The isothermal compression of an ideal gas is analysed using a relativistic thermodynamics formalism based on the principle of inertia of energy (Einstein's equation) and the asynchronous formulation (Cavalleri and Salgarelli 1969 "Nuovo Cimento" 42 722-54), which is similar to the formalism developed by van Kampen (1968 "Phys. Rev." 173 295-301)…

A didactic description of charge and spin equilibrium currents on mesoscopic rings in the presence of spin-orbit interaction is presented. Emphasis is made on the non-trivial construction of the correct Hamiltonian in polar coordinates, the calculation of eigenvalues and eigenfunctions and the symmetries of the ground-state properties. Spin…

When studying the physics of transport, it is necessary to develop conservation equations, and the concept of a continuum scale must be introduced. Most textbooks do not address this issue, assuming that the mathematical steps are familiar to the learner. In fact, students are introduced to physical concepts, such as mass, momentum, and energy for…

Argumentation and basic logic are foundations of scientific inquiry, and thus should be foundations of science education. Students often are uninterested in formal logic, and do not understand the connection to science or society. I describe a way to engage students in the study of argumentation and to help develop student's ability to critically…

Entropy generation in a chemical reaction is analysed without using the general formalism of non-equilibrium thermodynamics at a level adequate for advanced undergraduates. In a first approach to the problem, the phenomenological kinetic equation of an elementary first-order reaction is used to show that entropy production is always positive. A…

Can success rates in a gateway course be improved by linking it to a college success course? This article describes the results of a pilot study that linked a first-year biology course that had a high drop-out and failure rate to a college success course that included study skills. The proposal to link courses came from the work of a faculty…

The history of learning biology through distance education is documented. A review of terminology and unique problems associated with biology instruction is presented. Using published research and their own teaching experience, the authors present recommendations and best practices for managing biology in distance-based formats. They offer ideas…

Since the introduction of personal response systems (PRS) (also referred to as "clickers") nearly a decade ago, their use has been extensively adopted on college campuses, and they are particularly popular with lecturers of large classes. Available evidence supports that PRS offers a promising avenue for future developments in pedagogy,…

The objective of this article is to graphically illustrate to the students the physical phenomenon of motion of charged particle under the action of simultaneous electric and magnetic fields by simulating particle motion on a computer. Differential equations of motions are solved analytically and path of particle in three-dimensional space are…

This is the second of five papers detailing our national study of general education astronomy students' conceptual and reasoning difficulties with cosmology. This article begins our quantitative investigation of the data. We describe how we scored students' responses to four conceptual cosmology surveys, and we present evidence for the inter-rater…

We tried to determine the reasoning behind the stances taken by a group of 19-21-year-old students on the controversial issue of the feasibility and acceptability of human gene therapy. The students were in training at a biotechnology institute. We organised classroom debates, punctuated by phases of epistemological "disturbances". We…

In this paper, we present a laboratory activity in computed tomography (CT) primarily composed of a photogate and a rotary motion sensor that can be assembled quickly and partially automates data collection and analysis. We use an enclosure made with a light filter that is largely opaque in the visible spectrum but mostly transparent to the near…

Understanding students' thinking about scientific theories is fundamental to the development of effective instructional strategies designed to foster scientific literacy. We conducted a study to determine student acceptance of important biological theories and to explore the relationships between their acceptance of scientific theories and their…

An Amish infant suddenly dies, and autopsy findings lead law enforcement agencies to suspect the parents of child abuse. Experts who advocate for the parents argue that a lack of vitamin K combined with a genetic liver disorder common in the Amish population may have resulted in the baby's death. Students assume the role of a police detective and…

This study explores tertiary students' interaction with a haptic virtual model representing the specific binding of two biomolecules, a core concept in molecular life science education. Twenty students assigned to a "haptics" (experimental) or "no-haptics" (control) condition performed a "docking" task where users sought the most favourable…