A simulation study is a useful tool in examining how validly item response theory (IRT) models can be applied in various settings. Typically, a large number of replications are required to obtain the desired precision. However, many standard software packages in IRT, such as MULTILOG and BILOG, are not well suited for a simulation study requiring…

This paper examines the Torricelli law for the flow of liquid from a small drain hole in a container. It shows how the system can be modelled using either a traditional calculus-based approach or a non-calculus step-wise computer method appropriate to the background of the student group. An experiment to measure the head of out-flowing liquid as a…

General safety and chemical training of undergraduate students is typically held at the first-year level. In this technology report, we propose a flexible strategy to improve students' general knowledge of safety for a second-year inorganic chemistry laboratory. The strategy is composed of an online interactive revision approach through the…

Investigating symmetric dot patterns provides opportunities for foundational mathematical learning that is not restricted to multiplication alone. Students have opportunities to learn about the properties of symmetry, about the generalization of patterns, about writing and interpreting equations--all areas of study in grades 3-5. And symmetric dot…

The purpose of this paper is to briefly introduce two most common applications of multiple group item response theory (IRT) models, namely detecting differential item functioning (DIF) analysis and nonequivalent group score linking with a simultaneous calibration. We illustrate how to conduct those analyses using the "Stata" item…

A significant amount of energy in the form of heat is lost in industrial processes once it is used in specific processes. Among different technologies, high-temperature heat pumps (HTHP) are a valuable method of recovering low-temperature waste heat in the industry in a very efficient way that can be activated using clean electricity. As a…

The statistical computing and graphics software R, despite its many advantages, is sometimes considered too complex to be introduced to undergraduate political science majors. In this article I showed that when taught appropriately, R could be a valuable and well-received aspect of an introductory research methods course. It is important to teach…

This article describes Ulrich Kortenkamp's Place Value Chart app and the accompanying teacher guide developed by the members of an international research team led by regular contributor Kevin Larkin.

Generalizability theory is a modern, powerful, and broad framework used to assess the reliability, or dependability, of measurements. While there exist classic works that explain the basic concepts and mathematical foundations of the method, there is currently a lack of resources addressing computational resources for those researchers wishing to…

A planetarium is an invaluable tool for teaching introductory astronomy, but one that few astronomy educators have ready access to. Here we describe a do-it-yourself planetarium that can be built with modest funding. There have been other planetarium construction projects described in the literature and online, most of which use cardboard to make…

As schools endeavor to provide all students with access to computational thinking and computer science, the hackathon emerges as a competitive and high-energy event that uses authentic problems to motivate learners to engage in the domain of computing. This article presents the design case of a hackathon for teenagers as enacted over five…

Extended reality (XR), which encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and mixed reality (MR), offers powerful affordances for improving teaching and learning experiences in a post-pandemic world. Increasingly, many governments and institutions around the world are making major investments in XR technologies to prepare education…

Industrial drug discovery teams encompass scientists from multiple specialties and require participants to communicate effectively across disciplinary boundaries. In this paper, we present an undergraduate or graduate classroom simulation of this environment. Over a series of five workshops, student teams of mixed scientific backgrounds perform…

Electroscopes have been widely used in physics education for several reasons, such as their simplicity, sensitivity and visual appeal, showing macroscopic phenomena related to the microscopic world. Although they are capable of highly accurate measurements, the procedures involved in these measurements encounter some obstacles when performed with…

The use of symmetry is widespread in chemistry, as it is used for predictions of the number of allowed and forbidden absorptions in electronic, vibrational, and rotational spectroscopies; for predictions of the combination of atomic orbitals to produce molecular orbitals; and in many other chemical applications. One critical step in these…