Integrating authentic research practices into introductory laboratory courses to prepare tomorrow's scientists has become increasingly prevalent over the past decade. However, an incomplete understanding of the nature of science (NOS) and authentic scientific inquiry (SI) precludes higher-level learning in undergraduate research experiences. In…

The COVID-19 pandemic has constituted a sudden educational transformation around the world. It has disrupted instructors, including physics educators, forcing them to adjust to remote teaching. The hands-on laboratory, one of the components of physics instruction, has also had to rapidly go online in all branches of this science, including nuclear…

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Instructional labs: Improving traditions and new directions.] National organizations set goals of engaging students in experimentation and authentic scientific reasoning while developing normative concepts to help them develop essential skills and competencies necessary to succeed in our rapidly…

Approaches toward engaging undergraduates in scientific research have included research experiences based in faculty laboratories (FLREs), course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs), and courses rooted in primary research literature that may be precursors to research experiences. We examined outcomes for undergraduate biology students…

Despite an extensive amount of research examining students' perceptions of alternative laboratory experiences, little focus has been aimed at the perceptions of adult learners. This two-phase mixed-methods study investigated the preferred at-home laboratory experience, and the factors that played a significant role in the user experiences, of…

Hands-on experiences in analytical chemistry laboratories are essential to improve students' technical skills on handling analytical glassware and instruments, but the coronavirus pandemic in 2020-2021 disrupted such learning activities. Thus, alternative remote activities are required to supplement practical skills. In this work, a new portable…

Transforming the chemistry curriculum to an interdisciplinary perspective is essential for preparing students to meet interdisciplinary career demands and to brace themselves for the challenges of complex environmental and health issues. The study introduces four interdisciplinary electrochemistry STEM-lab activities as an alternative to the…

In addressing the need for safer and more accessible chemistry lab procedures, this work integrates green chemistry and small-scale chemistry concepts to serve as a laboratory model for both qualitative and quantitative analyses of iron(III). An aqueous extract of Indian gooseberry is utilized as a natural reagent to form a complex with iron(III),…

Although mainly used by the hobby or "maker" crowd, the Arduino microcontroller has made its way into all levels of education, including physics labs. Perhaps the most compelling aspect of the Arduino in this regard is the ease with which it can be interfaced and acquire data from a sensor, using any one of its many analog inputs, SPI or…

Quantum technology is an emerging field of physics and engineering and important applications are expected in quantum computing, quantum sensing, quantum cryptography, quantum simulation, and quantum metrology. Thus the need for education in this field is increasing, while still remaining challenging. While the need for basic education in quantum…

Technology and validation methods for producing biodiesel have been updated and have kept advancing. Creative raw materials used in producing environmentally friendly biodiesels have also attracted interest from scientists. Thus, learning and teaching methods on biodiesel production at the high school level need to be up to date. However, there…

Laboratory courses are an important part of the undergraduate physics curriculum. During physics labs, students can engage in authentic, hands-on experimental practices, which can prepare them for graduate school, research laboratories, and jobs in industry. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spring 2020, colleges and universities across the…

Broadening access to science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professions through the provision of early-career research experiences for a wide range of demographic groups is important for the diversification of the STEM workforce. The size and diversity of the community college system make it a prime educational site for achieving…

Tutorials for EXperimentalisT Interactive LEarning (TEXTILE) is an interactive semi-linear module-based curriculum for training students at various educational levels on data science methodologies currently utilized by research laboratories. We show how we developed our eleven module TEXTILE program to train 15 students from high school,…

There has been a growing awareness that STEM education should incorporate a wide range of capabilities, in addition to providing traditional theoretical and practical knowledge. In line with these skills, entitled "professional skills," GTIIT has defined seven core competencies. The enhancement of two of these competencies, namely,…