Teaching laboratories are a highly complex environment that require students to master the following: technical skills, application of theory, safe working conditions, and teamwork. Often, students have had very little prior experience to prepare them for this alien and pressured environment. Prelaboratory tasks are typically considered key to…

This experiment introduces undergraduate organic chemistry students to analysis and interpretation of Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra through characterization of postconsumer plastics. Students use FTIR spectra to identify and differentiate the common recyclable polymer resins #1-6: polyethylene terephthalate (PETE), polyethylene (HDPE…

Background: Laboratory studies explore the norms and characteristics of scientific practice and explain the constructive nature of knowledge production. However, how learning and research are sustained in engineering research laboratories at the graduate level requires further investigation. Purpose: We explored the cultural characteristics of an…

The role of anatomy in modern curricula is under reform due to competency of other rapidly evolving subjects and the rapid evolution of several practical aspects and applications dictating modernization of teaching methods as well as of teaching demands. Moreover, modern practice of medicine has put the arterial and vascular system in the center…

Undergraduate laboratory courses are essential to teaching core principles in STEM. This course, Quantitative Biological Methods, provides a unique approach to teaching molecular biology research techniques to students, in a laboratory that is delivered in a sequence that parallels standard biomedical research laboratory protocols. Students attend…

Universities and companies were not prepared to the changes introduced to limit the spread of COVID-19 in Norway. Universities had to switch to online teaching overnight. There is still uncertainty how measures to control the pandemic will keep affecting universities in the short and middle term. Such measures have consequences on how to carry out…

The Poisson distribution describes the probability of a certain number of events occurring in an interval of time when the occurrence of the individual events is independent of one another and the events occur with a fixed mean rate. Probably the best-known example of the Poisson distribution in the physics curriculum is the temporal distribution…

Students sometimes learn about a model of the "scientific method" that is linear and clear cut. While this approach may have pedagogical advantages, it does not reflect how science is often done in practice. The Experimental Modeling Framework (EMF) describes the complex and iterative process of experimentation in the domain of physics,…

Special Relativity introduces students to Modern Physics, whose importance in the high school is increasing. Nevertheless its teaching and learning is a critical issue. Different solutions have been developed to overcome the encountered difficulties. In this paper we describe the spacetime globe, a mechanical instrument that allows to experience…

Similar to how stealth materials were developed to reduce the radar wave energy returning from an aircraft, here we explore a low-cost laboratory demonstration that uses similar principles to prevent detection of an object by an ultrasonic sensor. This demonstration setup can be used as a starting point to encourage students to explore the surface…

Virtual Chemistry Laboratories (VCLs) are used as an alternative to the physical laboratories, where users can enhance their performance for hands-on chemistry experiments. However, cognitive load and other issues make the VCLs impractical. The issue of cognitive load arises due to the complexity of the environment by displaying a number of…

This mixed methods study examines whether veteran-novice mentorship between tutors, as part of continuous in-service professional development, would have a positive effect on either party's transferable skills (e.g., communication, collaboration, and professionalism). Quantitative findings from pre- and postsurveys about the veteran--novice…

Writing center professionals' (WCPs) efforts to integrate transfer of learning theory into writing tutor education have exceeded empirical research on the effects of such curricula. Building on research in this area (Cardinal, 2018; Hill, 2016), we designed and implemented a semester-long, transfer-focused training curriculum for experienced…

Growth in the biomedical and biotechnology sectors requires a highly trained and highly skilled workforce to answer the next great scientific questions. Undergraduate laboratory courses incorporating hands-on training based in authentic research position soon-to-be graduates to learn in environments that mirror those of academic, industrial, and…

Nowadays, technologies involving nanoparticles, colloids, sensors, and artificial intelligence are widespread in society, media, and industry. It is thus mandatory to integrate them into the curricula of students enrolled in chemistry and materials science. To this purpose, we designed a simple assay for the detection of glutathione (GSH) using…