Here, we propose a laboratory exercise to quickly determine single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in human "alcohol dehydrogenase 1B (ADH1B)" and "aldehyde dehydrogenase 2 (ALDH2)" genes involved in alcohol metabolism. In this exercise, two different genotyping methods based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), namely…

Microfluidics has attracted widespread interest in the fields of chemicals, materials, pharmaceuticals, biology, etc. Integrating low-cost automation based on open-source hardware/software to improve lab security and reduce time consumption is demanded in microchemical processing. In this work, we developed a "do it yourself"…

An active-learning approach was employed in a project for our chemistry major students on the synthesis of biodiesel (BD) from an Amazon region oil. The project, involving activities in class and in the laboratory, was given during 8 weeks of the spring semester of 2022. The students were asked about their previous contact with the synthesis and…

The ability to elucidate the structure of organic compounds from their nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), infrared (IR), and mass spectrometry (MS) spectra is an essential skill, particularly for those engaged in the fields of synthetic and analytical organic chemistry. Spectral analysis constitutes a fundamental component of the curriculum for all…

Investigating students' thinking in classroom tasks, particularly in science and engineering, is essential for improving educational practices and advancing student learning. In this context, the notion of "Ways of Thinking" (WoT) has gained traction in STEM education, offering a framework to explore how students approach and solve…

This study investigates the influence of inquiry-based laboratory activities on the understanding of heat concepts and the self-efficacy beliefs of pre-service primary teachers. Recognizing that both scientific literacy and teaching efficacy are critical for effective science education, this research aims to determine how inquiry-based laboratory…

This study adds to the growing body of research on laboratory work. The study involves four pairs of students in a university introductory calorimetry lab of which two pairs, the IR-pairs (infrared camerapairs), were given access to infrared cameras to use however they liked during their course lab work. Two other pairs, the T-pairs…

During the COVID-19 pandemic, preexisting soil science laboratories were redesigned for self-guided learning (SGL). The SGL laboratories occurred on-campus during the fall 2020 semester in two introductory soil science courses at the University of Tennessee at Martin and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Students carried out the…

The scientific community continues to give conflicting impressions about the contribution of laboratory activities to science learning and yet ignores the views of students who are the focus of learning. In this paper, we reviewed postsecondary school students' experiences in the science laboratories. Students were most concerned about the impact…

Ion-selective electrodes are among the oldest and most important potentiometric sensing methods. In this experiment, students assemble their own reusable ion-selective electrode from glass tubes with an attached PTFE membrane, [(CH[subscript 3]CH[subscript 2]CH[subscript 2]CH[subscript 2]CH[subscript 2]CH[subscript 2]CH[subscript 2]CH[subscript…

Kombucha, a popular probiotic beverage, contains detectable concentrations of ethyl alcohol. To be sold as a nonalcoholic product, alcohol concentrations in kombucha must be shown to be less than 0.5% by volume. This paper describes the use of an inexpensive, commercially available sensor to reliably and accurately measure alcohol concentrations…

By hosting a college students' laboratory skills contest, we provide an interesting activity for students to cultivate good laboratory practices and thereby improve their laboratory skills. The substance of this contest is the detection of the hardness of water, which involves numerous laboratory skills such as solution preparation, weight by…

Modeling is an important tool in science teaching and learning. Constructing a model instead of replicating one is more meaningful and better supports student learning than analyzing premade models (Firooznia 2015; Gouvea and Passmore 2017; Takemura and Kurabayashi 2014). Models include physical replications of a scientific phenomenon or analyzing…

Shadows produced by sunlight reflected from convex surfaces can be very well defined. This article provides an explanation for this phenomenon as well as a demonstration/lab activity for students to investigate properties of shadows made from sunlight reflected by a curved surface.

This study contributes to the literature by shedding light on students' learning by examining and comparing students' gestures in two educational contexts: geological field trips and classroom-based modeling activities. This study engaged 10 middle-school students in two different geological field trips and two classroom-based modeling activities…