In March 2016, representatives from Australian Science Teachers Association (ASTA) were invited to BHP Billiton's head office in Melbourne, Australia, to listen to astronautical engineer and NASA New Horizons Mission Operations Manager Alice Bowman discuss her career trajectory and the role her choices in education played in her success. Alice…

Though guided-inquiry learning, discovery learning, student-centered learning, and problem-based learning are commonly believed to be recent new approaches to the teaching of chemistry, in fact, the concept dates back to the late 19th century. Here, we will show that it was the British chemist, Henry Armstrong, who pioneered this technique,…

This one-day workshop for pre-service teachers was aimed at implementing a uniquely designed and ready-to-implement chemical engineering curriculum in high school coursework. This educational and professional development opportunity introduced: 1) chemical engineering curriculum and career opportunities, 2) basic industrial processes and flow…

In this guided inquiry, students explore the complex hormonal regulation of the female reproductive cycle using inexpensive ovulation and pregnancy detection kits that are readily available over the counter. This hands-on activity engages students in the practice of doing science as highlighted by the "National Science Education Standards." The…

We have devised and implemented a module for an upper division undergraduate laboratory based on the amplification and analysis of a p53 polymorphism associated with cancer susceptibility. First, students collected a drop of peripheral blood cells using a sterile sting and then used FTA cards to extract the genomic DNA. The p53 region is then PCR…

The Research and Engineering Apprenticeship Program of the Academy of Applied Science has funded several high school student summer internships to work within the Department of Chemistry at the University of Texas at El Paso. Over the last nine years, young Mexican-American scholars have been recruited into STEM-specific (science, technology,…

Laboratory exercises using "Drosophila" crosses are an effective pedagogical method to complement traditional lecture and textbook presentations of genetics. Undergraduate thesis research is another common setting for using "Drosophila." A significant barrier to using "Drosophila" for undergraduate teaching or research is the time and skill…

Suggestions for instructional improvement are offered to science teachers in this compilation of research summaries which addresses specific areas of science education. This series examines the topic areas of: (1) computer use in science instruction (reviewing five categories of computer use which focus on the learner); (2) the role of the…

In an era when the U.S. educational enterprise, particularly in mathematics, physical sciences, and engineering, has been found to be seriously flawed and has come under criticism from many different sectors, it is essential for science and mathematics educators from the nation's predominantly undergraduate institutions to take the lead in…

The purpose of Project Kaleidoscope is to be a catalyst for action to encourage a national environment for reform in undergraduate education in science and mathematics in the United States. This report, the second of two volumes, presents ideas from Project Kaleidoscope that involve changing undergraduate science and mathematics education through…