Research indicates that the educational effectiveness of Microcomputer-Based Laboratories (MBL) may be due to the real time nature of the experience. This article describes a study where kinesthetic feedback was completely removed by giving students only visual replications of a motion situation. If simultaneity of perception is the important…

The three units of study presented are designed to promote space-related learning opportunities for gifted students and were prepared by recipients of the Scobee curriculum awards. In "Galactic Colonization for Our Future Astronauts" (Jacqueline Shimonauff), elementary-level students simulate a space experience in which a ship carries materials…

In an effort to provide science teachers with the tables and scales most often used in teaching earth science, this document was designed to coordinate each table with meaningful activities, projects and experiments. The major areas covered by the booklet are: (1) electromagnetic waves (with activities about light waves and sound waves); (2) the…

Videotex is a generic term used for any electronic system that can be used to retrieve both print and graphic computer-based information via video display monitors or specially adapted television sets. Both one-way (broadcast videotex) and two-way (interactive videotex) exist; these can be used as an information source, a delivery medium, a…

These activities and activity ideas are designed to reinforce energy concepts when only short periods of time are available. They require little teacher preparation, and take only a few minutes to complete. Some activities can be extended for longer periods of time. The activities have been separated into the following general categories: (1)…

Many words which have been treated in the denotative sense are actually connotative in nature. That is to say that citing a definition or stating a fact should not be a learning goal. Rather, a "conceptualization" should be what teachers are striving for. A series of activities dealing with density have been provided for demonstrations or…

Agriculture and the rural economic bases in mining, fisheries, forestry, and natural resource extraction are experiencing major social and economic changes. The farm and rural crises of the 1980s are not short-term aberrations, but symptoms of long-term trends that were partially hidden by the relatively good times for agriculture and rural areas…

This booklet provides background information and five experiments which focus on how energy is lost. Section I contains two experiments to help students discover how energy is lost in their homes. These experiments involve determining a home's location and the weather forces acting on it and completing a home energy audit. Section II contains two…

Listed in this science syllabus are concepts and understandings in eight major areas: (1) forces, motion, and work; (2) introduction to energy; (3) mechanical energy and machines; (4) sound energy; (5) electromagnetic energy and light energy; (6) heat energy; (7) electric and magnetic energy; and (8) nuclear energy. The booklet also includes…

A cultural divide exists in the classroom, with each participant (teacher and student) having rarely-coinciding objectives for a session. In this paper, the authors wish to reflect on the teaching and learning of science as a process of creating understanding from both sides of this cultural divide. Gary, the second author, describes the…

Research in the field of "information-seeking behavior of scientists and engineers" has been done on the behavior and preferences of researchers with respect to technical literature, computer-based information systems, and other scientific and technical information (STI) systems and services. The objectives of this project are: (1) to…

A random half of the instructors of an introductory course in computer programming were given feedback from students' evaluations of instructional effectiveness conducted at the middle of the term. The impact of the feedback was assessed against three criteria: (1) change in students' evaluations between mid-quarter and end-of-quarter; (2)…

The goal of this project was to find ways of enhancing the efficiency of searching machine readable data bases. Ways are sought to transfer to the computer some of the tasks that are normally performed by the user, i.e., to further automate information retrieval. Four experiments were conducted to test the feasibility of a sequential processing…

Recognizing the problems and challenges associated with teaching general level or non-academic science courses in junior high school, a series of manuals was written to assist teachers in developing programs which focus on issues related to science and society. In the first in the series, how to make water fit to drink is investigated. Eight…

Presented are 10 science energy education units designed to help students learn how to turn science questions and problems about energy into experiments. Each unit focuses on subject-matter knowledge and on the logic and strategy of scientific problem solving. These teacher-oriented materials include an overview of each unit, background…