When teaching STEM courses, it is important to introduce state-of-the-art techniques. Students need to learn how to conduct experiments, analyse data and choose the most effective approaches to address meaningful situations. Here we present the assessment of the implementation of a structured inquiry-based activity aimed at teaching students about…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Curriculum Development: Theory into Design.] This manuscript discusses how learning theories have been applied to shape multiple aspects of the design of curricular activities combining interactive computer simulations and University of Washington style tutorials (so-called simulation-tutorials).…

As many studies focus on improving scientific literacy skills in students, there are still many gaps, thus an appropriate learning innovations are needed to get maximum results. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation of project-based blended learning in enhancing students' scientific literacy skills at the university. The experimental…

The purpose of this proposed quantitative, ex post facto, comparative study with a pretest-posttest design was to assess gains in overall Critical Thinking (CT) skills, and particularly in the Hypothetical-deductive Reasoning (HDR) skills, for pre-health college students tested before and after a Critical Analyses in Science course they attended…

Beyond students' ability to manipulate variables and solve problems, chemistry instructors are also interested in students developing a deeper conceptual understanding of chemistry, that is, engaging in the process of sensemaking. The concept of sensemaking transcends problem-solving and focuses on students recognizing a gap in knowledge and…

We implemented NSF-funded computerized Experimental Psychology Laboratories at Touro College and incorporated process-oriented guided-inquiry learning (POGIL). We designed POGIL modules for the labs and conducted workshops for faculty on the implementation of the guided-inquiry approach, including learning teams. Data were collected from students…

Problem solving is a key component of authentic scientific research and practice in organic chemistry. One factor that has been shown to have a major role in successful problem solving in a variety of disciplines is metacognitive regulation, defined as the control of one's thought processes through the use of planning, monitoring, and evaluation…

Cookbook-style laboratories (labs), where students follow recipes and confirm known results are common, yet years of science teaching and learning research indicate they do not help college students develop the habits of mind and skills of a scientist. We describe the rationale, challenges, and initial changes made in our teaching and learning lab…

Purpose: This research aimed to examine the usefulness of a microbiology digital handout as a teaching material validated by experimental research in the improvement of science process skills and cognitive learning outcome of students. Methodology: The study comprises two methods: experimental research and development research. The experimental…

Scientific writing skills were an essential competency for biology students in preparing effective research reports because they enabled students to communicate their research findings clearly and professionally. These skills were crucial for ensuring that students could present their work in a manner that adhered to scientific standards,…

The 21st century technology has advanced to become an accessible beacon of education. The physical boundaries of the chemistry laboratory have expanded with the use of innovative virtual lab simulations despite disparate results from previous investigations of student performance comparing virtual lab simulations with traditional laboratory…

This study investigates the impact of Project-Based Learning (PBL) with an emphasis on statistics on 26 Kinesiology students from a prominent Chilean university. A mixed-methodological approach was employed for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of data collected through surveys, supplementary interviews, and performance evaluations of…

Previous research has shown that in prehigher education stages, inquiry-based teaching is not sufficient for forming a mature understanding of the nature of science (NOS). However, there is relatively little research conducted on colleges. Inquiry-based teaching should not overlook cognitive frameworks, as students' limited scientific reasoning…

Introduction: In the educational context, information and communication technologies imply a paradigm shift in learning-teaching processes both in the renewal of knowledge and practices and in evaluating knowledge appropriation. In this sense, in the present paper we analyze the incidence of the implementation of didactic strategies, problem-based…

Sensemaking is an important way of learning and engaging in science. Research has shown that sensemaking activities, such as questioning, hypothesizing, and model building, are pivotal in developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills in science education. This paper investigates the role of computational simulations in facilitating…