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…

Prior research from the field of science communication shows that, upon reading journalistic articles about novel scientific findings, readers who recognize the tentative nature of the findings rate the journalistic article that reports these findings as less credible. Apparently, readers' appraisal is influenced by misconceptions about the…

Analysis of stochastic processes can be used to engender critical thinking. Quantum dots have a reversible, stochastic transition between luminescent and nonluminescent states. The luminescence intermittency is known as blinking and is not evident from ensemble measurements. In order to stimulate critical thinking, students design, perform, and…

The objective of this study is to design a temperature measurement system based on a non-contact method using a sensor camera from a webcam. The material being measured is nickel wire given an electrical current of 4.5 A-6.5 A with an interval of 0.5 A. The temperature measurement is based upon the measurement of the average pixel value…

The concepts of the Coriolis and the centrifugal force are essential in various scientific fields and they are standard components of introductory physics lectures. In this paper, we explore how students understand and apply concepts of rotating frames of reference in the context of an example lecture demonstration experiment. We found in a…

Along with substantial consensus around the power of active learning, comes some lack of precision in what its essential ingredients are. New educational technologies offer vehicles for systematically exploring benefits of alternative techniques for supporting active learning. We introduce a new genre of Intelligent Science Station technology that…

Student-generated videos are growing in popularity in education generally, and in chemistry education there are several reports emerging on their use in practice. Interest in their use in chemistry is grounded in the visual nature of chemistry, the role of laboratory work in chemistry, and a desire to enhance digital literacy skills. In this…

Isothermal titration calorimetry was used to experimentally determine thermodynamic values for the ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA)(aq) + M[superscript 2+](aq) reactions (M[superscript 2+] = Ca[superscript 2+] and Mg[superscript 2+]). Students showed that for reactions in a N-(2-hydroxyethyl)piperazine-N"-ethanesulfonic acid (HEPES)…

The activity of mushroom tyrosinase can be measured by monitoring the conversion of phenolic compounds into quinone derivatives using spectrophotometry. This article describes a series of experiments which characterize the functional properties of tyrosinase, the analysis of the resulting data using R to determine the kinetic parameters, and the…

[Superscript 1]H NMR analysis is an important analytical technique presented in introductory organic chemistry courses. NMR instrument access is limited for undergraduate organic chemistry students due to the size of the instrument, price of NMR solvents, and the maintenance level required for instrument upkeep. The University of Georgia Chemistry…

Volatile compounds from polymeric materials such as weatherstripping were identified by solid-phase microextraction (SPME), a solvent-free analytical method, coupled to gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). These compounds, originating from additives and fillers used in weatherstripping processing, were mostly polycyclic aromatic…

The development of computer-based experiment set has become necessary in teaching physics in schools so that students can learn from their real experiences. The purpose of this study is to create and to develop the computer-based experiment set on simple harmonic motion of mass on springs for teaching and learning physics. The average period of…

The goal of this study was to create an accessible, inexpensive, and engaging experiment to teach high school and undergraduate chemistry or biology students about intermolecular forces and how they contribute to the behavior of biomolecules. We developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) to probe specific structure-function…

The pandemic triggered by the SARS-CoV-2 virus has produced worldwide interruptions of face-to-face teaching activity in both schools and universities. In Italy, the quarantine began in the second half of February 2020 and lasted for all the second semester of lectures. The University of Bologna, where all the authors of the present article are…

In STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) courses, undergraduate laboratory classes are vital for students to develop competencies such as critical observation, collaboration, critical thinking, technical, and problem-solving skills. Thus, for students to successfully acquire these competencies, preparation for laboratory classes…