Journal writing was introduced as a means to assess student learning and acceptance of evolutionary science in a nonmajors' biology course taught at a community college. Fourteen weeks of instruction were performed, each initiated by student-centered, in-class activities and culminated by a discussion, to elucidate tentative conclusions based on…

The authors have developed and implemented a novel general education science course that examines scientific knowledge, laboratory experimentation, and science-related public policy through the lens of feminist science studies. They argue that this approach to teaching general science education is useful for improving science literacy. Goals for…

A traditional physical science course was transformed into an environmental physical science course to teach physics to non-science majors. The objective of the new course was to improve the learning of basic physics principles by applying them to current issues of interest. A new curriculum was developed with new labs, homework assignments,…

What the author explores in this essay is not so much the "whether" of general science education, but the "why." What exactly constitutes good science education, and how can one recognize when students have received it? Once this question has been answered, the answer to the "what" question--the actual content of the curriculum--is relatively easy…

Argues that, to make nonscientist students scientifically literate, they need to know the process by which science works, the so-called scientific method. (PR)

Focusing on research is suggested as an approach for teaching organic chemistry for nonmajors. Topics of saturated hydrocarbons and unsaturated hydrocarbons are used as examples to illustrate the approach. (SK)

Offers three reasons to teach science to nonscientists--curiosity, technological bewilderment, and technological necessity, and offers some ideas on how courses addressed to these ideas ought to be taught. (PR)

This article describes the curriculum for a highly student-centered human biology course constructed around a series of themes that enables the integration of the same basic paradigms found in a traditional survey lecture course without sacrificing essential content. The theme-based model enhances student interest, ability to integrate knowledge,…

This is the final report of the Physical Science for Nonscience Students (PSNS) development project. The report includes five major topics and five appendices. The first section, the History of Organizational Activities, discusses the conferences in 1963-64 that initiated the planning of the course. The remaining sections include Administration,…

Since the early sixties, general/introductory biology courses have evolved as a consequence of a multitude of forces which have been changing the face of our society. These forces are, in turn, consequences of a much greater phenomenon, the Scientific Revolution. Shortages of scientific personnel and the national fervor generated by the space…

A course was developed to teach physics concepts and to help students understand mathematics, the nature and role of engineers and engineering in society, and to distinguish between science/technology from pseudo-science. Includes course goals/content, mechanics, start-up, and long-term projects. (JN)

Reported is a profile of nonmajor instruction determined through a nationwide survey of college and university professors who teach introductory courses to non-science majors. The purpose of the survey was to identify the critical issues and problems that exist related to this population of students. (KR)

Described is an introductory, nonscience majors biology course. Discussed are the goals and objectives of the course; the use of the learning cycle philosophy of teaching and learning; the use of classic experiments, textbooks, examinations; and the training of graduate teaching associates. (CW)

Describes a course entitled "DNA and Evolution" in which students develop an appreciation for what science is and how it is practiced as well as an understanding of how some of the most central ideas in biology were developed and tested. Discusses the design of the course, the lecture and discussion topics, and the results and their…

Eight general areas were addressed in this conference on Japanese/United States chemical education, including: introductory courses; adequacy of texts, manuals, laboratory workbooks for non-majors; laboratory role in non-major courses; adaptation of such techniques as computers, programmed instruction and videotapes; evaluation and testing…