This work describes an effective, low cost method to anodize small aluminum objects. The use of a PVC spacer between the anode and cathode significantly reduces the size of the electrochemical cell and electrolyte required for its operation. Students will explore the physical and chemical properties of aluminum and anodized aluminum. They will…

Didactic lectures are prevalent in physiology courses within veterinary medicine programs, but more active learning methods have also been utilized. Our goal was to identify the most appropriate learning method to augment the lecture component of our physiology course. We hypothesized that case-based learning would be well received by students and…

Service-learning (SL) is an active learning approach that connects the knowledge a student acquires in the classroom to an application that benefits the community. Increasingly popular in the chemistry curriculum, service-learning is reported to provide student benefits including improved cognitive goals; increased academic, interpersonal, and…

Medical schools in the United States continue to undergo curricular change, reorganization, and reformation as more schools transition to an integrated curriculum. Anatomy educators must find novel approaches to teach in a way that will bridge multiple disciplines. The cadaveric extraction of the central nervous system (CNS) provides an…

The current study presents an evaluation of the laboratory instructional tasks prepared based on innovative teaching approaches (research-inquiry, problem solving, project, argumentation and web-based interdisciplinary learning approaches) designed to enhance science teachers' biotechnology knowledge, awareness and laboratory experiences. The…

Over the last 20 years, virtual microscopy has become the predominant modus of teaching the structural organization of cells, tissues, and organs, replacing the use of optical microscopes and glass slides in a traditional histology or pathology laboratory setting. Although virtual microscopy image files can easily be duplicated, creating them…

The ability to think critically and creatively are essential graduate attributes for science students yet many science graduates lack these skills and may struggle to gain employment. As undergraduate science educators, we are aiming to improve critical thinking, creativity and the promotion of deeper learning in our students. We have designed and…

This paper presents a method to design high-quality 3D equipment for virtual laboratories. A virtual control laboratory is designed on large-scale educational purpose with merits of saving expenses for universities and can provide more opportunities for students. The proposed laboratory with more than 30 virtual instruments aims at offering…

This three-article dissertation explored tutors' perceptions of online writing tutoring. Article One is a literature review of writing programs, culmination with a discussion of online writing tutoring. Article Two is a qualitative case study that investigated how tutors perceive their work using both asynchronous and synchronous modes of tutoring…

A lack of fundamental information literacy skills for college students can be a barrier to academic success. This study sought to investigate how the availability of asynchronous and mobile-friendly learning modules in Canvas impacts students' information literacy learning and to improve students' information literacy skills at a community college…

The use of practical laboratories is a key in engineering education in order to provide our students with the resources needed to acquire practical skills. This is specially true in the case of distance education, where no physical interactions between lecturers and students take place, so virtual or remote laboratories must be used. UNED has…

Testing water samples for arsenic contamination has become an important water quality issue worldwide. Arsenic usually occurs in very small concentrations, and a sensitive analytical method is needed. We present here a 1-day laboratory module developed to introduce Earth Sciences and/or Chemistry student undergraduates to key aspects of this…

While orthoesters are often used by chemists as alkylating, acylating, and formylating agents, they are rarely encountered in introductory organic chemistry curricula. We describe a second-semester organic chemistry laboratory experiment in which students acetylate unknown amine hydrochloride salts with trimethyl orthoacetate (TMOA) in the absence…

Recommendation 2 of the February 2012 report "Engage to Excel" from the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST 2012) urges the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education community and funding agencies to "advocate and provide support for replacing standard laboratory courses with…

A physical pendulum with a magnetic load is proposed for comparison of linear and nonlinear oscillations. The magnetic load is repelled by permanent magnets which are disposed symmetrically relative to the load. It is established that positions of the pendulum and the magnets determine the dependence of restoring force on displacement of the load.…