Dynamics of Machine Elements is a junior-level course in mechanical engineering that covers the kinematics (motion) and kinetics (causes of motion) of machine elements such as linkages, cams, and gear trains. This paper describes the results of adding a Rube Goldberg Machine Contest® project to the course to address student concerns over the lack…

This presentation will focus on the use of live action and video instruction as a method of content dissemination and to motivate students in learning in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education. Specifically, this area, dubbed "edutainment", will chronicle different interactions with students, teachers and…

In this explorative study, a diagnostic test on diffusion and osmosis (DTDO) was developed and used to assess pre-degree students' conceptual understanding and application of diffusion and osmosis in biology. The 25-item DTDO is a two-tier test--adapted from Odom and Barrow's (1995) Diffusion Osmosis Diagnostic Test (DODT)--developed and validated…

Numerous online resources provide a variety of content for a wide range of STEM topics; however, they tend to function as isolated tidbits that provide content-specific knowledge. Application-based science education videos address the overlooked issue of concept to application by implementing experimental components in their videos and fostering…

Computational techniques have great potential to improve the teaching-learning. In this work, we used a computational strategy to visualize three-dimensional (3D) structures of proteins and DNA and help the student to comprehend biochemistry concepts such as protein structure and function, substrate, and inhibitors as well as DNA structural…

This study examined the relationship between students' (N = 229) concepts of size and scale and students' achievement in science and mathematics over a 3-year period. Size and scale are considered one of the big ideas in science that permeates disparate science and mathematics content areas, yet little is known about the relationship between…

The evolution of resistance to antibiotics provides a timely and relevant topic for teaching undergraduate students evolutionary biology. Here, we present a module incorporating modified sequencing data from eight antibiotic resistant pathogen outbreaks in hospital settings with bioinformatics and phylogenetic analyses. This module uses whole…

Background: Although plant reproduction is a core subject in school science curricula, botanical topics are typically unpopular with students. Integrating the arts into science subject matter has the potential to increase student interest and understanding. Educational theatre has shown particular promise in this area. Purpose: The study examined…

Children's everyday activities enable them to learn some science even before entering preschool education and children bring these ideas with them when entering education settings. Some of these ideas, or else mental representations, may not be compatible with what is generally accepted by the scientific community. This paper presents the results…

In the document "Curriculum Standard of General Senior High School Curriculum and Biology (2017 ed.)" published in 2018, developing students' core literacy as the fundamental task and value pursuit of current educational and teaching curriculum reform in China. Life concept is the key element of the core literacy of biology in senior…

An inquiry-based laboratory learning unit was designed to enhance high school students' understanding of the application of lipase as a catalyst to synthesize isoamyl and geranyl ester derivatives as well as to promote their understanding and positive perceptions of green chemistry. The learning unit consisted of three laboratories and a final…

In this paper we describe the results of some experiments about using surprising physics demonstrations, presented as magical phenomena followed by scientific explanations, for introducing physics topics in several teaching contexts. All the demonstrations have been designed to be implemented with easy to get and cheap materials, so that students…

Higher-order Thinking Skills (HOTS) is significant for students and has to be trained and managed well by teachers. This study aims to describe the preparation of biology teachers in learning, to analyze the understanding of biology teachers about HOTS, and to examine the efforts of biology teachers in developing HOTS for high school students in…

Einsteinian physics represents a distinct paradigm shift compared to Newtonian physics. There is worldwide interest in introducing Einsteinian physics concepts early in school curriculum and trials have demonstrated that this is feasible. However introducing Einsteinian concepts from an early age requires more than suitable curriculum and teaching…

Understanding of causal mechanisms has largely been ignored in past work on science learning, with studies typically assessing multiple aspects of children's knowledge or focusing on their explanations without differentiating between accounts of factors, variables and mechanisms. Recent evidence suggests that grasp of mechanisms is in fact a…