Working with approximations is a common practice in physics. This paper presents an exploratory study of student understanding of some of the elementary aspects of approximations encountered in college physics. For this purpose, a questionnaire (a set of 14 multiple-choice questions) was developed to probe how students dealt with these aspects in…

When learning chemistry, students must learn to extract chemical information from mathematical expressions. However, chemistry students' exposure to mathematics often comes primarily from pure mathematics courses, which can lead to knowledge fragmentation and potentially hinder their ability to use mathematics in chemistry. This study examines how…

Educational reform priorities such as emphasis on quantitative modelling (QM) have positioned undergraduate biology instructors as designers of QM experiences to engage students in authentic science practices that support the development of data-driven and evidence-based reasoning. Yet, little is known about how biology instructors adapt to the…

Upper-division undergraduate students are introduced to polymer processing using material extrusion fused filament fabrication 3D printing to make poly(lactic acid) (PLA) mechanical testing specimens. Computer aided design and slicing software packages are used to demonstrate the process of preparing 3D computer models for printing. Following the…

Proposing scientific descriptions is critical for individuals to cope with daily problems and acquire essential information. Nonetheless, few classes have enhanced students' ability to describe facts of scientific phenomena. Thus, using a tool of technology-based laboratory, this research examined whether students' scientific descriptions and…