This article reports on the design, development and evaluation of an educational virtual environment for biology teaching. In particular it proposes a highly interactive three-dimensional synthetic environment involving certain learning tasks for the support of teaching plant cell biology and the process of photosynthesis. The environment has been…

Students of biology must learn the scientific method for generating information in the field. Concurrently, they should learn how information is reported and accessed. We developed a progressive set of exercises for the undergraduate introductory biology laboratory that combine these objectives. Pre- and postassessments of approximately 100…

There are increasing numbers of traditional biologists, untrained in educational research methods, who want to develop and assess new classroom innovations. In this article we argue the necessity of formal research over normal classroom feedback. We also argue that traditionally trained biologists can make significant contributions to biology…

The first challenge in designing and teaching any course is to decide what to teach. At most colleges and universities, the process of selecting course content is an extremely local enterprise. Sometimes the decisions are made by a small group of faculty members, but most often they are made by a single professor with the responsibility of…

This study investigated the effectiveness of conceptual change texts oriented instruction accompanied by demonstrations in small groups on students' ecology achievement and attitude towards biology. 78 ninth grade students in a public high school participated in this study. While the control group was taught with the traditional method, the…

We examine the science and pedagogy behind a historical approach to the professional development of pre-college science (primarily biology) teachers. Our intention is to reach professional scientists, who, as a group, are uniquely qualified to provide experience and insights essential to this approach. The underlying research for this article has…

Essay and multiple-choice scores from Advanced Placement (AP) examinations in American History, European History, English Language and Composition, and Biology were matched with freshman grades in a sample of 32 colleges. Multiple-choice scores from the American History and Biology examinations were superior to essays for predicting overall grade…

A new problem-based course in molecular biology, genetics, and cancer for first-year veterinary students was developed at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Cornell University (New York). The course was developed out of a desire to foster student-centered and lifelong learning and to integrate basic and clinical science knowledge despite a lack…

This project originated with the desire to offer general biology students a laboratory experience which emphasizes scientific thinking rather than a review of lecture content. To create investigative laboratories without many of the practical problems of their implementation, this project uses a combination of "methods modules" for…

A job analysis was conducted to define the content domain in which newly licensed (certified) biology teachers must be knowledgeable in order to perform their jobs competently. Results of the job analysis will be used to develop test specifications for the Subject Assessment in Biology of the Praxis Series: Professional Assessments for Beginning…

This report reviews the progress achieved in Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries in attaining environmental objectives over the past two decades--the lifetime of most environmental policies and institutions. The report is organized in three parts. Part I examines the agenda for the 1990s: global atmospheric…

This document provides a preliminary set of environmental indicators by which to measure environmental performance. The indicators are patterned on the outline of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) "Report on the State of the Environment," a companion volume published in the same year. This volume is…

Estuaries are marine systems that serve as nurseries for animals, links in the migratory pathways, and habitat for a complex community of organisms. This curriculum guide intended for use at the high school level seeks to teach what estuaries are; provide opportunities to practice decision-making that affects estuaries; and encourage students to…

The interdisciplinary approach to the research process using information technology as implemented for sophomores at Stearns High School in Millinocket (Maine) integrates information skills and technology into biology and English curricula by helping students overcome obstacles encountered in the presearch or planning phase of the research…

This guide provides information and resources that will facilitate parents' ability to help adolescents understand human sexuality within the context of home and family values and ideals. It provides teachers with resources to facilitate the decision making process. Contents are organized within a framework of objectives and guidelines for both…