A semi-quantitative model has been developed to estimate the relative effects of dispersion, dipole-dipole interactions, and H-bonding on the normal boiling points ("T[subscript b]") for a subset of simple organic systems. The model is based upon a statistical analysis using multiple linear regression on a series of straight-chain organic…

When students take courses out of sequence, it can have a detrimental effect on both teaching and learning. At California State University-Fresno, we see a considerable number of freshmen taking upper division classes and an even larger number of upper-division students taking lower level classes. The purpose of this study was to examine academic…

I discuss my experience with teaching an advanced undergraduate Real Analysis class using both lecturing and the small-group guided discovery method. The article is structured as follows. The first section is about the organizational and administrative components of the class. In the second section I give examples of successes and difficulties…

Using data from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY), we examined the extent to which students' mathematics coursework regulates (influences) the rate of growth in mathematics achievement during middle and high school. Graphical analysis showed that students who started middle school with higher achievement took individual mathematics…

The study described in this paper has examined whether concept mapping can be used to help students to improve their learning achievement and interests. The participants were 124 students from two classes enrolled in an advanced accounting course at the School of Management of a university in Taiwan. The experimental data revealed two important…

Researchers increasingly embrace online courses to compensate for lack of access to educational opportunities otherwise available in traditional school settings. Researchers also recommend alternatives to traditional AP coursework to better meet the diverse learning styles and needs of advanced learners. These recommendations have particular…

The overarching goal for American education under President Barack Obama has been to increase college enrollment and completion rates. The pressure to achieve this goal has been keenly felt in the postsecondary community, especially as federal and state funding have become increasingly tied to achieving higher college completion rates. Yet the…

Amongst academics working with postgraduate students, there has recently been increasing interest in ways of supporting advanced academic literacy (AAL). This is a concern for us at the University of Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, where we teach a diverse group of postgraduate students, most of whom are subject practitioners in…

Background/Context: There has been little research on the relationship between mathematics and science coursework in secondary school. Purpose of Study: The present analysis explored the patterns of science course-taking in relation to the patterns of mathematics course-taking among high school graduates. Research Design: Using data from the 2000…

High school dropout, enrollment, and graduation rates are important indicators of students' college and career readiness, which in turn significantly impact both individual income levels and the overall knowledge-driven economy. Despite the long-term benefits of a high school education, much of the current literature on raising school…

The perception that the Geneva, Switzerland-based International Baccalaureate Organization's academic programs offer just what American students need in today's more globally competitive environment seems to be catching on. After decades of obscurity and slow expansion, the pace of growth in IB--including courses of study for the primary and…

Protein folding is an exploding area of research in biophysics and physical chemistry. Here, we describe the integration of several techniques, including absorption spectroscopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, and Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements, to probe important topics in protein folding. Cytochrome c is used as a model…

Biology has become a large and diversified science. Current biological research areas transgress academic and professional boundaries to such a degree that the biological sciences could arguably be referred to as "all encompassing." In this article, the author describes how he compiled information on currently recognised disciplines and…

University mathematics education courses do not always provide the opportunity to make connections between advanced topics and the mathematics taught in middle school or high school. Activities like the ones described in this article invite such connections. Analyzing concrete or particular examples provides a better grasp of abstract concepts.…

This article reports findings from a study which interviewed 36 undergraduate students about aspects of the teaching and learning environment which motivated or demotivated their study. It was found that students were motivated by a teaching environment characterized by eight main elements. This article reports in detail on the element of…