Background: This study posits that scaffolded team-based computational modeling and simulation projects can support model-based learning that can result in evidence of representational competence and regulatory skills. The study involved 116 students from a second-year thermodynamics undergraduate course organized into 24 teams, who worked on…

The purpose of this descriptive study was to investigate course-based undergraduate research experience (CURE) outcomes of community college students by looking at students' sense of project ownership, science self-efficacy, and science identity using an end of course survey. A total of 54 students, 41 females and 13 males, completed the survey.…

Scanning probe-based microscopes (SPMs) are widely used in biology, chemistry, materials science, and physics to image and manipulate matter on the nanoscale. Unfortunately, high school and university departments lack expensive SPM tools and materials microscopy activities to educate a large number of students in this vital SPM imaging technique.…

Articulating clear and achievable expectations is fundamental to both education and organizational management. In this article, we provide a simple intervention for clarifying expectations--and establishing that these expectations have been understood--which proved beneficial both to community college interns and to their internship mentors in…

Advancements in technology have led to significant changes in the workforce and created a demand for expertise in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). In response, curricula have evolved to emphasize essential skills such as critical thinking and communication to prepare students for STEM-based careers. To this end,…

While the positive outcomes of undergraduate research experiences (UREs) have been extensively categorized, the mechanisms for those outcomes are less understood. Through lightly structured focus group interviews, we have extracted the cognitive tasks that students identify as engaging in during their UREs. We also use their many comparative…

Mechatronics is a branch of engineering whose final product should involve mechanical movements controlled by smart electronics. The design and implementation of functional prototypes are an essential learning experience for the students in this field. In this paper, the guidelines for a successful mechatronics project class are presented,…

Discusses several reasons for requiring senior design projects in electrical engineering technology (EET). Describes the senior design project program in EET at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne. Lists points to consider regarding management of a projects program for faculty engaged in or contemplating such an approach. (CS)

Describes a synthesis laboratory that is a two-semester sequence for students who have had general chemistry as well as prior or concurrent experience with organic chemistry. Outlines the compounds synthesized, techniques used, and possible special projects. (GS)

Based on the results of an informal survey of 25 faculty at Worcester Polytechnic Institute on the value and publishability of undergraduate research in chemical engineering, it is indicated that while such research is considered an excellent learning experience, fewer than 15 percent of student projects are actually published. (SK)

Describes an undergraduate physical science course in which students choose the topics to be studied and areas of student interest can be pursued by individual projects. (CP)

Describes an instructional format for introductory undergraduate earth science in which students work in small groups on topics of interest in earth science-related fields. (CP)

Federal parks and monuments are numerous, widespread, and offer unique opportunities for funded research and employment for science undergraduates. Elements essential to quality undergraduate research, contacts, research needs, and funding are discussed, along with description of a successful undergraduate field research program in Missouri. (DH)

Undergraduate-level student research benefits both faculty and students, but the scarcity of public/private funding and loss of National Science Foundation (NSF) support are clouding the outlook. (Author/JN)