The body is probably one of a child's first science experiments. Young children are curious about their own bodies and how they work. They love to explore how they move (and do not move), the sounds they makes, how they look, how different textures feel on their skin, even how it tastes when they suck their thumb. Activities suggested in this…

A laboratory exercise used in the senior biochemistry course at the University of Winnipeg for three years is discussed. It combines liquid chromatography and absorbance spectroscopy and also allows the students to produce a quantitative result within a single three-hour period.

This study was an attempt to identify the epistemological roots of knowledge when students carry out hands-on experiments in physics. We found that, within the context of designing a solution to a stated problem, subjects constructed and ran thought experiments intertwined within the processes of conducting physical experiments. We show that the…

The contemporary world of knowledge, characterized by an explosion of information and ways of communicating it, requires creativity more than ever in handling scientific knowledge. Thus, science education, especially for the gifted, must encourage the development of creativity. But, as creativity is not something that can simply be taught, we must…

Cell death is an essential factor in many biological processes including development. Discusses two types of cell death: (1) necrosis (induced by sodium azide); and (2) apoptosis (induced by sodium chromate). Illustrates key features that differ between these two types of cells death including loss of membrane integrity and internucleosomal DNA…

The objectives of this study are: (1) evaluation of the methodology used in recent search for particles with fractional electrical charge (quarks) and its implications for understanding the scientific research methodology of Millikan; (2) evaluation of 43 general physics textbooks and 11 laboratory manuals, with respect to the oil drop experiment,…

For at least 40 years, there has been a recurring argument concerning the nature of experimental amnesia, with one side arguing that amnesic treatments interfere with the formation of enduring memories and the other side arguing that these treatments interfere with the expression of memories that were effectively encoded. The argument appears to…

Restriction enzymes are basic tools in recombinant DNA technology. To shape the molecular biology experiments, the students must know how to work with these molecular scissors. Here, we describe an integrated set of experiments, introduced in the "Advances in Molecular Biology and Biotechnology" postgraduate course, which covers the important…

It is well established that thought experiments are both scientifically and philosophically significant, and even that they are pedagogically significant. However, the basis and methodology for their pedagogical use is not as well established. Pedagogical thought experiments are defined as mental simulations with special features to isolate…

An experiment related to the measurement of fluorescence lifetime for an undergraduate instrumental analysis or physical chemistry laboratory that highlights relative rates of electronic transitions in molecules and introduces students to data collection of a pulsed signal is illustrated. The experiment of the long fluorescence lifetime of…

Lecture-based experimental methods that include topics ranging from basic signal processing to the proper use of thermocouples to advanced optical techniques such as laser-induced fluorescence are described. The data obtained from this demonstration could be provided to the students in digital form to obtain useful engineering results such as an…

This article presents the methodology and results for a simple approach to the measurement of the transition temperature of a superconducting material, in a pre-university laboratory session, using readily available apparatus (and some liquid nitrogen).

Toys which can help to learn the basics and more in-depth chemistry concept are investigated and explained, which are also available online on the website. Some of the examples are simple LCD clock powered by citric acid of lemon, crystal radio made from simple household materials, firework, homemade snow globe, which explains the properties of…

A summer outreach program, which was implemented for the first time in the summer of 2004, that provided middle school girls with an opportunity to conduct college-level analytical chemistry experiments under the guidance of female graduate students is explained. The program proved beneficial to participants at each level.

This paper reports on the reality of classroom-based inquiry learning in science, from the perspectives of high school students and their teachers, under a national curriculum attempting to encourage authentic scientific inquiry (as practiced by scientists). A multiple case study approach was taken, utilising qualitative research methods of…