Within the framework of a laboratory-focused, guided-inquiry pedagogy, students discover the Nernst equation, the spontaneity of galvanic cells, concentration cells, and the use of electrochemical data to calculate equilibrium constants. The laboratory experiment we describe here is a continuation of curriculum reform and pedagogical innovation at…

While astrophysics is a fascinating subject, it hardly lends itself to laboratory experiences accessible to undergraduate students. In this paper, we describe a feasible astrophysical laboratory experience in which the students are guided to take several stellar spectra, using a telescope, a spectrograph and a CCD camera, and perform a full data…

An advanced analytical chemistry laboratory experiment is described that involves environmental analysis and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Students analyze lint from clothes dryers for traces of flame retardant chemicals, polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs), compounds receiving much attention recently. In a typical experiment, ng/g…

This paper details a successful and inexpensive implementation of a remote laboratory into a distance control systems course using readily available hardware and software. The physical experiment consists of a beach ball and a dc blower; the control objective is to make the height of the aerodynamically levitated beach ball track a reference…

This paper describes the Global Real-time Assessment Teaching Tool for Teaching Enhancement (G-RATE). It is a tool framed around the elements of Bransford, Brown, and Cocking's (1999) "How People Learn" framework and informed from data collected via laboratory observations; focus group interviews with engineering supervisors and graduate…

Over the last 30 years, there has been ongoing research and debate concerning the implementation and effectiveness of cooperative learning in the classroom. The problem is determining the fair assignment of individual grades while using cooperative work. Teachers have limited time to compile, equate, and convert group grades for each student. The…

Despite their experience as writing center directors (WCDs) and their knowledge of the literature on writing center administration, the authors wondered why their interactions with upper level administrators (ULAs) so often left them feeling angered or mystified. The all-too-clear evidence of their ineffectual responses to their seemingly…

The purpose of this study was to investigate environmental health knowledge, attitudes and practices of children enrolled in grades four through eight at a university laboratory school in southeast Louisiana, U.S.A. Quantitative and qualitative questions were completed through an online survey. The children's written responses to the survey…

Chronically high rates of new and experienced science teacher attrition and the findings of new large-scale mentoring programs indicate that administrators should adopt new approaches. A science teacher's role encompasses demanding responsibilities, such as observing laboratory safety and OSHA mandates, as well as management of a business-like,…

FisL@bs is a network of remote and virtual laboratories for physics university education via the Internet that offers students the possibility of performing hands-on experiments in different fields of physics in two ways: simulation and real remote operation. This paper gives a detailed account of a novel way in physics in which distance learning…

In this research a number of strategies including physical experiences, physical stories and lab school with guided reflection were used with pre-service physical education teachers in an attempt to foster more critical and inclusive approaches to teaching physical education in the middle years. The strategies were used to illustrate the complex…

The teaching of chemistry through practical experiments has long been an established practice. It forms a key component of teaching of that subject at both school and university level and students have strong views of this method of teaching. This paper reports on the view of undergraduate level 1 chemistry students in relation to their…

One of the most vexing issues faced by experimental social psychologists is the creation and subsequent maintenance of a laboratory. Consequently, well-equipped experimental sociology laboratories are most likely to be found in institutions with larger resources and an established history of experimental research. Smaller institutions or those…

Interdisciplinary teaching is a great way to focus on overarching concepts and help students make connections across disciplines. Historically, art and science have been connected disciplines. The botanical prints of the 18th and 19th centuries and early work with microscopes are two examples of a need for strong artistic skills in the science…

In order to cope with complex issues in the science-technology-environment-society context, one must develop students' high-order learning skills, such as question-asking ability (QAA), critical thinking, evaluative thinking, decision-making, and problem-solving capabilities within science education. In this study, we are concerned with evaluating…