Datalogging allows you to monitor experiments using digital sensors. It allows for more accurate collection of data, taking many more readings than you could do by hand. It also allows you to monitor changes over long periods of time, if necessary.
In the past, to carry out datalogging you needed a computer, a datalogging interface that talks to the computer and some sensors that talk to the interface. The computer will also need some special software to be able to make sense of the information it is receiving and display it on the screen.
You can still do datalogging that way, but most datalogging interfaces can also work on their own without the need for a computer. They have a small screen which shows the sensor readings. Often there are built in sensors for temperature, sound and light. This means you can use these without plugging anything else in. Once you’ve recorded the data, this can then be downloaded onto a computer for processing, graph drawing etc. Usually this can then be exported into software such as Excel.
Some dataloggers can also connect to iPads and tablets via Bluetooth. The Data Harvest Vu and Vernier LabQuest2 both do this.
There are lots of different sensors available: Temperature probes are the cheapest and easiest to use. They are therefore the first external sensors you should consider getting. If funds allow, try to get more than one for each datalogger, so you can monitor the temperature of two different things at once.
Other sensors include – motion sensors, timing ramps, light gates, light level meters, heart rate monitors, sound level sensor etc. Light and sound level sensors should be next on your purchase list.
If you have tablets (or even a phone) you can use Google Science Journal to access some of the inbuilt sensors and use it as a basic datalogger. You can measure light intensity, sound levels and even movement! This guide explains more about Google Science Journal.
Datalogging opportunities within the Science National Curriculum
Here are a few ideas of how datalogging can be incorporated into the primary science lessons
| Year | Topic | Experiment | Sensors |
| 1 | Seasonal Changes | Monitor seasonal changes – temperature every day, brightness of the light. | Light, Temp |
| 3 | Forces | How things move on different surfaces | Timing Ramp or Light Gates |
| 3 | Light | Transparent, Translucent or Opaque? | Light Sensor |
| 3 | Light | Which sunglasses are the best? | Light sensor |
| 4 | Living things and habitats | Monitor conditions in different habitats over time. | Light, Temp |
| 4 | Habitats | Traffic Noise Survey – monitor volume of traffic over time near school. | Sound level |
| 4 | States of matter | Monitor temperature of ice as it melts | Temperature |
| 4 | States of matter | Use different wrappings to see how to keep water cold for the longest.
(or warm water warm). Which materials are the best insulators? |
Temperature |
| 4 | Sound | Look at sound insulating materials.
Put the noise source (alarm clock) in a box covered in different materials. See how different materials insulate the sensor from the noise. |
Sound level |
| 4 | Sound | Loudness of a sound changes as you travel away from the noise. | Sound level |
| 4 | Sound | Noise survey – loudest part of the school? | Sound level |
| 4 | Sound | Monitor the noise in the classroom / hall / playground over course of a day | Sound level |
| 5 | Properties of materials | Test insulators – which is best for keeping a cup of tea hot the longest? | Temperature |
| 5 | Properties of materials | Transparent, Translucent or Opaque? Which materials let the most/least light through? | Light Level |
| 5 | Properties of Materials | Heat conductors and insulators | Temperature |
| 5 | Properties of Materials | Shine light onto different surfaces and see how much light bounces off.
Compare shiny/dull, light/dark surfaces. |
Light sensor |
| 5 | Forces | Effect of friction – how fast things move on different surfaces | Timing ramp |
| 5 | Forces | Acceleration due to gravity. Speed of a car down a ramp. | Timing ramp, light gates |
| 5 | Forces | Calculate the speed of a ball of plasticene falling down a measuring cylinder of water using two light gates. | Light gates |
| 6 | Living Things / Evolution | Why do some animals have fur? Look at temp changes of a plastic cup with no fur and one with fur. | Temperature |
| 4 | Living Things / Evolution | Why do penguins huddle? Look at temperature changes of group of cups of hot water vs one on its own. | Temperature |
| 6 | Living Things / Evolution | Why do some animals have blubber? Insulate a cup with lard. How quickly does it cool compared to one without? | Temperature |
| 6 | Animals including humans | Heart rate – how does it change as we exercise and rest? | Heart sensor |
| 6 | Light | Light reflection. Shine light onto different surfaces and see how much light bounces off.
Compare shiny/dull, light/dark surfaces. |
Light sensor |
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