This experiment evaluated the effects of training tutors to use an instructional package to teach pronunciation and translation of the Chinese language. Tutors' correct use of the package increased from 68% of trials to 92% after training, and student correct pronunciation increased from 45% to 90%, with similar effects for translation. Continued…

This article discusses improvements to two "classic" demonstrations of the interaction force between a magnet and a current-carrying conductor, which it is hoped will both interest and delight readers. Creating new demonstrations of fundamental phenomena in physics is the most rewarding activity for the keen demonstrator. A close second is the…

The main research question in this article concerns the added value of a prescriptive model in a simulation/gaming environment: KM Quest. KM Quest is meant to support students in the acquisition of both declarative and procedural knowledge in the domain of Knowledge Management (KM). The prescriptive model (KM model) embedded in the KM Quest…

This study investigates the effects of successive and simultaneous information presentation methods on learner's visual search ability and working memory load for different information densities. Since the processing of information in the brain depends on the capacity of visual short-term memory (VSTM), the limited information processing capacity…

Two experiments were conducted investigating the role of visual sequential memory skill in the word recognition efficiency of undergraduate university students. Word recognition was assessed in a lexical decision task using regularly and strangely spelt words, and nonwords that were either standard orthographically legal strings or items made from…

The mental model theory postulates that the meanings of assertions, and knowledge about their context can "modulate" the logical meaning of sentential connectives, such as "if" and "or". One known effect of modulation is to block the representation of possibilities to which a proposition refers. But, modulation should also add relational…

This article features the project, "Build Your Own Particle Smasher" and shares how to build a particle smasher project. A-level and AS-level students from Trinity Catholic School have built their own particle smashers, in collaboration with Nottingham Trent University, as part of The Royal Society's Partnership Grants Scheme. The…

This laboratory exercise introduces students to concepts in recombinant DNA technology while accommodating a major semester project in protein purification, structure, and function in a biochemistry laboratory for junior- and senior-level undergraduate students. It is also suitable for forensic science courses focused in DNA biology and advanced…

GEANT4 simulations of the processes affecting the transport and collection of optical photons generated inside a scintillation detector were carried out, with the aim to complement the educational material offered by textbooks to third-year physics undergraduates. Two typical situations were considered: a long scintillator strip with and without a…

The substitution of petroleum-based fuels with those from renewable sources has gained momentum worldwide. A UV-vis experiment for the quantitative analysis of biofuels (bioethanol or biodiesel) in (petroleum-based) diesel oil has been developed. Before the experiment, students were given a quiz on biofuels, and then they were asked to suggest a…

With an increased focus on integrated upper-level laboratories, we present an experiment integrating concepts from inorganic, biological, and physical chemistry content areas. Students investigate the effects of ligand strength on the spectroscopic properties of the heme center in myoglobin using UV-vis, [superscript 1]H NMR, and EPR…

The main result of an experiment is typically an estimate of the average treatment effect (ATE) and its standard error. In most experiments, the number of covariates that may be moderators is large. One way this issue is typically skirted is by interpreting the ATE as the average effect for "some" population. Cornfield and Tukey (1956)…

An experiment is described in this test that was designed to study the role of the cyclin B protein in a cell-free system. The work was performed in the lab of Tim Hunt who, together with Hartwell and Nurse, received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2001 "for their discoveries of key chemicals that regulate the cell division cycle." It…

Signals during delays to reinforcement may lessen reductions in responding that typically occur when there is a delay between a response and its reinforcer. Sparse applied research has been devoted to understanding the conditions under which responding may be maintained when delays to reinforcement are introduced. We evaluated the extent to which…

Purpose: In this series of articles--"Research Ethics I", "Research Ethics II", and "Research Ethics III"--the authors provide a comprehensive review of the 9 core domains for the responsible conduct of research (RCR) as articulated by the Office of Research Integrity. In "Research Ethics I", they present a historical overview of the evolution of…