Analyzes research on social comparisons by children of elementary school age or younger with respect to sex differences. Examines theoretical perspectives. Categorizes research by investigation setting, summarizes major findings, and makes recommendations for future research. (FMW)

Describes an elective field study program at Moravian College (Pennsylvania) in which seniors in analytical chemistry obtain first-hand experience at Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Discusses the program's planning phase, some method development projects done by students, experiences received in laboratory operations, and the evaluation of student…

Describes a simple experiment done in a quantitative analysis course that illustrates the chemistry of the breath alcohol test. Discusses the development and use of the Breathalyzer. Outlines the experimental procedure, along with the appropriate calculations and discussion of the results. (TW)

Presents the official position of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics on the use of computers in mathematics education. Includes statements relative to teacher education, available hardware, curriculum revision and use of computers as tools. (PK)

Describes some of the features of Lehigh University's (Pennsylvania) process modeling and control program. Highlights the creation and operation of the Chemical Process Modeling and Control Center (PMC). Outlines the program's philosophy, faculty, technical program, current research projects, and facilities. (TW)

Reports on a study designed to determine the relative effectiveness of different instructional approaches on chemistry laboratory achievement. Investigated differences in achievement in spectrophotometry among college freshmen who received either traditional, learning cycle, or computer simulation instruction. Results indicated that students…

Discusses the abundance of electronic equipment available for use in second-language instruction in contrast to the shortage of courseware available. The lack of courseware is attributed to teacher resistance to and fear of technology and the lack of institutional support for teachers to design courseware. (LMO)

Describes a course recently developed at the University of Pennsylvania in mechanical engineering which emphasizes computer applications to laboratory instruction. Discusses the course objectives and explains the computer simulations and experiments utilized in the course. (TW)

Describes and provides suggestions for organizing a gemology course for both geology and non-geology undergraduate majors. Includes a sample outline for the course and identifies equipment needed and specimens. Lists recommended supplementary course materials. (TW)

Reviews the collection of science teaching apparatus that has been acquired by the British Science Museum since its request for such equipment in 1979. Describes the current acquisitions and discusses their use with regard to the historical development of science education. Mentions certain apparatus still being sought for the collection. (TW)

Describes apparatus for use in high school chemistry instruction. Provides instructions and lists of materials needed for building a homemade sand bath for use in experiments that demonstrate the slow evaporation of a solvent. Plans for the construction of a low-cost conductivity apparatus are also included. (TW)

Describes a new biochemistry laboratory course offered at the University of Scranton (Pennsylvania) which is designed to promote scientific curiosity and creativity. Uses a problems-oriented approach which provides students with independent learning experiences. Provides a listing of some of the course's laboratory exercises. (TW)

Discusses the outcomes of an investigation into the motives and appreciation of autonomous language learners among students and staff of the Department of Individual Foreign Language Studies at the University of Amsterdam. The results showed so much variety that any conclusions or correlations were hard to make. (Author/SED)

Determined if grouping preservice elementary teachers (N=91) in physical science laboratories by their formal reasoning ability affected: (1) their science content achievement; (2) the learning environment in the laboratory; (3) their formal reasoning ability; and (4) the relationship between individuals in a particular group. (Author/JN)

Successful curricula are not collections of isolated elements; rather, effective learning environments function as coherent systems (Brown & Campione, 1996; see also Papert, 1980; Shaffer, 1998). The theory of pedagogical praxis begins with the premise that computers and other information technologies make it easier for students to become active…