2026 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Laboratory report writing is a core learning outcome in chemical engineering, yet as instructors we routinely see the same problems: missing content, weak analysis, and large variation in quality despite the use of detailed instructions and grading rubrics. This paper reports on the introduction of a structured laboratory report checklist in an upper-level chemical engineering laboratory course and examines how it changed student writing practices, instructor workload, and assessment consistency over multiple semesters. Using student surveys, reflections, and instructor-evaluated scores, we show that the checklist improved report completeness, supported student self-regulation, reduced grading variability, and promoted more equitable outcomes by making expectations explicit. The checklist may also have helped in a writing environment where students used AI for report writing, guiding them to use generative tools without giving up their own analytical work. Together, the results suggest that simple, well-designed checklists can function as powerful, low-effort teaching tools in laboratory courses.