This paper presents a new photovoltaic (PV) power systems laboratory module that was developed to experimentally reinforce students' understanding of design principles, operation, and control of photovoltaic power conversion systems. The laboratory module is project-based and is designed to support a renewable energy course. By using MATLAB…

This paper contains a description of my experiences flipping undergraduate mathematics and statistics courses for the first time with some advice for any fellow novice flippers. This paper discusses ways to start small and build up to a completely flipped class over the span of a few terms with advice on what technology to use including software…

As a primary teacher and subject leader for science with an interest in valid, authentic modes of assessment, the author has looked forward to an era in which electronic formats would play a significant role and provide new benefits, as predicted by the experts for well over a decade. In this article, the author appeals for better software to…

European universities are involved in a process of change to ensure they are more comparable, compatible and coherent systems of higher education inside the European Higher Education Area (EHEA). In addition, scouting takes more than 100 years educating young people around the world. This non-formal education is based on values and its method is…

The importance of collocations, i.e. idiosyncratic binary word co-occurrences in the context of second language learning has been repeatedly emphasized by scholars working in the field. Some went even so far as to argue that "vocabulary learning is collocation learning" (Hausmann, 1984, p. 395). Empirical studies confirm this…

This case presents the design of a GPS (Global Positioning Satellite) guided smartphone tour. The tour was a redesign of an assignment for an introductory Physical Science course in which students take a guided tour of a local canyon. The app is downloaded to students' personal devices and provides a guided tour. I am giving special attention to…

This article reports on an English for academic purposes course designed following the tenets of content and language integrated learning (CLIL) to address the needs of language minority (LM) high school graduates entering Canadian universities. The language used in and required of post-secondary study is challenging for many LM students,…

Mathematics teachers are constantly looking for real-world applications of mathematics. Aerospace education provides an incredible context for teaching and learning important STEM concepts, inspiring young people to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Teaching mathematics within the context of aerospace generates…

A number of articles published in this column have dealt with topics in classical mechanics. This note describes some additional examples employing a smartphone and the new software iMecaProf. Steve Jobs presented the iPhone as "perfect for gaming." Thanks to its microsensors connected in real time to the numerical world, physics…

The New Media Consortium's "Horizon Report" for higher education cites games and gamification with a time-to-adoption of two to three years. The use of digital games is almost ubiquitous in social media and is swiftly gaining popularity in other industries as well. Many in higher education have embraced gamification due to its…

Sage is an open-source software package that can be used in many different areas of mathematics, ranging from algebra to calculus and beyond. One of the most exciting pedagogical features of Sage (http://www.sagemath.org) is its ability to create interacts--interactive examples that can be used in a classroom demonstration or by students in a…

There are at least five different equivalent definitions of the absolute value concept. In instances where the task is an equation or inequality with only one or two absolute value expressions, it is a worthy educational experience for learners to solve the task using each one of the definitions. On the other hand, if more than two absolute value…

Herein, a slightly enhanced version of extended Huckel molecular orbital theory is applied to demonstrate the spontaneous distortion of 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene from a perfect octagon, a consequence of the Jahn-Teller effect. The exercise is accessible to students who have been introduced to basic quantum mechanics and extended Huckel molecular…

What role should technology play in instruction? One of the greatest challenges of teaching is preparing the citizens of tomorrow for an unpredictable future. What knowledge do students need? Which skills? And how can the author, as their classroom teacher, provide experiences that will ensure students have the knowledge and skills to become…

The names of operating systems and devices have been on the lips of unlikely people lately. In this day and age, superintendents, state commissioners of education, and even state legislators certainly should understand and care about technical details, but the author is just not used to hearing such things from them. The reason for the…