This article describes a simple and inexpensive hands-on simulation of protein folding suitable for use in large lecture classes. This activity uses a minimum of parts, tools, and skill to simulate some of the fundamental principles of protein folding. The major concepts targeted are that proteins begin as linear polypeptides and fold to…

A new, simple classroom technique helps cell biology students understand principles of Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics. A student mimics the enzyme and the student's hand represents the enzyme's active site. The catalytic event is the transfer of marbles (substrate molecules) by hand from one plastic container to another. As predicted, increases…

The wave equation is a classic partial differential equation that one encounters in an introductory course on boundary value problems or mathematical physics, which can be used to describe the vertical displacement of a vibrating string. Using a video camera and Wave-in-Motion software to record displacement data from a vibrating string or spring,…

The diversity and interdisciplinarity of computer science and the multiplicity of its uses in other sciences make it hard to define computer science and to prescribe how computer science should be carried out. The diversity of computer science also causes friction between computer scientists from different branches. Computer science curricula, as…

The authors detail the design, implementation and evaluation of an eConference entitled "Biohorizons," using a presage-process-product model to describe the development of an eLearning community. Biohorizons was a summative learning and assessment task aiming to introduce large classes of first-year Human Biology students to the practices of…

It is important to relate the biographies of black inventors and the evolution of engineering and technological education for blacks. This historical record is about people coming to grips with society's inadequacies and inequalities and moving beyond these to a participatory role in the nation's technological and engineering community. This book…

The program and abstracts of the presentations of the 1992 meeting of the Society for College Science Teachers are the topics of this report. Society officers are listed, a history of the society is provided, and membership information is given. The presentations reflect different topics in the teaching of college science. The abstracts of…

This essay, based on a national roundtable composed of science faculty, administrative leaders, foundation officers, and program directors examines the gap between advocacy and understanding that increasingly describes the status of science, mathematics, and technical education in the United States. The essay focuses on the capacity of the…

A study documented differences in learning style between several populations and a high school population of African-American students enrolled in science classes in a Northeastern North Carolina county. The Black students were compared to high school samples (male and female), college science majors, and nonscience college majors. Students from…

This study examined instruments measuring attitudes to science for the period from 1967 to 1977 as well as relevant research studies. Following an introduction (chapter 1), background information is provided in chapter 2, considering the importance of attitude measures in science education, reviews of research in science education, reviews of…

Project Chemlab was designed to prepare an "Annotated List of Laboratory Experiments in Chemistry from the Journal of Chemical Education (1957-1979)" and to develop a computer file and program to search for specific types of experiments. Provided in this document are listings (photoreduced copies of printouts) of over 1500 entries…

The Biological Sciences Curriculum Study designed, developed, and field-tested a series of nine curriculum resource units for a semester program called "Innovations: The Social Consequences of Science and Technology (IST)." The units were designed for use by students and teachers in the 11th and 12th grades and at the junior college…

During the 1976-86 decade, the annual employment growth rate of chemists in the United States was 4%, well below average as compared with the growth rate for all science fields (8%). This document provides current and historical information on various trends in the field of chemistry. The book is divided into three major sections, dealing…

The diversity of life is an irreplaceable asset to humanity and to the biosphere. It provides both immediate and long-term benefits, and its maintenance is essential to sustainable development worldwide. Components of life that vanish in the next decades will be gone forever; those that remain will provide future options for humanity. This…

This report is a blueprint for the creation of an effective, national program of science education for elementary school children in the United States. It draws together information about curriculum, instruction, assessment, and teacher development for elementary science. It was written in response to a widely expressed need to improve education…