Describes two efforts to promote equity within the educational system. Teaching SMART is an equity-based staff development program for elementary teachers designed to produce systemic change in the classroom by improving science education. The other effort involves developing computer games that are engaging and educationally rich for both girls…

Describes a set of Mathcad instrument simulations and documents that introduce important concepts for instrumental analysis. Enables students to adjust parameters and optimize an instrument in a timely fashion. (DDR)

Provides examples of Internet resources, specifically electronic mail and World Wide Web uses, in undergraduate biology courses. Emphasizes both pitfalls and valuable practices for students in computer-enhanced courses. Examples of activities and accessible Web pages reflect an approach to solving some of the dilemmas of the Internet's…

Describes the hypermodel approach to designing science education software. Hypermodels combine stored or web-based multimedia materials with a manipulable model of the subject domain. Hypermodels are scriptable, and are powerful tools for creating various activities or web-labs that challenge students to solve puzzles, then monitor and react to…

Explains the multitasking approach to instruction and how it fits to a diverse student population. Focuses on one such program for high school science students in North Carolina. Demonstrates how grouping is an integral part of this approach. (DDR)

Discusses design principles derived from the socio-cognitive theoretical framework for developing Web-based environments to support the construction of scientific knowledge through situated action. (Author/MM)

Discusses the problems arising with standardized testing which play an important role in the structure and politics of K-12 education. Describes the benefits of using interactive Internet technologies for the assessment of inquiry-based science instruction. (Contains 21 references.) (YDS)

Discusses the effect of collaboration via e-mail links on the quality of 10- to 11-year-old students' science investigative skills in six elementary rural schools. The project identified several important issues related to teacher-inservice training requirements, development in cooperative groupwork for children, and software design. (AIM)

Describes the development and implementation of a web-based software engine that selects from a database of questions for students to answer and provides immediate feedback for students and instructor. Discusses the results of using this technology in an organic chemistry section. (Contains 22 references.) (WRM)

Describes a summer science course in which an Internet-based computer network that allows elementary teachers to interact with each other and encourage more science instruction is designed, modeled, and evaluated. Contains over 20 references. (WRM)

Reports on a pilot study investigating 22 11-13 year old students' preferences for and interests in using animation and video when viewing examples of melting, boiling, and dissolving. (Author/MM)

In-service education using information and communication technology (ICT) to teach science is particularly demanding when working in under-resourced locations or where resources are in heavy demand. This article is based on Inset carried out by the authors working with teachers and a university lecturer in a Bulgarian Internet cafe. The use of…

A group of high school students (XII Liceum) in the framework of the Roland Maze Project has built a compact telescope of three Geiger-Muller counters. The connection between the telescope and a PC computer was also created and programmed by students involved in the Project. This has allowed students to use their equipment to perform serious…

The objective of this study was to gather information about and assess the accessibility, use, and perceived needs toward computing technologies of elementary, middle school and high school science teachers in two large rural school districts. A questionnaire of over 500 items, Survey of Usages of Computing Technologies in Science and Mathematics…

The reviews of articles contained in this issue have been grouped into those dealing with research related to cognitive development and to instruction. In addition, seven science education researchers have provided responses to critiques of their published research. Included are: (1) an analysis of an article designed to persuade researchers to…