The lab activities described in this project, designed to help students integrate knowledge with action, are presently in the early developmental stages. Providing a setting for laboratory civics instruction, the school is viewed as a micro/political system offering a series of purposive participation experiences in which a transfer of knowledge…

Laboratory training and the Tavistock Conference, two types of experiential learning, contrast in important ways. They are designed to respond to different societal issues and make different types of responses to these issues. Tavistock conferences focus consciously and exclusively on group operation, role, role relationships, intergroup…

Describes a program in which six experiments in chemistry were used in an elementary school science program. Discusses the problems encountered in initiating the program, and some of the ways the problems were solved. Lists the six experiments, along with the reaction or process being studied, and the application of each. (TW)

Reports on a study that examined and compared the cognitive effectiveness of a traditional hands-on laboratory exercise with a computer-simulated program on the same topic. Sought to determine if coupling these formats would provide optimum student comprehension. Suggests hands-on exercises be followed by computer simulations as postlaboratory…

Professors and staff members of the University of Portland took the "urban plunge" when they visited the state's Adult and Family Services offices, shelters for the homeless and for battered women, an alcohol- and drug-rehabilitation center, and served lunch at two soup kitchens. A project at Notre Dame is also described. (MLW)

Reports on a study designed to provide a profile of the learning styles of members of the American Chemical Society. Indicates that chemists tend to be more alike than different in their approach to learning. Suggests that chemists tend to be convergers preferring active experimentation more than reflective observation. (TW)

Describes a self-managed learning approach designed to help engineering students take charge of their own learning. Discusses marker events, exploratory learning versus linear instruction, knowledge through self-discovery, information retrieval, production through writing and speaking, and promoting a mature response. (TW)

Describes a field trip taken to an old mining area to study water pollution. Discussed are methods for silt analysis, reagent preparation, color charts, techniques, fieldwork, field results, and a laboratory study. (CW)

Describes an elective field study program at Moravian College (Pennsylvania) in which seniors in analytical chemistry obtain first-hand experience at Bethlehem Steel Corporation. Discusses the program's planning phase, some method development projects done by students, experiences received in laboratory operations, and the evaluation of student…

Describes the evolution of the long-standing environmental education efforts of the New Jersey School of Conservation, a division of Montclair State College. Discusses the various formal and nonformal programs underway, including the environmental education training provided to undergraduate elementary and secondary education majors, and…

Reports on a study designed to determine the relative effectiveness of different instructional approaches on chemistry laboratory achievement. Investigated differences in achievement in spectrophotometry among college freshmen who received either traditional, learning cycle, or computer simulation instruction. Results indicated that students…

Describes the use of bubble-type plastic packing material to make "pop-and-sniff" materials that contain common smells from chemicals such as amyl acetate (banana smell). Discusses how these materials can be used by elementary school teachers to enhance thinking skills. (TW)

Highlights science learning activities and experiences from elementary and middle schools. Includes "Highest Tech Science," an innovative science lab; "Swap Meets," lessons exchanged by mail by two schools; "Students Ahoy," an outdoor experience at the shore; and two cooperative programs between colleges and elementary schools. (CW)

Proposes a framework for interpreting current research in science education. Presents four prototypes for describing research which are derived from comparisons and combinations of "spontaneous" and "formal" knowledge. Discusses possible applications of the use of the framework in science education. (TW)

The article discusses the benefits of craft, design, and technology (CDT) activities for children with special educational needs. Activities such as craftwork can contribute to improved motor skills, self-image, and basic language and math skills. CDT teachers are encouraged to adapt their teaching methods and styles to meet special needs. (JW)