Informal academic conversations constitute a valuable addition to the repertoire of academic development initiatives. This article proposes that a Change Laboratory methodology may enhance the productivity of such conversations. Support for this proposal comes from a detailed analysis of participants' transformation of conversations on individual…

Forward genetics involves the identification of an unknown DNA sequence (genotype) associated with the expression of that sequence (phenotype). This is often done by generating variants (mutants) of that feature. One of the most practical methods is transposon mutagenesis, which facilitates the genotype-phenotype association through a sequence…

Anatomical dissection is known to serve as an integral tool in teaching gross anatomy, including postgraduate training. A variety of embalming techniques exist, resulting in different haptic and optical tissue properties. This study aimed to objectify learning outcomes and medical student perceptions related to the use of two widely used embalming…

Meaningful pedagogical reform requires good faculty training and support programs. Such support is particularly valuable when colleges and universities are trying to bring research and inquiry into the laboratory curricula under resource-limited conditions. In this situation, it may help to extend the scope of the faculty support program to…

Writing centers have long been a hallmark in supporting the development of student writers at North American academic institutions. Writing centers are often connected to a writing program or learning center open to all students for one-on-one tutorials regarding a writing project. Tutors function as coaches or collaborators, rather than as…

This IPA study examines how professional college writing tutors feel their role is understood and appreciated (or not). While writing tutoring is a hallmark service at many undergraduate institutions, there remains an incongruence between what tutors, professors, students, and administrators expect from the role. In order to bring more clarity to…

This paper addresses the challenge of integrating a dialog system with an ITS created for supporting procedural training in a 3D virtual environment. To this end, we first describe the desired features of the dialog to be provided to students in such system. Then, we explain some technical issues of our proposal such as the architecture; the…

Here, we present a laboratory activity in which the students work on an analysis of a questioned document that was written with one out of five possible pens. As a forensics study, the activity applied chemistry and analytical chemistry tools to solve the case. The students were able to apply polarity and solubility concepts to select and discard…

Normal phase thin layer chromatography is a widely taught technique in undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory courses. To understand how the technique works, students must have a strong conceptual understanding of polarity and intermolecular forces. Unfortunately, many students have misconceptions regarding how polarity and intermolecular…

A new experiment using laser ablation with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) was designed for chemistry undergraduate students. While most analytical methods only provide information on the amount of the analyte, LA-ICP-MS allows extra information on the distribution of the element in the sample. Because it achieves…

This study sought to examine laboratory-based instruction for pre-service school-based agricultural education (SBAE) teachers at various institutions across the nation. While research has indicated that laboratory-based instruction in SBAE programs is commonplace (Shoulders & Meyers, 2012), a myriad of literature has noted SBAE teachers are…

An adipic acid esterification experiment suitable for graduate students has been developed to describe the industrial manufacture of plasticizers. Students first follow the progress of the reaction with simple acid/base titration enabling measurement of the acid number. During the workup of the reaction mixture, they learn how to manage the…

Reported herein is a chemistry experiment integrating polymer chemistry and instrumental analysis for the juniors majoring in chemistry. This experiment has a different scheduling framework than traditional experiments with a fixed lab period and schedule. The students arrange their experiment flexibly and individually. Styrene maleic anhydride…

Educational content is consistently adapted to enhance the learning experience of students at all experience and skill levels. Student motivation and accessibility are key factors in teaching science to a broad audience. The presented experiments engage the students by relating the content to that which is immediately relevant to them: the threat…

The analysis of functional groups in organic compounds and inorganic ions in salts is a laboratory experiment that forms an inevitable part of the undergraduate chemistry curriculum in the science field all over the world. With this experiment, the student learns the testing techniques for the chemicals and gets a true sense of the importance of…