The term "video podcasting" can be both intimidating and exciting. It might sound like something only the technologically savvy know how to do, and it is evident that "digital native" students love it. This "how to" article bridges the gap between intimidating and exciting in order to bring video podcasting into the realm of possibility for those…

The importance of distillation in the separation field prompts the inclusion of distillation experiments in the chemical engineering curricula. This work describes the performance of an Oldershaw column in the rectification of a cyclohexane/n-heptane mixture. Total reflux distillation, continuous rectification under partial reflux, and batch…

While the study of geometry in some shape or form has existed for many millennia, it is within the past twenty years that a shift has occurred in how geometry may be learned through computer-based interactive geometric software. Software programs like The Geometer's Sketchpad[TM], Cabri[TM], and GeoGebra[TM] allow users to construct interactive…

It's a perfect storm out there, with powerful forces remaking the IT landscape in higher education. On one side, devastating budget cuts are pushing IT departments to identify ever-greater cost savings. On the other, the explosion in mobile devices is pressuring IT to provide anytime, anywhere computing with no downtime. And finally there's…

This paper describes a collaborative educational data mining tool based on association rule mining for the ongoing improvement of e-learning courses and allowing teachers with similar course profiles to share and score the discovered information. The mining tool is oriented to be used by non-expert instructors in data mining so its internal…

Taking its responsibility to students, faculty, and staff seriously, Sacred Heart University wanted a highly effective emergency response plan, one that could be updated at any time, with information always available to first responders and other authorized users. For this lifesaving function, the university built a Web site based on Microsoft[R]…

The geometric configuration and mechanical properties of the integral elements of the respiratory system, as well as the modus operandi of the interacting parts in the ventilation process, comprise a hard-to-visualize system, making the mechanics of pulmonary ventilation a confusing topic for students and a difficult task for the teacher. To…

In this article we set a context for three Initial Learning Environments Alice, Greenfoot, and Scratch. We consider historical antecedents, technical comparators and design approaches. (Contains 2 footnotes.)

This article explores the major design characteristics (both pedagogic as well as technical) that helped to shape Alice 2. It identifies several strengths of Alice as well as several weaknesses. An example problem is solved in Alice, covering many of the design characteristics. Finally, the effects and impacts of Alice instruction are presented,…

The ability to move from one representation of data to another is one of the key characteristics of expert mathematicians and scientists. Cloud computing will offer more opportunities to create and display multiple representations of data, making this skill even more important in the future. The advent of the Internet led to widespread…

Voice-recognition software is designed to be used by one user (voice) at a time, requiring a researcher to speak all of the words of a recorded interview to achieve transcription. Thus, the researcher becomes a conduit through which interview material is inscribed as written word. Embodied Transcription acknowledges performative and interpretative…

The American K-12 grade education system is experiencing a truancy crisis. Nationally, 15%, or 7.5 million students, miss an entire month of school annually [1], with that rate frequently doubling or even tripling among students from underserved communities [2]. Research has identified attendance as one of three primary indicators of high school…

This article provides an overview of the Autobiography Project, listing the topics of the ten chapters and the targeted skills that accompany them. The authors discuss the purposes of each chapter and describe the methods incorporated to promote the four broad components of literacy. This unit also addresses almost all components of the Common…

As immunology continues to evolve, many educational methods have found difficulty in conveying the degree of complexity inherent in its basic principles. Today, the teaching-learning process in such areas has been improved with tools such as educational software. This article introduces "Virtual Immunology," a software program available…

Apps, specialized programs used on mobile computers, can be used in innovative ways to enhance science and literacy learning. With the skilled guidance of their teachers, students can exploit app affordances for learning and acquire disciplinary literacies unique to science. This article showcases apps that help students to access information,…