Many varieties of data acquisition systems are now available for science classrooms. Most systems consist of a range of sensors--typically called probeware--connected to an interface unit usually described as a datalogger due to its capacity to record data from these sensors. Although some systems operate independently, most units connect to a…

Probeware is increasingly being implemented in science classrooms because it is less expensive than it used to be and improvements in hardware and software have made it more accessible to students and teachers. Many probes or sensors can now simply be connected to a computer, calculator, or other handheld device, and will immediately begin to…

A number of circumstances challenge the very notion of the provision of mental health services that are effective, accessible, and sustainable in the most impoverished urban settings. These circumstances pose significant challenges to conducting research on alternative mental health practices of sufficient quality and rigor necessary to pass…

In this study we analyse how the experiences of chemistry teachers on the use of a Microcomputer-Based Laboratory (MBL), gathered by a Likert-scale instrument, can be utilized to develop the new package "Empirica 2000." We used exploratory factor analysis to identify the essential features in a large set of questionnaire data to see how…

This article features University Park Campus School, a 7-12 grade school in Worcester, Massachusetts. University Park was created through a partnership between Clark University and Worcester Public Schools. It opened in 1997 as a public school educational alternative for students from the challenging inner-city neighborhood directly adjacent to…

In this article, the author describes how he had revised his course expectations and English teaching methods in Room 109 at Mountain Valley High School in Rumford, Maine, with support from the writing center staff. He instituted thematic portfolios, self-selected reading with a wide range of projects in response to that reading, periodic student…

This article describes how partnerships among general and special education teachers and speech-language pathologists operate within a writing lab approach to enhance curriculum-based language instruction and intervention for students with and without disabilities. Areas discussed include (a) gaining invitations into the classroom, (b)…

The Technology Department at Appalachian State University runs a metals lab to introduce students to basic metalworking processes. Many of the students have never worked with metal before. The class objectives call for teaching students metal properties, processing, and design problem solving. The average student is a 20-year-old junior whom…

Several studies have examined realism and instructional effectiveness of physical simulations. However, very few have touched on the question of their credibility or verisimilitude, from the user's point of view. This article presents an empirical exploratory study which investigated the perceptions of potential users of a simulation-based virtual…

Using a comparative case study approach, the researcher followed 13 instructors for 2 years as they attempted to integrate the Visible Human Dissector, an educational software program, into their undergraduate anatomy courses. Instructors were motivated to use the software as a supplement for limited educational resources and because of its…

The use of inquiry-based laboratory in college science classes is on the rise. This study investigated how five nonmajor biology students learned from an inquiry-based laboratory experience. Using interpretive data analysis, the five students' conceptual ecologies, learning beliefs, and science epistemologies were explored. Findings indicated that…

Laboratory classes are regarded as an important learning activity, but they also have shortcomings: laboratory classes are often an inefficient learning activity for students and often do not sufficiently support students in developing research specific cognitive skills. It is hypothesized that some of such skills can be achieved more effectively…

This article presents a brief history of the Berkeley Child Study Center from the establishment of the Institute of Child Welfare in 1928. The authors review the center's more than 75 years of continuous service as a laboratory preschool. With its careful attention to staffing and its philosophy of giving priority to children's free activity and…

In this study we content analyzed the online discussion of several senior-high-school groups on a forum of a virtual physics laboratory in Taiwan. The goal of our research was to investigate the nature of non-course-based online discussion and to find out some useful guidelines in developing such discussion forums for learning purposes. We adapted…

A group of high school students (XII Liceum) in the framework of the Roland Maze Project has built a compact telescope of three Geiger-Muller counters. The connection between the telescope and a PC computer was also created and programmed by students involved in the Project. This has allowed students to use their equipment to perform serious…