In an effort to increase student comprehension and retention of basic chemistry concepts within a college level general chemistry course, a series of activities were created. These activities are referred to here as integrated problems. They were developed to help students by continuously reviewing key concepts and incorporating new material into…

The word laser is an acronym. It stands for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Lasers, invented in 1958, are used to cut and fuse materials, accurately survey long distances, communicate across fiber-optic phone lines, produce 3D pictures, make special effects, help navigation, and read bar codes for cash registers. A laser…

In looking at successful inquiry activities, patterns in pedagogical approach emerge (Meyer et al. 2011). This article discusses one such approach--the design challenge. A design challenge can be defined as an activity in which students are given an explicit task to create a product that meets a defined goal. However, simply asking students to…

Of the eight scientific practices highlighted in "A Framework for K-12 Science Education: Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Core Ideas," the first is for students to develop abilities to ask questions and define problems (NRC 2012). Constructing a range of questions about an object or phenomenon validates not only what students have…

Open-ended, inquiry-based multiweek laboratory exercises are the key elements to increasing students' understanding and retention of the major biological concepts. Including original research into undergraduate teaching laboratories has also been shown to motivate students and improve their learning. Here, we present a series of original…

Differentiates between problems, exercises and algorithms. Discusses the role of algorithms in solving problems and exercises in chemistry. Suggests that very real differences exist between solving problems and exercises, and that problem solving steps can be and should be taught in chemistry education. (TW)