The field of astrobiology is concerned with the origin, evolution, and distribution of life in the Universe. It contains within it civilization-level questions such as: What is the future of humanity on Earth and can we successfully explore and settle other planets? As such, it offers an educational framework for both teaching basic science and…

Students who engage in undergraduate research experiences acquire many benefits, including an understanding of how scientific knowledge is constructed, recognition that knowledge can be complex and uncertain, and the habit of viewing knowledge critically. This paper describes a first-year two-course sequence that provides multidisciplinary…

Undergraduate and graduate engineering training differ significantly. The former looks to established protocols and formulas to design and control processes while the latter often involves questioning established protocols and formulas to better suit and describe phenomena. Although we do not dispute the benefits of practical hands-on approaches,…

The purpose of this study was to understand one case of undergraduate inquiry-based instruction through the words and actions of students and instructors. The data sources included fieldnotes from 16 of 29 classes, two sets of student and instructor interviews (beginning and end of the semester), and a collection of artifacts, such as the…

Undergraduate research experiences have been shown to enhance the educational experience and retention of college students, especially those from underrepresented populations. However, many challenges still exist relative to building community among students navigating large institutions. We developed a novel course called "Entering…

A topical approach in astronomy provides greater coherence and meaning for the information presented than does a survey approach. Topics are presented and evaluated in relation to the goals of an astronomy course. (DF)

Describes the rationale for and implementation, content, objectives, and format of an undergraduate toxicology course. Includes criteria required to offer such a course. (SK)

Discusses rationale for, goals/organization of, and problems related to geology minicourse program. The program provides a framework for students to construct a tailor-made, individualized course in which a "walk-through" (poster session) replaces the traditional final examination. Includes results of course evaluations and listing of minicourses…

This document reports on a workshop on coral species present in Thailand and on the status of coral taxonomy in central Indo-Pacific countries. The report discusses workshop aims, summarizes field and laboratory studies, provides a tentative checklist of hermatypic coral species from Thailand, assesses the status of coral taxonomy in participating…

Describes general interest courses in physics, discussing enrollment patterns, philosophy and structure of the course, course goals, teaching methods, and student performance. Includes an outline of the laboratory syllabus for the course dealing with physics and the automobile. (JN)

Discusses the offering of a residential project course for students in 1972 and a similar course for teachers in 1973 at the Grammar School, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire. Included are descriptions of participants reactions and course objectives and topics. (CC)

A one-semester hour laboratory course introduced junior and senior physics majors to assembly language programing and to interfacing KIM-1 microcomputer to experiments. A general purpose interface to a standard breadboard was developed. Course details, apparatus, and some interfacing projects are given. (Author/SK)

Describes a course designed to strengthen a student's background in organic chemistry, demonstrate the interfacing of chemistry and biology, expose undergraduates to graduate research, provide familiarity with instrumentation, and provide a novel field experience. (Author/GS)

Discusses the general design and operation of a quantitative analysis laboratory which is relevant to the student's career objectives and provides reliable and objective criteria for judging student performance. Included are a list of core experiments and a description of student responses. (CC)