Discusses coordinate systems, units of measure, scaling and levels as they relate to a database generated by a computer in a spatial rather than planer location. Describes geometric-oriented input, direct coordinates, transformations, annotation, editing and patterns. Stresses that hand drafting emulation is a short-sighted approach to…

Describes two methods to teach radioactive decay to secondary students with wide ranging abilities. Activities are designed to follow classroom discussions of atomic structure, transmutation, half life, and nuclear decay. Includes "The Tasmanian Empire: A Radioactive Dating Activity" and an exercise to teach concepts of half life without…

Points out two areas of difficulty in teaching Newtonian dynamics. Describes several alternatives to physics learning using new technology. Details the use of the LOGO computer language in teaching simple Newtonian environments. Suggests the potential for creating new learning experiences in dynamics with new technology. (CW)

Suggests an approach to understanding the integrals associated with teaching electricity and magnetism at the college level. Categorizes integrals that are commonly used, explains the significance of paired usage and presents a method for introducing concepts. Provides a review of symbols and for integrals in college textbooks. (CW)

Describes efforts of members of the biology and physics departments of Paisley College (Scotland) to develop a simple light-emitter-detector arrangement adapted as a colorimeter interfaced with a microcomputer for use by undergraduate students. Discusses the setup and provides a computer program in BASIC to run it. (CW)

Discusses the idea of "master-students," where college professors from two different disciplines take each other's courses. Describes the experiences of an English professor and a chemistry professor who became master-students in each other's classes. Suggests this as a technique for improving teaching and understanding student problems. (TW)

Argues that the field of chemical engineering is going through a major transition. Discusses trends in microchemical and biochemical engineering and warns that the overall field of chemical engineering is departing from the fundamentals of science. Urges chemical engineering educators to restructure their programs to again emphasize basic science.…

Describes the biochemical engineering and industrial biotechnology programs of the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada). Provides descriptions of graduate courses, along with a sample of current research activities. Includes a discussion of the programs' mechanisms for technology transfer. (TW)

Describes a study of the mental processes college students use in thinking about speed. Piagetian-type tasks dealing with speed, time, and distance were used in an individual interview format. Males outperformed females on tasks relating to speed, but not on the other tasks. (TW)

Discusses the need for providing a "toolkit" of computer resources in engineering education programs. Describes the use of the spreadsheet and provides a rationale for using spreadsheets in certain courses, presents considerations for choosing appropriate spreadsheet programs, and gives several examples of applying the spreadsheet to…

Describes a laboratory safety program at the University of Delaware. Includes a history of the program's development, along with standard safety training and inspections now being implemented. Outlines a two-day laboratory safety course given to all graduate students and staff in chemical engineering. (TW)

Reviews the literature regarding the teaching of ethics in medical schools. Defines medical ethics and attempts to determine the scope of medical ethics teaching. Discusses ways medical ethics could be taught and how that teaching can be assessed. Calls for increased attention into the teaching of medical ethics. (TW)

Reviews how medical teachers can assess the climate or overall ambience of their medical education environment. Suggests climate research studies that medical teachers might undertake. Presents some methodologies that might be employed in such studies. Promotes action research by medical teachers to improve the quality of medical education. (TW)

Discusses some difficulties that medical students experience in taking exams containing multiple choice questions. Differentiates between multiple true/false type questions, in which several answers may be true, and one-out-of-four type, in which only one answer is correct. Provides tips for taking and making multiple choice tests. (TW)

Describes an experiment which uses the Gran plot for analyzing free ions as well as those involved in an equilibrium. Discusses the benefits of using Gran plots in the study of acids, as well as other analytes in solutions. Presents background theory along with a description of the experimental procedures. (TW)