This book is intended as a final report on those activities and institutions supported through the National Science Foundation's College Science Improvement Programs (COSIP A & B), and as a reference to current developments in undergraduate science education. In the first major subdividion of this work are included project abstracts for the…

The research dimension of higher education programmes is usually discussed in association with doctoral studies. Against a background of scarce literature investigating research in a Master's degree, this article aims to analyse the place of research in Master's qualifications, first, as envisaged by official European and national documents acting…

MemphiSTEP is a five-year STEM Talent Expansion Program at the U. of Memphis sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The project focuses on retention and persistence to graduation to increase the number of STEM majors and graduates. The project includes a summer Mathematics Bridge Bootcamp; research experiences for undergraduates;…

The Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program promotes exemplary improvement in advanced technological education at the national and regional level through support of curriculum development and program improvement at the undergraduate and secondary school levels, especially for technicians being educated for the high performance workplace of…

Presents a 3-phase model (content research, specification, delivery) for instructional development-operations research and describes its application in developing courses in zoology, geology, and paleontology. (MER)

Describes a functional management system which individualizes instruction in undergraduate chemistry courses. CHEM TIPS (Chemistry Teaching Information Processing System) is designed to monitor each student's progress, identify specific weaknesses and strengths in his understanding of the course material, prescribe individual study assignments,…

Discusses the existing design of some undergraduate physics courses, and outlines the general aims which will give the development of a physics curriculum a definite direction and approach. (GA)

Describes a Japanese process-oriented approach called KAIZEN for improving the quality of existing teaching laboratories. It provides relevant quality measurements and indicates how quality can be improved. Use of process criteria sidesteps the difficulty of defining quality for laboratory experiments and allows separation of student assessment…

The operation of the Hall of Science as a museum and as an educational center is noted. Descriptions of 30 science education projects currently underway are provided. (CP)

Presented are two of the science modules (from Appendix A), developed for a study at Central Michigan University, focusing on competency-based materials in science methods education for elementary school teachers. The Materials Module is designed to involve the preservice teachers in examining, analyzing and evaluating three elementary science…

Describes a no lecture, laboratory oriented approach to the teaching of the Tech Physics Project. Evaluates success of this approach and identifies alternative formats which have been used in instances in which students needed a more structured mode of presentation. (CP)

Reported here are the responses of a group of chemical engineering educators to questions relating to the use of a series of undergraduate chemical engineering modules developed by the CHEMI Project. (BB)

Developed and validated anecdotal and data-summary persuasive communications and tested their effect on preservice teachers' attitudes toward supplementing traditional, textbook-based science programs with either Science-A Process Approach or the Science Curriculum Improvement Study. Results show that anecdotal nature communications were more…

Describes several of the labs developed by Project CLEA (Contemporary Laboratory Experiences in Astronomy). The computer labs cover simulated spectrometer use, investigating the moons of Jupiter, radar measurements, energy flow out of the sun, classifying stellar spectra, photoelectric photometry, Doppler effect, eclipsing binary stars, and lunar…

The National Science Foundation (NSF) sponsors a range of programs to fund innovative approaches to teaching and learning. Focuses on NSF's expectations for project evaluation beginning with a definition of evaluation and a discussion of why evaluation is needed. Also describes planning, formative, and summative evaluation stages and concludes…