A laboratory sequence is described that is suitable for upper-level biochemistry or molecular biology laboratories that combines project-based and traditional laboratory experiments. In the project-based sequence, the individual laboratory experiments are thematically linked and aim to show how a bacterial antibiotic sensing noncoding RNA (the…

We have adapted our two laboratories at our department based on our research results, which were presented at the conference CADGME 2014 in Halle and published in the journal. In this article we describe the hardware and software structure of the Laboratory 1: LabIT4KT-1: Laboratory of Computer Modelling and the Laboratory 2: LabIT4KT-2:…

This article describes an educational challenge which was prepared for students at the faculty of Aeronautics, Technical University of Košice. Our goal is to improve the methods of the practical training by introducing modern automation and information technologies to the experiments and to the processing of acquired data. We have updated our…

This study examines students' reasoning surrounding seemingly contradictory Likert-scale responses within five items in the Colorado Learning Attitudes About Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS). We administered the E-CLASS with embedded open-ended prompts, which asked students to provide explanations after making a Likert-scale…

In this work we describe an authentic performance project for Instrumental Analysis in which students designed, built, and tested spectrophotometers made from simple components. The project addressed basic course content such as instrument design principles, UV-vis spectroscopy, and spectroscopic instrument components as well as skills such as…

The ability to use numerical evidence to revise beliefs about the physical world is an essential component of scientific reasoning that begins to develop in middle childhood. In 2 studies, we explored how data variability and consistency with participants' initial beliefs about causal factors associated with pendulums affected their ability to…

In 1966, as the old county courthouse in Delaware County moved to a new building, there was no easy way to relocate the years of old documents and artifacts that had been collecting dust in the disorganized basement and attic since 1880. The decision was made. Thousands of documents, ledgers, and manuscripts from the founding of the county in 1827…

Humans routinely use past experience with complexity to deal with novel, challenging circumstances. This fundamental aspect of real-world behavior has received surprisingly little attention in animal studies, and the underlying brain mechanisms are unknown. The present experiments tested for transfer from past experience in rats and then used…

Rooted in achievement goal theory, the buffering hypothesis posits that contextual factors serve to moderate the deleterious effects of personal achievement goals on relevant outcomes. The present study sought to test this hypothesis by examining the interactive effects of classroom affiliation perceptions and personal achievement goals for…

This experiment describes a simple protocol for teaching acid-base titrations using potentiometry, conductivity, and/or photometry to determine end points without an added indicator. The chosen example examines the titratable acidity of a red wine with NaOH. Wines contain anthocyanins, the colors of which change with pH. Importantly, at the…

This paper describes the development of a simple magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) apparatus from a wood base and neodymium magnets and its configuration in the Faraday alignment. The applicability and effectiveness of the apparatus for MCD spectra measurements have been examined. The apparatus was used by undergraduate students to conduct MCD…

Metabolomics applies multivariate statistical analysis to sets of high-resolution spectra taken over a population of biologically derived samples. The objective is to distinguish subpopulations within the overall sample population, and possibly also to identify biomarkers. While metabolomics has become part of the standard analytical toolbox in…

Validation of analytical methods is a fundamental subject for chemical analysts working in chemical industries. These methods are also relevant for pharmaceutical enterprises, biotechnology firms, analytical service laboratories, government departments, and regulatory agencies. Therefore, for undergraduate students enrolled in majors in the field…

This study focuses on student development of two important laboratory skills in the context of introductory college-level physics. The first skill, which we call model making, is the ability to analyze a phenomenon in a way that produces a quantitative multimodal model. The second skill, which we call model breaking, is the ability to critically…

To understand how statistical and other types of reasoning are coordinated with actions to reduce uncertainty, we conducted a case study in vocational education that involved statistical hypothesis testing. We analyzed an intern's research project in a hospital laboratory in which reducing uncertainties was crucial to make a valid statistical…