An online virtual escape-room game was created using the Google Forms survey app for an undergraduate chemistry lab class. Zoom video conferencing service was used to make the activity a collaborative learning experience. The theme was an escape from an abandoned chocolate factory, and the students solved problems to move to the next section or…

The study aims at analyzing the effectiveness and practicality of BIL program to improve the generic skills in learning biology. This study was a pre-experimental study with one group pre-test and post-test design on 138 students divided into four groups at several universities in Mataram. The practicality of the program is measured using an…

Problem solving plays an essential role in all scientific disciplines, and solving problems can reveal essential concepts that underlie those disciplines. Thus, problem solving serves both as a common tool and desired outcome in many science classes. Research on teaching problem solving offers principles for instruction that are guided by learning…

To address the need for effective, efficient ways to apply active learning in undergraduate biology courses, in this paper, we propose a problem-centered approach that utilizes supplemental web-based instructional materials based on principles of active learning. We compared two supplementary web-based modules using active learning strategies: the…

The Scientific Computing for Chemists course taught at Wabash College teaches chemistry students to use the Python programming language, Jupyter notebooks, and a number of common Python scientific libraries to process, analyze, and visualize data. Assuming no prior programming experience, the course introduces students to basic programming and…

In the process of curriculum development, I have integrated a constructivist teaching strategy into an advanced-level biochemistry teaching unit. Specifically, I have introduced case-based learning activities into the teaching/learning framework. These case-based learning activities were designed to develop problem-solving skills, consolidate…

The case for chemistry instruction based on worked examples is presented, using a contemporary model of human learning. We begin by detailing human cognitive architecture and outlining the Interactive Compensatory Model of Learning (ICML). Through the ICML, the role of motivation, deliberate practice and feedback are detailed as key variables in…

Presents the opinion that the learning environment of recitation classes can be vastly improved if instructors pay attention to some basic learning principles. Summarizes these learning principles and presents a specific example of their application. (GS)

Describes the nature and use of a "strategy", an organized approach that breaks down the overall mental task of problem-solving into stages, providing details of the McMaster Six-Step Strategy. Also provides instructions for working through a Whimby pair series of problems and the Schoenfeld management approach. (JN)

Inquiry-based learning was used to enhance an undergraduate molecular biology course at Georgia Southern University, a primarily undergraduate institution in rural southeast Georgia. The goal was to use a long-term, in-class project to accelerate higher-order thinking, thereby enabling students to problem solve and apply their knowledge to novel…

An engineering case study is used as the focal point of a communications course. Communications theory and practical exercises are structured around the case study described, an adaptation and extension of the power station game developed in the early 1970s. Includes outline of and sample student activities. (JN)

Provides rationale for and examples of a game (Mastermind) which fosters the development of a systematic approach to problem solving. Includes a brief summary of an experiment with 50 high school students indicating value of the game. (JN)

In the process of designing and field-testing bioinformatics curriculum materials, we have adopted a three-stage, progressive model that emphasizes collaborative scientific inquiry. The elements of the model include: (1) context setting, (2) introduction to concepts, processes, and tools, and (3) development of competent use of technologically…

Describes a teaching activity consisting of a problem-solving story about a company in a small town that is burying hazardous material which may create future problems for the community. The activity challenges students to address ethical issues relative to responsibility and accountability for protection of the water supply. (PR)