Concepts relating to enzymes and energy are central to understanding chemical and biological processes at the molecular level. Student learning of these crosscutting concepts can be challenging, so it is important to identify misconceptions and remediate them early, especially in introductory classes. Here we describe an activity in which…

Lab activities are a vital part of physics courses, providing students with hands-on experiences of classroom topics. At the same time, building self-efficacy is vital to student learning and retention; however, females traditionally have lower self-efficacy in STEM fields. This research explores the role of gender and the changes in interest in…

In this paper, we present a concise and technique-heavy route to the synthesis of dimedone for a second-year organic chemistry curriculum. Our preparation of dimedone guides students through a Michael addition followed by a Dieckmann cyclization, basic ester hydrolysis, and thermal decarboxylation, while allowing time for mechanistic discussion…

The synthesis of a [2]rotaxane through three- or five-component coupling reactions has been adapted to an organic chemistry experiment for upper-division students. The experimental procedure addresses the search for the most favorable reaction conditions for the synthesis of the interlocked compound, which is obtained in a yield of up to 71%.…

Metabolic Control Analysis (MCA) is a systems biology approach that measures the control of a metabolic step on the overall flux of a metabolic pathway. In undergraduate courses in biochemistry, learning of MCA can be encouraged by experimental activities demonstrating practical applications of the MCA theory. In this work, we present a laboratory…

The field of DNA nanotechnology has grown rapidly in the past decade and has expanded to multiple laboratories. While lectures in DNA nanotechnology have been introduced in some institutions, laboratory components at the undergraduate level are still lacking. Undergraduate students predominantly learn about DNA nanotechnology through their…

Metal-air battery technology is a promising new energy storage solution in the green energy economy but also an excellent tool to educate students on the working principles of batteries. A simple yet powerful construction of a metal-air battery is shown, which consists of a plastic mint box, a cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte. Furthermore,…

Hands-on activities in science learning are beneficial in enhancing creative thinking in students. However, scant studies have probed the nature of creative thinking developed by hands-on activities, particularly among primary school students and further investigation is thus mandated. Therefore, this study aims to explore the creative thinking…

Providing hands-on practical education without access to laboratories during the COVID-19 pandemic has required creativity and innovation. In this paper, co-authored by academic staff and students, we describe an at-home mobile phone-based 'spectrophotometer' experiment used in an introductory undergraduate biology course. Using colour picker…

A hydroponics experiment growing microgreens was piloted by seniors where trials were conducted over 9-day growth periods and designed to test 12 different growth conditions in triplicate, including varying nutrient supply, nutrient flow rate, and seed density. Plant growth was assessed through changes in daily mass, height, and final dry weight.…

Purpose: The aim of this research is to determine the impact of hands-on science activities on preschool children's motivation for science. Design/Approach/Methods: The study group of the research, in which the quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest control group was used, consists of 25 children aged 60-72 months who are continuing their…

This bibliometric analysis investigates the impact of Project-Based Assessments (PBAs) on conceptual understanding in STEM education from 2019 to 2024. By examining a dataset of 996 publications, the study highlights significant fluctuations in research outputs and the evolving focus on educational methodologies, particularly noting an…

The latest developments in virtual reality (VR) are gaining attention in education as they are expected to provide risk-free, hands-on learning experiences. However, the use of VR in laboratory settings is still in its early stages of adoption. Therefore, it remains unclear whether these technologies will be widely adopted to educate students in…

The essence of university courses lies in their scientific rigor, while the enjoyment of learning serves as a motivation. In this regard, we have developed a comprehensive experiment project by incorporating dithienylethene-based photochromic units into sensitizers for renewable energy, specifically dye-sensitized solar cells, through organic…

This study used eye-movement tracking to investigate how students engage with the learning process of reading science articles with or without hands-on manipulation of a pulley system and their influences on learning outcomes. This experiment used a 2 (reading easy or difficult articles) × 2 (with or without hands-on manipulation) between-subject…