Thermal science is a perennial obstacle for learners. Infrared camera technology provides an opportunity for pupils to confront challenging thermal ideas. From an embodied cognition perspective, sensory experiences form metaphoric relations that underpin conceptualisation and reasoning about abstract scientific phenomena. This study investigated…

This paper is predicated on the realization that a chemical hood is only one element of laboratory safety which encompasses a variety of other elements starting with the architectural design and layout of laboratories; through the installation, operation and maintenance of integrated electrical and mechanical systems; to the safety-mindedness of…

Describes an inexpensive, low-pressure liquid chromatography pump, slurry filler, stainless steel columns, and injector system suitable for the undergraduate laboratory or routine analysis. Includes sectional diagram of the pump and construction diagram of the preparative columns. (Author/SK)

Based on instructional experiences at Charles County Community College, Maryland, this report examines the pedagogical advantage of teaching atomic absorption (AA) spectroscopy with an AA spectrophotometer that is equipped with a microprocessor and video output mechanism. The report first discusses the growing importance of AA spectroscopy in…

In this paper a hardware/software system is described which permits the use of the Radio Shack TRS-80 Model I as a tachistoscope in perceptual-cognitive research. Hardware requirements and configuration, problems in developing software routines to handle reaction and stimulus timing using the TRS-80, and the development of a routine for…

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in the use of graphing technology for the teaching of mathematics. This interest has been, in part, sparked by the recommendations of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) Standards and "Everybody Counts: A Report to the Nation on the Future of Mathematics Education."…

A survey of freshman chemistry laboratory manuals identified 15 questionable laboratory procedures, including the use of potentially hazardous chemicals. Alternatives are suggested for each hazard discussed (such as using a substitute solvent for benzene). (SK)

The study was designed to determine how standard science skill builder activities can be modified or adapted for use by orthopedically handicapped students. Nine secondary level science experiments were selected for initial review and from these, three were selected for adaptation--use of the microscope, use of graduated cylinders, and use of the…

The lower level of participation of females in computer science courses is a continuing concern for educators. A number of different reasons for this lack of participation have been put forward, including differences in attitudes, bias, role models, differential treatment by classmates and teachers, patterns of computer use, availability of…

Microcomputers can perform two distinct functions in high school science classes, providing computer-assisted instruction and serving as tools in experimentation. This report describes a project based on three premises: that science is primarily the process of examining, modeling, and understanding nature; that the best way to learn science is by…

Reported is an attempt to examine the nature of the reasoning used by college students who consistently erred on timer tape problems and a comparison of their performance with that of students who made logical responses. The author suggests that the poor performance of students, classified as intuitive responders, is a result of their use of an…

Presents an experiment involving photochemical legand displacement on a metal carbonyl, separation of the product mixture by chromotography, and identification of the components by use of infrared spectroscopy and group theory. The chromatography and spectroscopy are combined as complementary tools in this experiment. (Author/JN)

This paper, presented at the conference on the role of the laboratory in physics education which was held in Oxford, England in July 1978, describes how a Malaysian University has presented electronics and the laboratory work as a forced component in physics curriculum. (HM)

Civil lawsuits brought for injuries to students are a source of growing concern for teachers, and especially for science teachers. This paper outlines some basic principles by which science teachers may protect themselves from lawsuits, before and during the time that students are engaged in experiments or lab work. Courts in this country have…

This paper describes the development, administration, and results of an instrument to assess changes in students' science abilities as they progress from ninth grade through twelfth grade. Standard science tests commonly in use in schools to measure high school science students' achievement are content specific. Although these tests are useful…