This article examines the intersection of environmental justice and undergraduate chemistry education through a review of existing publications that highlight successful strategies for chemistry educators interested in incorporating environmental justice into their classrooms. It emphasizes the key roles of racial and social justice in the…

In the resolution of problems in chemical kinetics and catalysis the mathematical models relate the independent variable that is usually time, with the dependent variable which is normally the concentration of a reactant. They conform to linear models, whose parameters such as the ordering to origin and the slope are kinetic parameters, applying…

Open-ended problem-solving skills have been identified as employable skills, which undergraduate students will need to have in order to cope with real-life problems in their workplaces after graduation. However, the development and assessment of these skills have been inconsistent across courses offered in universities. This research examined…

Marble, formed by the metamorphism of limestone, is commonly used in the construction industry and sculpting. The mineral in marble is either calcite [CaCO[subscript 3]] or dolomite [CaMg(CO[subscript 3])[subscript 2]] or sometimes both. The pure white Carrara marble from Italy was made a household name by Michelangelo, the famous sculptor of the…

Organic chemistry is a cognitively demanding subject with persistently low student achievement. This review aimed to identify instructional strategies and educational technologies used to improve learning outcomes in organic chemistry across educational levels and learning environments. A systematic review of 40 experimental studies (2014-2023)…

Metabolism and its regulation is one of the most complex and difficult topics for students learning biochemistry. A problem-/case-based learning (PBL) approach can be useful to help biochemistry students to fulfill the goal of acquiring an integrated view of metabolism and its regulation. The present article describes our experience enrolling…

A traditional anatomy lab using microscope slides to examine the structures of the integumentary system was enhanced to increase connections to the real world, student engagement, and interest in the topic by adding a forensic storyline where students examined structures of the integument in order to "solve the crime". Student…

The importance of advancing the 'employability skills' of students throughout their undergraduate education has been increasingly recognised by students and university instructors. Development of these essential skills is hindered by the lack of widely available assessment tools and shortage of detailed descriptions of effective instructional…

Problem-based learning (PBL) is a method of instruction that challenges students to answer questions in a practical manner using their understanding of learned course content. The question at the heart of this study concerns if and how faculty in one institution are currently using PBL. I used an exploratory descriptive case study to research the…

The purpose of this article is to provide an example of using real world issues as tools for science teaching and learning. Using real world issues provides students with experiences in learning in problem-based environments and encourages them to apply their content knowledge to solving current and local problems.

Small-group activities play a crucial role in biology education, fostering active learning, teamwork, and critical thinking. While their benefits are well-documented, there is a need for innovative classroom exercises that provide students with a real-world perspective on biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. This paper introduces a…

Several traditional chemistry lab experiences were replaced with a problem-based learning (PBL) experience in a university general education, conceptual chemistry course. Students worked in small groups on an authentic chemistry problem in which each student played a different role (Scientist, Engineering, Marketing Manager, Safety Officer, or…

A Sonogashira experiment was transformed into a problem-based learning platform for third-year undergraduate students. Given a target that could be synthesized in a single step, students worked in groups to investigate which method was the best for large-scale production. Through this practical scenario, students learn to conduct a literature…

Recommendations for enhancing scientific literacy, inclusivity, and the ecosystem for innovation call for transitioning from teacher-centered to learner-centered science classrooms, particularly at the introductory undergraduate level. Yet little is documented about the challenges that undergraduates perceive in such classrooms and the students'…

A simple, repeatable and inexpensive laboratory practice applied to teach and discuss aquatic metal pollution and oxidative stress detoxification mechanisms through biomarker analyses, as well as important ecotoxicology concepts, is presented herein. It has been implemented in a university in Brazil to both undergraduate and Master's and PhD…