Describes a kinetics experiment in which the student measures both a second-order rate constant and an overall third-order rate constant for the oxidation of benzoin to benzil in an alkaline medium. (MLH)

Discusses increasing class size due to increased pressure on school budgets. Reviews class size in other countries. Presents the disadvantages of crowded and small classes and the difficulties of supervision in large science classes. (ASK)

Describes an experiment in which chemistry students determine the efficiency of a laboratory burner used to heat water. The reaction is assumed to be the complete combustion of methane, CH4. The experiment is appropriate for secondary school chemistry students familiar with heats of reaction and simple calorimetry. Contains pre-laboratory and…

Describes a laboratory exercise involving methylene blue and L-ascorbic acid in a simple clock reaction technique to illustrate the basic concepts of chemical kinetics. If stock solutions are supplied and each type of experiment takes no more than half an hour, the entire investigation can be completed in three practical sessions of three hours…

Describes a novel approach to laboratory teaching that provides students with a learning environment which allows them to develop advanced experimental skills that are necessary for success in research and development environments. (DKM)

Finds that creating a goals and objectives statement not only works to legitimize curricular positioning of the writing center in the academy but also addresses important political, theoretical, and rhetorical questions pertaining to the top priority--helping students become better writers. Shares experiences as writing center administrator at the…

Explains an experiment that can be used to help students visualize the phase changes of carbon dioxide. The equipment consists of tweezers and a small plastic syringe. Dry ice is also required. Results are discussed and the phase diagram for carbon dioxide is provided. (DDR)

Describes how a parent, in cooperation with other volunteers, organized a writing center on a high school campus. Explains how they secured funding, found a room out of which to operate, and worked their way into the culture of the high school. Outlines the development of the writing center over its first four years. (TB)

Provides safety guidelines for hands-on projects or model building activities. (KHR)

Discusses research in spatial cognition that uses computer-simulated three dimensional environments and evaluates the use of virtual desktop environments by replicating an experiment which was formerly done in a laboratory or real world setting. Investigates the role of landmarks when acquiring route knowledge in a system of paths. (Author/LRW)

Uses follow-up telephone calls to writing center visitors to determine whether their level of satisfaction with writing center services had remained the same over time. Indicates that when students learned of their grades, they altered their previous perceptions of their writing sessions. Suggests a seemingly positive tutoring session can result…

Discussion of technological innovations that are revolutionizing traditional methods of education focuses on Multiple Perspective Interactive (MPI) video. Topics include telepresence; content-based interactivity; Gestalt Vision that combines multiple images to provide a larger picture; architecture of MPI, including information systems; the impact…

Examines general issues in conducting information retrieval research. Topics include the Okapi information retrieval system and its probabilistic model; the Cranfield projects, concerning recall and precision; the SMART project with its vector-space model; evaluation methodology, including laboratory evaluation of interactive systems; and…

Presents a laboratory procedure that involves students extracting their own DNA from a single hair follicle, using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify a polymorphic locus, performing electrophoresis on the PCR products on an agarose gel, and visualizing the alleles to generate a "DNA fingerprint." Discusses theoretical background,…