The purpose of this experiment was to compare an inquiry-oriented Biological Sciences Curriculum Study (BSCS) style laboratory approach with a more directive traditional approach on student outcomes in the cognitive and affective domains of learning at two private, midwestern liberal arts colleges. Intact laboratory sections of students enrolled…

Effects of microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) exercises and level of cognitive development on high school biology students' ability to construct and interpret line graphs were investigated. Forty-six students enrolled in general biology classes at a rural high school volunteered to participate in the study. These students were administered…

During the 1984-85 school year, questionnaires were mailed to 358 science teachers in all regions of North Carolina to determine what they thought about the value of laboratory activity as one of their teaching methods and their feelings about the mechanics of using this methodology. Without a follow-up, 52.2 percent (N=187) of the questionnaires…

This booklet, the second in a series, reports on the results of a year-long research project conducted in an experimental school associated with the Learning Research and Development Center, University of Pittsburgh. Specifically, this is a report of findings pertaining to one major setting in the experimental school, the science lab. The science…

The small size of many schools in the Asian Region would cause separate laboratories for chemistry and biology to be underutilized. In many larger schools the curricula include "general science," with contents from biology, physics, and chemistry. This paper describes multipurpose spaces for science activities sufficient for science…

Designed to evaluate the use of microcomputer-based labware (MBL) in junior high school science, the Computer as Lab Partner Project examined classroom experience of using MBL; system features used and curriculum designed; classroom procedures, processes, and interactions; gains and benefits of MBL use; and potential difficulties in MBL…

Discusses the need for more safety instruction in high school and college chemistry courses. Reports on a national survey of 2019 college and university chemistry departments. Includes survey results and the descriptions of 50 accidents which the institutions reported. (TW)

Discusses some aspects of electrodeposition and electroplating. Emphasizes the materials, techniques, and safety precautions necessary to make electrodeposition work reliably in the chemistry laboratory. Describes some problem-solving applications of this process. (TW)

Presents a response to recent calls for reform in science education. Argues for increased "hands-on" experience, both in the laboratory and in the environment. Suggests the need for producing more "enthusiastic" science teachers. (TW)

Describes the absorption and containment (AC) approach to laboratory chemical-spill cleanup. Discusses currently recommended chemical-spill cleanup procedures and evaluates commercially available cleanup materials. Promotes the use of the AC method in terms of its relative safety, availability of materials, and ease of instruction. (TW)

Discusses the goals of learning cycle laboratories in helping students acquire knowledge about a specific topic and to do so moving in a non-threatening way from the concrete operational level to the formal operational level. Describes an experiment designed for such laboratories dealing with the topic of oxidation-reduction. (TW)

Advocates the use of discovery or guided inquiry experiments for developing critical thinking in problem solving. Provides a stepwise method for creating inquiry experiments and provides an example by comparing the two methods for a freezing point experiment. (JM)

Based on classroom observation, interviews, and student and teacher surveys, this study examined student interaction and participation within a computer-mediated communication (CMC) environment in a college-level plant science lab course. The CMC discourse encouraged experimentation, sharing of early ideas, increased and more distributed…

Explores the structural behavior of polyenic pi systems such as isomerization and conjugation. Uses the simultaneous spectrophotometric analysis of a beta-carotene and lycopene mixture. Presents an empirical method to determine the number of double bonds in the polyenic carotenoid. (MVL)

Discusses electron spin resonance, a form of magnetic resonance spectroscopy, used to study electronic structure of molecules with unpaired electrons. Studies benzosemiquinone radical anions which are long-lived and inexpensive. Uses a Project SERAPHIM computer program to perform a Huckel molecular orbital calculation. (MVL)