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…

Although much is known about the differences between expert and novice problem solvers, knowledge of those differences typically does not provide enough detail to help instructors understand why some students seem to learn physics while solving problems and others do not. A critical issue is how students access the knowledge they have in the…

To identify and describe the basis upon which instructors make curricular and pedagogical decisions, we have developed an artifact-based interview and an analysis technique based on multilayered concept maps. The policy capturing technique used in the interview asks instructors to make judgments about concrete instructional artifacts similar to…

Little research has been conducted on how students work when they are required to plan, build and evaluate artefacts in technology rich learning environments such as those supported by tools including flow charts, "Labview" programming and Lego construction. In this study, activity theory was used as an analytic tool to examine the social…

Using an approach based on a Harvard study that found "when the whole body is involved, the number of brain cells brought to the learning activity doubles," the author offers over one hundred kinesthetic activities for classroom use. Activities are organized by content area, include directions for number of players, objective, and…

This article describes a two-semester general chemistry laboratory teaching approach to assist students in gaining experience with science-process skills. The ultimate goal is successful completion of a second-semester service-learning project requiring use of their newly developed science-process skills. The project entails creating an…

There is a growing consensus that traditional instruction in basic science courses, in institutions of higher learning, do not lead to the desired results. Most of the students who complete these courses do not gain deep knowledge about the basic concepts and develop a negative approach to the sciences. In order to deal with this problem, a…

It is conjectured that some skill entering into problem solving in physics courses might be responsible for making these courses so difficult. This might be the case if one or more basic problem-solving skills could not be mastered in the time and practice available. In order to test this hypothesis, a model of the way in which students solve…

The use of a problem-solving approach in teaching zoology is examined, especially in teaching the topic of insects in the seventh grade. (Author/ND)

If self-paced self-study is used for developing higher abilities such as problem-solving, an increased amount of teacher-student discussion will be required. Some combination of self- and teacher-pacing seems preferable, and a new hybrid scheme for achieving this is considered. (Author)

Described is a laboratory activity to determine five unknown organic compounds. The procedures are designed to help students determine unknowns from a series of tests. (RH)

Described is an experiment that uses nuclear magnetic resonance to study the anomalous paramagnetism of iron(III) chelates. (RH)

The relationship of cognitive development to learning science is considered. Views of thinking from both a psychological and a scientific standpoint are compared in order to shed light on current science teaching practice. Metacognition and problem solving are discussed. (Author/MT)

Addresses the principles and problems associated with the use of significant figures. Explains uncertainty, the meaning of significant figures, the Simple Rule, the Three Rule, and the 1-5 Rule. Also provides examples of the Rules. (ML)

Discusses activities involved in a six-hour workshop program on creativity. Also describes: (1) sources of background information on creativity; (2) ways to evaluate skills in creativity; (3) articles and ideas on creativity and problem-solving, including predictors of problem-solving success; and (4) how to find time to teach problem-solving. (JN)