Effectively teaching the concepts of osmosis to college-level students is a major obstacle in biological education. Therefore, a novel computer model is presented that allows students to observe the random nature of particle motion simultaneously with the seemingly directed net flow of water across a semipermeable membrane during osmotic…

An advanced undergraduate laboratory project is described that integrates inorganic, analytical, physical, and biochemical techniques to reveal differences in binding between cationic metal complexes and anionic DNA (herring testes). Students were guided to formulate testable hypotheses based on the title question and a list of different metal…

Excitation of molecular iodine vapor with a green (543.4 nm) helium-neon laser produces a fluorescence spectrum that is well suited for the upper-level undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory. Application of standard evaluation techniques to the spectrum yields ground electronic-state molecular parameters in good agreement with literature…

A polarimeter can determine the optical activity of an organic or inorganic compound by providing information about the optical rotation of plane-polarized light when transmitted through that compound. This "Journal" has reported various construction methods for polarimeters. We report a unique construction using a shoebox, recycled office…

This article describes a project designed to extend sixth-form pupils looking to further their knowledge and skill base in physics. This project involves a quantitative analysis of the decaying amplitude of a metal plate oscillating in a strong magnetic field; the decay of the amplitude is used to make estimates of the strength of the magnetic…

In this article, the authors present an analogy that uses coins and graphical analysis to teach kinetics concepts and resolve pseudo-first-order rate constants related to transition-metal complexes ligand-solvent exchange reactions. They describe an activity that is directed to upper-division undergraduate and graduate students. The activity…

Increasingly, multi-representational educational technologies are being deployed in science classrooms to support science learning and the development of representational competence. Several studies have indicated that students experience significant challenges working with these multi-representational displays and prefer to use only one…

Molecular modeling is a powerful tool used for three-dimensional visualization and for exploring electrostatic forces involved in drug transport. This tool enhances student understanding of structure-property relationships, as well as actively engaging them in class. Molecular modeling of several central nervous system (CNS) drugs is used to…

Clickers are a popular tool in large science classes. The authors find that clickers can also be used in small undergraduate- and graduate-level science classes, and to some extent also in laboratory classes, to achieve the same purposes as in large classes. Issues that can be addressed using clickers include fully engaging all students,…

The importance of "size and scale" in nanoscience and engineering has been recognized by both scientists and science educators. A solid understanding of this concept is key to the learning of nanoscience. Students, however, have been reported to have considerable difficulty grasping this concept; yet little is known regarding their state…

This study explores through a naturalistic inquiry the tensions between a science professor's two enacted identities. More specifically, this study looks at how a biology professor's identity-in-practice shifts and evolves over time through collaborations with a science education professor. These shifts were marked by an emphasis on teaching,…

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 Department of Physics at EKU [Eastern Kentucky University] with support from the National Science Foundations Course Curriculum and Laboratory Improvement Program has successfully converted our entire introductory physics sequence, both algebra-based and calculus-based courses, to an activity-based format where laboratory activities,…

Currently very few Thai Immunology e-Books are available online. The authors created an online e-Book titled, "Antigen and Antibody Reaction for Diagnosis of Diseases" and used a quasi experimental research design to assess the effectiveness of its implementation in terms of knowledge gained, written exam scores and student satisfaction.…

In this study, the Science Student Skills Inventory was used to gain understanding of student perceptions about their science skills set developed throughout their programme (scientific content knowledge, communication, scientific writing, teamwork, quantitative skills, and ethical thinking). The study involved 400 responses from undergraduate…