Skyscrapers sure do have a lot of windows, and these windows are cleaned and checked regularly. All this takes time, money, and puts workers at potential risk. Might there be a better way to do it? In this article, the author discusses a window-washing challenge and describes how students can tackle this task, pick up the challenge, and creatively…

Terms to be familiar with before you start to solve the test: tryptophan, transcription unit, operon, "trp" repressor, corepressor, operator, promoter, palindrome, initiation, elongation, and termination of transcription, open reading frame, coupled transcription/translation, chromosome-polysome complex. (Contains 2 figures and 1 footnote.)

In this article, the authors describe an inexpensive and simple way to make students intuitively experience the probabilistic nature and nonorientated motion of diffusing particles. This understanding allows students to realize why diffusion works so well over short distances and becomes increasingly and rapidly less effective as the distances…

Students who otherwise seem unreachable through traditional approaches to algebra require some alternative teaching methods. So do teachers who seek to add elements of freshness and innovation to their classrooms or who simply appreciate variety. This article offers some unconventional techniques for teaching a few conventional algebra topics.…

This article proposes a unified framework for understanding creative problem solving, namely, the explicit-implicit interaction theory. This new theory of creative problem solving constitutes an attempt at providing a more unified explanation of relevant phenomena (in part by reinterpreting/integrating various fragmentary existing theories of…

Consulting is a type of helping relationship that usually occurs in a context whereby the consultee (teacher) is trained for the purpose of helping the client (student). The goal is to address a situation in order to solve problems within it and to empower consultees by training them to recognize needs and the resources available to them. The…

Student teachers make errors in their practicum. Then, they learn and fix those errors. This is the standard arc within a successful practicum. Some students make errors that they do not fix and then make more errors that again remain unfixed. This downward spiral increases in pace until the classroom becomes chaos. These students at the…

It has been well-documented that many students do not understand the meaning of the equal sign. Thus, researchers have called for instruction that specifically addresses misconceptions about the equal sign, and have indicated that such work must start at the elementary level. In response to these recommendations, some state curriculums require…

There are a variety of technologies that are increasingly being integrated into mathematics classrooms for their potential to increase student engagement, motivation, understanding, and achievement. YouTube can be an especially useful technology for students to create, share and interact with others, and learn more about mathematics. However, the…

This article discusses an instructional strategy which explores eventual similarities and/or analogies between familiar problems and more sophisticated systems. In this context, the Atwood's machine problem is used to introduce students to more complex problems involving ropes and chains. The methodology proposed helps students to develop the…

The problem of communication between observers in the vicinity of a black hole in a Schwarzschild metric is considered. The classic example of an infalling observer Alice and a static distant mother station (MS) is extended to include a second infalling observer Bob, who follows Alice in falling towards the event horizon. Kruskal coordinates are…

The Solution Circle (SC) approach is a flexible tool which encourages participants to maintain a positive, creative approach to problem-solving. This project focussed on the introduction of this approach to staff in a primary and a secondary school. The rationale was to implement a problem-solving/discussion tool that would allow staff to utilise…

We discuss common difficulties in upper-division electricity and magnetism (E&M) in the areas of Gauss's law, vector calculus, and electric potential using both quantitative and qualitative evidence. We also show that many of these topical difficulties may be tied to student difficulties with mathematics. At the junior level, some students…

Recent studies have argued a shift of thinking about engineering practice from a linear conception to a system understanding. The complexity of engineering practice has been thought of as the root of challenges for engineers. Moreover, creativity has been emphasised as one key capability that engineering students should master. This paper aims to…

"Sustainability" is a very general term and the question arises how to specify it within daily laboratory work. In this regard, appropriate metrics could support a socially acceptable, ecological and economic product development. The application of metrics for sustainability should be strengthened in education, because they do not belong…