This study examines the extent to which the type of instruction used during a general chemistry laboratory course affects students' ability to use core ideas to engage in science practices. We use Ford's (2008) description of the nature of scientific practices to categorize what students do in the laboratory as either empirical or…

This work reports on the use of virtual tools as means of learning process activation. A good result can be achieved by combining the classical learning with modern computer technology. By creating a virtual learning environment and using multimedia learning tools one can obtain a significant result while facilitating the development of students'…

Source-based essays are evaluated both on the quality of the writing and the content appropriate interpretation and use of source material. Hence, composing a high-quality source-based essay (an essay written based on source material) relies on skills related to both reading (the sources) and writing (the essay) skills. As such, source-based…

Are you interested in using argument-driven inquiry for middle school lab instruction but just are not sure how to do it? "Argument-Driven Inquiry in Physical Science" will provide you with both the information and instructional materials you need to start using this method right away. The book is a one-stop source of expertise, advice,…

Nowadays, in the United Kingdom, citizens take for granted clean water pumped directly into their homes, but it was not always the case, and is still not so in many countries. Could people clean water themselves if they had to and what could they then use it for? Would it actually be "clean enough" to drink? The author presents children…

African violet (genus "Saintpaulia") was identified as a particularly suitable genus for the study of specialised plant cells in the classroom using microscopes. The techniques described here involve simple preparation without staining. The cells and structures that can be investigated include: trichomes (hairs); stomata; guard cells and…

We describe a simple, low-cost experiment and corresponding pedagogical strategies for studying fluids whose viscosities depend on shear rate, referred to as "non-Newtonian fluids." We developed these materials teaching for the Compass Project, an organization that fosters a creative, diverse, and collaborative community of science…

Single-case or single-subject experimental designs (SSED) are used to evaluate the effect of one or more treatments on a single case. Although SSED studies are growing in popularity, the results are in theory case-specific. One systematic and statistical approach for combining single-case data within and across studies is multilevel modeling. The…

For many designers, freehand sketching is the primary tool for conceptualization in the early stage of the design process. However, current education on concept presentation techniques rarely emphasizes the construction of the most fundamental spatial unit, the cube. Incorrect construction of spatial units leads to disproportions that deviate from…

Background: This auto-ethnographic study describes research conducted in a science teacher education program at a state university in Turkey, where I had taught the 'laboratory applications' course for the four previous years. While the students learned the basic skills needed to implement a laboratory course, I detected some deficiencies in their…

The purpose of this exploratory, experimental study was to determine the effects that the type of reflection-in-action and students' cognitive style had on content knowledge of preservice agriculture teachers (N = 57) at Oklahoma State University. Students' cognitive style was assessed using Kirton's Adaptation-Innovation Inventory (KAI). Students…

Since the 1970s, Aalborg University has been developing a new pedagogical model in higher education: The Project Oriented-Problem Based Learning (PO-PBL). In particular, the Faculty of Engineering and Science has developed a pedagogical proposal that introduces students to a different type of learning. One of the theoretical frameworks…

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful experimental technique, yet it is often missing from the undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory curriculum. Tetrachloromethane (CCl[subscript 4]) is the ideal molecule for an introductory vibrational spectroscopy experiment and the symmetric stretch vibration contains fine structure due to isotopic variations…

Experimental science activities in primary school enable important cross-curricular learning. In this study, experimental activities on microbiology were carried out by 16 pupils in a Portuguese grade-4 classroom (9-10?years old) and were focused on two problem-questions related to microbiology and health: (1) do your teeth carry microbes? (2) why…

Laboratory experiments and computer models for studying the mass transfer process of removing CO2 from air using water or dilute NaOH solution as absorbent are presented. Models tie experiment to theory and give a visual representation of concentration profiles and also illustrate the two-film theory and the relative importance of various…