Digital fabrication laboratories (Fab Labs) are accessible to the public, including children and families. However, a variety of technical skills, tools, and expertise are needed in these spaces, and Fab Lab staff--instructors working there--are in a key role in helping Fab Lab users. There is, however, a lack of research on how these instructors…

3D-printing (3DP) is a rapidly evolving sector and is advancing at an unmatched pace. Integrating digital-based approaches to disseminate knowledge within institutional curricula is crucial for mainstreaming knowledge. This work explores the development of a virtual lab (VL) for additive manufacturing (AM), using an interactive VL simulator. The…

Universities and companies were not prepared to the changes introduced to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Norway. Universities had to switch to online teaching overnight. There is still uncertainty how measures to control the pandemic will keep affecting universities in the short and middle term. Such measures have consequences on how to carry out…

The present study employed a quasi-experimental design to assess a computer-based tool, which was intended to scaffold the task of designing experiments when using a virtual lab for the process of experimentation. In particular, we assessed the impact of this tool on primary school students' cognitive processes and inquiry skills before and after…

Almost all finite groups encountered by undergraduates can be represented as multiplicative groups of concise block-diagonal binary matrices. Such representations provide simple examples for beginning a group theory course. More importantly, these representations provide concrete models for "abstract" concepts. We describe Maple lab…

For schools to successfully deliver the computer studies curriculum, they should have, among other things, qualified teachers and computer laboratories. This study investigated the availability of qualified computer studies teachers and computer laboratories in public secondary schools in Lusaka City, Zambia. A mixed-methods approach was employed…

This paper analyses student views on an e-learning intervention that incorporated a content development tool and computer algebra systems, aimed at improving performance and applicability of mathematics knowledge. The study deliberately relied on open source tools, with high usability both online and offline, that can be customized to address the…

This correlational study investigated the factors affecting cyberloafing behavior in an educational environment, specifically that of a computer laboratory teaching setting. A total of 272 students selected using convenience sampling responded to a questionnaire that collected data about cyberloafing behavior and student demographics, personality…

Functional understanding of the different parts of the cardiovascular system is essential for an insight into pathomechanisms of numerous diseases. During training cardiovascular physiology, students and early-stage medical personnel should understand the role of different functional parameters for systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as…

There are increasing calls for the use of research-based teaching strategies to improve engagement and learning in engineering. In this innovation paper, we detail the application of research-based teaching strategies in a computer programming focused biomedical engineering module. This four-week, one-credit undergraduate biomedical engineering…

Requiring that students enrolled in college algebra to spend hours in a computer lab has been a practice in colleges and universities to improve success and retention. In part, because students come with different backgrounds, skills, and the computer lab environment allows for personalized supplemental instruction and tutoring. However, the way…

Online writing labs (OWLs) have assisted writers since the mid-1990s. Recently, increasing interest in creating OWLs outside of North America has arisen (Gu & Ding, 2002; Paiz, 2017, 2018; Tan, 2011). This interest in OWLs specially designed to address second language (L2) writers and their particular concerns, results from an interest in…

We describe an interactive module that can be used to teach basic concepts in electrochemistry and thermodynamics to first year natural science students. The module is used together with an experimental laboratory and improves the students' understanding of thermodynamic quantities such as ?rG, ?rH, and ?rS that are calculated but not directly…

The bacterial cell wall, a structural unit of peptidoglycan polymer comprised of glycan strands consisting of a repeating disaccharide motif [N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramylpentapeptide (NAM pentapeptide)], encases bacteria and provides structural integrity and protection. Lysozymes are enzymes that break down the bacterial cell wall…

Online higher education writing centers are often viewed as a space separate from students' learning environment; a landscape of assistance rather than true education. The goal of this pilot program was to create a geography of shared experience between students, faculty, and writing specialists to facilitate the process of enhancing student…