How do different components of a learning environment contribute to learning in science? The study examines the contribution of laboratory experiments and computer model explorations to the learning of chemistry through a complex-systems approach. Specifically, junior high-school students' learning of chemistry via four different methods were…

The Canadian Remote Sciences Laboratories (CRSL) website (www.remotelab.ca) was successfully employed in a study of the differences in the performance and perceptions of students' about their learning in the laboratory (in-person) versus learning at a remote location (remote access). The experiment was completed both in-person and via remote…

Laboratory work is at the core of any chemistry curriculum but literature on the assessment of laboratory skills is scant. In this study we report the use of a peer-observation protocol underpinned by exemplar videos. Students are required to watch exemplar videos for three techniques (titrations, distillations, preparation of standard solutions)…

The long geological time needed for landform development and evolution poses a challenge for understanding and appreciating the processes involved. The Web-based Interactive Landform Simulation Model--Grand Canyon (WILSIM-GC, http://serc.carleton.edu/landform/) is an educational tool designed to help students better understand such processes,…

As biochemists, one of our most captivating teaching tools is the use of molecular visualization. It is a compelling medium that can be used to communicate structural information much more effectively with interactive animations than with static figures. We have conducted a survey to begin a systematic evaluation of the current classroom usage of…

Laboratory instruction in engineering disciplines in recent years has been adversely affected by a variety of structural problems making it increasingly difficult to provide students with adequate hands-on lab experience on par with the ever expanding requirements of the technical job market. As a possible approach to deal with some of the…

From October 1993 to September 1994, a project provided equipment and materials to extend literacy efforts to older adults at the Hammond Public Library, Indiana. Notebook computers containing user-friendly software, used in coordination with the local Laubach Literacy Program, as well as books, audiocassettes, videocassettes, and BiFolkal media…

This study was implemented to assess the state of computer technology in the Tri-County area; to determine the status of computer usage; and to provide a frame of reference for the broad technological status for comparison among schools. The population of the study, consisting of 91 elementary schools, 30 middle/junior high schools, and 25…

A survey of all Kansas physical sciences (chemistry, general science, physical science, and physics) teachers (36 percent return rate) in the Spring of 1991 provided elements of a profile of physical sciences teachers and teaching. Findings are presented concerning teaching assignments, course enrollments, school demographics, teacher background…

To compare information about the uses of computers in composition in representative universities, this document reports on a study that gathered data from teachers, administrators, and students at 10 universities by means of questionnaires and interviews by letter, by phone, and in person during visits to campus computer labs and classrooms. The…

At the Purdue University School of Technology (PST) at Columbus, Indiana, the Total Quality Management (TQM) philosophy was used in the computer laboratories to better meet student needs. A customer satisfaction survey was conducted to gather data on lab facilities, lab assistants, and hardware/software; other sections of the survey included…