This paper presents a new way to demonstrate the principle behind mirages in air in the lab. The setup is simple and includes a modified laser illuminator that allows direct comparison between the deflected light rays and their straight path.

How to pedagogically integrate the four STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines is a main discussion issue in STEM education. Inquiry-based learning, mathematical modeling, and tool-based pedagogy could go hand in hand to provide a possible integrated STEM pedagogical framework for mathematics and science. This…

One theme that both the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the National Research Council (NRC) agree pervades any science course (and specifically chemistry) is scale. Despite the fact that scale concepts and skills are at the core of a student's scientific literacy, scale or the skills related to understanding quantity…

Gold is an increasingly prominent transition metal in organic synthesis. The air-stable, water-insensitive cationic gold(I) catalysts enable varieties of synthetic transformations with a simple reaction setup. However, this increased importance has not coincided with an increase in the application of gold in second-year organic chemistry courses.…

The popularization of microcontrollers like Arduino bring new possibilities of experiments for physics laboratories. For instance, load cell sensors have been used in experiments on impulse and buoyancy. Here we propose an experimental apparatus using Arduino connected to a load cell to measure surface tension by the du Noüy method (or ring…

This experiment provides students with a thorough understanding of electrolysis and the parameters that most greatly impact optimization of this process. In this laboratory exercise, students will focus on the anodization of bismuth metal to develop thin oxide films. When designing an electrolytic cell devoted to anodization, there are several…

In this experiment, students are asked to conduct a catalytic cross-metathesis experiment and compare this reaction to the Wittig reaction within the confines of green chemistry. Students synthesize stilbene from styrene using Grubbs second-generation catalyst. Products can be minimally characterized by IR spectroscopy and melting point, but using…

We investigate the motion of fidget spinners of different configurations with the help of simple devices. Physical quantities associated with the fidget spinner motion like angular speed, moment of inertia and kinetic energy are determined and compared in different configurations. A configurable modification of the fidget spinners is done to…

Since the purpose of architecture is to optimize the physical environment, where specific human activities take place properly and in a dignified fashion, architectural design can never be an absolutely push-button process. Accordingly, architecture is truly interwoven with creativity, which should essentially be enhanced or even acquired. In this…

The implementation of environmentally friendly, solvent-free mechanochemical synthesis in an undergraduate chemistry teaching laboratory is described. As a model reaction, the experiment addresses the catalytic mechanochemical synthesis of a small library of sulfonylureas, including a known active pharmaceutical ingredient, tolbutamide. The…

We reviewed parametric analyses of treatment integrity levels published in 10 behavior analytic journals through 2017. A total of 19 experiments (13 articles) met criteria for review. The objectives were to: (1) determine the number of experiments in which levels of treatment integrity were systematically manipulated; (2) identify the types of…

Everyone agrees that infants possess general mechanisms for learning about the world, but the existence and operation of more specialized mechanisms is controversial. One mechanism--rule learning--has been proposed as potentially specific to speech, based on findings that 7-month-olds can learn abstract repetition rules from spoken syllables (e.g.…

When teaching STEM courses, it is important to introduce state-of-the-art techniques. Students need to learn how to conduct experiments, analyse data and choose the most effective approaches to address meaningful situations. Here we present the assessment of the implementation of a structured inquiry-based activity aimed at teaching students about…

Despite the importance of physics practical work in higher education, its implementation is often hampered by various constraints and problems. Technology, such as learning management systems (LMS) and mobile learning, can offer solutions to some of these problems and enrich students' learning experiences. Therefore, this research proposes a model…

Background: Learning communities is a collaborative framework that can assist the adoption of the educational innovation of digital technologies, through reflective discourse and student-centred pedagogy. Purpose: Framed within this framework, the study aimed to examine--a) the nature of elementary preservice teachers' interactions, collaboration,…