Computational and atmospheric chemistry are two important branches of contemporary chemistry. With the present topical nature of climate change and global warming, it is more crucial than ever that students are aware of and exposed to atmospheric chemistry, with an emphasis on how modeling may aid in understanding how atmospherically relevant…

One-size-fits-all educational innovations do not work because they ignore contextual factors that determine an intervention's efficacy in a particular local situation. This paper presents a framework on how to design educational innovations for scalability through enhancing their adaptability for effective usage in a wide variety of settings. The…

Course designers adopted a language-learners approach to the online teaching of New Zealand secondary school students in the subject of astronomy. This was possible because the curriculum for astronomy that was in 2004 established as a part of New Zealand's national curriculum was specifically designed to engage underachieving students in science…

Discusses recent approach at undergraduate engineering curriculum emphasizing bringing some engineering courses to freshman and sophomore levels. Summarizes several examples of the approach at various institutions throughout the country. (YP)

A flexible, transferable computer assisted instruction (CAI) system has been developed at the Twente University of Technology, Holland, for use in association with a first course in digital engineering. Written in APL, it is designed to be modular in nature, and thus easily extendible. (Author/CMV)

A large scale investigation into the development and effectiveness of a collegiate level computer-assisted instruction (CAI) course in undergraduate physics is reported. The work, which began in 1966, involved a full commitment to investigate all phases of the development, execution, revision, and cost-effectiveness of a CAI physics course from a…

Describes the process dynamics and control program developed by the chemical engineering department at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Undergraduate and graduate control courses and real-time computing courses are included. (HM)

Discusses the use of computers in the classroom, suggests visions of an educational future, and describes a project developed at the University of Maryland to examine the effects of computers on the college-level physics curriculum. Topics discussed include microcomputer-based laboratories, increased modeling power, and access to large databases.…

The present research addresses the issues of whether there exist certain cognitive skills that facilitate transfer, and whether such skills are themselves transferable across domains. Of primary concern is the instructability of such skills. The Systems Thinking and Curriculum Innovation Project (STACI) is a two-year research project testing the…

This experimental curriculum unit suggests how dramatic innovations in classroom content may be achieved through use of computers. The computational perspective is viewed as one which can enrich and transform traditional curricula, act as a focus for integrating insights from diverse disciplines, and enable learning to become more active and…

Designed to serve as a guide for integrating interactive problem-solving or simulating computers into a college-level physics course, this anthology contains nine articles each of which includes an introduction, a student manual, and a teacher's guide. Among areas covered in the articles are the computerized reduction of data to a Gaussian…

This keynote address reported on the current state of science education in three areas: curriculum development, attitudes toward science, and assessment in science. Three major projects in science curriculum reform were the focus of the section on curriculum development: (1) Project 2061; (2) Scope, Sequence, and Coordination; and (3) Earth…

Abstracts of most of the papers, symposia, and poster sessions presented at the 60th conference of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST) are provided. Subject areas addressed include: videodisc technology; problem solving; cognitive learning; attitudes toward science; teaching strategies; science, technology, society;…

Presents results of a study that examines the development and use of computer simulations for high school science instruction and for integrated laboratory and computerized tests that are part of the biology matriculation examination in Israel. Eleven implications for teaching are presented. (MDH)

Curricular development in undergraduate programs in the biological, physical, and mathematical sciences at a number of colleges and universities are described. One common theme is the continuing interest in computers in higher education. As the student bodies of many campuses become more heterogeneous with increasing enrollments of minorities and…