This simple inquiry-based lab was designed to teach the principle of osmosis while also providing an experience for students to use the skills and practices commonly found in science. Students first design their own experiment using very basic equipment and supplies, which generally results in mixed, but mostly poor, outcomes. Classroom "talk…

A fundamental component of science curricula is the understanding of scientific inquiry. Although recent trends favor using student inquiry to learn concepts through hands-on activities, it is often unclear to students where the line is drawn between the content and the process of science. This activity explicitly introduces students to the…

In this study, we quantitatively analyze the discourse of experienced writing center tutors in 10 highly satisfactory conferences. Specifically, we analyze tutors' instruction, cognitive scaffolding, and motivational scaffolding, all tutoring strategies identified in prior research from other disciplines as educationally effective. We find that…

The course described here was designed especially for students enrolled in a collaborative program between Texas A&M University-Commerce and Konkuk University in South Korea. This course was created specifically for students who did not earn a qualifying score on a standardized placement exam required of all first-year students for enrollment…

The study determined the available Physics Laboratory Equipment (PLE) for the teaching and learning of physics in senior secondary schools in Nigeria as well as the extent of utilizing the available equipment. The research design adopted for the study was descriptive survey. The sample consisted of nine hundred students who were randomly chosen…

The Radiochemistry Program at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) has a Radiation Protection Program that was designed to provide students with the ability to safely work with radioactive materials in quantities that are not available in other academic environments. Requirements for continuous training and supervision make this unique…

A simple model is developed that predicts the coefficient of rolling friction for an undriven laboratory cart on a track that is approximately independent of the mass loaded onto the cart and of the angle of inclination of the track. The model includes both deformation of the wheels/track and frictional torque at the axles/bearings. The concept of…

A simple experiment was devised to let students determine the solubility and solubility product, "K"[subscript sp], of calcium sulfate dihydrate in a first-level laboratory. The students experimentally work on an intriguing equilibrium law: the constancy of the product of the ion concentrations of a sparingly soluble salt. The determination of…

A mathematical derivation of the force exerted by an "inhomogeneous" (i.e. compressible) fluid on the surface of an "arbitrarily shaped" body immersed in it is not found in the literature, which may be attributed to our trust in Archimedes' law of buoyancy. However, this law, also known as Archimedes' principle (AP), does not yield the force…

A differential amplifier composed of an emitter-coupled pair is useful as an example in lecture presentations and laboratory experiments in electronic circuit analysis courses. However, in an active circuit with zero input load V[subscript id], both laboratory measurements and PSPICE and LTspice simulation results for the output voltage…

Because writing centers have long been viewed as fix-it shops, mentioning the word "grammar" can spark a heated debate over the writing center's role. A brief history of the most recent grammar wars begins with researchers in the 1960s who found that "formal grammar has a negligible or, because it usually displaces some instruction and practice in…

Genome scale experiments routinely produce large data sets that require computational analysis, yet there are few student-based labs that illustrate the design and execution of these experiments. In order for students to understand and participate in the genomic world, teaching labs must be available where students generate and analyze large data…

Practicing correct pipetting procedure doesn't have to be boring. "Pipetting by Coordinates" is an effective way to teach necessary pipetting skills in an enjoyable manner. Students create designs as they add volumes of colored water to specific wells and gain experience using a basic biotechnology tool.

A survey was conducted of four-year institutions that teach undergraduate organic chemistry laboratories in the United States. The data include results from over 130 schools, describes the current practices at these institutions, and discusses the statistical results such as the scale of the laboratories performed, the chemical techniques applied,…

This article outlines the reasons why practical work is declining in schools. Microscale chemistry is put forward as a sustainable way of remedying this. The advantages of its use are outlined, including a description of some practical techniques that can be used to illustrate these advantages. There is also a description of how you can make the…