The organometallic complex Fe[subscript 2](µ-S[subscript 2])(CO)[subscript 6] has interesting biological implications. The concepts of bio-organometallic chemistry are rarely discussed at the undergraduate level, but this experiment can start such a conversation and, in addition, teach valuable synthetic techniques. The lab experiment takes a…

Many small-molecule antioxidants found in whole fruits and vegetables are analyzed and identified in this laboratory module for upper-division biochemistry courses. During this experiment, students develop their knowledge of the bioactivity of fruit and vegetable products while learning techniques to identify vitamins and nutritionally derived…

Rheological measurements are very important tools for the characterization of the flow and deformation of a material, as well as for optimization of the rheological parameters. The application and acceptance of pharmaceutical formulations, cosmetics, and foodstuffs depends upon their rheological characteristics, such as texture, consistency, or…

A study was recently conducted in a suburban middle school regarding two teaching strategies. Ninety-three eighth grade "students" were administered a pretest regarding classification as related to taxonomy. Thirty of the students conducted an inquiry lab concerning classification. They then participated in a class discussion regarding…

Science teachers regard practical work as important and many claim that it helps students to learn science. Besides theoretical knowledge, such as concepts and formulas, practical work is considered to be an integral and basic part of science education. As practical work is perceived and understood in different ways, comparing the results between…

This paper describes a learning experience designed to introduce students in a Micro- and Nanosystems course in a Physics Bachelor's degree program to the use of professional tools for the design and characterization of micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) through a specific commercial case: the MEMS used by the well-known gaming platform…

The actuality of the investigated problem is caused by the need for students' training at pedagogical high schools to meet the challenges of research activities and the insufficient development of the theoretical, content-technological, scientific and methodological aspects of the formation of their experimental research competencies at the…

The POGIL-PCL (Process-Oriented Guided Inquiry Learning in the Physical Chemistry Laboratory) project has developed a series of workshops to introduce faculty to POGIL-PCL and to facilitate the development of new experiments. More than 60 faculty members from various institutions have attended these workshops. Workshop participants were surveyed…

A continuous effort within an undergraduate university setting is to improve students' learning outcomes and thus improve students' attitudes about a particular field of study. This is undoubtedly relevant within a chemistry laboratory. This paper reports the results of an effort to introduce a problem-based learning strategy into the analytical…

A two-semester-long interdisciplinary support effort to improve student posters in organic chemistry lab is described. In the first semester, students' literature search report is supported by a workshop conducted by an Instruction Librarian. During the subsequent semester, a second workshop is presented by the Instruction Librarian, an English…

This paper reports on a study of teacher support in a setting where students engaged with computer-supported collaborative learning (CSCL) in science. The empirical basis is an intervention study where secondary school students and their teacher performed a lab experiment in genetics supported by a digital learning environment. The analytical…

With the economic competitiveness of the United States dependent on an adequate supply of high-quality workers in the STEM fields, President Obama outlined a broad agenda to reinvigorate our country's interest in STEM. Responding to this call, organizations such as the National Lab Network and the STEM Education Coalition began efforts to raise…

People with disabilities are chronically underrepresented in many geoscience departments across the country. There are a number of proposed reasons why this under-representation persists, one of which is lack of instructor training in designing accessible curriculum and making high-quality accommodations. This not only puts students with…

North American universities depend on international teaching assistants (ITAs) as a substantial part of the teaching labor force, which has led to the idea of an 'ITA problem', a deficiency model which is framed as a divergence between ITAs' linguistic competence and undergraduates' and their parents' expectations. This outdated positioning of…

The study evaluated accessibility, flexibility, cost and learning effectiveness of researchers-developed virtual laboratory package for Nigerian secondary school physics. Based on these issues, four research questions were raised and answered. The study was a quantitative-based evaluation research. Sample for the study included 24 physics…