This article describes and illustrates a physics course for first-year college students whose only knowledge of physics is that they do not like the subject. The physics content is driven entirely by what appears in the daily newspapers and generally covers most physics topics in a semester. This course was structured as a learning community that…

Undergraduate research experiences (UREs) significantly enhance the outcomes of students who participate. Unfortunately, students may face barriers to engaging in UREs, which creates challenges for students' development of essential research skills that may not be covered thoroughly in laboratory classes. Overall, there is a need for a curriculum…

The ability to effectively communicate science is a skill sought after by graduate and professional schools as well as by employers in science-related fields. Are content-heavy undergraduate science curricula able to incorporate opportunities to develop science communication skills, and is promoting these skills worth the time and effort? The…

This article details the aim, development, and implementation of the Chemistry-Genetics Course Collaborative (CGCC), a cotaught offering of a human genetics course with an honors introductory chemistry course. The CGCC was formed to fully integrate the two courses, along with the associated chemistry lab, to create an interdisciplinary scientific…

Introductory science courses play a critical role in the recruitment and retention of undergraduate science majors. In particular, first-year courses are opportunities to engage students in scientific practices and motivate them to consider scientific careers. We developed an introductory course using a semester-long series of established…

The most challenging global problems of our age involve coupled human--environmental systems within the Food-Energy-Water Nexus. The undergraduate students currently in our classrooms will be tomorrow's global citizens, each of whom must be prepared to understand and reason about these challenges and ultimately make decisions about them in a…

In this article, the authors describe how a syllabus can be used to set the stage for effective use of assessment-for-learning principles. Nearly all college instructors use a syllabus, but this document typically dwells on logistics and evaluation. Research has suggested that courses should go beyond evaluation to include aspects of assessment…

Although the majority of the teaching faculty at U.S. universities is composed of people who are scientific experts, research has found that most scientists do not have information about effective teaching methods (DeHaan 2005). Traditional lecture-style college science teaching does not reflect knowledge about best teaching practices based upon…

This article describes an approach to minimizing the "fear factor" in a chemistry course for the nonscience major, and also addresses relevant applications to other science courses, including biology, geology, and physics. The approach emphasizes forensic science and affords students the opportunity to hone their analytical skills in an…

Describes a biology course which is heavily based on field studies. Different aspects of community influences are considered and individual projects are undertaken. (PS)

Discusses methods for addressing at-risk factors in introductory physics and how they can be implemented. Offers recommendations for creating an effective program within the structure of a research university. (MM)

Describes a course which examines the history and philosophy of the relationship between science and society and applies these concepts to such current issues as sociobiology. Includes course outline, instructional strategies, and bibliography of pertinent books, papers, and lecture notes. (JN)

Examines the educational benefits of an experimental project approach to students taking the last course of an introductory biology sequence. Educational benefits were defined in terms of analytical skills, knowledge of basic statistics, and experience with scientific writing. The study was viewed as a preliminary investigation, but one that…

Describes the philosophical orientation and methodology employed in a laboratory chemistry program at Princeton University. Discusses the program's approach and use of challenging experiments, teaching assistants, and mastery teaching. (ML)

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)