The ancient Greek astronomers devised ingenious methods for measuring the size and distances of the Earth, Moon and Sun. The concepts were beautifully simple and although in most cases could only yield approximate results, they have the advantage that they can be understood by anyone with a basic mathematical background. The emergence of…

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of microscope simulation software on prospective science teachers' laboratory achievements, microscope use, laboratory reports and views on microscope which was prepared for general biology laboratory. The case study design was adopted for the research. The participants were 49 science teacher…

We have conducted an education project to communicate the wave energy concept to high school students. A virtual reality system that combines both hardware and software is developed in this project to simulate the buoy-wave interaction. This first-of-its-kind wave energy unit is portable and physics-based, allowing students to conduct a number of…

Chemical process simulation is one of the most fundamental skills that is expected from chemical engineers, yet relatively few graduates have the opportunity to learn, in depth, how a process simulator works, from programming the unit operations to the sequencing. The University of Calgary offers a "hands-on" postgraduate course in…

Chemists have used computational science methodologies for a number of decades and their utility continues to be unabated. For this reason we developed an advanced lab in computational chemistry in which students gain understanding of general strengths and weaknesses of computation-based chemistry by working through a specific research problem.…

Explores the use of computer simulation/modeling programs for teaching a variety of science concepts. (Author/CCM)

Introduces MacClade which is a Macintosh-based software package that uses the techniques of cladistic analysis to explore evolutionary patterns. Describes a novel and effective exercise that allows undergraduate biology majors to test a hypothesis about behavioral evolution in insects. (Contains 13 references.) (Author/YDS)

For decades, every chemical engineer has been asked to have a background in separations. The required separations course can, however, be uninspiring and superficial because understanding many separation processes involves conventional graphical methods and commercial process simulators. We utilize simple, user-­friendly mathematical software,…

Addresses the use of computer simulation games and how they can be tailored to fit particular units of study in secondary science education. Focuses on scripted role play simulations and specific purpose simulations. (DDR)

This study aims at highlighting the collaborative activity of two high school students (age 14) in the cases of modeling the complex biological process of plant growth with two different tools: the "paper & pencil" concept mapping technique and the computer-supported educational environment "ModelsCreator". Students' shared activity in both cases…

Describes a computer program, "Activation Energy," which is designed for use in physical chemistry classes and can be modified for kinetic experiments. Provides suggestions for instruction, sample program listings, and information on the availability of the program package. (ML)

Summarizes the capabilities of a computer program related to forest fertilization. Provides a description of input parameters, some sample exercises, software specifications, and availability information. Additional references are listed. (Author/RT)

Describes experiences with turtle graphics to demonstrate motion in a constant gravitational field. Provides the computer program and typical diagrams. (YP)

Describes two computer simulation programs, "Nerve Physiology" and "Frog Heart," as practical alternatives to the use of live animals in class experiments. Discusses the potential of computer simulation as a feasible alternative to experiments with animals in the classroom laboratory. (CW)

The assumptions common to all capture-recapture models for estimating population size are reviewed. A simulation using either a playing board, counters, and dice or computers is described. Classroom implications of using the board game are discussed. (KR)