This paper describes the results of incorporating technology in the histology laboratory by using high-resolution video-imaging equipment (VIE). The study sought to determine if (1) the VIE would allow students to more easily and rapidly find histological structures over more conventional methods, and (2) if they could find the structures with the…

Given the emphasis on community engagement in higher education, academic departments need to become more involved in the community. This paper discusses a number of outreach activities undertaken by the chemistry department at Rhodes University, South Africa. The activities range from service learning to community engagement with teachers and…

The Independent Laboratory Access for the Blind (ILAB) project has developed a suite of speech accessible tools for students who are blind or low vision to use in secondary and postsecondary science laboratory classes. The following are illustrations of experiments designed to be used by educators to introduce them to the ILAB tools, and to…

An awareness of the extensive diversity of living organisms is an essential component of a complete biology education. It is important for students to explore the spectacular variety of living things as well as to understand the many solutions to the challenges of living on Earth that have evolved in different organisms. The "National Science…

When one considers the enormous cost of science laboratory buildings, it is no surprise that the stream of environmental consciousness that has swept through campuses has had a profound effect on the design and engineering of these complex buildings. Advancing technologies, government regulations and rising energy costs all are driving the push to…

Cell signaling is an essential cellular process that is performed by all living organisms. Bacteria communicate with each other using a chemical language in a signaling pathway that allows bacteria to evaluate the size of their population, determine when they have reached a critical mass (quorum sensing), and then change their behavior in unison…

Many science educators encourage student experiences of "authentic" science by means of student participation in science-related workplaces. Little research has been done, however, to investigate how "teaching" naturally occurs in such settings, where scientists or technicians normally do not have pedagogical training and generally do not have…

This article presents an approach to integrate contemporary physics into high-school teaching. We present a simple way to understand mass spectroscopy using basic physics concepts, so that high-school students may have contact with recent topics of modern research. The main features of a time-of-flight (TOF) mass spectrometer using secondary…

Societal benefit depends on the general public's understandings of biotechnology (Betsch in "World J Microbiol Biotechnol" 12:439-443, 1996; Dawson and Cowan in "Int J Sci Educ" 25(1):57-69, 2003; Schiller in "Business Review: Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia" (Fourth Quarter), 2002; Smith and Emmeluth in "Am Biol Teach" 64(2):93-99, 2002). A…

This article presents an interview with Robert G. Holmberg, professor emeritus at Athabasca University (AU). He retired at the end of 2007 following a thirty-three-year academic career at AU in Edmonton and Athabasca, Alberta, Canada. During that time he oversaw the development and delivery of several of the university's first courses. He helped…

This article reports on the development of a methodology that integrates virtual and hands-on inquiry in a freshman introductory biology course. Using a two time x two order-condition design, an effective combination (blend) of the two environments was evaluated with 39 freshman biology participants. The quantitative results documented no…

When data with and without an optically active sample are acquired simultaneously while one manually rotates the analyser, the graph of the first signal versus the second one is an ellipse whose shape shows the phase shift between the two signals; this shift is twice the optical rotation. There is no need to measure the rotation of the analyser or…

An undergraduate organic chemistry experiment demonstrating real-life application of GC-MS to arson accelerant identification is described. Students are given the task of comparing a sample recovered from a "crime scene" to that from a "suspect's clothing". Accelerants subjected to different conditions are recovered using a quick and simple…

Liquid 2-chlorobenzaldehyde was converted, by grinding with potassium hydroxide pellets, into equimolar quantities of solid 2-chlorobenzoic acid and solid 2-chlorobenzyl alcohol in a Cannizzaro reaction. TLC, IR, and NMR experiments, using authentic samples for comparison, confirmed the identity and purity of the two products. Guided-inquiry…

A novel undergraduate chemistry experiment involving superabsorbent polymers commonly used in diapers and other personal care products is described. Students observe the removal of divalent transition-metal ions from aqueous solutions by the polymers. With the procedures provided, students are able to color the superabsorbent polymers with metal…