A laboratory exercise for the education of students about thermal runaway reactions based on the reaction between aluminum and hydrochloric acid as a model reaction is proposed. In the introductory part of the exercise, the induction period and subsequent thermal runaway behavior are evaluated via a simple observation of hydrogen gas evolution and…

We describe an interactive module that can be used to teach basic concepts in electrochemistry and thermodynamics to first year natural science students. The module is used together with an experimental laboratory and improves the students' understanding of thermodynamic quantities such as ?rG, ?rH, and ?rS that are calculated but not directly…

Engineering design is an ideal perspective for engaging students in college science classes. An engineering design problem-solving framework was used to create a general chemistry lab activity focused on an important environmental issue--dead zones. Dead zones impact over 400 locations around the world and are a result of nutrient pollution, one…

Histological assessment of tissues is a critical component of diagnosing diseases and determining disease severity or stage. In order to fully appreciate tissue pathology, an understanding of healthy tissue layers is required. Students traditionally learn this information by memorizing different layers within healthy tissue. This is often a…

The present study assessed the challenges to implement laboratory teaching in selected Preparatory Schools, North Shewa Zone. The result of this study showed that although laboratories for each subjects were present (100%) in all districts, lack of professional skills (50% in biology, 64.5% in chemistry and 61.5% physics), lack of materials (78.6%…

The infrared camera is a useful tool in physics education to 'see' in the infrared. In this paper, we describe four simple experiments that focus on phenomena related to heat transfer and optics that are encountered at undergraduate physics level using an infrared camera, and discuss the strengths and limitations of this tool for such purposes.

The Atwood machine was invented in 1784 by George Atwood and this system has been widely studied both theoretically and experimentally over the years. Nowadays, it is commonplace that many experimental physics courses include both Atwood's machine and variable mass to introduce more complex concepts in physics. To study the dynamics of the masses…

A critical thinking assessment was used to compare biology students in a nonmajors course who participated in either a multisemester research program or in a one-semester lab study. Initially, it was thought the former would be more effective in promoting critical thinking improvement than the latter. Data from nine biology classes with pre- and…

This paper presents a teaching kit that combines the fabrication of a low-cost microcontroller-based potentiostat and a LabVIEW-generated graphical user interface. The potentiostat enables undergraduate-level students to learn electroanalytical techniques and characterize energy conversion devices such as solar cells. The purpose of this teaching…

A semester-long hypothesis-driven laboratory project for second-semester biochemistry has been developed. Working independently, students propose a hypothesis about the role of one amino acid residue in the active site of 5,10-methenyltetrahydrofolate synthetase (MTHFS). They then test this hypothesis by site-directed mutagenesis of a plasmid…

In this study, it was aimed to examine the experiment design skills of Biology and Science teachers and preservice teachers. For this purpose, 85 Biology and 80 Science teachers and preservices given information about laboratory approaches, experiment types and science process skills were asked to design an experiment about germination. In the…

There remains a strong movement for Introductory Physics for Life Sciences (IPLS) courses to better integrate physics and biology. Part of the challenge for IPLS educators is to introduce fundamental physical law while simultaneously establishing the relevance of physics to biological science. Life science relevant laboratory experiences are…

In this study, the aim is to analyze opinions of engineering students on science literacy. Research participants constitute of a total of 143 students attending construction engineering department in a university located in the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey. In this study in which survey model was adopted, data obtained through a form…

This study was designed to determine the effect of writing center usage on the self-efficacy of nontraditional students in regard to their academic writing. The purpose of this study was to discover if more can done by post-secondary institutions to address the unique needs of nontraditional student writers through the use of auxiliary academic…

An undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory experiment has been developed that features a discovery-based microscale Fischer esterification utilizing a microwave reactor. Students individually synthesize a unique ester from known sets of alcohols and carboxylic acids. Each student identifies the best reaction conditions given their particular…