The knowledge of the mechanical properties of polymers and other materials is essential for several tasks in the field of materials science, like component design and material development. The tensile test is one method of determining many of the material's most defining mechanical characteristics. However, the teaching of laboratory experiments…

The turn to 'evidence-based education' in the past three decades favours one type of evidence: experiment. Knowledge brokers ground recommendations for classroom practice on reports of experimental research. This paper distinguishes "field" and "laboratory" experiments, on the basis of control and precision of causal…

In this study, it is aimed to develop practical teaching activities that can be used in optics teaching. For this purpose, a virtual laboratory environment was created in RayLab which is an application for design and simulation of optics on the iPad/iPhone. In this context, the dispersion of white light in the prism, the relationship between the…

Laboratory courses can serve as important avenues to equitably support introductory biology students to develop foundational scientific literacy skills while experiencing the authentic research process. We present a model for an equity-focused redesign of an introductory organismal biology laboratory course at a teaching institution with limited…

We investigated physics students' behavior in a second-year laboratory by analyzing transcribed audio recordings of laboratory sessions. One student group was given both a problem and procedure and asked to analyze and explain their results. Another was provided with only the problem and asked to design and execute the experiment, interpret the…

Laboratories are considered to play a unique role in circuits teaching. Laboratories can be traditional, with physical components and desks, or virtual with graphical simulators. Applying these facilities in teaching, students can make experiments or measurements by exploring electric circuits' features. However, an intriguing research question is…

In a 1984 essay, Benjamin Bloom, an educational psychologist at the University of Chicago, asserted that tutoring offered "the best learning conditions we can devise" and that tutors could raise student achievement by two full standard deviations--or, in statistical parlance, two "sigmas." The influence of Bloom's two-sigma…

In today's world, remote-controlled robots are widely used across various industries due to their ability to enhance working efficiency in various applications. Learning about robot operation and human-computer interaction has emerged as a popular topic in recent times. Indeed, learning robotics can be challenging for many students as it requires…

The analysis of functional groups in organic compounds and inorganic ions in salts is a laboratory experiment that forms an inevitable part of the undergraduate chemistry curriculum in the science field all over the world. With this experiment, the student learns the testing techniques for the chemicals and gets a true sense of the importance of…

Introductory lab courses have been a staple of the physics curriculum for over 100 years. Yet these courses are now poised for change as recent research shows that they do not meet a frequent goal of enhancing student understanding of lecture content. In thinking about how to move forward, a look back at experiment courses in history seems wise.…

The use of mass spectrometry (MS) is becoming widespread and rather routine in all levels of industry, government, and academia. Coupled with chromatographic methods, this powerful instrumental technique can be used to elucidate the composition of a complex sample and definitively identify constituents while offering the benefits of high-precision…

We present a simple undergraduate level experiment dealing with the preparation and characterization of a colloidal Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) film. The experiment is designed to invoke an interdisciplinary understanding of colloid chemistry and surface science. It will allow the students to develop the concepts of wettability, hydrophobicity, and…

The refractive index (RI) is probably the single most important parameter in optical systems. Chromatic dispersion, on the other hand, indicates how the RI depends on the wavelength and is central in, e.g., optical communication systems. Chromatic dispersion also plays an important role when teaching optics due to the captivating natural…

The wave nature of light has been widely demonstrated in a double-slit experiment, which has played a special role in physics teaching. When monochromatic light passes through the double-slit sheet, the diffraction and interference fringes can be observed in the far-field regime. The interference of light causes the beams passing through the two…

Measurements and calculations are presented showing how the trajectory of an object sliding across an inclined plane varies with the launch and incline angles. The trajectory depends on the magnitude and direction of the sliding friction force. The experiment is easy to set up, can be analysed using a video camera, and would be suitable for a…