Three categories of information are presented in this issue of "Science for Society: Education Review," published by the Commission on Science Education of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. First, as examples of promising innovations in science teaching, there are brief reviews of a secondary school course, Science for…

Describes two demonstrations to illustrate characteristics of substances. Outlines a method to detect the changes in pH levels during the electrolysis of water. Uses water pistols, one filled with methane gas and the other filled with water, to illustrate the differences in these two substances. (TW)

Encourages instruction about disposal of hazardous wastes in college chemistry laboratories as an integral part of experiments done by students. Discusses methods such as down-the-drain disposal, lab-pack disposal, precipitation and disposal, and precipitation and recovery. Suggests that faculty and students take more responsibility for waste…

Reported are the results of a survey of 60 professional soil scientists which was designed to rate and rank courses that should be required for a baccalaureate degree in soil science. Lists the rankings and ratings, along with the resulting core courses and a proposed year-by-year sequence. (TW)

Reported is a study designed to determine whether reading grade level (RGL) assessment techniques used for elementary and secondary education textbooks would discriminate among plant and soil science textbooks. The study was to select the RGL indices suited to quantify the readability of these sources, and to identify the factors affecting…

Provides a description of a course which focused on the social psychology of computers and people. Explains the class format, evaluation criteria and lists examples of students' projects and reading topics. Includes a summary of the program's outcome. (ML)

Examines government and industry funding of engineering schools in Great Britain, and some collaborative research efforts between both sectors. Discusses the direct industry support of academic research and summarizes the factors that contribute to the importance to industry of research funding in engineering schools. (TW)

Describes a generalist chemistry program being offered as a part of the liberal arts program at the University College of the Australian Defence Force Academy. Provides a rationale for developing the new generalist curriculum and contains syllabi from two chemistry courses in the program. (TW)

Discusses the potential of experiments as a vehicle and to motivate students to use text references to look up further information such as nomenclature, molecular geometry, properties and reactivities for various ions and molecules. Describes the procedures and discussion for three such experiments. (TW)

Describes a computer-assisted oil exploration and production game for students involved in a short course in petroleum geology. Outlines the game and its procedures, and provides sample structure maps generated by the computer in the course of playing the game. (TW)

Describes two laboratory demonstrations in chemistry. One uses dry ice, freon, and freezer bags to demonstrate volume changes, vapor-liquid equilibrium, a simulation of a rain forest, and vaporization. The other uses the clock reaction technique to illustrate fast reactions and kinetic problems in releasing carbon dioxide during respiration. (TW)

Discusses the status of continuing engineering education in the United States and emphasizes the need for career-long learning in engineering. Presents some perspectives from industry and academia regarding continuing education, along with the role of professional engineering societies in career development. (TW)

Reports on three studies conducted by the Engineering Technology Division of the American Society of Engineering Education dealing with four-year engineering technology programs. Addresses funding, faculty development and recruitment, student characteristics, enrollment, retention, graduate employment, and alumni participation. (TW)

Describes two workshop models used at the Oregon Institute of Technology for new and adjunct faculty in engineering and engineering technology. Provides a breakdown of the percentage of time devoted to the various topics and methodologies addressed in the workshops, along with outlines of both sessions. (TW)

Promotes the use of machine-scored tests in basic engineering science classes. Discusses some principles and practices of machine-scored testing. Provides several example test items. Argues that such tests can be used to enhance basic understanding of concepts and problem solving skills. (TW)