A new program, ECEP2D, for simulating the one-dimensional (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) patterns of the gel electrophoresis of a protein after it has been digested by one or more enzymes is introduced. With ECEP2D, students can gain deeper insights into gel electrophoresis by performing hands-on simulations. For example, students can visualize how…

This work presents experiments to teach fundamentals of automation through a sequence of laboratory practices that naturally guide to development of an on/off control system. It focuses on the integration of technological and scientific concepts, based on an educational approach associated with a problem-solving technique.

At many universities, silver nitrate is used in teaching laboratories, and a resulting waste product is often silver chloride. Silver chloride is not a compound that can be discarded into a sink as it has harmful effects to the environment; however, commercial waste disposal is costly, and replacement of the silver nitrate reagent is expensive.…

One dimensional (1-D)[superscript 1] H and [superscript 13]C NMR experiments are common tools used in undergraduate organic laboratories to characterize synthesized molecules. However, 1-D NMR spectra cannot always provide unambiguous structure determination. In research laboratories, advanced NMR spectroscopy methods are employed for structural…

The recent use of Arduino Uno microcontroller boards for automated data acquisition has revolutionized physics education. The Arduino-based physics labs have dramatically lowered the cost of the experimental equipment, while at the same time replacing the commercial apparatus with open hardware and software. Students benefit greatly from rigorous…

Thermochromic paint can be made in the laboratory and used for temperature sensing by observation of colour changes. This can be illustrated by an improved method of showing comparative conductivity of heat by different materials, and an amusing method of indicating approximate temperatures of liquids in drinking glasses. The fabric Lycra, used to…

The internal sensors in smartphones for their advanced add-in functions have also paved the way for these gadgets becoming multifunctional tools in elementary experimental physics. For instance, the acceleration sensor has been used to analyze free-falling motion and to study the oscillations of a spring-mass system. The ambient light sensor on…

The introductory physics classroom has long educated students about the properties of the atom and the nucleus. But absent from these lessons has been an informed discussion of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and its parent science nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Physics teachers should not miss the opportunity to instruct upon this highly…

The study aims to examine fourth-grade private and public-school students' images of the science learning environment using their drawings. The survey was conducted in the 2017-2018 academic year, and a descriptive survey model was used. Participant group of this study consist of 357 fourth-grade students. In this study, data were collected by…

A detailed characteristic of teaching and learning approaches used within the new concept of Learning by Being (LBB) is given. The evolution of educational paradigms from Learning by Doing (LBD) and Learning by Understanding (LBU) toward LBB is analyzed. The basic idea of LBB is students' ownership on cognitive goals, or the assumption of learning…

The development of an enzyme-mediated reaction for the first-year general, organic, and biological chemistry (GOB) teaching laboratory is of significant importance so that the factors that affect enzyme-mediated reactions can be adequately demonstrated, reinforcing the lecture portion of the GOB course. Some of the factors that affect these types…

This laboratory experiment introduces the fundamentals of electrochemical techniques to the undergraduate students by developing a simple and cost-effective miniaturized electrochemical setup for detecting UV-induced DNA damage. This is an imperative experiment, as it provides students first-hand experience with electrochemical techniques while…

Faculty at all types of colleges and universities struggle with how smartphone use may enhance or diminish their pedagogy, in part because evidence-based data is lacking for most types of classrooms. Thus, we conducted a thorough investigation in an introductory biology lab course to determine how smartphones affected myriad aspects of student…

Microplastic contamination of the environment is a major concern but detecting such contamination presents a challenge, particularly for particles <0.1 mm in size. Community scientists and students who participated in a plankton monitoring program and routinely examined samples of seawater using brightfield microscopy, often found fragments and…

Providing effective feedback is a skill preservice teachers develop through practice. According to Hattie (2012), feedback is essential in the learning process, is prevalent in effective teaching, and its purpose is to help students determine current level of performance, so adjustments can be made to enhance performance to desired level. This…