Faculty in the Chemistry and Environmental Science programs at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas, collaborated to develop an undergraduate course in Field-Based Environmental Chemistry. The course was developed and implemented as a 2-semester, 1-semester, and online, synchronous course offered during the 2020/21 COVID-19 pandemic. As…

Recent advances in teaching, many of which incorporate elements of active learning, seek to provide students with learning experiences indicative of real-world problem solving. Problem-based learning (PBL) is one form of active learning that challenges students to address open-ended problems. In this work, we evaluate the efficacy of PBL in…

Scientific abilities rubrics developed at Rutgers University are an assessment and self-assessment tool. They consist of tables, each representing a broad scientific ability (for example, "to collect and analyze data"), the listing of subabilities (for example, "independent and dependent variables are identified") and the…

It has long been acknowledged that effective learning is grounded on opportunities to explore problems and think critically, thus creating solid base for knowledge economy development. In this vein, there have been concentrated reform initiatives across many content areas that have integrated authentic and student-driven instructional approaches.…

Background and Context: GitHub has been recently used in Software Engineering (SE) classes to facilitate collaboration in student team projects as well as help teachers to evaluate the contributions of their students more objectively. Objective: We explore the benefits and drawbacks of using GitHub as a means for team collaboration and performance…

This study used a systematic review and meta-analysis as a method to investigate whether STEM enactment in Asia effectively enhances students' learning outcomes. Verifiable examples of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, effectively being applied in Asia, are presented in this study. The study involved 4768 students…

For many years, Techbridge Girls focused its weekly sessions on stand-alone lessons that asked participants to develop products that fulfilled specific criteria, such as "create the bounciest rubber ball," "build the tallest paper tower," or "design the largest bubbles." These activities typically lasted one or two…

The current business trends, such as Industry 4.0, require a modern chemical engineer to know about programming, advanced computational tools, and holistic thinking. To this end, an integrated approach, where theoretical concepts are supplemented by computational lab-based exercises and team projects promoting "Design Thinking" is…

This paper describes a course project that delivers the theoretical application of effective team processes through a unique blend of service-learning and social innovation. Through this project, student teams develop collaborative relationships with military veterans who are in the early stages of business development, resulting in both…

Aim/Purpose: The purpose of this study was to explore and test several improvements for incorporating the Business Product Owner (BPO) role in student software projects using Scrum. Background: As the popularity of Scrum has grown, its roles and ceremonies have been utilized in student software projects, yet one of the more challenging roles to…

This paper discusses the experience of online studio activities for a second year project project-oriented design-based learning (PODBL) unit. The experience of delivering campus-based studio activities through an online platform, to a design a small power system, is shared due to COVID-19 restrictions. The student experience is benchmarked with…

The onset of COVID-19 required drastic changes on how students interacted in EE-Emerge, a course where the students design and build exhibits demonstrating engineering to the public. COVID-19 was used as an opportunity to expose students on how teams in industry collaborate effectively on a project remotely across time zones, and how to…

Although the existence of and access to clean water are essential for sustaining life on Earth, multiple studies have demonstrated students' nascent understanding of basic water principles. Students have misconceptions related to the water cycle (Ben-zvi-Assarf and Orion 2005), groundwater (Dickerson and Dawkins 2004; Covitt et al. 2009), and the…

Although modeling is an integral process in applied mathematics, students rarely encounter modeling opportunities in their calculus courses. We introduce a laboratory experience as a starting point for calculus students to investigate multivariable functions. A layered system of coffee and milk serves as a physical model for temperature gradients…

Learning physics at SMA, does not only involve memorizing facts, but it also engages the students in solving more problems without delay and attaining a real learning achievement. This study aimed to analyze the effect of project-based learning (PjBL) compared with direct instruction (DI) and student procrastination on student cognitive…