This book presents assessment formats, strategies, models, and templates appropriate for learning outcomes in inquiry activities undertaken in the classroom and the laboratory as well as outdoors. The designs of these assessment formats and strategies are based on the most recent research on assessment, instruction, and learning, and include many…

An innovative high school curriculum in Finland is designed so that the year is divided into six 6-week periods. In an experiment begun in fall 1989, English second language instruction was provided to second-year students in the form of content-area instruction in computer science, chemistry, and physics at one of two levels. Each course lasted…

The purpose of this study was to determine the influence of an STS curriculum (ChemCom) versus a traditional chemistry curriculum (GenChem) on student formal reasoning level. Cluster random sampling was used to select the sample (N=123). Gender differences in formal reasoning level were also investigated. The abbreviated GALT pretest was…

In this paper a new conception of school science is set forth, based on the utilization of data collected in introductory college chemistry classrooms in a western university. Two sections of freshmen chemistry and several of the accompanying laboratory periods for the first weeks of the fall semester were observed. The methods of research were…

The CHEMATH course at Edmonds Community College integrates instruction in algebra and chemistry. The course emphasizes problem-solving techniques and relies on active learning through the use of structured group process techniques. CHEMATH is team taught by science and math faculty and is intended primarily for students planning to major in…

Designed for high school science teachers, the document warns of potential health threats of performing certain experiments and using certain chemicals or chemical combinations in their courses. Following a rationale for more carefully considering health dangers, the document gives suggestions on what can be done by teachers. Reports such as a…

Provided are guidelines for evaluating undergraduate professional education in chemistry. The guidelines summarize an approved program as including: 400 hours of classroom work; 500 hours of laboratory work; a core curriculum covering principles of analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical chemistry; 1 year of advanced work in chemistry or…

The purpose of this study was to introduce the Mole Solver, a computer based system that facilitates monitors and improves the students' problems solving skills on mole concept. The system has three distinct modes that: i) finds step by step solutions to the word problems on the mole concept ii) enable students' to solve word problems on their own…

"Concepts in Science" is the title given to a group of 17 related miniseries produced for senior science students. This report presents the results of the summative evaluation of this series. The series explored important concepts in three areas of study: biology; physics; and chemistry. Each series consists of six 10-minute animated…

Water pollution is not a recently discovered problem. Humankind's ability to generate pollutants continues to exceed its ability to control them. The Adopt-A-Stream program invites people who care for waterways to take an active role in assuring their well-being. High school groups supported by local co-sponsors agree to evaluate their adopted…

In 1988, the Office for Undergraduate Science, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (USEME) convened a series of disciplinary workshops designed to obtain a better understanding of the conditions and trends in undergraduate education in the United States in seven critical areas: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Geosciences,…

Registrants of college chemistry (Chem 103) whose permanent address indicated they lived in Maryland, Washington, D.C., or northern Virginia, were invited by letter to participate in a pre-course refresher consisting of listening to as many as seven audiotutorial tapes on the basic concepts and calculations of chemistry. Sixty-nine percent of…

An objective of the American Chemical Society is to promote alternatives to landfilling for the disposal of laboratory chemical wastes. One method is to reduce the amount of chemicals that become wastes. This is the basis for the "less is better" philosophy. This bulletin discusses various techniques involved in purchasing control,…

This study assessed the qualifications of biology, chemistry, and physics teachers, both from the perspective of their initial preparation and with regard to the type of certification they possessed. In particular, the Ohio Department of Education sought to determine what patterns of preparation must be followed at each of Ohio's teacher education…

A large proportion of college students majoring in science are unable to translate even simple sentences into algebraic equations. Given the following sentence, "There are six times as many students (S) as professors (P) at this university," 37% of 150 freshmen engineering students in a study conducted in 1981 by Clement, Lockhead, and Monk wrote…