Digital learning environments such as virtual laboratories have been proposed to augment or even replace conventional forms of teaching in recent years. While there is some evidence on comparable learning outcomes between real and virtual labs, empirical evidence on the effectiveness of virtual labs as compared to conventional face-to-face…

Science knowledge is deeply intertwined with Microorganisms, which play essential roles in healthcare, food production and environmental management, making their study crucial for understanding impacts on food safety, spoilage and disease prevention. This research introduces hands-on activities designed for high school students (aged 14-15) to…

The Joint Safety Team (JST) was conceived in 2012 by the Departments of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science and Chemistry at the University of Minnesota and the Dow Chemical Company as a model student-led safety organization. The JST initiative was aimed at improving academic safety through four core areas: compliance, awareness, resources,…

Teaching chemistry without access to a traditional laboratory space is an ongoing challenge that has become especially relevant because of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. While several remote learning options exist for covering general chemistry concepts (including kitchen-based experiments, online modules, and virtual reality), few options provide…

A modified apparatus for measuring surface tension with the bubble-pressure method is proposed. Compared with a traditional instrument, this apparatus improved the accuracy of maximum pressure difference measurement and achieved the hydrostatic pressure correction. The apparatus was employed to determine the surface tension values of distilled…

An undergraduate laboratory experiment for the synthesis of biologically significant bis-4-hydroxycoumarins using a new catalyst is described here. An experimental setup plan, monitoring the reaction by TLC, isolation of the product, safe laboratory handling procedures, and significance of data reproducibility of the result are the main learning…

The liquid nitrogen cloud demonstration is an effective, dramatic, large-scale demonstration to illustrate gas laws and cloud/fog (aerosol) formations for classes and large-scale outreach events. When performed at full scale, it is common to produce a cloud 20-30 feet in height. Its effect can be further enhanced by adding brightly colored…

Virtual labs have proven to be very versatile and valuable for providing realistic experience for students in STE (Science, Technology, and Engineering) fields. As we progress from delivery of instructional material from classroom to the Internet, there is need to develop laboratory exercises to supplement the theoretical lessons. A Web-based…

Artificial intelligence (AI) is receiving a lot of attention in various fields. There is a need for educating students in AI technology. In this context, we have created a new type of carbon dioxide fountain by integrating AI with the well-established Arduino-carbon dioxide fountain experiment. This experiment consists of an Arduino…

A handheld refractometer (HHR) is a versatile instrument in the chemistry lab or in the workplace. It is also inexpensive enough (<$25 U.S.) that all students in a chemistry lab can have one or students completing laboratories remotely can purchase one. We report four applications of two different HHRs: one HHR for which the scale reads…

A laboratory exercise for undergraduate advanced students of enzymology and biocatalysis is presented. Since enzyme assays can be quenched or continuous, this experiment compares the performance of two quenching agents for lactase, in a continuous setup. Enzymatic activity of [beta]-galactosidase ("Aspergillus oryzae") was determined…

The goal of this laboratory exercise is to give upper-level undergraduate students an introduction to sterile technique in mammalian cell culture and metabolism. The experiment can be completed within a 3-h lab period and can be performed either in conjunction with other biochemistry/metabolism experiments or used as a stand-alone experiment. In…

The creation and evaluation of known evolutionary histories and the implementation of student investigatory experiences on evolution are difficult endeavors that have only recently been feasible. The research presented in this dissertation is related in their shared use of digital evolution with Avidians as a model study system, both to conduct…

Air pollution is one of our day's significant reasons for human health problems and affects every community throughout the world. Monitoring air pollution is a key aspect of raising awareness and pollution mitigation approaches followed by different nations. This paper targets to develop a low-cost Internet of things-based embedded system to…

The paper introduces an electronic device named 'Blinker', which is suitable for laboratory work on topics related to electric current and resistance, as it allows the visualization of electric current. The Blinker is well suited for all levels of education if the activities are carefully selected. However, despite other devices used for measuring…