This article describes the conversion of a lecture-based molecular biology course into an active learning environment in a studio classroom. Specific assignments and activities are provided as examples. The goal of these activities is to involve students in collaborative learning, teach them how to participate in the learning process, and give…

Materials as ordinary as glacial till often afford instructive resources for classroom demonstration, field study, and laboratory analysis, rewarding the investigator with information about provenance, glacial transport history, environment and mode of deposition, and possible postglacial diagenesis. (Author)

Reported is an analysis to determine the real costs of undergraduate student projects and to highlight areas in which economies could be made or efficiency improved. (PB)

Describes the specifics of instruction in thermodynamics using a problem-solving technique introduced in a previous issue of this journal. (CS)

Addresses the principles and problems associated with the use of significant figures. Explains uncertainty, the meaning of significant figures, the Simple Rule, the Three Rule, and the 1-5 Rule. Also provides examples of the Rules. (ML)

Discusses two of the major research trends that are broadening the understanding of fluvial processes and changing the approach to investigations of stream behavior. These trends include research on rivers that do not flow in alluvial channels and detailed field studies on the mechanics of fluvial processes. (JN)

This syllabus reviews information concerning calcium and phosphate regulation. Topics of interest include the following: calcium metabolism, phosphorus metabolism, bone, parathyroid hormone, calcitonin, and vitamin D. (CS)

Discusses the use of logarithm and reciprocal graphs in the college physics classroom. Provides examples, such as electrical conductivity, reliability function in the Weibull model, and the Clausius-Clapeyron equation for latent heat of vaporation. Shows graphs with weighting of points. (YP)

Offers perspectives on natural selection and the phenomenon of altruism. Presents evidence for and against the theories that evolution acts essentially on genes, on individuals, on kin, or on larger groups. (ML)

Encourages new PhDs in analytical chemistry to carefully consider college teaching as a career choice by pointing out some assets and liabilities of the profession. Discusses academic freedom, salary ranges, job security, and potential rewards of teaching college students. (SK)

Described is a Monte-Carlo method for modeling physical systems with a computer. Also discussed are ways to incorporate Monte-Carlo simulation techniques for introductory science and mathematics teaching and also for enriching computer and simulation courses. (RH)

Reviews the main principles of interfacing and discusses the software developed to perform kinetic data capture and analysis with a BBC microcomputer linked to a recording spectrophotometer. Focuses on the steps in software development. Includes results of a lactate dehydrogenase assay. (ML)

For colleges/universities, rapid instrument development poses a dilemma, since laboratory teaching instruments rapidly become obsolete and money available for replacing them is dwindling. Discusses role of sophisticated computer simulations, nontraditional educational materials, and part-time work-study opportunities as possible solutions to the…

Reviews identified learning problems dealing with stoichiometric calculations. Suggests solutions to these problems along with consequences for the curriculum. Includes remarks from a mathematics teacher concerning these problems. (DS)

Reassess the influence of the Commission on Undergraduate Education in the Biological Sciences (CUEBS) upon current undergraduate biology instruction, 20 years after making its findings public. Emphasizes the importance for the new generation of biology educators to reattempt the achievement of CUEBS goals despite past failures. (24 references)…