We present the development and evaluation of "da Vinci's Curse", a chemistry escape room experience designed to consolidate laboratory skills in a fun and interactive setting. Inspired by the maestro, Leonardo da Vinci, the escape room challenges students to complete a series of puzzles in teams to escape "da Vinci's Curse".…

Teaching graduate students the entanglements of the interdisciplinary field of electrochemical DNA biosensors in microfluidics can be challenging, as it involves multiple fields of research strongly interacting with each other. Yet, electrochemical biosensors coupled with the improved hydrodynamics of microfluidics allow for simpler, more…

Despite the growing awareness of the importance of plant secondary metabolites in insect-plant interactions, undergraduate degree content in agronomy and biology generally does not provide a clear concept to students in relation to secondary metabolite induction of plant defences, implying that students do not obtain a good understanding of the…

The substitution of carbonyl compounds with liquid bromine as a brominating agent is the most commonly employed synthesis method for a-bromoacetophenone and its derivatives. However, liquid bromine possesses certain drawbacks, such as volatilization, high toxicity, strong corrosion, and poor reaction selectivity, which limit its application and…

Calculating analytical uncertainties as a part of method validation is a relevant aspect of field and laboratory practices in instrumental analytical chemistry subjects, which usually require complex algorithms. This work describes the development and didactic use of an automatic and straightforward informatics tool, implemented in an Excel macro,…

It is difficult for students to learn the concepts of chemical laboratory safety education from actual experiences because the traditional teaching model prohibits students from performing dangerous operations. Therefore, this study develops a novel mixed reality-based chemistry experiment learning system (MRCELS) to allow learners to conduct…

Titration is an important experimental skill that every chemistry educator and learner must master. Titration is often the method of choice in the science laboratory courses in secondary and postsecondary schools. During acid-base titration, chemistry learners are always told about salt formation. However, a practical visualization of the salt…

Both nanopore-based DNA sequencing and CRISPR/Cas-based gene editing represent groundbreaking innovations in molecular biology and genomics, offering unprecedented insights into and tools for working with genetic information. For students, reading, editing, and even writing DNA will be part of their everyday life. We have developed a laboratory…

Undergraduate laboratory courses can provide opportunities for students to participate in science practices. This requires rethinking both curricula and instruction. Science practice--based courses require students to be positioned as epistemic agents, implying a shift in instructor role. Teaching assistants (TAs) are the primary instructors for…

In a post-pandemic context, the need for leadership students to navigate ambiguous conditions and examine their automatic responses to authority has increased. Yet, common approaches to teaching leadership, such as group discussions and simulations, overlook the potential for using development spaces as living laboratories. This article explores…

Laboratory classes effectively enhance student understanding and appreciation of course concepts. With course delivery suddenly shifted into the online format due to the COVID-19 pandemic, four laboratory exercises in each of two introductory-level soil science courses were converted into virtual sessions delivered in the form of…

For educational institutions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) areas, the provision of practical learning scenarios is, traditionally, a major concern. In the 21st century, the explosion of information and communication technology (ICTs), as well as the universalization of low-cost hardware, has allowed the proliferation…

A chemistry laboratory experiment is described to introduce undergraduate college students to membrane separation technology. This experiment combines a simple nanowire membrane fabrication and visually indicated molecule separation. The membrane is produced via coprecipitation synthesis followed by a filtration assembly process, which can be…

A comprehensive educational framework is provided by the Conceive-Design-Implement-Operate (CDIO) which is particularly relevant to engineering and applied sciences. This paper investigates the application of the CDIO approach in the field of chemistry pedagogy in Vietnam focusing on its adaptability to the current educational demands and its…

Here we demonstrate how data from the clinical pulmonary function lab can help students learn about the principle of airway-parenchymal interdependence. We examined the relationship between airway conductance (Gaw) and lung volume (thoracic gas volume, TGV) in 48 patients: 17 healthy; 20 with emphysema, expected to have reduced airway-parenchymal…