — and not secret
This section is written for instructors, teaching assistants, and self-study reference. It contains numerical solutions and model answers for the lab programme.
These are published in a public repository. Nothing here is secure, and no assessment should depend on students not finding them. Each lab page tells students to attempt the work first and mark it against the self-check criteria before reading the key.
What is in this section¶
| Answer key | Covers | Contents |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner labs answer key | Labs 01–06 | Model artefacts, marking notes, common errors |
| Intermediate labs answer key | Labs 07–15 | Full arithmetic for every calculation, plus model structures |
| Advanced labs answer key | Labs 16–25 | Full arithmetic, option evaluations, model recommendations |
How to use these keys¶
For self-study. Do the lab, run the self-check criteria, write down what you are unsure about, and only then read the key. The most valuable part of the key is usually not the number — it is the stated assumption behind it, and the places where a different assumption gives a different, equally valid answer.
For teaching. The keys give you worked solutions, the assumptions each solution depends on, and marking notes. Three cautions:
- Judgement labs have model answers, not correct answers. Stakeholder classifications, working agreements, and recovery recommendations admit several defensible positions. The key states the reasoning that must be present, not a single right answer.
- Every figure is invented. The scenarios and numbers in the labs are constructed for teaching; they are not records of real projects, and they must not be presented as such.
- Write your own variants for graded work. Because this repository is public, any graded assessment should use different scenarios or different numbers.
Marking guidance¶
The self-check criteria on each lab page are written so that a third party can judge them, which makes them usable as a marking scheme. The general principle across the programme:
| Signal | Interpretation |
|---|---|
| Correct arithmetic and stated assumptions | The core skill; expect it to be present |
| Reasoning that names a consequence | Strong work — the student has understood why the step matters |
| An explicit acceptance of a trade-off | Strong work — most labs require admitting what is being given up |
| A number with no basis | Weak — treat it as an unanswered question |
| A model answer reproduced without the reasoning | Weak — the lab is about the reasoning |
| A conclusion with no falsifying condition | Weak — professional conclusions state what would change them |
Related instructor pages¶
- Teaching Guide — pacing, flipped-classroom notes, common student difficulties
- Assessment Guide — using quizzes, labs, and rubrics; weighting
- Course Map — how modules map to outcomes, labs, cases, and assessments