Problems with understanding concepts and mechanisms connected to plant movements have been diagnosed among biology students. Alternative conceptions in understanding these phenomena are marginally studied. The diagnosis was based on a sample survey of university students and their lecturers, which was quantitatively and qualitatively exploratory…

Writing transfer scholarship is more systematically investigating the influence of dispositions, which are internal qualities that influence how individuals react to learning contexts. In this article, we consider dispositions in science laboratories, which are important contexts for WAC/WID instruction, especially at institutions where these…

The purpose of this research was to develop a valid, reliable instrument with good difficulty indices for Physics lab test on Senior High School level. By applying research development (R & D) design, data were collected through observation, test and project assessment in the form of three categories of polytomous data. The research subject…

A study was conducted to investigate the extent to which previous science achievement affected student performance in traditional hands-on and virtual laboratory environments. A sample of 70 first-year college students was employed in a counterbalanced A-B-A-B experimental design. The study spanned four instructional weeks of laboratory…

Schools often have limited resources to devote to science education, which can impact student interest in and preparedness for careers in STEM. Seattle Children's Research Institute created the Science Adventure Lab, a mobile laboratory program, to support and enrich science education at low-resource schools and stimulate interest in science and…

Animal biology is fascinating for its incredible diversity in life strategies. These strategies amaze scientists and can also fire the enthusiasm of science students. One group of animals impressive in this way is the phylum "Cnidaria," containing some 10,000 invertebrate species that include jellyfish, corals, sea anemones, hydroids,…

A student-made galvanic cell is proposed for temperature measurements of cell potential. This cell can be easily constructed by students, the materials needed are readily available and nontoxic, and the solution applied is in an attractive color. For this cell, the potential values are excellently reproducible at each temperature, and the…

A multidisciplinary experiment for advanced undergraduate students has been developed in the context of extractive metallurgy. The experiment serves as a model of an important modern industrial process that combines aspects of organic/inorganic synthesis and analysis. Students are tasked to prepare a salicylaldoxime ligand and samples of the…

Analysis of whiskey samples prepared by a green microextraction technique, dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction (DLLME), before analysis by a qualitative gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS) method, is described as a laboratory experiment for an upper division instrumental methods of analysis laboratory course. Here, aroma compounds in…

Inexpensive alternatives to a number of classic introductory physics sound laboratories are presented including interference phenomena, resonance conditions, and frequency shifts. These can be created using earbuds, economical supplies such as Giant Pixie Stix® wrappers, and free software available for PCs and mobile devices. We describe two…

The typical friction lab performed in introductory mechanics courses is usually not the favorite of either the student or the instructor. The measurements are not all that easy to make, and reproducibility is usually a troublesome issue. This paper describes the augmentation of such a friction lab with a study of the viscous drag on a magnet…

In a deep and dark corner of space, a cataclysm loomed. Two cosmic nemeses circled one another, locked in a macabre dance of death. Unfolding over millennia, the deadly waltz began leisurely enough. But with the dance came radiation and the energy loss that it implies. Orbit after orbit, the distance between the two protagonists shrank as their…

In this laboratory experiment, the synthesis of a supported solid catalyst (Cu/SiO2) and its application in the dehydrogenation of cyclohexanol performed under flow conditions was studied. The experiment was planned for a group of two or three students for two 6 h long sessions. The copper catalyst was synthesized using incipient wetness…

In this article, two lessons are introduced in which students examine Arctic lake sediments from Lake El'gygytgyn in Russia and discover a climate signal in a lake or pond near their own school. The lessons allow students to experience fieldwork, understand lab procedure, practice basic measurement and observation skills, and learn how to…

Integrative, research-based experiences have shown tremendous potential as effective pedagogical approaches. Pharmaceutical development is an exciting field that draws heavily on organic chemistry and biochemistry techniques. A capstone drug synthesis/analysis laboratory is described where biochemistry students synthesize azo-stilbenoid compounds…