Designed to evaluate the use of microcomputer-based labware (MBL) in junior high school science, the Computer as Lab Partner Project examined classroom experience of using MBL; system features used and curriculum designed; classroom procedures, processes, and interactions; gains and benefits of MBL use; and potential difficulties in MBL…

Discusses the need for more safety instruction in high school and college chemistry courses. Reports on a national survey of 2019 college and university chemistry departments. Includes survey results and the descriptions of 50 accidents which the institutions reported. (TW)

Outlines the simple exercise of measuring the length of an object as a concrete paradigm of the entire process of making chemical measurements and treating the resulting data. Discusses the procedure, significant figures, measurement error, spurious data, rejection of results, precision and accuracy, and student responses. (TW)

Discusses some of the attributes of effective tutorial software programs. Describes four science programs that focus on the physical and earth sciences, and highlights some of their features that are proposed as features of high-quality educational software. (TW)

Discusses the teaching of biotechnology to medical students, undergraduate students and high school seniors. Suggests changes in how the basic sciences are taught in medical schools. Reviews the effects of teaching biotechnology at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine (NEOUCOM). (CW)

Deals with the practical assessment of the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in Great Britain with regard to the requirements set forth in biology syllabi. Addresses the requirements of the British National Criteria for assessment of experimental skills, the assessment framework, and the principle of positive achievement. (TW)

Suggests that elementary school students should be introduced to science research by involving them in group projects. Argues that this type of collaborative approach is more motivating for the students, and produces less anxiety and a better understanding of the steps involved in scientific methodology. (TW)

Reports on a study which was designed to determine if computer assisted instruction (CAI) can be used effectively in biochemical education. Results indicate that CAI in the drill and practice mode and computer simulations had no detrimental effect on the students' academic achievement and the students would like more CAI. (TW)

Describes some simple computer programs designed to simulate the molecular dynamics of two-dimensional systems with a Lennard-Jones interaction potential. Discusses the use of the software in introductory physics courses at the high school and college level. (TW)

Reports on a study designed to examine selected units of commonly used elementary science texts, using the Project Synthesis goal clusters as a framework for part of the examination. The discussion of the finding focuses on the comparison of the results to recommendations of the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA). (TW)

Reports on a study intended to determine the science education research interests of elementary teachers and to examine the data according to certain demographic variables. Results indicate that hands-on experience, science content, cognitive development and learning styles, problem solving, and teaching strategies were the top five research…

Reports on a study conducted in the Richardson Independent School District (Texas) which was designed to assess the attitudes toward science of students and teachers who have been involved with the Science Curriculum Improvement Study (SCIS) compared to non-SCIS students and teachers. (TW)

Describes an undergraduate chemical engineering course at Brigham Young University to provide training and experience in oral presentation, familiarity with the chemical engineering literature and exposure to a wide range of engineering topics. Summarizes the course description. Discusses the course evaluation. (CW)

Describes a common misconception in the study of mechanics. Cites textbooks as being in error for equating velocity components along the string because the string does not remain taut. Discusses the typical textbook approach to a problem of this nature and the misconception that pervades textbooks in the British Isles. (CW)

Uses a demonstration done by John Tyndall in 1856 to show that geological processes can produce striking changes, such as slate formation, by slow and incremental means. Explains how Tyndall's demonstration can be replicated in the classroom using paraffin or beeswax to produce the layering change similar to slate. (CW)