International students outperform U.S. students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), while U.S. students increasingly leave these high-demand areas. To improve STEM education, it is imperative to determine the most effective and efficient instructional and organizational practices in these courses. This article identifies…

This article reports on a one-semester Advanced Cell Biology course that endeavors to bridge the gap between gaining basic textbook knowledge about cell biology and learning to think and work as a researcher. The key elements of this course are 1) learning to work with primary articles in order to get acquainted with the field of choice, to learn…

This article describes the curriculum for a highly student-centered human biology course constructed around a series of themes that enables the integration of the same basic paradigms found in a traditional survey lecture course without sacrificing essential content. The theme-based model enhances student interest, ability to integrate knowledge,…

Reports on an analysis of student evaluations of an introductory college-level physical geology course over a five year period. Indicates that instructional and pedagogical traits were assessed as being of importance in contributing to the satisfaction of the students with the course. (TW)

David Ausubel's learning theory was used as a framework for the content organization of an experimental Personalized System of Instruction (PSI) course in physics. Evaluation suggests that the combination of PSI as a method of instruction and Ausubel's theory for organization might result in better learning outcomes. (Author/JMD)

The program is a terminal course in chemistry for 9-12 grade students who are non-science majors, low achievers, and/or American Indians. Its objectives include to provide a systematic and practical overview of the discipline of chemistry; to change student behavior through this knowledge; to develop social responsibility, scientific attitude, and…

The project aims to illustrate the extent of Native Indian scientific achievements and to correlate this information with the science concepts taught in schools; to make some practical suggestions to teachers and prospective teachers, in order to make science education more meaningful to Native Indian students; to propose a model of the process…