Learning with games requires two types of information, namely domain-specific information and game-specific information. Presenting these two types of information together with gameplay may pose a heavy demand on cognitive resources. This study investigates how timing of information presentation affects cognition (ie, mental effort and…

Student self-assessment surveys were utilized to look at student study habits in several areas. Both self-reported study time and study methods were explored. Surveys were given to students after they received their graded exams. In a comparison with the federal definition for a credit hour (2 hours outside of class for each hour spent in class),…

In our previous work, we piloted a specifications grading system in an organic chemistry laboratory course with 37 students. Our current work describes the scale up of that specifications grading system to a course with over 1,000 students. Strategies used for keeping the system manageable and mitigating the time commitment required to do so are…

We report here a successful adaptation of lab videos used during remote instruction to a kinetics experiment reported in this Journal in 2007. In the in-person lab, students now record their rate data on their cell phone cameras and then collect their data from the videos for their postlab reports; previously, they acquired the data in real time…

This study assessed the efficacy of the spaced learning method compared to the activity-oriented method in improving chemistry achievement among high school students, focusing on different cognitive domains. An experimental design involving pre and post-test control groups was employed, with 106 students from two schools participating. The…

Besides measures of students' performances, a valid assessment of students' efficiency in a teaching process should also include measures of invested mental effort. The research presented herein covers several approaches in measuring students' mental effort including 5, 7 and 9-point Likert type scales, time on task, as well as eye tracking…

This study examines the effectiveness of pre-laboratory presentations in an undergraduate general chemistry laboratory using two different modes of delivery: a traditional lecture versus an in-class video presentation. It was anticipated that implementation of videos could result in improved laboratory efficiency, safety, and necessary technical…

Recent work on student perceptions of skills development and engagement with different teaching and learning approaches have provided useful evidence bases for practitioners aiming to enhance the student learning experience. Although there has been some useful research on student expectations in non-STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and…

Students with an insufficient amount of time to study are becoming more prevalent in the general college population as many who enroll in college have competing responsibilities (full-time jobs, childcare, etc.). Such students are likely to choose study resources that they consider to be both effective and efficient. Students at the U.S. Naval…

Multimedia integration signals highlight correspondences between text and pictures with the aim of supporting learning from multimedia. A recent meta-analysis revealed that only learners with low domain-specific prior knowledge benefit from multimedia integration signals. To more thoroughly investigate the influence of prior knowledge on the…

This paper discusses the nature of learner engagement with science content during small group discussions in which learners use their home languages. We observed that learners reverted to their home languages in small group discussions, yet very little is known about the dynamics of learner engagement when they use their home languages in…

With the amount of data available through an online homework system about students' study habits, it stands to reason that such systems can be used to identify likely student outcomes. A study was conducted to see how student usage of an online chemistry homework system (OWL) correlated with student success in a general chemistry course. Online…

This paper describes a study aimed at assessing the ability of report templates to help students learn key concepts during undergraduate laboratory classes. The report templates were designed so that a set of assessment questions led the students through the logical steps required to perform the laboratory exercise and to calculate the required…

Open educational resources (OERs) provide a potential alternative to costly textbooks and can allow content to be edited and adapted to a variety of classroom environments. At the University of California, Davis, the OER "ChemWiki" project, as part of the greater STEMWiki Hyperlibrary, was developed to supplant traditional post-secondary…

This study investigated exam achievement and affective characteristics of students in general chemistry in a fully-randomized experimental design, contrasting Peer-Led Team Learning (PLTL) participation with a control group balanced for time-on-task and study activity. This study population included two independent first-semester courses with…