Describes an analysis of test items used to measure the science process skills of 11-year-olds in Great Britain. Concludes that the level of cognitive demand was a reliable predictor of the difficulty of an item. (TW)

Discusses the use of mental ability tests for grouping science students. Describes a study which investigated the analytical skill items on the Otis-Lennon Mental Ability Test for field independent bias. Results indicated that the test is biased in favor of individuals with field independent perceptual orientation. (TW)

Discusses possible impact of a new system of examination of high school physics students in England and Wales. Outlines the schemes of assessment that have been accepted by the Secondary Education Council as meeting the new National Criteria, and suggests how teachers might begin to produce their own assessment programs. (TW)

Describes a game developed to provide medical education students with opportunities to discuss questions concerning health education issues. Indicates the materials needed for constructing the accompanying game board and provides the questions that are addressed by participants as they play the game. (TW)

Describes the use of computer assisted instruction in a medical microbiology course. Presents examples of how computer assisted instruction can present case histories in which the laboratory procedures are simulated. Discusses an authoring system used to prepare computer simulations and provides one example of a case history dealing with fractured…

Discusses the use of simulations to study complex real-life systems in engineering. Describes some of the limitations of using simulations. Identifies some situations in which computer simulations are practical and useful tools for the design, analysis, and evaluation of systems. (TW)

Presents an approach for building an inexpensive control engineering laboratory to support control courses in an undergraduate engineering program. Outlines the use of simple amplifier circuits and small personal computers in performing control experiments. Proposes an optimum configuration of the laboratory for minimum servicing and adequate…

Discusses the importance of teaching about enzymes in chemistry. Mentions several applications of enzyme technology to other fields. Describes an experiment involving the immobilization of yeast cells as a biocatalyst for the ethanol production from glucose. Argues for more biotechnology to be integrated into basic chemistry courses. (TW)

Presents several perspectives on what quality chemistry teaching is, including the need for chemistry educators to communicate the positive contributions of chemistry to society. Describes a hierarchy of teaching/learning activities, characteristics of good teachers, and examples of how to be aware of the learner's perspective. (TW)

Contrasts the elementary and secondary education of students in the People's Republic of China with that of the United States. Describes the chemistry program at Lanzhou University. Lists the required and elective courses taken for a bachelor's degree along with the instruments and equipment available to students, and the careers the graduates…

Reports on a study designed to determine the influence of resequencing general science content on sixth grade students' science achievement, attitudes toward science, and interest in science. Results suggest that students experiencing the resequencing exhibited significantly higher science achievement, more positive attitudes toward science and a…

Reports on a study designed to examine the effect of concrete and formal instruction upon reasoning and science achievement of sixth grade students. Results indicated that the concrete instruction group had significantly higher levels of performance in science achievement and cognitive development and that males outperformed females. (TW)

Presents six brief articles dealing with the use of computers in teaching various topics in chemistry. Describes hardware and software applications which relate to protein graphics, computer simulated metabolism, interfaces between microcomputers and measurement devices, courseware available for spectrophotometers, and the calculation of elemental…

Reviews the goals and methodology of an investigative unit on ecology which focuses on pond studies. Provides specific examples of the activities and involvements of the students. (ML)

The evolution of argument that the study of science develops skills, attitudes of mind, or ways of thinking and behaving that are transferable to other areas of experience is discussed by looking at ways in which it has been deployed by people who sought to expand or alter the role of science in the school curriculum in Great Britain. (RM)