We introduce a computer exercise that bridges spectroscopy and thermodynamics using statistical mechanics and the experimental data taken from the commonly used laboratory exercise involving the rotational-vibrational spectrum of HCl. Based on the results from the analysis of their HCl spectrum, students calculate bulk thermodynamic properties…

This article describes a discovery experiment for general chemistry and organic chemistry labs. Although the pinacol rearrangement has been employed in undergraduate organic laboratories before, in this application organic chemistry students act as mentors to students of general chemistry. Students work together using distillation--a new technique…

Tablet PC technology can enliven the classroom environment because it is dynamic, interactive, and "organic," relative to the rigidity of chalkboards, whiteboards, overhead projectors, and PowerPoint presentations. Unlike traditional computers, tablet PCs employ "digital linking," allowing instructors and students to freehand annotate, clarify,…

The present state of information communication technology makes it possible to devise and run computer-based e-laboratories accessible to any user with a connection to the Internet, equipped with very simple technical means and making full use of web services. Thus, the way is open for a new strategy of physics education with strongly global…

Our research objectives focused on monitoring (i) students' activities during experimental teaching phases in an out-of-school gene technology laboratory, and (ii) potential relationships with variables such as work group size and cognitive achievement. Altogether, we videotaped 20 work groups of A-level 12th graders (n = 67) by continuous…

This paper discusses the results of a study of the requirements for developing a remote RF laboratory. This study draws on the perspectives of educators in university electrical engineering departments and in technical colleges, on the teaching of the radio frequency (RF) domain. The study investigates how these educators would like the technical…

The present study deals with a school-based professional development trajectory for secondary science teachers, aiming at scaffolding teachers in open-inquiry teaching for the topic of water quality. Its design was based on the leading principle of "guiding by scaffolding". Seven experienced teachers participated in institutional…

If you have an older physics laboratory and/or classroom space, you've probably dreamed about how to make the space more adaptable to today's technology and the best teaching and learning practices. Yet, few articles exist in the literature to give us direction for this type of renovation, thus creating the potential of misspending funds that are…

Some simple modeling with Riemann sums can be used to develop Beer's Law, which describes the relationship between the absorbance of light and the concentration of the solution which the light is penetrating. A further application of the usefulness of Beer's Law in creating calibration curves is also presented. (Contains 3 figures.)

This laboratory experiment was designed to demonstrate the application of immobilized galactosidase in food industry to hydrolyze raffinose family oligosaccharides in soymilk. This laboratory experiment was conducted for postgraduate students of biochemistry and developed for graduate and undergraduate students of biochemistry, biotechnology,…

The changes that have taken place in the organic chemistry laboratory course since 1980s are reviewed with reference to the quantity and diversity of discovery-based experiments available to date. The data illustrates that significant progress is towards accomplishing dramatic changes such as the almost universal adoption of microscale, the use of…

An experiment is designed where students will be using both gold and silver nanoparticles to study the enhancement factors of organic molecules adsorbed to the surface of the nanoparticles during or after synthesis by using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS). The experiment has helped students learn about the theory and experimental…

Experiments suited for the undergraduate instructional laboratory in which the heats of formation of several aliphatic and aromatic compounds are calculated, are described. The experiments could be used to introduce students to commercially available computational chemistry and its thermodynamics, while assess and compare the energy content of…

We suggest the creation of a Global Web Laboratory (we call it "GloLab") for scientific purposes and teaching experiments online. In this article, we discuss the main principles and problems of building such a global Internet-laboratory. An example of a current working laboratory for teaching magnetism experiments online is also discussed.

A microcomputer-based Universal Laboratory Training and Research Aid (ULTRA) provides meaningful laboratory access to blind students and students with upper limb disabilities. Using ULTRA, blind students can perform chemical experiments independently. (CL)