A discovery-based undergraduate organic chemistry lab experiment has been developed in which students establish the diastereoselectivity of hydride reduction of the a-chiral ketone (±)-benzoin isopropyl ether to erythro and threo diastereomeric alcohols by two different reducing agents. Students achieve this goal by working collaboratively and…

The COVID-19 pandemic presented numerous challenges for all levels of the education system. In March 2020, virtually all colleges and universities in the United States moved all instruction to an online environment as a result of the pandemic. While this posed challenges for all faculty, it posed a particular challenge for those faculty members…

Educators around the world have been challenged to adapt their teaching and pastoral care rapidly in response to the coronavirus pandemic. In this article, we, the academic members of the Chemistry Education and Communication Research Theme (CECR) from the School of Chemistry at the University of Sydney, reflect on the challenges and successes…

The ability to visualize chemical processes can be an asset in a teaching laboratory. Despite the advances in laboratory technology, apparatuses used in the teaching of simple thermodynamics concepts, such as exothermic/endothermic reactions, historically remain unchanged and can benefit from a fresh perspective. The recent incorporation of…

We describe a paper-based microfluidic device for iron(III) assay in an applied instrumental analysis laboratory. Simple and convenient devices were fabricated by the students using patterning of filter paper to investigate three different procedures: drawing a boundary with eyeliner or wax pen; drawing a boundary with waterproof permanent marker…

In this research, it was aimed to investigate academic risk taking tendencies on laboratory activities and science learning orientations of gifted students. In the research (survey) quantitative research method designs was used. The sample of the research consisted of 187 gifted students who are studying in a Science and Art Center in the Eastern…

The Fourier transformation (FT) is a mathematical process frequently encountered by chemistry students. However, it remains an automated background process perceived by many students as difficult to understand. In this paper we present a simple open-source web application, which can help students to understand the basics of the FT applied to…

The use of smartphones in experimental physics is by now widely accepted and documented. PASCO scientific's smart cart, in combination with student-owned smartphones and free apps, has opened up a new universe of low-cost experiments that have traditionally required cumbersome and expensive equipment. In this paper we demonstrate the simplicity,…

A wood cantilever of length ~2.5 m is driven into resonance using the hand as a simple driver. Video recordings of these oscillations are analyzed to determine experimental second harmonic (n = 2) damped resonance frequencies. These frequencies are compared to theoretical ones, obtained from measurements of elastic moduli, damping properties, and…

Course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs) incorporate authentic research instead of confirmatory exercises into laboratory courses. Following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a general shift in instructional modalities from face-to-face (F2F) towards hybrid and online teaching. Student impacts caused by the abrupt shift to…

Augmented reality (AR) has the potential to fundamentally transform science education by making learning of abstract science ideas tangible and engaging. However, little is known about how students interacted with AR technologies and how these interactions may affect learning performance in science laboratories. This study examined high school…

Virtual labs provide space for students to iteratively test, observe, and revise their understanding so as to improve their scientific literacy. However, one of the challenges that students face is that they need to think and act like scientists so as to be sensitively alert to methodological flaws and various sources of error. This study thus…

Background: This article presents the findings of a pilot study introducing students to emerging educational technologies to enhance their physics laboratory learning experiences. This follows a design-based laboratory approach in which the students move from constructing and developing their laboratory reports in a traditional cookbook…

The aim of the present research is to determine the current situation in the readiness levels of 11th grade high school students for self-directed learning, to examine the effectiveness of laboratory activities developed with with mobile technology integrated into the 5E learning model in various chemistry subjects on students' self-directed…

As Higher Education Institutions closed for an indefinite period in 2019 due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, the urgency to commence with online modes of teaching and learning were realised. The rapid and abrupt transition from face-to-face to online teaching and learning was met with several challenges. However, it prompted new examples…