Teaching computer interfacing with virtual instruments in an object-oriented language.

PubMed Central

Gulotta, M

1995-01-01

LabVIEW is a graphic object-oriented computer language developed to facilitate hardware/software communication. LabVIEW is a complete computer language that can be used like Basic, FORTRAN, or C. In LabVIEW one creates virtual instruments that aesthetically look like real instruments but are controlled by sophisticated computer programs. There are several levels of data acquisition VIs that make it easy to control data flow, and many signal processing and analysis algorithms come with the software as premade VIs. In the classroom, the similarity between virtual and real instruments helps students understand how information is passed between the computer and attached instruments. The software may be used in the absence of hardware so that students can work at home as well as in the classroom. This article demonstrates how LabVIEW can be used to control data flow between computers and instruments, points out important features for signal processing and analysis, and shows how virtual instruments may be used in place of physical instrumentation. Applications of LabVIEW to the teaching laboratory are also discussed, and a plausible course outline is given. PMID:8580361

Teaching computer interfacing with virtual instruments in an object-oriented language.

PubMed

Gulotta, M

1995-11-01

LabVIEW is a graphic object-oriented computer language developed to facilitate hardware/software communication. LabVIEW is a complete computer language that can be used like Basic, FORTRAN, or C. In LabVIEW one creates virtual instruments that aesthetically look like real instruments but are controlled by sophisticated computer programs. There are several levels of data acquisition VIs that make it easy to control data flow, and many signal processing and analysis algorithms come with the software as premade VIs. In the classroom, the similarity between virtual and real instruments helps students understand how information is passed between the computer and attached instruments. The software may be used in the absence of hardware so that students can work at home as well as in the classroom. This article demonstrates how LabVIEW can be used to control data flow between computers and instruments, points out important features for signal processing and analysis, and shows how virtual instruments may be used in place of physical instrumentation. Applications of LabVIEW to the teaching laboratory are also discussed, and a plausible course outline is given.

A Comparative Study on Real Lab and Simulation Lab in Communication Engineering from Students' Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balakrishnan, B.; Woods, P. C.

2013-01-01

Over the years, rapid development in computer technology has engendered simulation-based laboratory (lab) in addition to the traditional hands-on (physical) lab. Many higher education institutions adopt simulation lab, replacing some existing physical lab experiments. The creation of new systems for conducting engineering lab activities has raised…

Computer-based Astronomy Labs for Non-science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, A. B. E.; Murray, S. D.; Ward, R. A.

1998-12-01

We describe and demonstrate two laboratory exercises, Kepler's Third Law and Stellar Structure, which are being developed for use in an astronomy laboratory class aimed at non-science majors. The labs run with Microsoft's Excel 98 (Macintosh) or Excel 97 (Windows). They can be run in a classroom setting or in an independent learning environment. The intent of the labs is twofold; first and foremost, students learn the subject matter through a series of informational frames. Next, students enhance their understanding by applying their knowledge in lab procedures, while also gaining familiarity with the use and power of a widely-used software package and scientific tool. No mathematical knowledge beyond basic algebra is required to complete the labs or to understand the computations in the spreadsheets, although the students are exposed to the concepts of numerical integration. The labs are contained in Excel workbook files. In the files are multiple spreadsheets, which contain either a frame with information on how to run the lab, material on the subject, or one or more procedures. Excel's VBA macro language is used to automate the labs. The macros are accessed through button interfaces positioned on the spreadsheets. This is done intentionally so that students can focus on learning the subject matter and the basic spreadsheet features without having to learn advanced Excel features all at once. Students open the file and progress through the informational frames to the procedures. After each procedure, student comments and data are automatically recorded in a preformatted Lab Report spreadsheet. Once all procedures have been completed, the student is prompted for a filename in which to save their Lab Report. The lab reports can then be printed or emailed to the instructor. The files will have full worksheet and workbook protection, and will have a "redo" feature at the end of the lab for students who want to repeat a procedure.

Have computers, will travel: providing on-site library instruction in rural health facilities using a portable computer lab.

PubMed

Neilson, Christine J

2010-01-01

The Saskatchewan Health Information Resources Partnership (SHIRP) provides library instruction to Saskatchewan's health care practitioners and students on placement in health care facilities as part of its mission to provide province-wide access to evidence-based health library resources. A portable computer lab was assembled in 2007 to provide hands-on training in rural health facilities that do not have computer labs of their own. Aside from some minor inconveniences, the introduction and operation of the portable lab has gone smoothly. The lab has been well received by SHIRP patrons and continues to be an essential part of SHIRP outreach.

Life Lab Computer Support System's Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lippman, Beatrice D.; Walfish, Stephen

Step-by-step procedures for utilizing the computer support system of Miami-Dade Community College's Life Lab program are described for the following categories: (1) Registration--Student's Lists and Labels, including three separate computer programs for current listings, next semester listings, and grade listings; (2) Competence and Resource…

When Everyone Is a Probe, Everyone Is a Learner

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berenfeld, Boris; Krupa, Tatiana; Lebedev, Arseny; Stafeev, Sergey

2014-01-01

Most students globally have mobile devices and the Global Students Laboratory (GlobalLab) project is integrating mobility into learning. First launched in 1991, GlobalLab builds a community of learners engaged in collaborative, distributed investigations. Long relying on stationary desktop computers, or students inputting their observations by…

Gene Expression Analysis: Teaching Students to Do 30,000 Experiments at Once with Microarray

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carvalho, Felicia I.; Johns, Christopher; Gillespie, Marc E.

2012-01-01

Genome scale experiments routinely produce large data sets that require computational analysis, yet there are few student-based labs that illustrate the design and execution of these experiments. In order for students to understand and participate in the genomic world, teaching labs must be available where students generate and analyze large data…

Computer-based medical education in Benha University, Egypt: knowledge, attitude, limitations, and suggestions.

PubMed

Bayomy, Hanaa; El Awadi, Mona; El Araby, Eman; Abed, Hala A

2016-12-01

Computer-assisted medical education has been developed to enhance learning and enable high-quality medical care. This study aimed to assess computer knowledge and attitude toward the inclusion of computers in medical education among second-year medical students in Benha Faculty of Medicine, Egypt, to identify limitations, and obtain suggestions for successful computer-based learning. This was a one-group pre-post-test study, which was carried out on second-year students in Benha Faculty of Medicine. A structured self-administered questionnaire was used to compare students' knowledge, attitude, limitations, and suggestions toward computer usage in medical education before and after the computer course to evaluate the change in students' responses. The majority of students were familiar with use of the mouse and keyboard, basic word processing, internet and web searching, and e-mail both before and after the computer course. The proportion of students who were familiar with software programs other than the word processing and trouble-shoot software/hardware was significantly higher after the course (P<0.001). There was a significant increase in the proportion of students who agreed on owning a computer (P=0.008), the inclusion of computer skills course in medical education, downloading lecture handouts, and computer-based exams (P<0.001) after the course. After the course, there was a significant increase in the proportion of students who agreed that the lack of central computers limited the inclusion of computer in medical education (P<0.001). Although the lack of computer labs, lack of Information Technology staff mentoring, large number of students, unclear course outline, and lack of internet access were more frequently reported before the course (P<0.001), the majority of students suggested the provision of computer labs, inviting Information Technology staff to support computer teaching, and the availability of free Wi-Fi internet access covering several areas in the university campus; all would support computer-assisted medical education. Medical students in Benha University are computer literate, which allows for computer-based medical education. Staff training, provision of computer labs, and internet access are essential requirements for enhancing computer usage in medical education in the university.

Interactive, Online, Adsorption Lab to Support Discovery of the Scientific Process

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carroll, K. C.; Ulery, A. L.; Chamberlin, B.; Dettmer, A.

2014-12-01

Science students require more than methods practice in lab activities; they must gain an understanding of the application of the scientific process through lab work. Large classes, time constraints, and funding may limit student access to science labs, denying students access to the types of experiential learning needed to motivate and develop new scientists. Interactive, discovery-based computer simulations and virtual labs provide an alternative, low-risk opportunity for learners to engage in lab processes and activities. Students can conduct experiments, collect data, draw conclusions, and even abort a session. We have developed an online virtual lab, through which students can interactively develop as scientists as they learn about scientific concepts, lab equipment, and proper lab techniques. Our first lab topic is adsorption of chemicals to soil, but the methodology is transferrable to other topics. In addition to learning the specific procedures involved in each lab, the online activities will prompt exploration and practice in key scientific and mathematical concepts, such as unit conversion, significant digits, assessing risks, evaluating bias, and assessing quantity and quality of data. These labs are not designed to replace traditional lab instruction, but to supplement instruction on challenging or particularly time-consuming concepts. To complement classroom instruction, students can engage in a lab experience outside the lab and over a shorter time period than often required with real-world adsorption studies. More importantly, students can reflect, discuss, review, and even fail at their lab experience as part of the process to see why natural processes and scientific approaches work the way they do. Our Media Productions team has completed a series of online digital labs available at virtuallabs.nmsu.edu and scienceofsoil.com, and these virtual labs are being integrated into coursework to evaluate changes in student learning.

Assessing Usage and Maximizing Finance Lab Impact: A Case Exploration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noguera, Magdy; Budden, Michael Craig; Silva, Alberto

2011-01-01

This paper reports the results of a survey conducted to assess students' usage and perceptions of a finance lab. Finance labs differ from simple computer labs as they typically contain data boards, streaming market quotes, terminals and software that allow for real-time financial analyses. Despite the fact that such labs represent significant and…

A comparative study on real lab and simulation lab in communication engineering from students' perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balakrishnan, B.; Woods, P. C.

2013-05-01

Over the years, rapid development in computer technology has engendered simulation-based laboratory (lab) in addition to the traditional hands-on (physical) lab. Many higher education institutions adopt simulation lab, replacing some existing physical lab experiments. The creation of new systems for conducting engineering lab activities has raised concerns among educators on the merits and shortcomings of both physical and simulation labs; at the same time, many arguments have been raised on the differences of both labs. Investigating the effectiveness of both labs is complicated, as there are multiple factors that should be considered. In view of this challenge, a study on students' perspectives on their experience related to key aspects on engineering laboratory exercise was conducted. In this study, the Visual Auditory Read and Kinetic model was utilised to measure the students' cognitive styles. The investigation was done through a survey among participants from Multimedia University, Malaysia. The findings revealed that there are significant differences for most of the aspects in physical and simulation labs.

Sessional, Weekly and Diurnal Patterns of Computer Lab Usage by Students Attending a Regional University in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spennemann, Dirk H. R.; Atkinson, John; Cornforth, David

2007-01-01

Most universities have invested in extensive infrastructure in the form of computer laboratories and computer kiosks. However, is this investment justified when it is suggested that students work predominantly from home using their own computers? This paper provides an empirical study investigating how students at a regional multi-campus…

A "Canned" Computer Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dowling, John, Jr.

1972-01-01

Discusses the use of a set of computer programs (FORTRAN IV) in an introductory mechanics course for science majors. One laboratory activity is described for determining the coefficient of restitution of a glider on an air track. A student evaluation for the lab is included in the appendix. (Author/TS)

An Algebra-Based Introductory Computational Neuroscience Course with Lab.

PubMed

Fink, Christian G

2017-01-01

A course in computational neuroscience has been developed at Ohio Wesleyan University which requires no previous experience with calculus or computer programming, and which exposes students to theoretical models of neural information processing and techniques for analyzing neural data. The exploration of theoretical models of neural processes is conducted in the classroom portion of the course, while data analysis techniques are covered in lab. Students learn to program in MATLAB and are offered the opportunity to conclude the course with a final project in which they explore a topic of their choice within computational neuroscience. Results from a questionnaire administered at the beginning and end of the course indicate significant gains in student facility with core concepts in computational neuroscience, as well as with analysis techniques applied to neural data.

The Virtual Genetics Lab: A Freely-Available Open-Source Genetics Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Brian; Bolker, Ethan; Koolar, Nikunj; Ma, Wei; Maw, Naing Naing; Yu, Chung Ying

2007-01-01

This lab is a computer simulation of transmission genetics. It presents students with a genetic phenomenon--the inheritance of a randomly--selected trait. The students' task is to determine how this trait is inherited by designing their own crosses and analyzing the results produced by the software.

Interdisciplinary Learning for Chemical Engineering Students from Organic Chemistry Synthesis Lab to Reactor Design to Separation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armstrong, Matt; Comitz, Richard L.; Biaglow, Andrew; Lachance, Russ; Sloop, Joseph

2008-01-01

A novel approach to the Chemical Engineering curriculum sequence of courses at West Point enabled our students to experience a much more realistic design process, which more closely replicated a real world scenario. Students conduct the synthesis in the organic chemistry lab, then conduct computer modeling of the reaction with ChemCad and…

A virtual computer lab for distance biomedical technology education.

PubMed

Locatis, Craig; Vega, Anibal; Bhagwat, Medha; Liu, Wei-Li; Conde, Jose

2008-03-13

The National Library of Medicine's National Center for Biotechnology Information offers mini-courses which entail applying concepts in biochemistry and genetics to search genomics databases and other information sources. They are highly interactive and involve use of 3D molecular visualization software that can be computationally taxing. Methods were devised to offer the courses at a distance so as to provide as much functionality of a computer lab as possible, the venue where they are normally taught. The methods, which can be employed with varied videoconferencing technology and desktop sharing software, were used to deliver mini-courses at a distance in pilot applications where students could see demonstrations by the instructor and the instructor could observe and interact with students working at their remote desktops. Student ratings of the learning experience and comments to open ended questions were similar to those when the courses are offered face to face. The real time interaction and the instructor's ability to access student desktops from a distance in order to provide individual assistance and feedback were considered invaluable. The technologies and methods mimic much of the functionality of computer labs and may be usefully applied in any context where content changes frequently, training needs to be offered on complex computer applications at a distance in real time, and where it is necessary for the instructor to monitor students as they work.

An analysis of high school students' perceptions and academic performance in laboratory experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mirchin, Robert Douglas

This research study is an investigation of student-laboratory (i.e., lab) learning based on students' perceptions of experiences using questionnaire data and evidence of their science-laboratory performance based on paper-and-pencil assessments using Maryland-mandated criteria, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) criteria, and published laboratory questions. A 20-item questionnaire consisting of 18 Likert-scale items and 2 open-ended items that addressed what students liked most and least about lab was administered to students before labs were observed. A pre-test and post-test assessing laboratory achievement were administered before and after the laboratory experiences. The three labs observed were: soda distillation, stoichiometry, and separation of a mixture. Five significant results or correlations were found. For soda distillation, there were two positive correlations. Student preference for analyzing data was positively correlated with achievement on the data analysis dimension of the lab rubric. A student preference for using numbers and graphs to analyze data was positively correlated with achievement on the analysis dimension of the lab rubric. For the separating a mixture lab data the following pairs of correlations were significant. Student preference for doing chemistry labs where numbers and graphs were used to analyze data had a positive correlation with writing a correctly worded hypothesis. Student responses that lab experiences help them learn science positively correlated with achievement on the data dimension of the lab rubric. The only negative correlation found related to the first result where students' preference for computers was inversely correlated to their performance on analyzing data on their lab report. Other findings included the following: students like actual experimental work most and the write-up and analysis of a lab the least. It is recommended that lab science instruction be inquiry-based, hands-on, and that students be tested for lab content acquisition. The final conclusion of the study is that students expressed a preference for working in groups and working with materials and equipment as opposed to individual, non-group work and analyzing data.

Effects of Computer Animation Exercises on Student Cognitive Processes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fowler, Will

A study examining the effects of computer animation exercises on cognitive development asked two groups of seventh graders to create computer animations, working from a simple mythic text. The ability of students to create narrative scenarios from this mythic text was analyzed. These scenarios were then recreated in the school computer lab, using…

Teaching mathematics in the PC lab - the students' viewpoints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, Karsten; Köhler, Anke

2013-04-01

The Matrix Algebra portion of the intermediate mathematics course at the Schmalkalden University Faculty of Business and Economics has been moved from a traditional classroom setting to a technology-based setting in the PC lab. A Computer Algebra System license was acquired that also allows its use on the students' own PCs. A survey was carried out to analyse the students' attitudes towards the use of technology in mathematics teaching.

Exploring the changing learning environment of the gross anatomy lab.

PubMed

Hopkins, Robin; Regehr, Glenn; Wilson, Timothy D

2011-07-01

The objective of this study was to assess the impact of virtual models and prosected specimens in the context of the gross anatomy lab. In 2009, student volunteers from an undergraduate anatomy class were randomly assigned to study groups in one of three learning conditions. All groups studied the muscles of mastication and completed identical learning objectives during a 45-minute lab. All groups were provided with two reference atlases. Groups were distinguished by the type of primary tools they were provided: gross prosections, three-dimensional stereoscopic computer model, or both resources. The facilitator kept observational field notes. A prepost multiple-choice knowledge test was administered to evaluate students' learning. No significant effect of the laboratory models was demonstrated between groups on the prepost assessment of knowledge. Recurring observations included students' tendency to revert to individual memorization prior to the posttest, rotation of models to match views in the provided atlas, and dissemination of groups into smaller working units. The use of virtual lab resources seemed to influence the social context and learning environment of the anatomy lab. As computer-based learning methods are implemented and studied, they must be evaluated beyond their impact on knowledge gain to consider the effect technology has on students' social development.

College Students' Use of the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFadden, Anna C.

1999-01-01

Studied use of the Internet by college students by determining sites selected on 6 of 70 computers in a college computer laboratory. The overwhelming use of the Internet in this open lab conformed to university acceptable-use policy, with almost no use of the computers to contact pornographic sites. (SLD)

Elevating Learner Achievement Using Formative Electronic Lab Assessments in the Engineering Laboratory: A Viable Alternative to Weekly Lab Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Baiyun; DeMara, Ronald F.; Salehi, Soheil; Hartshorne, Richard

2018-01-01

A laboratory pedagogy interweaving weekly student portfolios with onsite formative electronic laboratory assessments (ELAs) is developed and assessed within the laboratory component of a required core course of the electrical and computer engineering (ECE) undergraduate curriculum. The approach acts to promote student outcomes, and neutralize…

Teaching Mathematics in the PC Lab--The Students' Viewpoints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Karsten; Kohler, Anke

2013-01-01

The Matrix Algebra portion of the intermediate mathematics course at the Schmalkalden University Faculty of Business and Economics has been moved from a traditional classroom setting to a technology-based setting in the PC lab. A Computer Algebra System license was acquired that also allows its use on the students' own PCs. A survey was carried…

Effectiveness of e-Lab Use in Science Teaching at the Omani Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al Musawi, A.; Ambusaidi, A.; Al-Balushi, S.; Al-Balushi, K.

2015-01-01

Computer and information technology can be used so that students can individually, in groups, or by electronic demonstration experiment and draw conclusion for the required activities in an electronic form in what is now called "e-lab". It enables students to conduct experiments more flexibly and in an interactive way using multimedia.…

An interactive computer lab of the galvanic cell for students in biochemistry.

PubMed

Ahlstrand, Emma; Buetti-Dinh, Antoine; Friedman, Ran

2018-01-01

We describe an interactive module that can be used to teach basic concepts in electrochemistry and thermodynamics to first year natural science students. The module is used together with an experimental laboratory and improves the students' understanding of thermodynamic quantities such as Δ r G, Δ r H, and Δ r S that are calculated but not directly measured in the lab. We also discuss how new technologies can substitute some parts of experimental chemistry courses, and improve accessibility to course material. Cloud computing platforms such as CoCalc facilitate the distribution of computer codes and allow students to access and apply interactive course tools beyond the course's scope. Despite some limitations imposed by cloud computing, the students appreciated the approach and the enhanced opportunities to discuss study questions with their classmates and instructor as facilitated by the interactive tools. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(1):58-65, 2018. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Computer Labs Get Rebooted as Lounges: New Gathering Places for Laptop Users Help Colleges Save on Upkeep

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terris, Ben

2010-01-01

Colleges are looking for ways to cut costs, and most students now own laptops. As a result, many campus technology leaders are taking a hard look at those brightly lit rooms with rows of networked computers, which cost hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to maintain. More than 11% of colleges and universities are phasing out computer labs or…

Computational simulations of frictional losses in pipe networks confirmed in experimental apparatusses designed by honors students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pohlman, Nicholas A.; Hynes, Eric; Kutz, April

2015-11-01

Lectures in introductory fluid mechanics at NIU are a combination of students with standard enrollment and students seeking honors credit for an enriching experience. Most honors students dread the additional homework problems or an extra paper assigned by the instructor. During the past three years, honors students of my class have instead collaborated to design wet-lab experiments for their peers to predict variable volume flow rates of open reservoirs driven by gravity. Rather than learn extra, the honors students learn the Bernoulli head-loss equation earlier to design appropriate systems for an experimental wet lab. Prior designs incorporated minor loss features such as sudden contraction or multiple unions and valves. The honors students from Spring 2015 expanded the repertoire of available options by developing large scale set-ups with multiple pipe networks that could be combined together to test the flexibility of the student team's computational programs. The engagement of bridging the theory with practice was appreciated by all of the students such that multiple teams were able to predict performance within 4% accuracy. The challenges, schedules, and cost estimates of incorporating the experimental lab into an introductory fluid mechanics course will be reported.

Computer Simulations of Quantum Theory of Hydrogen Atom for Natural Science Education Students in a Virtual Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Gurmukh

2012-01-01

The present article is primarily targeted for the advanced college/university undergraduate students of chemistry/physics education, computational physics/chemistry, and computer science. The most recent software system such as MS Visual Studio .NET version 2010 is employed to perform computer simulations for modeling Bohr's quantum theory of…

Computer-Aided College Algebra: Learning Components that Students Find Beneficial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aichele, Douglas B.; Francisco, Cynthia; Utley, Juliana; Wescoatt, Benjamin

2011-01-01

A mixed-method study was conducted during the Fall 2008 semester to better understand the experiences of students participating in computer-aided instruction of College Algebra using the software MyMathLab. The learning environment included a computer learning system for the majority of the instruction, a support system via focus groups (weekly…

A Paperless Lab Manual - Lessons Learned

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hatten, Daniel L.; Hatten, Maggie W.

1999-10-01

Every freshman entering Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology is equipped with a laptop computer and a software package that allow classroom and laboratory instructors the freedom to make computer-based assignments, publish course materials in electronic form, etc. All introductory physics laboratories and many of our classrooms are networked, and students routinely take their laptop computers to class/lab. The introductory physics laboratory manual was converted to HTML in the summer of 1997 and was made available to students over the Internet vice printing a paper manual during the 1998-99 school year. The aim was to reduce paper costs and allow timely updates of the laboratory experiments. A poll conducted at the end of the school year showed a generally positive student response to the online laboratory manual, with some reservations.

Assessment Outcomes: Computerized Instruction in a Human Gross Anatomy Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bukowski, Elaine L.

2002-01-01

The first of three successive classes of beginning physical therapy students (n=17) completed traditional cadaver anatomy lecture/lab; the next 17 a self-study computerized anatomy lab, and the next 20 both lectures and computer lab. No differences in study times and course or licensure exam performance appeared. Computerized self-study is a…

Technology: Catalyst for Enhancing Chemical Education for Pre-service Teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Vinay; Bedell, Julia Yang; Seed, Allen H.

1999-05-01

A DOE/KYEPSCoR-funded project enabled us to introduce a new curricular initiative aimed at improving the chemical education of pre-service elementary teachers. The new curriculum was developed in collaboration with the School of Education faculty. A new course for the pre-service teachers, "Discovering Chemistry with Lab" (CHE 105), was developed. The integrated lecture and lab course covers basic principles of chemistry and their applications in daily life. The course promotes reasoning and problem-solving skills and utilizes hands-on, discovery/guided-inquiry, and cooperative learning approaches. This paper describes the implementation of technology (computer-interfacing and simulation experiments) in the lab. Results of two assessment surveys conducted in the laboratory are also discussed. The key features of the lab course are eight new experiments, including four computer-interfacing/simulation experiments involving the use of Macintosh Power PCs, temperature and pH probes, and a serial box interface, and use of household materials. Several experiments and the midterm and final lab practical exams emphasize the discovery/guided-inquiry approach. The results of pre- and post-surveys showed very significant positive changes in students' attitude toward the relevancy of chemistry, use of technology (computers) in elementary school classrooms, and designing and teaching discovery-based units. Most students indicated that they would be very interested (52%) or interested (36%) in using computers in their science teaching.

Teaching Business Statistics in a Computer Lab: Benefit or Distraction?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Linda R.

2011-01-01

Teaching in a classroom configured with computers has been heralded as an aid to learning. Students receive the benefits of working with large data sets and real-world problems. However, with the advent of network and wireless connections, students can now use the computer for alternating tasks, such as emailing, web browsing, and social…

Games, Simulations and Virtual Labs for Science Education: a Compendium and Some Examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, R. M.

2012-12-01

We have assembled a list of computer-based simulations, games, and virtual labs for science education. This list, with links to the sources of these resources, is available online. The entries span a broad range of science, math, and engineering topics. They also span a range of target student ages, from elementary school to university students. We will provide a brief overview of this web site and the resources found on it. We will also briefly demonstrate some of our own educational simulations and games. Computer-based simulations and virtual labs are valuable resources for science educators in various settings, allowing learners to experiment and explore "what if" scenarios. Educational computer games can motivate learners in both formal and informal settings, encouraging them to spend much more time exploring a topic than they might otherwise be inclined to do. Part of this presentation is effectively a "literature review" of numerous sources of simulations, games, and virtual labs. Although we have encountered several nice collections of such resources, those collections seem to be restricted in scope. They either represent materials developed by a specific group or agency (e.g. NOAA's games web site) or are restricted to a specific discipline (e.g. geology simulations and virtual labs). This presentation directs viewers to games, simulations, and virtual labs from many different sources and spanning a broad range of STEM disciplines.

Student construction of small molecule models using Spartan Model to explore polarity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dale, Glenn Lamar

2006-12-01

This study compared the attitudes and the gains of knowledge concerning Lewis structures and polarity of molecules. The students performed a lab exercise in which they drew Lewis structures, constructed models of the molecules, determined the geometry of the molecules, and determined the polarity of the molecules. The control group students constructed models using physical ball-and-stick models. The treatment group students used Spartan Model to construct models. Students from a university and a community college participated in this study. Four lab classes at each school made up the treatment group. Five lab classes at the university and three lab classes at the community college made up the control group. The treatment group classes were selected based on available computer resources. All students in the study were given the Lab Pre Test, Lab Post Test, and the Lecture Post Test to assess the student's ability to answer questions pertaining to Lewis structures and polarity of molecules. An Attitudinal Survey assessed the attitudes of the students who participated in the study. Student interviews were performed to assess the student's attitudes towards the lab exercise. The interviews investigated attitudes about the modeling exercise, Lewis structures, and polarity of molecules. There were no significant differences in the performance of the treatment group when compared to the control group on the performance assessment instruments at the university or the community college. The treatment group students at the university had a more positive attitude about the lab activity. They believed that the lab activity helped them better understand the concepts of Lewis structure and molecular polarity. At the community college, the control group students had a more positive attitude about the lab activity. The students involved in the study believed that the lab activity helped them to understand the concepts of molecular geometry and polarity. The interviews of the treatment group students indicated that they strongly believed that the lab activity helped them better understand the concept of Lewis structures and of molecular polarity. As reflected in the interviews of the treatment group and the control group, the lab activity did not help the students be able to look at a Lewis structure and build a mental image of the molecule. The students believed the electrostatic potential plots generated by Spartan Model were very insightful into the concept of polarity. It gave them a visual representation of a difficult topic.

The Use of an Online Learning and Teaching System for Monitoring Computer Aided Design Student Participation and Predicting Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akhtar, S.; Warburton, S.; Xu, W.

2017-01-01

In this paper we report on the use of a purpose built Computer Support Collaborative learning environment designed to support lab-based CAD teaching through the monitoring of student participation and identified predictors of success. This was carried out by analysing data from the interactive learning system and correlating student behaviour with…

A Framework for Lab Work Management in Mass Courses. Application to Low Level Input/Output without Hardware

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rodriguez, Santiago; Zamorano, Juan; Rosales, Francisco; Dopico, Antonio Garcia; Pedraza, Jose Luis

2007-01-01

This paper describes a complete lab work management framework designed and developed in the authors' department to help teachers to manage the small projects that students are expected to complete as lab assignments during their graduate-level computer engineering studies. The paper focuses on an application example of the framework to a specific…

Gender Effects of Computer Use in a Conceptual Physics Lab Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Domelen, Dave

2010-01-01

It's always hard to know what to expect when bringing computers into an educational setting, as things are always changing. Student skills with computers are different today than they were 10 years ago, and 20 years ago almost counts as an alien world. Still, one hopes that some of these changes result in positive trends, such as student attitudes…

A Computer-Based Simulation of an Acid-Base Titration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boblick, John M.

1971-01-01

Reviews the advantages of computer simulated environments for experiments, referring in particular to acid-base titrations. Includes pre-lab instructions and a sample computer printout of a student's use of an acid-base simulation. Ten references. (PR)

Affordances of instrumentation in general chemistry laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sherman, Kristin Mary Daniels

The purpose of this study is to find out what students in the first chemistry course at the undergraduate level (general chemistry for science majors) know about the affordances of instrumentation used in the general chemistry laboratory and how their knowledge develops over time. Overall, students see the PASCO(TM) system as a useful and accurate measuring tool for general chemistry labs. They see the probeware as easy to use, portable, and able to interact with computers. Students find that the PASCO(TM) probeware system is useful in their general chemistry labs, more advanced chemistry labs, and in other science classes, and can be used in a variety of labs done in general chemistry. Students learn the affordances of the probeware through the lab manual, the laboratory teaching assistant, by trial and error, and from each other. The use of probeware systems provides lab instructors the opportunity to focus on the concepts illustrated by experiments and the opportunity to spend time discussing the results. In order to teach effectively, the instructor must know the correct name of the components involved, how to assemble and disassemble it correctly, how to troubleshoot the software, and must be able to replace broken or missing components quickly. The use of podcasts or Web-based videos should increase student understanding of affordances of the probeware.

Group dynamic and its effect on classroom climate, achievement, and time in lab in the organic chemistry laboratory classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hall, Rachael S.

Despite the many studies on the benefits of cooperative learning, there is surprising little research into how the classroom as a whole changes when these cooperative groups are reassigned. In one section of CHEM 3011 in Fall 2013, students were allowed to pick their partner and kept the same partner all semester. In another section during the same semester, students were assigned a different partner for every wet lab and were allowed to pick their partners during the computer simulation labs. The students in both sections were given the "preferred" version of the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) at the beginning of the semester to elicit student preferences for the class environment, and the "actual" version of the SLEI and the Class Life Instrument at the end of the semester to determine what actually occurred during the semester. The students' interactions were recorded using an observational instrument developed specifically for this project. The students' responses to surveys, interactions, grades, and time in lab were analyzed for differences between the two sections. The results of this study will be discussed.

Adapting to the Era of Information

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuart, Reginald

2008-01-01

Despite having wireless connectivity to the Internet on campus, the students at Northwest Indian College could not afford a laptop computer of their own to access the Internet. Using the school's three computer labs was also problematic, as many students were working parents who traveled long distances and had little time to stay on campus after…

The Affective Experience of Novice Computer Programmers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bosch, Nigel; D'Mello, Sidney

2017-01-01

Novice students (N = 99) participated in a lab study in which they learned the fundamentals of computer programming in Python using a self-paced computerized learning environment involving a 25-min scaffolded learning phase and a 10-min unscaffolded fadeout phase. Students provided affect judgments at approximately 100 points (every 15 s) over the…

Simulations, Games, and Virtual Labs for Science Education: a Compendium and Some Examples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Russell, R. M.

2011-12-01

We have assembled a list of computer-based simulations, games, and virtual labs for science education. This list, with links to the sources of these resources, is available online. The entries span a broad range of science, math, and engineering topics. They also span a range of target student ages, from elementary school to university students. We will provide a brief overview of this web site and the resources found on it. We will also briefly demonstrate some of our own educational simulations, including the "Very, Very Simple Climate Model", and report on formative evaluations of these resources. Computer-based simulations and virtual labs are valuable resources for science educators in various settings, allowing learners to experiment and explore "what if" scenarios. Educational computer games can motivate learners in both formal and informal settings, encouraging them to spend much more time exploring a topic than they might otherwise be inclined to do. Part of this presentation is effectively a "literature review" of numerous sources of simulations, games, and virtual labs. Although we have encountered several nice collections of such resources, those collections seem to be restricted in scope. They either represent materials developed by a specific group or agency (e.g. NOAA's games web site) or are restricted to a specific discipline (e.g. geology simulations and virtual labs). This presentation directs viewers to games, simulations, and virtual labs from many different sources and spanning a broad range of STEM disciplines.

Uncertainty Calculations in the First Introductory Physics Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, Shafiqur

2005-03-01

Uncertainty in a measured quantity is an integral part of reporting any experimental data. Consequently, Introductory Physics laboratories at many institutions require that students report the values of the quantities being measured as well as their uncertainties. Unfortunately, given that there are three main ways of calculating uncertainty, each suitable for particular situations (which is usually not explained in the lab manual), this is also an area that students feel highly confused about. It frequently generates large number of complaints in the end-of-the semester course evaluations. Students at some institutions are not asked to calculate uncertainty at all, which gives them a fall sense of the nature of experimental data. Taking advantage of the increased sophistication in the use of computers and spreadsheets that students are coming to college with, we have completely restructured our first Introductory Physics Lab to address this problem. Always in the context of a typical lab, we now systematically and sequentially introduce the various ways of calculating uncertainty including a theoretical understanding as opposed to a cookbook approach, all within the context of six three-hour labs. Complaints about the lab in student evaluations have dropped by 80%. * supported by a grant from A. V. Davis Foundation

Computer-Mediated Communication in a High School: The Users Shape the Medium--Part 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bresler, Liora

1990-01-01

This field study represents a departure from structured, or directed, computer-mediated communication as used in its natural environment, the computer lab. Using observations, interviews, and the computer medium itself, the investigators report how high school students interact with computers and create their own agendas for computer usage and…

Is This Real Life? Is This Just Fantasy?: Realism and Representations in Learning with Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sauter, Megan Patrice

Students often engage in hands-on activities during science learning; however, financial and practical constraints often limit the availability of these activities. Recent advances in technology have led to increases in the use of simulations and remote labs, which attempt to recreate hands-on science learning via computer. Remote labs and simulations are interesting from a cognitive perspective because they allow for different relations between representations and their referents. Remote labs are unique in that they provide a yoked representation, meaning that the representation of the lab on the computer screen is actually linked to that which it represents: a real scientific device. Simulations merely represent the lab and are not connected to any real scientific devices. However, the type of visual representations used in the lab may modify the effects of the lab technology. The purpose of this dissertation is to examine the relation between representation and technology and its effects of students' psychological experiences using online science labs. Undergraduates participated in two studies that investigated the relation between technology and representation. In the first study, participants performed either a remote lab or a simulation incorporating one of two visual representations, either a static image or a video of the equipment. Although participants in both lab conditions learned, participants in the remote lab condition had more authentic experiences. However, effects were moderated by the realism of the visual representation. Participants who saw a video were more invested and felt the experience was more authentic. In a second study, participants performed a remote lab and either saw the same video as in the first study, an animation, or the video and an animation. Most participants had an authentic experience because both representations evoked strong feelings of presence. However, participants who saw the video were more likely to believe the remote technology was real. Overall, the findings suggest that participants' experiences with technology were shaped by representation. Students had more authentic experiences using the remote lab than the simulation. However, incorporating visual representations that enhance presence made these experiences even more authentic and meaningful than afforded by the technology alone.

Using SimCPU in Cooperative Learning Laboratories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Janet Mei-Chuen; Wu, Cheng-Chih; Liu, Hsi-Jen

1999-01-01

Reports research findings of an experimental design in which cooperative-learning strategies were applied to closed-lab instruction of computing concepts. SimCPU, a software package specially designed for closed-lab usage was used by 171 high school students of four classes. Results showed that collaboration enhanced learning and that blending…

Improve Problem Solving Skills through Adapting Programming Tools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaykhian, Linda H.; Shaykhian, Gholam Ali

2007-01-01

There are numerous ways for engineers and students to become better problem-solvers. The use of command line and visual programming tools can help to model a problem and formulate a solution through visualization. The analysis of problem attributes and constraints provide insight into the scope and complexity of the problem. The visualization aspect of the problem-solving approach tends to make students and engineers more systematic in their thought process and help them catch errors before proceeding too far in the wrong direction. The problem-solver identifies and defines important terms, variables, rules, and procedures required for solving a problem. Every step required to construct the problem solution can be defined in program commands that produce intermediate output. This paper advocates improved problem solving skills through using a programming tool. MatLab created by MathWorks, is an interactive numerical computing environment and programming language. It is a matrix-based system that easily lends itself to matrix manipulation, and plotting of functions and data. MatLab can be used as an interactive command line or a sequence of commands that can be saved in a file as a script or named functions. Prior programming experience is not required to use MatLab commands. The GNU Octave, part of the GNU project, a free computer program for performing numerical computations, is comparable to MatLab. MatLab visual and command programming are presented here.

Demo of three ways to use a computer to assist in lab

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neville, J. P.

1990-01-01

The objective is to help the slow learner and students with a language problem, or to challenge the advanced student. Technology has advanced to the point where images generated on a computer can easily be recorded on a VCR and used as a video tutorial. This transfer can be as simple as pointing a video camera at the screen and recording the image. For more clarity and professional results, a board may be inserted into a computer which will convert the signals directly to the TV standard. Using a computer program that generates movies one can animate various principles which would normally be impossible to show or would require time-lapse photography. For example, you might show the change in shape of grains as a piece of metal is cold worked and then show the recrystallization and grain growth as heat is applied. More imaginative titles and graphics are also possible using this technique. Remedial help may also be offered via computer to those who find a specific concept difficult. A printout of specific data, details of the theory or equipment set-up can be offered. Programs are now available that will help as well as test the student in specific areas so that a Keller type approach can be used with each student to insure each knows the subject before going on to the next topic. A computer can serve as an information source and contain the microstructures, physical data and availability of each material tested in the lab. With this source present unknowns can be evaluated and various tests simulated to create a simple or complex case study lab assignment.

An Educational Approach to Computationally Modeling Dynamical Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chodroff, Leah; O'Neal, Tim M.; Long, David A.; Hemkin, Sheryl

2009-01-01

Chemists have used computational science methodologies for a number of decades and their utility continues to be unabated. For this reason we developed an advanced lab in computational chemistry in which students gain understanding of general strengths and weaknesses of computation-based chemistry by working through a specific research problem.…

LINUX, Virtualization, and the Cloud: A Hands-On Student Introductory Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Serapiglia, Anthony

2013-01-01

Many students are entering Computer Science education with limited exposure to operating systems and applications other than those produced by Apple or Microsoft. This gap in familiarity with the Open Source community can quickly be bridged with a simple exercise that can also be used to strengthen two other important current computing concepts,…

Cognitive Computer Tools in the Teaching and Learning of Undergraduate Calculus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Borchelt, Nathan

2007-01-01

The purpose of this study was to explore the use of a cognitive computer tool by undergraduate calculus students as they worked cooperatively on mathematical tasks. Specific attention was given to levels of cognitive demand in which the students were engaged as they completed in-class labs with the assistance of MathCAD. Participants were assigned…

Making education effective and fun: stations-based approach to teaching radiology and anatomy to third-year medical students.

PubMed

Arya, Rahul; Morrison, Trevor; Zumwalt, Ann; Shaffer, Kitt

2013-10-01

A hands-on stations-based approach to teaching anatomy to third-year medical students is used at Boston University. The goal of our study was to demonstrate that such an interactive, team-based approach to teaching anatomy would be well received and be helpful in recall, comprehension, and reinforcement of anatomy learned in the first year of medical school. Each radiology-anatomy correlation lab was focused on one particular anatomic part, such as skull base, pelvis, coronary anatomy, etc. Four stations, including a three-dimensional model, computer, ultrasound, and posters, were created for each lab. Informed consent was obtained before online survey dissemination to assess the effectiveness and quality of radiology-anatomy correlation lab. This study was approved by our institutional institutional review board, and data were analyzed using a χ(2) test. Survey data were collected from February 2010 through March 2012. The response rate was 33.5%. Overall, the highest percentage of students (46%) found the three-dimensional model station to be the most valuable. The computer station was most helpful in recall of the anatomic principles from the first year of medical school. Regarding the quality of the anatomy lab, less than 2% of the students thought that the images were of poor quality or the material presented was not clinically relevant. Our results indicate that an interactive, team-based approach to teaching anatomy was well received by the medical students. It was engaging and students were able to benefit from it in multiple ways. Copyright © 2013 AUR. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

New Technology and the Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conklin, Joyce

1987-01-01

Hillsdale High School, in San Mateo, California, installed the nation's first 15-computer Macintosh laboratory donated by Apple Computer, Inc. This article describes the lab and the uses to which it has been put, including computer education, word processing, preparation of student publications, and creative writing instruction. (PGD)

Implementing Equal Access Computer Labs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clinton, Janeen; And Others

This paper discusses the philosophy followed in Palm Beach County to adapt computer literacy curriculum, hardware, and software to meet the needs of all children. The Department of Exceptional Student Education and the Department of Instructional Computing Services cooperated in planning strategies and coordinating efforts to implement equal…

Introducing computer-assisted training sessions in the clinical skills lab at the Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University.

PubMed

Hosny, Somaya; Mishriky, Adel M; Youssef, Mirella

2008-01-01

The Faculty of Medicine, Suez Canal University clinical skills lab was established in 1981 as the first skills lab in Egypt to cope with innovation in medical education adopted since school inauguration in 1978. Students are trained using their peers or models. Training is done weekly, guided by checklists tested for validity and reliability and updated regularly. Students receive immediate feedback on their performance. Recently, the number of students has increased, leading to challenges in providing adequate supervision and training experiences. A project to design and implement a computer-assisted training (CAT) system seemed to be a plausible solution. To assess the quality of a newly developed CAT product, faculty and students' satisfaction with it, and its impact on the learning process. The project involved preparation of multimedia video-films with a web interface for links of different scientific materials. The project was implemented on second year students. A quality check was done to assess the product's scientific content, and technical quality using questionnaires filled by 84 faculty members (139 filled forms) and 175 students (924 filled forms). For assessment of impact, results of examinations after project implementation were compared with results of 2nd year students of previous 3 years. More faculty (96.3%) were satisfied with the product and considered its quality good to excellent, compared to 93.9% of students, p < 0.001. Most faculty (76.2%) have agreed on its suitability for self-learning, while most students considered the product would be suitable after modification. The percentage of students' failures was lower after project implementation, compared to previous 3 years, p < 0.05. CAT materials developed for training of second year students in skills lab proved to be of good scientific content and quality, and suitable for self-learning. Their use was associated with lower failure rates among students. A randomized trial is recommended to ascertain the effectiveness of its application.

EarthLabs Modules: Engaging Students In Extended, Rigorous Investigations Of The Ocean, Climate and Weather

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manley, J.; Chegwidden, D.; Mote, A. S.; Ledley, T. S.; Lynds, S. E.; Haddad, N.; Ellins, K.

2016-02-01

EarthLabs, envisioned as a national model for high school Earth or Environmental Science lab courses, is adaptable for both undergraduate middle school students. The collection includes ten online modules that combine to feature a global view of our planet as a dynamic, interconnected system, by engaging learners in extended investigations. EarthLabs support state and national guidelines, including the NGSS, for science content. Four modules directly guide students to discover vital aspects of the oceans while five other modules incorporate ocean sciences in order to complete an understanding of Earth's climate system. Students gain a broad perspective on the key role oceans play in fishing industry, droughts, coral reefs, hurricanes, the carbon cycle, as well as life on land and in the seas to drive our changing climate by interacting with scientific research data, manipulating satellite imagery, numerical data, computer visualizations, experiments, and video tutorials. Students explore Earth system processes and build quantitative skills that enable them to objectively evaluate scientific findings for themselves as they move through ordered sequences that guide the learning. As a robust collection, EarthLabs modules engage students in extended, rigorous investigations allowing a deeper understanding of the ocean, climate and weather. This presentation provides an overview of the ten curriculum modules that comprise the EarthLabs collection developed by TERC and found at http://serc.carleton.edu/earthlabs/index.html. Evaluation data on the effectiveness and use in secondary education classrooms will be summarized.

The role biomedical science laboratories can play in improving science knowledge and promoting first-year nursing academic success

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arneson, Pam

The Role Biomedical Science Laboratories Can Play In Improving Science Knowledge and Promoting First-Year Nursing Academic Success The need for additional nursing and health care professionals is expected to increase dramatically over the next 20 years. With this in mind, students must have strong biomedical science knowledge to be competent in their field. Some studies have shown that participation in bioscience laboratories can enhance science knowledge. If this is true, an analysis of the role bioscience labs have in first-year nursing academic success is apposite. In response, this study sought to determine whether concurrent enrollment in anatomy and microbiology lecture and lab courses improved final lecture course grades. The investigation was expanded to include a comparison of first-year nursing GPA and prerequisite bioscience concurrent lecture/lab enrollment. Additionally, research has indicated that learning is affected by student perception of the course, instructor, content, and environment. To gain an insight regarding students' perspectives of laboratory courses, almost 100 students completed a 20-statement perception survey to understand how lab participation affects learning. Data analyses involved comparing anatomy and microbiology final lecture course grades between students who concurrently enrolled in the lecture and lab courses and students who completed the lecture course alone. Independent t test analyses revealed that there was no significant difference between the groups for anatomy, t(285) = .11, p = .912, but for microbiology, the lab course provided a significant educational benefit, t(256) = 4.47, p = .000. However, when concurrent prerequisite bioscience lecture/lab enrollment was compared to non-concurrent enrollment for first-year nursing GPA using independent t test analyses, no significant difference was found for South Dakota State University, t(37) = -1.57, p = .125, or for the University of South Dakota, t(38) = -0.46, p = .651. Student perception survey examination included computation of means and standard deviations for statements related to the educational importance of lab courses, the value of lab experimentation, and the usefulness of concurrent lecture/lab enrollment. Independent t test analyses sought to determine differences within the courses of anatomy lab and microbiology lab as well as differences between the instructors involved. Results suggested that student perceptions may be dependent on the course, the instructor, and possibly the content.

Innovative Use of a Classroom Response System During Physics Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walgren, Jay

2011-01-01

More and more physics instructors are making use of personal/classroom response systems or "clickers." The use of clickers to engage students with multiple-choice questions during lecture and available instructor resources for clickers have been well documented in this journal.1-4 Newer-generation clickers, which I refer to as classroom response systems (CRS), have evolved to accept numeric answers (such as 9.81) instead of just single "multiple-choice" entries (Fig. 1). This advancement is available from most major clicker companies and allows for a greater variety of engaging questions during lecture. In addition, these new "numeric ready" clickers are marketed to be used for student assessments. During a test or quiz, students' answers are entered into their clicker instead of on paper or Scantron® and immediately absorbed by wireless connection into a computer for grading and analysis. I recognize the usefulness and benefit these new-generation CRSs provide for many instructors. However, I do not use my CRS in either of the aforementioned activities. Instead, I use it in an unconventional way. I use the CRS to electronically capture students' lab data as they are performing a physics lab (Fig. 2). I set up the clickers as if I were going to use them for a test, but instead of entering answers to a test, my students enter lab data as they collect it. In this paper I discuss my use of a classroom response system during physics laboratory and three benefits that result: 1) Students are encouraged to "take ownership of" and "have integrity with" their physics lab data. 2) Students' measuring and unit conversion deficiencies are identified immediately during the lab. 3) The process of grading students' labs is simplified because the results of each student's lab calculations can be pre-calculated for the instructor using a spreadsheet. My use of clickers during lab can be implemented with most clicker systems available to instructors today. The CRS I use is the eInstruction's® Classroom Performance System™ (CPS™).5 (Fig. 1)

Advanced Physics Labs and Undergraduate Research: Helping Them Work Together

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peterson, Richard W.

2009-10-01

The 2009 Advanced Lab Topical Conference in Ann Arbor affirmed the importance of advanced labs that teach crucial skills and methodologies by carefully conducting a time-honored experiment. Others however argued that such a constrained experiment can play a complementary role to more open-ended, project experiences. A genuine ``experiment'' where neither student or faculty member is exactly sure of the best approach or anticipated result can often trigger real excitement, creativity, and career direction for students while reinforcing the advanced lab and undergraduate research interface. Several examples are cited in areas of AMO physics, optics, fluids, and acoustics. Colleges and universities that have dual-degree engineering, engineering physics, or applied physics programs may especially profit from interdisciplinary projects that utilize optical, electromagnetic, and acoustical measurements in conjunction with computational physics and simulation.

The community FabLab platform: applications and implications in biomedical engineering.

PubMed

Stephenson, Makeda K; Dow, Douglas E

2014-01-01

Skill development in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) education present one of the most formidable challenges of modern society. The Community FabLab platform presents a viable solution. Each FabLab contains a suite of modern computer numerical control (CNC) equipment, electronics and computing hardware and design, programming, computer aided design (CAD) and computer aided machining (CAM) software. FabLabs are community and educational resources and open to the public. Development of STEM based workforce skills such as digital fabrication and advanced manufacturing can be enhanced using this platform. Particularly notable is the potential of the FabLab platform in STEM education. The active learning environment engages and supports a diversity of learners, while the iterative learning that is supported by the FabLab rapid prototyping platform facilitates depth of understanding, creativity, innovation and mastery. The product and project based learning that occurs in FabLabs develops in the student a personal sense of accomplishment, self-awareness, command of the material and technology. This helps build the interest and confidence necessary to excel in STEM and throughout life. Finally the introduction and use of relevant technologies at every stage of the education process ensures technical familiarity and a broad knowledge base needed for work in STEM based fields. Biomedical engineering education strives to cultivate broad technical adeptness, creativity, interdisciplinary thought, and an ability to form deep conceptual understanding of complex systems. The FabLab platform is well designed to enhance biomedical engineering education.

Theoretical Hammett Plot for the Gas-Phase Ionization of Benzoic Acid versus Phenol: A Computational Chemistry Lab Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ziegler, Blake E.

2013-01-01

Computational chemistry undergraduate laboratory courses are now part of the chemistry curriculum at many universities. However, there remains a lack of computational chemistry exercises available to instructors. This exercise is presented for students to develop skills using computational chemistry software while supplementing their knowledge of…

Reviews.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of Chemical Education, 1988

1988-01-01

Reviews three computer software packages for chemistry education including "Osmosis and Diffusion" and "E.M.E. Titration Lab" for Apple II and "Simplex-V: An Interactive Computer Program for Experimental Optimization" for IBM PC. Summary ratings include ease of use, content, pedagogic value, student reaction, and…

Inexpensive DAQ based physics labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lewis, Benjamin; Clark, Shane

2015-11-01

Quality Data Acquisition (DAQ) based physics labs can be designed using microcontrollers and very low cost sensors with minimal lab equipment. A prototype device with several sensors and documentation for a number of DAQ-based labs is showcased. The device connects to a computer through Bluetooth and uses a simple interface to control the DAQ and display real time graphs, storing the data in .txt and .xls formats. A full device including a larger number of sensors combined with software interface and detailed documentation would provide a high quality physics lab education for minimal cost, for instance in high schools lacking lab equipment or students taking online classes. An entire semester’s lab course could be conducted using a single device with a manufacturing cost of under $20.

Educationally and Cost Effective: Computers in the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agee, Roy

1986-01-01

The author states that the educational community must provide programs that assure students they will be able to learn how to use and control computers. He discusses micro labs, prerequisites to computer literacy, curriculum development, teaching methods, simulation projects, a systems analysis project, new job titles, and primary basic skills…

Real World Robotics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Lisa J.

2002-01-01

Introduces a project for elementary school students in which students build a robot by following instructions and then write a computer program to run their robot by using LabView graphical development software. Uses ROBOLAB curriculum which is designed for grade levels K-12. (YDS)

Competence-Based, Research-Related Lab Courses for Materials Modeling: The Case of Organic Photovoltaics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schellhammer, Karl Sebastian; Cuniberti, Gianaurelio

2017-01-01

We are hereby presenting a didactic concept for an advanced lab course that focuses on the design of donor materials for organic solar cells. Its research-related and competence-based approach qualifies the students to independently and creatively apply computational methods and to profoundly and critically discuss the results obtained. The high…

A Multimedia Approach to Lab Reporting via Computer Presentation Software

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jenkinson, Gregory T.; Fraiman, Ana

1999-02-01

The use of multimedia software presents a new way for the educator to gather and present information. In a laboratory report, students are required to gather and present data that are available from a wide variety of resources. In the past, this information was compiled into a hard-copy report, consisting merely of text and possibly two-dimensional graphics. Today, Northeastern Illinois University students use Podium, one of many multimedia presentation applications available on the market. These presentation applications offer a rich array of choices for the type and quantity of information to compile. This "paperless" implementation gives students the opportunity to create a lab report that is a network of ideas, cross-referenced with hyperlinks in a personal fashion that is logical for that particular student. The use of hyperlinks allows easy access to previously learned concepts that may be needed for future labs. This new technology allows students to make links of their own and to begin to see chemistry as an encompassing industry with connection to all disciplines of science.

Eight year experience in open ended instrumentation laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marques, Manuel B.; Rosa, Carla C.; Marques, Paulo V. S.

2015-10-01

When designing laboratory courses in a Physics Major we consider a range of objectives: teaching Physics; developing lab competencies; instrument control and data acquisition; learning about measurement errors and error propagation; an introduction to project management; team work skills and scientific writing. But nowadays we face pressure to decrease laboratory hours due to the cost involved. Many universities are replacing lab classes for simulation activities, hiring PhD. and master students to give first year lab classes, and reducing lab hours. This leads to formatted lab scripts and poor autonomy of the students, and failure to enhance creativity and autonomy. In this paper we present our eight year experience with a laboratory course that is mandatory in the third year of Physics and Physical Engineering degrees. Since the students had previously two standard laboratory courses, we focused on teaching instrumentation and giving students autonomy. The course is divided in two parts: one third is dedicated to learn computer controlled instrumentation and data acquisition (based in LabView); the final 2/3 is dedicated to a group project. In this project, the team (2 or 3 students) must develop a project and present it in a typical conference format at the end of the semester. The project assignments are usually not very detailed (about two or three lines long), giving only general guidelines pointing to a successful project (students often recycle objectives putting forward a very personal project); all of them require assembling some hardware. Due to our background, about one third of the projects are related to Optics.

A nested virtualization tool for information technology practical education.

PubMed

Pérez, Carlos; Orduña, Juan M; Soriano, Francisco R

2016-01-01

A common problem of some information technology courses is the difficulty of providing practical exercises. Although different approaches have been followed to solve this problem, it is still an open issue, specially in security and computer network courses. This paper proposes NETinVM, a tool based on nested virtualization that includes a fully functional lab, comprising several computers and networks, in a single virtual machine. It also analyzes and evaluates how it has been used in different teaching environments. The results show that this tool makes it possible to perform demos, labs and practical exercises, greatly appreciated by the students, that would otherwise be unfeasible. Also, its portability allows to reproduce classroom activities, as well as the students' autonomous work.

A computer lab exploring evolutionary aspects of chromatin structure and dynamics for an undergraduate chromatin course*.

PubMed

Eirín-López, José M

2013-01-01

The study of chromatin constitutes one of the most active research fields in life sciences, being subject to constant revisions that continuously redefine the state of the art in its knowledge. As every other rapidly changing field, chromatin biology requires clear and straightforward educational strategies able to efficiently translate such a vast body of knowledge to the classroom. With this aim, the present work describes a multidisciplinary computer lab designed to introduce undergraduate students to the dynamic nature of chromatin, within the context of the one semester course "Chromatin: Structure, Function and Evolution." This exercise is organized in three parts including (a) molecular evolutionary biology of histone families (using the H1 family as example), (b) histone structure and variation across different animal groups, and (c) effect of histone diversity on nucleosome structure and chromatin dynamics. By using freely available bioinformatic tools that can be run on common computers, the concept of chromatin dynamics is interactively illustrated from a comparative/evolutionary perspective. At the end of this computer lab, students are able to translate the bioinformatic information into a biochemical context in which the relevance of histone primary structure on chromatin dynamics is exposed. During the last 8 years this exercise has proven to be a powerful approach for teaching chromatin structure and dynamics, allowing students a higher degree of independence during the processes of learning and self-assessment. Copyright © 2013 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Cane Toad or Computer Mouse? Real and Computer-Simulated Laboratory Exercises in Physiology Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Jan; Veenstra, Anneke

2012-01-01

Traditional practical classes in many countries are being rationalised to reduce costs. The challenge for university educators is to provide students with the opportunity to reinforce theoretical concepts by running something other than a traditional practical program. One alternative is to replace wet labs with comparable computer simulations.…

Providing Guidance in Virtual Lab Experimentation: The Case of an Experiment Design Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Efstathiou, Charalampos; Hovardas, Tasos; Xenofontos, Nikoletta A.; Zacharia, Zacharias C.; deJong, Ton; Anjewierden, Anjo; van Riesen, Siswa A. N.

2018-01-01

The present study employed a quasi-experimental design to assess a computer-based tool, which was intended to scaffold the task of designing experiments when using a virtual lab for the process of experimentation. In particular, we assessed the impact of this tool on primary school students' cognitive processes and inquiry skills before and after…

Gender gaps and gendered action in a first-year physics laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Day, James; Stang, Jared B.; Holmes, N. G.; Kumar, Dhaneesh; Bonn, D. A.

2016-12-01

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Gender in Physics.] It is established that male students outperform female students on almost all commonly used physics concept inventories. However, there is significant variation in the factors that contribute to the gap, as well as the direction in which they influence it. It is presently unknown if such a gender gap exists on the relatively new Concise Data Processing Assessment (CDPA) and, therefore, whether gendered actions in the teaching lab might influence—or be influenced by—the gender gap. To begin to get an estimates of the gap, its predictors, and its correlates, we have measured performance on the CDPA at the pretest and post-test level. We have also made observations of how students in mixed-gender partnerships divide their time in the lab. We find a gender gap on the CDPA that persists from pre- to post-test and that is as big as, if not bigger than, similar reported gaps. We also observe compelling differences in how students divide their time in the lab. In mixed-gender pairs, male students tend to monopolize the computer, female and male students tend to share the equipment equally, and female students tend to spend more time on other activities that are not the equipment or computer, such as writing or speaking to peers. We also find no correlation between computer use, when students are presumably working with their data, and performance on the CDPA post-test. In parallel to our analysis, we scrutinize some of the more commonly used approaches to similar data. We argue in favor of more explicitly checking the assumptions associated with the statistical methods that are used and improved reporting and contextualization of effect sizes. Ultimately, we claim no evidence that female students are less capable of learning than their male peers, and we suggest caution when using gain measures to draw conclusions about differences in science classroom performance across gender.

Applying ``intelligent`` materials for materials education: The Labless Lab{trademark}

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Andrade, J.D.; Scheer, R.

1994-12-31

A very large number of science and engineering courses taught in colleges and universities today do not involve laboratories. Although good instructors incorporate class demonstrations, hands on homework, and various teaching aids, including computer simulations, the fact is that students in such courses often accept key concepts and experimental results without discovering them for themselves. The only partial solution to this problem has been increasing use of class demonstrations and computer simulations. The authors feel strongly that many complex concepts can be observed and assimilated through experimentation with properly designed materials. They propose the development of materials and specimens designedmore » specifically for education purposes. Intelligent and communicative materials are ideal for this purpose. Specimens which respond in an observable fashion to new environments and situations provided by the students/experimenter provide a far more effective materials science and engineering experience than readouts and data generated by complex and expensive machines, particularly in an introductory course. Modern materials can be designed to literally communicate with the observer. The authors embarked on a project to develop a series of Labless Labs{trademark} utilizing various degrees and levels of intelligence in materials. It is expected that such Labless Labs{trademark} would be complementary to textbooks and computer simulations and to be used to provide a reality for students in courses and other learning situations where access to a laboratory is non-existent or limited.« less

Studying the Binomial Distribution Using LabVIEW

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, Danielle J.; Hammer, Nathan I.

2015-01-01

This undergraduate physical chemistry laboratory exercise introduces students to the study of probability distributions both experimentally and using computer simulations. Students perform the classic coin toss experiment individually and then pool all of their data together to study the effect of experimental sample size on the binomial…

Utah Virtual Lab: JAVA interactivity for teaching science and statistics on line.

PubMed

Malloy, T E; Jensen, G C

2001-05-01

The Utah on-line Virtual Lab is a JAVA program run dynamically off a database. It is embedded in StatCenter (www.psych.utah.edu/learn/statsampler.html), an on-line collection of tools and text for teaching and learning statistics. Instructors author a statistical virtual reality that simulates theories and data in a specific research focus area by defining independent, predictor, and dependent variables and the relations among them. Students work in an on-line virtual environment to discover the principles of this simulated reality: They go to a library, read theoretical overviews and scientific puzzles, and then go to a lab, design a study, collect and analyze data, and write a report. Each student's design and data analysis decisions are computer-graded and recorded in a database; the written research report can be read by the instructor or by other students in peer groups simulating scientific conventions.

An Interactive Computer Lab of the Galvanic Cell for Students in Biochemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahlstrand, Emma; Buetti-Dinh, Antoine; Friedman, Ran

2018-01-01

We describe an interactive module that can be used to teach basic concepts in electrochemistry and thermodynamics to first year natural science students. The module is used together with an experimental laboratory and improves the students' understanding of thermodynamic quantities such as ?rG, ?rH, and ?rS that are calculated but not directly…

Teaching Physics to Deaf College Students in a 3-D Virtual Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Vicki

2013-01-01

Virtual worlds are used in many educational and business applications. At the National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology (NTID/RIT), deaf college students are introduced to the virtual world of Second Life, which is a 3-D immersive, interactive environment, accessed through computer software. NTID students use…

Ding Dong, You've Got Mail! A Lab Activity for Teaching the Internet of Things

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frydenberg, Mark

2017-01-01

Connecting ordinary devices to the Internet is a defining characteristic of the Internet of Things. In this hands-on lab activity, students will connect a wireless doorbell to the Internet using a Raspberry Pi computer. By modifying and running a program on the Raspberry Pi to send an email or text message notifying a recipient that someone is at…

Fluid Mechanics Experiments as a Unifying Theme in the Physics Instrumentation Laboratory Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borrero-Echeverry, Daniel

2017-11-01

We discuss the transformation of a junior-level instrumentation laboratory course from a sequence of cookbook lab exercises to a semester-long, project-based course. In the original course, students conducted a series of activities covering the usual electronics topics (amplifiers, filters, oscillators, logic gates, etc.) and learned basic LabVIEW programming for data acquisition and analysis. Students complained that these topics seemed disconnected and not immediately applicable to ``real'' laboratory work. To provide a unifying theme, we restructured the course around the design, construction, instrumentation of a low-cost Taylor-Couette cell where fluid is sheared between rotating coaxial cylinders. The electronics labs were reworked to guide students from fundamental electronics through the design and construction of a stepper motor driver, which was used to actuate the cylinders. Some of the legacy labs were replaced with a module on computer-aided design (CAD) in which students designed parts for the apparatus, which they then built in the departmental machine shop. Signal processing topics like spectral analysis were introduced in the context of time-series analysis of video data acquired from flow visualization. The course culminated with a capstone project in which students conducted experiments of their own design on a variety of topics in rheology and nonlinear dynamics.

Broadcasting a Lab Measurement over Existing Conductor Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knipp, Peter A.

2009-01-01

Students learn about physical laws and the scientific method when they analyze experimental data in a laboratory setting. Three common sources exist for the experimental data that they analyze: (1) "hands-on" measurements by the students themselves, (2) electronic transfer (by downloading a spreadsheet, video, or computer-aided data-acquisition…

Advancing Student Productivity: An Introduction to Evernote

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korzaan, Melinda; Lawrence, Cameron

2016-01-01

This lab exercise exposes students to Evernote, which is a powerful productivity application that has gained significant purchase in professional work environments. In many academic settings the introductory computer applications course has a specific focus on standard productivity applications such as MS Word and MS Excel. While ensuring fluency…

Using a Commercial Simulator to Teach Sorption Separations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wankat, Phillip C.

2006-01-01

The commercial simulator Aspen Chromatography was used in the computer laboratory of a dual-level course. The lab assignments used a cookbook approach to teach basic simulator operation and open-ended exploration to understand adsorption. The students learned theory better than in previous years despite having less lecture time. Students agreed…

Low Cost Alternatives to Commercial Lab Kits for Physics Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kodejška, C.; De Nunzio, G.; Kubinek, R.; Ríha, J.

2015-01-01

Conducting experiments in physics using modern measuring techniques, and particularly those utilizing computers, is often much more attractive to students than conducting experiments conventionally. However, the cost of professional kits in the Czech Republic is still very expensive for many schools. The basic equipment for one student workplace…

The Impact of Microcomputers on Composition Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hocking, Joan

To determine whether computer assisted instruction was just a fad or a viable alternative to traditional methods for teaching English composition, a microcomputer was used in a traditional college freshman English course. The class was divided into small groups: some went to the computer lab, while others worked in the classroom. Interactive…

Effects of Intelligent Computer-Generated Interactive Mathematics Programs on Students' Achievement and Affective Domain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wendel, Holly Marie

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship each of the mathematics web-based programs, MyMathLab and Assessments and Learning in Knowledge Spaces (ALEKS), has with students' mathematics achievement. In addition, the study examined the relationship between students' affective domain and the type of program as well as student…

Technology for Kids' Desktops: How One School Brought Its Computers Out of the Lab and into Classrooms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozzone, Meg A.

1997-01-01

Purchasing custom-made desks with durable glass tops to house computers and double as student work space solved the problem of how to squeeze in additional classroom computers at Johnson Park Elementary School in Princeton, New Jersey. This article describes a K-5 grade school's efforts to overcome barriers to integrating technology. (PEN)

Relating Theory and Practice in Laboratory Work: A Variation Theoretical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eckerdal, Anna

2015-01-01

Computer programming education has practice-oriented as well as theory-oriented learning goals. Here, lab work plays an important role in students' learning. It is however widely reported that many students face great difficulties in learning theory as well as practice. This paper investigates the important but problematic relation between the…

Swipe In, Tap Out: Advancing Student Entrepreneurship in the CIS Sandbox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charlebois, Conner; Hentschel, Nicholas; Frydenberg, Mark

2014-01-01

The Computer Information Systems Learning and Technology Sandbox (CIS Sandbox) opened as a collaborative learning lab during the fall 2011 semester at a New England business university. The facility employs 24 student workers, who, in addition to providing core tutoring services, are encouraged to explore new technologies and take on special…

Building Automatic Grading Tools for Basic of Programming Lab in an Academic Institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harimurti, Rina; Iwan Nurhidayat, Andi; Asmunin

2018-04-01

The skills of computer programming is a core competency that must be mastered by students majoring in computer sciences. The best way to improve this skill is through the practice of writing many programs to solve various problems from simple to complex. It takes hard work and a long time to check and evaluate the results of student labs one by one, especially if the number of students a lot. Based on these constrain, web proposes Automatic Grading Tools (AGT), the application that can evaluate and deeply check the source code in C, C++. The application architecture consists of students, web-based applications, compilers, and operating systems. Automatic Grading Tools (AGT) is implemented MVC Architecture and using open source software, such as laravel framework version 5.4, PostgreSQL 9.6, Bootstrap 3.3.7, and jquery library. Automatic Grading Tools has also been tested for real problems by submitting source code in C/C++ language and then compiling. The test results show that the AGT application has been running well.

School Librarians: Vital Educational Leaders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martineau, Pamela

2010-01-01

In the new millennium, school librarians are more likely to be found sitting behind a computer as they update the library web page or create a wiki on genetically modified organisms. Or they might be seen in the library computer lab as they lead students through tutorials on annotated bibliographies or Google docs. If adequately supported, school…

Use of color and responses to computer-based surveys.

PubMed

Godar, S H

2000-12-01

Mean answers by 217 students to an affective questionnaire, the Mach IV survey, did not vary with the use of different background and font colors when the survey was presented online in a computer lab. They indicated, however, that background color may be associated with rate and within-condition variability of response.

Teaching Astronomy and Computation with Gaia: A New Curriculum for an Extra-curricular High School Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwab, Ellianna; Faherty, Jacqueline K.; Barua, Prachurjya; Cooper, Ellie; Das, Debjani; Simone-Gonzalez, Luna; Sowah, Maxine; Valdez, Laura; BridgeUP: STEM

2018-01-01

BridgeUP: STEM (BridgeUP) is a program at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) that seeks to empower women by providing early-career scientists with research fellowships and high-school aged women with instruction in computer science and algorithmic methods. BridgeUP achieves this goal by employing post-baccalaureate women as Helen Fellows, who, in addition to conducting their own scientific research, mentor and teach high school students from the New York City area. The courses, targeted at early high-school students, are designed to teach algorithmic thinking and scientific methodology through the lens of computational science. In this poster we present the new BridgeUP astronomy curriculum created for 9th and 10th grade girls.The astronomy course we present is designed to introduce basic concepts as well as big data manipulation through a guided exploration of Gaia (DR1). Students learn about measuring astronomical distances through hands-on lab experiments illustrating the brightness/distance relationship, angular size calculations of the height of AMNH buildings, and in-depth Hertzsprung-Russell Diagram activities. Throughout these labs, students increase their proficiency in collecting and analyzing data, while learning to build and share code in teams. The students use their new skills to create color-color diagrams of known co-moving clusters (Oh et al. 2017) in the DR1 dataset using Python, Pandas and Matplotlib. We discuss the successes and lessons learned in the first implementation of this curriculum and show the preliminary work of six of the students, who are continuing with computational astronomy research over the current school year.

Surviving The Computer Lab A Real-World Weather Unit. In the Curriculum: Technology Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poteete, Holly

2004-01-01

Imagine this? As students walk into the room, I have a thunderstorm CD playing in the background. I ask the students to come into the room quietly and listen to the sounds. After taking attendance, students share what they heard: "thunder," "rain," "birds." I then tell them to watch the screen, where they see an online streaming video of a…

Gender Effects of Computer Use in a Conceptual Physics Lab Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Domelen, Dave

2010-11-01

It's always hard to know what to expect when bringing computers into an educational setting, as things are always changing. Student skills with computers are different today than they were 10 years ago, and 20 years ago almost counts as an alien world. Still, one hopes that some of these changes result in positive trends, such as student attitudes toward the use of computers in the classroom. During the course of the Wandering Interactive Lecture Demonstration Project, we've seen a notable gender gap in some aspects of the previous experience of students, and worried that it might impact their learning. So we administered a number of surveys to see if we were right to be worried.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Darlene Roth

Completed in 2011, Albright's new Science Center includes three independent student and faculty research labs in Biology, Chemistry/Biochemistry, and Physics (separate from teaching labs). Providing independent research facilities, they eliminate disruptions in classrooms and teaching labs, encourage and accommodate increased student interest, and stimulate advanced research. The DOE grant of $369,943 enabled Albright to equip these advanced labs for 21st century science research, with much instrumentation shared among departments. The specialty labs will enable Albright to expand its student-faculty research program to meet growing interest, help attract superior science students, maximize faculty expertise, and continue exceeding its already high ratesmore » of acceptance for students applying for postgraduate education or pharmaceutical research positions. Biology instrumentation/equipment supports coursework and independent and collaborative research by students and faculty. The digital shaker, CO{sub 2} and water bath incubators (for controlled cell growth), balance, and micropipettes support cellular biology research in the advanced cell biology course and student-faculty research into heavy metal induction of heat shock proteins in cultured mammalian cells and the development of PCR markers from different populations of the native tree, Franklinia. The gravity convection oven and lyophilizer support research into physical and chemical analysis of floodplain sediments used in assessment of riparian restoration efforts. The Bio-Rad thermocycler permits fast and accurate DNA amplification as part of research into genetic diversity in small mammal populations and how those populations are affected by land-use practices and environmental management. The Millipore water deionizing system and glassware washer provide general support of the independent research lab and ensure quality control of coursework and interdisciplinary research at the intersection of biology, chemistry, and toxicology. Grant purchases support faculty and students working in the areas of plant cellular biology, landscape ecology and wildlife management, wetland restoration, and ecotoxicology of aquatic invertebrates. Chemistry/BioChemistry instrumentation supports a wide range of research and teaching needs. The Dell quad core Xeon processors and Gaussian 09 support computational research efforts of two of our faculty. The computational work of one of these groups is part of close collaboration with one organic chemist and provides support info for the synthetic work of this professor and his students. Computational chemistry studies were also introduced into the physical chemistry laboratory course for junior chemistry concentrators. The AKTA plus system and superdex columns, Thermoscientific Sorvall RC-6 plus superspeed centrifuge, Nanodrop spectrometer, Eppendorf microfuge, Homogenizer and Pipetman pipetters were incorporated into a research project involving purification and characterization of a construct of beta 2-microglobulin by one of our biochemists. The vacuum system (glove box, stand, and pump) makes a significant contribution to the research of our inorganic chemist, the newest department member, working on research projects with four students. The glove box provides the means to carry out their synthetic work in an oxygenless atmosphere. Supporting basic research pursued by faculty and students, the remaining items (refrigerator/freezer units for flammable storage, freezer, refrigerated water bath, rotary evaporator system, vacuum oven, analytical and top-loading balances) were distributed between our biochemistry and chemistry research labs. The Nanodrop spectrometer, Sorvall centrifuge, and rotary evaporator system are used in several junior/senior lab courses in both biochemistry and chemistry. To date, 14 undergraduate research students have been involved in projects using the new instrumentation and equipment provided by this grant. Physics equipment acquired is radically transforming Albright research and teaching capabilities. The two main purchases are an atomic force microscope (AFM) and a scanning tunneling microscope (STM). These two devices allow us to view surfaces at much higher resolution than ever before, even to the level of individual atoms. Already the AFM has been incorporated into courses for advanced physics and biology students, allowing them to view at high resolution material such as carbon nanotubes, cell structure, and proteins. These devices offer possibilities for interdisciplinary collaboration among students and faculty in various departments that have barely begun to be tapped. Additional equipment, such as software, optical tables, lasers, and other support equipment, is also strengthening our research and teaching capabilities in optics-related areas.« less

The laboratory report: A pedagogical tool in college science courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferzli, Miriam

When viewed as a product rather than a process that aids in student learning, the lab report may become rote, busywork for both students and instructors. Students fail to see the purpose of the lab report, and instructors see them as a heavy grading load. If lab reports are taught as part of a process rather than a product that aims to "get the right answer," they may serve as pedagogical tools in college science courses. In response to these issues, an in-depth, web-based tutorial named LabWrite (www.ncsu.edu/labwrite) was developed to help students and instructors (www.ncsu.edu/labwrite/instructors) understand the purpose of the lab report as grounded in the written discourse and processes of science. The objective of this post-test only quasi-experimental study was to examine the role that in-depth instruction such as LabWrite plays in helping students to develop skills characteristic of scientifically literate individuals. Student lab reports from an introductory-level biology course at NC State University were scored for overall understanding of scientific concepts and scientific ways of thinking. The study also looked at students' attitudes toward science and lab report writing, as well as students' perceptions of lab reports in general. Significant statistical findings from this study show that students using LabWrite were able to write lab reports that showed a greater understanding of scientific investigations (p < .003) and scientific ways of thinking (p < .0001) than students receiving traditional lab report writing instruction. LabWrite also helped students develop positive attitudes toward lab reports as compared to non-LabWrite users (p < .01). Students using LabWrite seemed to perceive the lab report as a valuable tool for determining learning objectives, understanding science concepts, revisiting the lab experience, and documenting their learning.

The College of Charleston's 400-Student Observational Lab Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

True, C. M.

2006-06-01

For over thirty years the College of Charleston has been teaching a year-long introductory astronomy course incorporating a mandatory 3 hour lab. Despite our location in a very light polluted, coastal, high humidity, and often cloudy metropolitan area we have emphasized observational activities as much as possible. To accommodate our population of between 300-400 students per semester, we have 28 8-inch Celestron Telescopes and 25 GPS capable 8-inch Meade LX-200 telescopes. Finally, we have a 16 DFM adjacent to our rooftop observing decks. For indoor activities we have access to 42 computers running a variety of astronomy education software. Some of the computer activities are based on the Starry Night software (Backyard and Pro), the CLEA software from Gettysburg College, and Spectrum Explorer from Boston University. Additionally, we have labs involving cratering, eclipses and phases, coordinate systems with celestial globes, the inverse square law, spectroscopy and spectral classification, as well as others. In this presentation we will discuss the difficulties in managing a program of this size. We have approximately 14 lab sections a week. The lab manager's task involves coordinating 8-10 lab instructors and the same number of undergraduate teaching assistants as well as trying to maintain a coherent experience between the labs and lecture sections. Our lab manuals are produced locally with yearly updates. Samples from the manuals will be available. This program has been developed by a large number of College of Charleston astronomy faculty, including Don Drost, Bob Dukes, Chris Fragile, Tim Giblin, Jon Hakkila, Bill Kubinec, Lee Lindner, Jim Neff, Laura Penny, Al Rainis, Terry Richardson, and D. J. Williams, as well as adjunct and visiting faculty Bill Baird, Kevin Bourque, Ethan Denault, Kwayera Davis, Francie Halter, and Alan Johnson. Part of this work has been funded by NSF DUE grants to the College of Charleston.

Incorporating a collaborative web-based virtual laboratory in an undergraduate bioinformatics course.

PubMed

Weisman, David

2010-01-01

Face-to-face bioinformatics courses commonly include a weekly, in-person computer lab to facilitate active learning, reinforce conceptual material, and teach practical skills. Similarly, fully-online bioinformatics courses employ hands-on exercises to achieve these outcomes, although students typically perform this work offsite. Combining a face-to-face lecture course with a web-based virtual laboratory presents new opportunities for collaborative learning of the conceptual material, and for fostering peer support of technical bioinformatics questions. To explore this combination, an in-person lecture-only undergraduate bioinformatics course was augmented with a remote web-based laboratory, and tested with a large class. This study hypothesized that the collaborative virtual lab would foster active learning and peer support, and tested this hypothesis by conducting a student survey near the end of the semester. Respondents broadly reported strong benefits from the online laboratory, and strong benefits from peer-provided technical support. In comparison with traditional in-person teaching labs, students preferred the virtual lab by a factor of two. Key aspects of the course architecture and design are described to encourage further experimentation in teaching collaborative online bioinformatics laboratories. Copyright © 2010 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Programming and Operations Lab 1--Intermediate, Data Processing Technology: 8025.23.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dade County Public Schools, Miami, FL.

The following course outline has been prepared as a guide toward helping the student develop an understanding of operating principles and procedures necessary in processing data electronically. Students who have met the objectives of Designing the Computer Program should be admitted to this course. The class meets 2 hours per day for 90 clock…

Family Literacy Night: A Celebration of Reading!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Becky; Morton, Shirley; Rumschlag, Hella

2011-01-01

Family Literacy Night is an exciting way to engage students and their parents in meaningful literacy activities while building community spirit and strengthening the partnership between school and home. It is an opportunity for students to show their parents what they do in school; how they create in the computer lab, how they work in the art…

How Do You Use Math?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Joan Marie

1996-01-01

Describes a multimedia math activity for sixth-grade students who have access to a computer lab. Students work in groups and interview an adult who uses math in his or her job. Then, they write an explanatory narrative describing how that adult uses math. Finally, they create a KidPix video slideshow with voice overlays to share with the class.…

Experiences Teaching a Software Aided Mathematics Course for a General University Audience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGivney, Raymond J., Jr.

1990-01-01

Described is a nonmajor mathematics course taught using computers and lab experiments. Included are the challenge, solution, description of the first class, problems, successes, the syllabus, student comments, and the conclusion. (KR)

Easily Transported CCD Systems for Use in Astronomy Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisel, D.

1992-12-01

Relatively inexpensive CCD cameras and portable computers are now easily obtained as commercially available products. I will describe a prototype system that can be used by introductory astronomy students, even urban enviroments, to obtain useful observations of the night sky. It is based on the ST-4 CCDs made by Santa Barbara Instruments Group and Macintosh Powerbook145 computers. Students take outdoor images directly from the college campus, bring the exposures back into the lab and download the images into our networked server. These stored images can then be processed (at a later time) using a variety of image processing programs including a new astronomical version of the popular "freeware" NIH Image package that is currently under development at Geneseo. The prototype of this system will be demonstrated and available for hands-on use during the meeting. This work is supported by NSF ILI Demonstration Grant USE9250493 and Grants from SUNY-GENESEO.

Learning Evolution and the Nature of Science Using Evolutionary Computing and Artificial Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennock, Robert T.

2007-01-01

Because evolution in natural systems happens so slowly, it is difficult to design inquiry-based labs where students can experiment and observe evolution in the way they can when studying other phenomena. New research in evolutionary computation and artificial life provides a solution to this problem. This paper describes a new A-Life software…

Writing with a Byte. Computers: An Effective Teaching Methodology To Improve Freshman Writing Skills.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Barbara L.

A study was conducted at Florida's Brevard Community College (BCC) to determine the effectiveness of using artificial intelligence software to teach Freshman Composition. At BCC, Freshman Composition is taught in the computer lab, with student using WordPerfect to type their essays and Writer's Helper to flag various writing deficiencies. The…

Introductory Molecular Orbital Theory: An Honors General Chemistry Computational Lab as Implemented Using Three-Dimensional Modeling Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruddick, Kristie R.; Parrill, Abby L.; Petersen, Richard L.

2012-01-01

In this study, a computational molecular orbital theory experiment was implemented in a first-semester honors general chemistry course. Students used the GAMESS (General Atomic and Molecular Electronic Structure System) quantum mechanical software (as implemented in ChemBio3D) to optimize the geometry for various small molecules. Extended Huckel…

The disruptive effect of lysozyme on the bacterial cell wall explored by an in-silico structural outlook.

PubMed

Primo, Emiliano D; Otero, Lisandro H; Ruiz, Francisco; Klinke, Sebastián; Giordano, Walter

2018-01-01

The bacterial cell wall, a structural unit of peptidoglycan polymer comprised of glycan strands consisting of a repeating disaccharide motif [N-acetylglucosamine (NAG) and N-acetylmuramylpentapeptide (NAM pentapeptide)], encases bacteria and provides structural integrity and protection. Lysozymes are enzymes that break down the bacterial cell wall and disrupt the bacterial life cycle by cleaving the linkage between the NAG and NAM carbohydrates. Lab exercises focused on the effects of lysozyme on the bacterial cell wall are frequently incorporated in biochemistry classes designed for undergraduate students in diverse fields as biology, microbiology, chemistry, agronomy, medicine, and veterinary medicine. Such exercises typically do not include structural data. We describe here a sequence of computer tasks designed to illustrate and reinforce both physiological and structural concepts involved in lysozyme effects on the bacterial cell-wall structure. This lab class usually lasts 3.5 hours. First, the instructor presents introductory concepts of the bacterial cell wall and the effect of lysozyme on its structure. Then, students are taught to use computer modeling to visualize the three-dimensional structure of a lysozyme in complex with bacterial cell-wall fragments. Finally, the lysozyme inhibitory effect on a bacterial culture is optionally proposed as a simple microbiological assay. The computer lab exercises described here give students a realistic understanding of the disruptive effect of lysozymes on the bacterial cell wall, a crucial component in bacterial survival. © 2017 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 46(1):83-90, 2018. © 2017 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Cisco Networking Academy Program for high school students: Formative & summative evaluation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cranford-Wesley, Deanne

This study examined the effectiveness of the Cisco Network Technology Program in enhancing students' technology skills as measured by classroom strategies, student motivation, student attitude, and student learning. Qualitative and quantitative methods were utilized to determine the effectiveness of this program. The study focused on two 11th grade classrooms at Hamtramck High School. Hamtramck, an inner-city community located in Detroit, is racially and ethnically diverse. The majority of students speak English as a second language; more than 20 languages are represented in the school district. More than 70% of the students are considered to be economically at risk. Few students have computers at home, and their access to the few computers at school is limited. Purposive sampling was conducted for this study. The sample consisted of 40 students, all of whom were trained in Cisco Networking Technologies. The researcher examined viable learning strategies in teaching a Cisco Networking class that focused on a web-based approach. Findings revealed that the Cisco Networking Academy Program was an excellent vehicle for teaching networking skills and, therefore, helping to enhance computer skills for the participating students. However, only a limited number of students were able to participate in the program, due to limited computer labs and lack of qualified teaching personnel. In addition, the cumbersome technical language posed an obstacle to students' success in networking. Laboratory assignments were preferred by 90% of the students over lecture and PowerPoint presentations. Practical applications, lab projects, interactive assignments, PowerPoint presentations, lectures, discussions, readings, research, and assessment all helped to increase student learning and proficiency and to enrich the classroom experience. Classroom strategies are crucial to student success in the networking program. Equipment must be updated and utilized to ensure that students are applying practical skills to networking concepts. The results also suggested a high level of motivation and retention in student participants. Students in both classes scored 80% proficiency on the Achievement Motivation Profile Assessment. The identified standard proficiency score was 70%, and both classes exceeded the standard.

E-Labs - Learning with Authentic Data

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Bardeen, Marjorie G.; Wayne, Mitchell

the success teachers have had providing an opportunity for students to: • Organize and conduct authentic research. • Experience the environment of scientific collaborations. • Possibly make real contributions to a burgeoning scientific field. We've created projects that are problem-based, student driven and technology dependent. Students reach beyond classroom walls to explore data with other students and experts and share results, publishing original work to a worldwide audience. Students can discover and extend the research of other students, modeling the processes of modern, large-scale research projects. From start to finish e-Labs are student-led, teacher-guided projects. Students need only a Webmore » browser to access computing techniques employed by professional researchers. A Project Map with milestones allows students to set the research plan rather than follow a step-by-step process common in other online projects. Most importantly, e-Labs build the learning experience around the students' own questions and let them use the very tools that scientists use. Students contribute to and access shared data, most derived from professional research databases. They use common analysis tools, store their work and use metadata to discover, replicate and confirm the research of others. This is where real scientific collaboration begins. Using online tools, students correspond with other research groups, post comments and questions, prepare summary reports, and in general participate in the part of scientific research that is often left out of classroom experiments. Teaching tools such as student and teacher logbooks, pre- and post-tests and an assessment rubric aligned with learner outcomes help teachers guide student work. Constraints on interface designs and administrative tools such as registration databases give teachers the "one-stop-shopping" they seek for multiple e-Labs. Teaching and administrative tools also allow us to track usage and assess the impact on student learning.« less

Freshman year computer engineering students' experiences for flipped physics lab class: An action research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akı, Fatma Nur; Gürel, Zeynep

2017-02-01

The purpose of this research is to determine the university students' learning experiences about flipped-physics laboratory class. The research has been completed during the fall semester of 2015 at Computer Engineering Department of Istanbul Commerce University. In this research, also known as a teacher qualitative research design, action research method is preferred to use. The participants are ten people, including seven freshman and three junior year students of Computer Engineering Department. The research data was collected at the end of the semester with the focus group interview which includes structured and open-ended questions. And data was evaluated with categorical content analysis. According to the results, students have some similar and different learning experiences to flipped education method for physics laboratory class.

Teaching Research in the Traditional Classroom: Why Make Graduate Students Wait?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carr, Lincoln D.

2016-05-01

Physics graduate programs tend to divide the degree into two parts: (1) theory, taught in classes, almost totally divorced from the lab setting; and (2) research, taught in a research group through hands-on lab experience and mentorship. As we come to understand from undergraduate physics education research that modifying our teaching can rather easily produce quantifiably better results, it is reasonable to ask if we can make similar improvements at the graduate level. In this talk I will present the results of beginning research instruction in the classroom in the very first semester of graduate school, in the most traditional of classes - classical mechanics. In this approach, students build their knowledge from hands-on projects. They get immediately certified and experienced in the machine shop and electronics lab. There are no formal lectures. Students develop and present their own problems, and teach and challenge each other in the classroom. In contrast to polished lectures, both the instructor and the students together learn from their many public mistakes. Students give conference-style presentations instead of exams. As a result, students not only excel in analytical skills, but they also learn to tie theory to measurement, identify statistical and systematic errors, simulate computationally and model theoretically, and design their own experiments. Funded by NSF.

Measure the Earth's Radius and the Speed of Light with Simple and Inexpensive Computer-Based Experiments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Michael J.

2004-01-01

With new and inexpensive computer-based methods, measuring the speed of light and the Earth's radius--historically difficult endeavors--can be simple enough to be tackled by high school and college students working in labs that have limited budgets. In this article, the author describes two methods of estimating the Earth's radius using two…

Teacher Conceptions and Approaches Associated with an Immersive Instructional Implementation of Computer-Based Models and Assessment in a Secondary Chemistry Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waight, Noemi; Liu, Xiufeng; Gregorius, Roberto Ma.; Smith, Erica; Park, Mihwa

2014-01-01

This paper reports on a case study of an immersive and integrated multi-instructional approach (namely computer-based model introduction and connection with content; facilitation of individual student exploration guided by exploratory worksheet; use of associated differentiated labs and use of model-based assessments) in the implementation of…

The Effects of Educational Technology upon the Critical Thinking and Analytical Skills of Below Grade-Level and or Non-College Bound High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santavenere, Alex

An action research study was undertaken to examine the effects of educational technology resources on critical thinking and analytical skills. The researcher observed 3 different 11th grade classes, a total of 75 students, over a week as they worked in the school's computer lab. Each class was composed of 25 to 30 students, all of whom were…

The Viability of Distance Education Science Laboratories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forinash, Kyle; Wisman, Raymond

2001-01-01

Discusses the effectiveness of offering science laboratories via distance education. Explains current delivery technologies, including computer simulations, videos, and laboratory kits sent to students; pros and cons of distance labs; the use of spreadsheets; and possibilities for new science education models. (LRW)

Microchip Measuring.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jesberg, Robert O.; Dowden, Edward

1986-01-01

Explains how computer and game port interfacing reduces the time required for data collection and organization and also stimulates student interest in science laboratory exercises. Illustrates this approach through a description of a population-variation lab. Includes diagrams for the construction of the interface box. (ML)

DARPA Agreement HR0011-06-1-0028 (Robert C. Byrd Institute for Advanced Flexible Manufacturing)

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-12-13

cutting edge design software, state-of-the-art computer labs, manufacturing staff expertise, training resources, as well as video-teleconference...started its own Design Works labs in an effort to provide manufacturers, entrepreneurs, students, machinists and engineers with access to a one-stop...shop and turn their ideas and talent into new products. From a concept drawn on a napkin or the back of an envelope to a 3D design to a working

Computer simulations in teaching physics: Development and implementation of a hypermedia system for high school teachers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Silva, A. M. R.; de Macêdo, J. A.

2016-06-01

On the basis of the technological advancement in the middle and the difficulty of learning by the students in the discipline of physics, this article describes the process of elaboration and implementation of a hypermedia system for high school teachers involving computer simulations for teaching basic concepts of electromagnetism, using free tool. With the completion and publication of the project there will be a new possibility of interaction of students and teachers with the technology in the classroom and in labs.

A remote laboratory for USRP-based software defined radio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gandhinagar Ekanthappa, Rudresh; Escobar, Rodrigo; Matevossian, Achot; Akopian, David

2014-02-01

Electrical and computer engineering graduates need practical working skills with real-world electronic devices, which are addressed to some extent by hands-on laboratories. Deployment capacity of hands-on laboratories is typically constrained due to insufficient equipment availability, facility shortages, and lack of human resources for in-class support and maintenance. At the same time, at many sites, existing experimental systems are usually underutilized due to class scheduling bottlenecks. Nowadays, online education gains popularity and remote laboratories have been suggested to broaden access to experimentation resources. Remote laboratories resolve many problems as various costs can be shared, and student access to instrumentation is facilitated in terms of access time and locations. Labs are converted to homeworks that can be done without physical presence in laboratories. Even though they are not providing full sense of hands-on experimentation, remote labs are a viable alternatives for underserved educational sites. This paper studies remote modality of USRP-based radio-communication labs offered by National Instruments (NI). The labs are offered to graduate and undergraduate students and tentative assessments support feasibility of remote deployments.

e-Learning - Physics Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohottala, Hashini

2014-03-01

The general student population enrolled in any college level class is highly diverse. An increasing number of ``nontraditional'' students return to college and most of these students follow distance learning degree programs while engaging in their other commitments, work and family. However, those students tend to avoid taking science courses with labs, mostly because of the incapability of remotely completing the lab components in such courses. In order to address this issue, we have come across a method where introductory level physics labs can be taught remotely. In this process a lab kit with the critical lab components that can be easily accessible are conveniently packed into a box and distributed among students at the beginning of the semester. Once the students are given the apparatus they perform the experiments at home and gather data All communications with reference to the lab was done through an interactive user-friendly webpage - Wikispaces (WikiS). Students who create pages on WikiS can submit their lab write-ups, embed videos of the experiments they perform, post pictures and direct questions to the lab instructor. The students who are enrolled in the same lab can interact with each other through WikiS to discuss labs and even get assistance.

Awakening interest in the natural sciences - BASF's Kids' Labs.

PubMed

Lang, Cinthia

2012-01-01

At BASF's Ludwigshafen headquarters, kids and young adults in grades 1-13 can learn about chemistry in the Kids' Labs. Different programs exist for different levels of knowledge. In the two 'Hands-on Lab H(2)O & Co.' Kids' Labs, students from grades 1-6 explore the secrets of chemistry. BASF Kids' Labs have now been set up in over 30 countries. In Switzerland alone, almost 2,000 students have taken part in the 'Water Loves Chemistry' Kids' Lab since it was started in 2011. In Alsace, 600 students have participated to date. In the Teens' Lab 'Xplore Middle School', middle school students explore five different programs with the themes 'substance labyrinth', 'nutrition', 'coffee, caffeine & co.', 'cosmetics' and 'energy'. Biotechnological methods are the focus of the Teens' Lab 'Xplore Biotech' for students taking basic and advanced biology courses. In the 'Xplore High School' Teens' Lab, chemistry teachers present their own experimental lab instruction for students in basic and advanced chemistry courses. The Virtual Lab has been expanding the offerings of the BASF Kids' Labs since 2011. The online lab was developed by the company for the International Year Of Chemistry and gives kids and young adults the opportunity to do interactive experiments outside of the lab.

VirTUal remoTe labORatories managEment System (TUTORES): Using Cloud Computing to Acquire University Practical Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caminero, Agustín C.; Ros, Salvador; Hernández, Roberto; Robles-Gómez, Antonio; Tobarra, Llanos; Tolbaños Granjo, Pedro J.

2016-01-01

The use of practical laboratories is a key in engineering education in order to provide our students with the resources needed to acquire practical skills. This is specially true in the case of distance education, where no physical interactions between lecturers and students take place, so virtual or remote laboratories must be used. UNED has…

Kinesthetic Activities for the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mylott, Elliot; Dunlap, Justin; Lampert, Lester; Widenhorn, Ralf

2014-12-01

Educators have found that kinesthetic involvement in an experiment or demonstration can engage students in a powerful way.1-3 With that as our goal, we developed three activities that allow students to connect with and quantitatively explore key physics principles from mechanics with three fun physical challenges. By presenting these activities as competitions, we can challenge students to use what they know about the relevant physics to improve their performance and beat their own score or those of other students. Each activity uses an original, real-time data collecting program that offers students and educators a simple, clear method to demonstrate various physics concepts including: (1) impulse momentum, (2) center of mass (COM), and (3) kinematics. The user interface, written in LabVIEW, is intuitive to operate and only requires Vernier Force Plates,4 a Vernier LabQuest,5 a webcam, and a computer. In this article, we will describe each of these activities, all of which are well suited and readily available for other outreach events or classroom demonstrations.

Parallel Structures of Computer-Assisted Signature Pedagogy: The Case of Integrated Spreadsheets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abramovich, Sergei; Easton, Jonathan; Hayes, Victoria O.

2012-01-01

This article was motivated by the authors' work on a project with a group of 2nd-grade students in a computer lab of a rural school in upstate New York. From this project, one goal of which was to provide a capstone experience for a teacher candidate in teaching application-oriented mathematics with technology, the ideas about parallel structures…

Report on a Highly Used Computer Aid for the Professor in his Grade and Record Keeping Tasks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brockmeier, Richard

SPARS is a computer data base management system designed to aid the college professor in handling his students' grades and other classroom data. It can handle multiple sections and labs, and allows the professor to combine and separate these components in a variety of ways. SPARS seeks to meet the sometimes competing goals of simplicity of use and…

Earthquakes in Action: Incorporating Multimedia, Internet Resources, Large-scale Seismic Data, and 3-D Visualizations into Innovative Activities and Research Projects for Today's High School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith-Konter, B.; Jacobs, A.; Lawrence, K.; Kilb, D.

2006-12-01

The most effective means of communicating science to today's "high-tech" students is through the use of visually attractive and animated lessons, hands-on activities, and interactive Internet-based exercises. To address these needs, we have developed Earthquakes in Action, a summer high school enrichment course offered through the California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) Program at the University of California, San Diego. The summer course consists of classroom lectures, lab experiments, and a final research project designed to foster geophysical innovations, technological inquiries, and effective scientific communication (http://topex.ucsd.edu/cosmos/earthquakes). Course content includes lessons on plate tectonics, seismic wave behavior, seismometer construction, fault characteristics, California seismicity, global seismic hazards, earthquake stress triggering, tsunami generation, and geodetic measurements of the Earth's crust. Students are introduced to these topics through lectures-made-fun using a range of multimedia, including computer animations, videos, and interactive 3-D visualizations. These lessons are further enforced through both hands-on lab experiments and computer-based exercises. Lab experiments included building hand-held seismometers, simulating the frictional behavior of faults using bricks and sandpaper, simulating tsunami generation in a mini-wave pool, and using the Internet to collect global earthquake data on a daily basis and map earthquake locations using a large classroom map. Students also use Internet resources like Google Earth and UNAVCO/EarthScope's Jules Verne Voyager Jr. interactive mapping tool to study Earth Science on a global scale. All computer-based exercises and experiments developed for Earthquakes in Action have been distributed to teachers participating in the 2006 Earthquake Education Workshop, hosted by the Visualization Center at Scripps Institution of Oceanography (http://siovizcenter.ucsd.edu/workshop). In addition to daily lecture and lab exercises, COSMOS students also conduct a mini-research project of their choice that uses data ranging from the 2004 Parkfield Earthquake, to Southern California seismicity, to global seismicity. Students collect seismic data from the Internet and evaluate earthquake locations, magnitudes, temporal sequence of seismic activity, active fault planes, and plate tectonic boundaries using research quality techniques. Students are given the opportunity to build 3-D visualizations of their research data sets and archive these at the SIO Visualization Center's online library, which is globally accessible to students, teachers, researchers, and the general public (http://www.siovizcenter.ucsd.edu/library.php). These student- generated visualizations have become a practical resource for not only students and teachers, but also geophysical researchers that use the visual objects as research tools to better explore and understand their data. Through Earthquakes in Action, we offer both the tools for scientific exploration and the thrills of scientific discovery, providing students with valuable knowledge, novel research experience, and a unique sense of scientific contribution.

EarthTutor: An Interactive Intelligent Tutoring System for Remote Sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, A. M.; Parton, K.; Smith, E.

2005-12-01

Earth science classes in colleges and high schools use a variety of satellite image processing software to teach earth science and remote sensing principles. However, current tutorials for image processing software are often paper-based or lecture-based and do not take advantage of the full potential of the computer context to teach, immerse, and stimulate students. We present EarthTutor, an adaptive, interactive Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS) being built for NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) that is integrated directly with an image processing application. The system aims to foster the use of satellite imagery in classrooms and encourage inquiry-based, hands-on earth science scientific study by providing students with an engaging imagery analysis learning environment. EarthTutor's software is available as a plug-in to ImageJ, a free image processing system developed by the NIH (National Institute of Health). Since it is written in Java, it can be run on almost any platform and also as an applet from the Web. Labs developed for EarthTutor combine lesson content (such as HTML web pages) with interactive activities and questions. In each lab the student learns to measure, calibrate, color, slice, plot and otherwise process and analyze earth science imagery. During the activities, EarthTutor monitors students closely as they work, which allows it to provide immediate feedback that is customized to a particular student's needs. As the student moves through the labs, EarthTutor assesses the student, and tailors the presentation of the content to a student's demonstrated skill level. EarthTutor's adaptive approach is based on emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) research. Bayesian networks are employed to model a student's proficiency with different earth science and image processing concepts. Agent behaviors are used to track the student's progress through activities and provide guidance when a student encounters difficulty. Through individual feedback and adaptive instruction, EarthTutor aims to offer the benefits of a one-on-one human instructor in a cost-effective, easy-to-use application. We are currently working with remote sensing experts to develop EarthTutor labs for diverse earth science subjects such as global vegetation, stratospheric ozone, oceanography, polar sea ice and natural hazards. These labs will be packaged with the first public release of EarthTutor in December 2005. Custom labs can be designed with the EarthTutor authoring tool. The tool is basic enough to allow teachers to construct tutorials to fit their classroom's curriculum and locale, but also powerful enough to allow advanced users to create highly-interactive labs. Preliminary results from an ongoing pilot study demonstrate that the EarthTutor system is effective and enjoyable teaching tool, relative to traditional satellite imagery teaching methods.

Using a decade of data on medical student computer literacy for strategic planning

PubMed Central

Seago, Brenda L.; Schlesinger, Jeanne B.; Hampton, Carol L.

2002-01-01

Purpose: From 1991 through 2000, incoming medical students (M-Is) at the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University have been surveyed with a written questionnaire on their computer literacy. The survey's purpose is to learn the students' levels of knowledge, skill, and experience with computer technology to guide instructional services and facilities. Methodology: The questionnaire was administered during M-I orientation or mailed to students' homes after matriculation. It evolved from sixteen questions in 1991 to twenty-three questions in 2000, with fifteen questions common to all. Results: The average survey response rate was 81% from an average of 177 students. Six major changes were introduced based on information collected from the surveys and advances in technology: production of CD-ROMs distributed to students containing required computer-based instructional programs, delivery of evaluation instruments to students via the Internet, modification of the lab to a mostly PC-based environment, development of an electronic curriculum Website, development of computerized examinations for medical students to prepare them for the computerized national board examinations, and initiation of a personal digital assistant (PDA) project for students to evaluate PDAs' usefulness in clinical settings. Conclusion: The computer literacy survey provides a snapshot of students' past and present use of technology and guidance for the development of services and facilities. PMID:11999178

Using a decade of data on medical student computer literacy for strategic planning.

PubMed

Seago, Brenda L; Schlesinger, Jeanne B; Hampton, Carol L

2002-04-01

From 1991 through 2000, incoming medical students (M-Is) at the School of Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University have been surveyed with a written questionnaire on their computer literacy. The survey's purpose is to learn the students' levels of knowledge, skill, and experience with computer technology to guide instructional services and facilities. The questionnaire was administered during M-I orientation or mailed to students' homes after matriculation. It evolved from sixteen questions in 1991 to twenty-three questions in 2000, with fifteen questions common to all. The average survey response rate was 81% from an average of 177 students. Six major changes were introduced based on information collected from the surveys and advances in technology: production of CD-ROMs distributed to students containing required computer-based instructional programs, delivery of evaluation instruments to students via the Internet, modification of the lab to a mostly PC-based environment, development of an electronic curriculum Website, development of computerized examinations for medical students to prepare them for the computerized national board examinations, and initiation of a personal digital assistant (PDA) project for students to evaluate PDAs' usefulness in clinical settings. The computer literacy survey provides a snapshot of students' past and present use of technology and guidance for the development of services and facilities.

Virtual Labs and Virtual Worlds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boehler, Ted

2006-12-01

Virtual Labs and Virtual Worlds Coastline Community College has under development several virtual lab simulations and activities that range from biology, to language labs, to virtual discussion environments. Imagine a virtual world that students enter online, by logging onto their computer from home or anywhere they have web access. Upon entering this world they select a personalized identity represented by a digitized character (avatar) that can freely move about, interact with the environment, and communicate with other characters. In these virtual worlds, buildings, gathering places, conference rooms, labs, science rooms, and a variety of other “real world” elements are evident. When characters move about and encounter other people (players) they may freely communicate. They can examine things, manipulate objects, read signs, watch video clips, hear sounds, and jump to other locations. Goals of critical thinking, social interaction, peer collaboration, group support, and enhanced learning can be achieved in surprising new ways with this innovative approach to peer-to-peer communication in a virtual discussion world. In this presentation, short demos will be given of several online learning environments including a virtual biology lab, a marine science module, a Spanish lab, and a virtual discussion world. Coastline College has been a leader in the development of distance learning and media-based education for nearly 30 years and currently offers courses through PDA, Internet, DVD, CD-ROM, TV, and Videoconferencing technologies. Its distance learning program serves over 20,000 students every year. sponsor Jerry Meisner

Highly Sophisticated Virtual Laboratory Instruments in Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gaskins, T.

2006-12-01

Many areas of Science have advanced or stalled according to the ability to see what can not normally be seen. Visual understanding has been key to many of the world's greatest breakthroughs, such as discovery of DNAs double helix. Scientists use sophisticated instruments to see what the human eye can not. Light microscopes, scanning electron microscopes (SEM), spectrometers and atomic force microscopes are employed to examine and learn the details of the extremely minute. It's rare that students prior to university have access to such instruments, or are granted full ability to probe and magnify as desired. Virtual Lab, by providing highly authentic software instruments and comprehensive imagery of real specimens, provides them this opportunity. Virtual Lab's instruments let explorers operate virtual devices on a personal computer to examine real specimens. Exhaustive sets of images systematically and robotically photographed at thousands of positions and multiple magnifications and focal points allow students to zoom in and focus on the most minute detail of each specimen. Controls on each Virtual Lab device interactively and smoothly move the viewer through these images to display the specimen as the instrument saw it. Users control position, magnification, focal length, filters and other parameters. Energy dispersion spectrometry is combined with SEM imagery to enable exploration of chemical composition at minute scale and arbitrary location. Annotation capabilities allow scientists, teachers and students to indicate important features or areas. Virtual Lab is a joint project of NASA and the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign. Four instruments currently compose the Virtual Lab suite: A scanning electron microscope and companion energy dispersion spectrometer, a high-power light microscope, and a scanning probe microscope that captures surface properties to the level of atoms. Descriptions of instrument operating principles and uses are also part of Virtual Lab. The Virtual Lab software and its increasingly rich collection of specimens are free to anyone. This presentation describes Virtual Lab and its uses in formal and informal education.

The University of Connecticut Biomedical Engineering Mentoring Program for high school students.

PubMed

Enderle, John D; Liebler, Christopher M; Haapala, Stephenic A; Hart, James L; Thonakkaraparayil, Naomi T; Romonosky, Laura L; Rodriguez, Francisco; Trumbower, Randy D

2004-01-01

For the past four years, the Biomedical Engineering Program at the University of Connecticut has offered a summer mentoring program for high school students interested in biomedical engineering. To offer this program, we have partnered with the UConn Mentor Connection Program, the School of Engineering 2000 Program and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Summer Laboratory Apprentice Program. We typically have approximately 20-25 high school students learning about biomedical engineering each summer. The mentoring aspect of the program exists at many different levels, with the graduate students mentoring the undergraduate students, and these students mentoring the high school students. The program starts with a three-hour lecture on biomedical engineering to properly orient the students. An in-depth paper on an area in biomedical engineering is a required component, as well as a PowerPoint presentation on their research. All of the students build a device to record an EKG on a computer using LabView, including signal processing to remove noise. The students learn some rudimentary concepts on electrocardiography and the physiology and anatomy of the heart. The students also learn basic electronics and breadboarding circuits, PSpice, the building of a printed circuit board, PIC microcontroller, the operation of Multimeters (including the oscilloscope), soldering, assembly of the EKG device and writing LabView code to run their device on a PC. The students keep their EKG device, LabView program and a fully illustrated booklet on EKG to bring home with them, and hopefully bring back to their high school to share their experiences with other students and teachers. The students also work on several other projects during this summer experience as well as visit Hartford Hospital to learn about Clinical Engineering.

Cross-disciplinary Undergraduate Research: A Case Study in Digital Mapping, western Ireland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitmeyer, S. J.; de Paor, D. G.; Nicoletti, J.; Rivera, M.; Santangelo, B.; Daniels, J.

2008-12-01

As digital mapping technology becomes ever more advanced, field geologists spend a greater proportion of time learning digital methods relative to analyzing rocks and structures. To explore potential solutions to the time commitment implicit in learning digital field methods, we paired James Madison University (JMU) geology majors (experienced in traditional field techniques) with Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) engineering students (experienced in computer applications) during a four week summer mapping project in Connemara, western Ireland. The project consisted of approximately equal parts digital field mapping (directed by the geology students), and lab-based map assembly, evaluation and formatting for virtual 3D terrains (directed by the engineering students). Students collected geologic data in the field using ruggedized handheld computers (Trimble GeoExplorer® series) with ArcPAD® software. Lab work initially focused on building geologic maps in ArcGIS® from the digital field data and then progressed to developing Google Earth-based visualizations of field data and maps. Challenges included exporting GIS data, such as locations and attributes, to KML tags for viewing in Google Earth, which we accomplished using a Linux bash script written by one of our engineers - a task outside the comfort zone of the average geology major. We also attempted to expand the scope of Google Earth by using DEMs of present-day geologically-induced landforms as representative models for paleo-geographic reconstructions of the western Ireland field area. As our integrated approach to digital field work progressed, we found that our digital field mapping produced data at a faster rate than could be effectively managed during our allotted time for lab work. This likely reflected the more developed methodology for digital field data collection, as compared with our lab-based attempts to develop new methods for 3D visualization of geologic maps. However, this experiment in cross-disciplinary undergraduate research was a big success, with an enthusiastic interchange of expertise between undergraduate geology and engineering students that produced new, cutting-edge methods for visualizing geologic data and maps.

Is LabTutor a helpful component of the blended learning approach to biosciences?

PubMed

Swift, Amelia; Efstathiou, Nikolaos; Lameu, Paula

2016-09-01

To evaluate the use of LabTutor (a physiological data capture and e-learning package) in bioscience education for student nurses. Knowledge of biosciences is important for nurses the world over, who have to monitor and assess their patient's clinical condition, and interpret that information to determine the most appropriate course of action. Nursing students have long been known to find acquiring useable bioscience knowledge challenging. Blended learning strategies are common in bioscience teaching to address the difficulties students have. Student nurses have a preference for hands-on learning, small group sessions and are helped by close juxtaposition of theory and practice. An evaluation of a new teaching method using in-classroom voluntary questionnaire. A structured survey instrument including statements and visual analogue response format and open questions was given to students who participated in Labtutor sessions. The students provided feedback in about the equipment, the learning and the session itself. First year (n = 93) and third year (n = 36) students completed the evaluation forms. The majority of students were confident about the equipment and using it to learn although a few felt anxious about computer-based learning. They all found the equipment helpful as part of their bioscience education and they all enjoyed the sessions. This equipment provides a helpful way to encourage guided independent learning through practice and discovery and because each session is case study based and the relationship of the data to the patient is made clear. Our students helped to evaluate our initial use of LabTutor and found the sessions enjoyable and helpful. LabTutor provides an effective learning tool as part of a blended learning strategy for biosciences teaching. Improving bioscience knowledge will lead to a greater understanding of pathophysiology, treatments and interventions and monitoring. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Design of inquiry-oriented science labs: impacts on students' attitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baseya, J. M.; Francis, C. D.

2011-11-01

Background: Changes in lab style can lead to differences in learning. Two inquiry-oriented lab styles are guided inquiry (GI) and problem-based (PB). Students' attitudes towards lab are important to consider when choosing between GI and PB styles during curriculum design. Purpose: We examined the degree to which lab experiences are explained by a GI or a PB lab style vs. students' attitudes towards specific aspects of the experience, reflected by perceived excitement (exc), difficulty (dif), time efficiency (eff) and association between lab and lecture material (help). Sample: Approximately 1000 students attending first-semester, college biology lab for science majors at the University of Colorado at Boulder, USA, participated in the study. Design and method: In 2007, two labs were run as GI and one as PB. Formats were switched in 2008. Attitudes were assessed with a post-semester survey. Results: Only the four attitude variables (not lab style) had a strong relationship with overall lab rating which was most strongly related to exc, followed by dif and help/eff. Dif and eff had the greatest influence on attitudes for or against GI vs. PB labs, and help and exc had little influence on a GI vs. a PB lab. Also, when dif was low, students' attitudes were not significantly different between PB and GI labs, but when dif was high, students' significantly rated GI labs higher than PB labs. Conclusions: Students' attitudes towards lab are more dependent on specific aspects of the experience than on lab style. Changes in GI vs. PB lab styles primarily influence dif and eff rather than exc and help. Dif may be an important factor to consider when implementing a lab in the PB vs. the GI format. It might be good to go with a GI when dif is high and a PB when dif is low.

A Model Program in a Remodeled Building.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muir, Maya

2001-01-01

Renovations contributed to academic improvement at an Issaquah (Washington) elementary school. Enclosing an open-air corridor enabled it to be used for educational activities. Double doors connected classrooms for team teaching, and carpet improved acoustics. A music room, library, and computer lab were also added. Student and community…

Language Labs for 1990: User-Friendly, Expandable and Affordable.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiley, Patricia Davis

1990-01-01

Describes hardware available for school laboratories used for second-language learning. Vendors and prices for equipment ranging from simple audio to computer interactive capabilities are included, portable and fixed installations are reviewed, specifications for instructor consoles and student stations are suggested, and maintenance and repair…

Incorporating inquiry and the process of science into introductory astronomy labs at the George Washington University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cobb, Bethany E.

2018-01-01

Since 2013, the Physics Department at GWU has used student-centered active learning in the introductory astronomy course “Introduction to the Cosmos.” Class time is spent in groups on questions, math problems, and hands-on activities, with multiple instructors circulating to answer questions and engage with the students. The students have responded positively to this active-learning. Unfortunately, in transitioning to active-learning there was no time to rewrite the labs. Very quickly, the contrast between the dynamic classroom and the traditional labs became apparent. The labs were almost uniformly “cookie-cutter” in that the procedure and analysis were specified step-by-step and there was just one right answer. Students rightly criticized the labs for lacking a clear purpose and including busy-work. Furthermore, this class fulfills the GWU scientific reasoning general education requirement and thus includes learning objectives related to understanding the scientific method, testing hypotheses with data, and considering uncertainty – but the traditional labs did not require these skills. I set out to rejuvenate the lab sequence by writing new inquiry labs based on both topic-specific and scientific reasoning learning objectives. While inquiry labs can be challenging for the students, as they require active thinking and creativity, these labs engage the students more thoroughly in the scientific process. In these new labs, whenever possible, I include real astronomical data and ask the students to use digital tools (SDSS SkyServer, SOHO archive) as if they are real astronomers. To allow students to easily plot, manipulate and analyze data, I built “smart” Excel files using formulas, dropdown menus and macros. The labs are now much more authentic and thought-provoking. Whenever possible, students independently develop questions, hypotheses, and procedures and the scientific method is “scaffolded” over the semester by providing more guidance in the early labs and more independence later on. Finally, in every lab, students must identify and reflect on sources of error. These labs are more challenging for the instructors to run and to grade, but they are much more satisfying when it comes to student learning.

Computational Investigations for Undergraduate Organic Chemistry: Predicting the Mechanism of the Ritter Reaction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hessley, Rita K.

2000-02-01

In an effort to engage students more deeply in their laboratory work and provide them with valuable learning experiences in the applications and limitations of computational chemistry as a research tool, students are instructed to carry out a computational pre-lab exercise. Before carrying out a laboratory experiment that investigates the mechanism for the formation of N-t-butylbenzamide, students construct and obtain heats of formation for reactants, products, postulated reaction intermediates, and one transition state structure for each proposed mechanism. This is designed as a companion to an open-ended laboratory experiment that hones skills learned early in most traditional organic chemistry courses. The incorporation of a preliminary computational exercise enables students to move beyond guessing what the outcome of the reaction will be. It challenges them to test what they believe they "know" about such fundamental concepts as stability of carbocations, or the significance and utility of thermodynamic data relative to kinetic data. On the basis of their computations and their own experimental data, students then verify or dispute their hypothesis, finally arriving at a defensible and logical conclusion about the course of the reaction mechanism. The manner of implementation of the exercise and typical computational data are described.

Integration of LCoS-SLM and LabVIEW based software to simulate fundamental optics, wave optics, and Fourier optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyu, Bo-Han; Wang, Chen; Tsai, Chun-Wei

2017-08-01

Jasper Display Corp. (JDC) offer high reflectivity, high resolution Liquid Crystal on Silicon - Spatial Light Modulator (LCoS-SLM) which include an associated controller ASIC and LabVIEW based modulation software. Based on this LCoS-SLM, also called Education Kit (EDK), we provide a training platform which includes a series of optical theory and experiments to university students. This EDK not only provides a LabVIEW based operation software to produce Computer Generated Holograms (CGH) to generate some basic diffraction image or holographic image, but also provides simulation software to verity the experiment results simultaneously. However, we believe that a robust LCoSSLM, operation software, simulation software, training system, and training course can help students to study the fundamental optics, wave optics, and Fourier optics more easily. Based on these fundamental knowledges, they could develop their unique skills and create their new innovations on the optoelectronic application in the future.

Development of a structured undergraduate research experience: Framework and implications.

PubMed

Brown, Anne M; Lewis, Stephanie N; Bevan, David R

2016-09-10

Participating in undergraduate research can be a pivotal experience for students in life science disciplines. Development of critical thinking skills, in addition to conveying scientific ideas in oral and written formats, is essential to ensuring that students develop a greater understanding of basic scientific knowledge and the research process. Modernizing the current life sciences research environment to accommodate the growing demand by students for experiential learning is needed. By developing and implementing a structured, theory-based approach to undergraduate research in the life sciences, specifically biochemistry, it has been successfully shown that more students can be provided with a high-quality, high-impact research experience. The structure of this approach allowed students to develop novel, independent projects in a computational molecular modeling lab. Students engaged in an experience in which career goals, problem-solving skills, time management skills, and independence in a research lab were developed. After experiencing this approach to undergraduate research, students reported feeling challenged to think critically and prepared for future career paths. The approach allowed for a progressive learning environment where more undergraduate students could participate in publishable research. Future areas for development include implementation in a bench-top lab and extension to disciplines beyond biochemistry. In this study, it has been shown that utilizing the structured approach to undergraduate research could allow for more students to experience undergraduate research and develop into more confident, independent life scientists well prepared for graduate schools and professional research environments. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44(5):463-474, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Graduate student training and creating new physics labs for biology students, killing two birds with one stone.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, Barbara

2001-03-01

At UCSD biology majors are required to take 3 quarters of a calculus based physics course. This is taught in a standard format large lecture class partly by faculty and partly by freeway flyers. We are working with physics graduate students who are also participating in our PFPF (Preparing Future Physics Faculty) program to write, review, and teach new weekly labs for these biology students. This provides an experience for the grad student that is both rewarding to them and useful to the department. The grad students participate in curriculum development, they observe the students behaviour in the labs, and assess the effectiveness of different lab formats. The labs are intended to provide an interactive, hands on experience with a wide variety of equipment which is mostly both simple and inexpensive. Both students and grads find the labs to be engaging and fun. Based on group discussions the labs are modified to try to try to create the best teaching environment. The biology students benefit from the improvements both in the quality of the labs they do, and from the enthusiasm of the TAs who take an active interest in their learning. The ability to make significant changes to the material taught maintains the interest of the grad students and helps to make the labs a stable and robust environment.

Computers, Networks, and Desegregation at San Jose High Academy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solomon, Gwen

1987-01-01

Describes magnet high school which was created in California to meet desegregation requirements and emphasizes computer technology. Highlights include local computer networks that connect science and music labs, the library/media center, business computer lab, writing lab, language arts skills lab, and social studies classrooms; software; teacher…

Learning with Technology: Fifth Graders Go to College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fowler, Rachel; Walsh, Joe; Avery, Jenny

2000-01-01

Describes a collaborative project between preservice teachers and fifth graders that provided the fifth graders with a university computer lab to learn about the American Revolution with the help of preservice teachers who were gaining practical experience in using technology with students. Discusses Web research, using HyperStudio, and creating…

Physics Lab Experiments and Correlated Computer Aids. Teacher Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottlieb, Herbert H.

Forty-nine physics experiments are included in the teacher's edition of this laboratory manual. Suggestions are given in margins for preparing apparatus, organizing students, and anticipating difficulties likely to be encountered. Sample data, graphs, calculations, and sample answers to leading questions are also given for each experiment. It is…

Incorporating a Collaborative Web-Based Virtual Laboratory in an Undergraduate Bioinformatics Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weisman, David

2010-01-01

Face-to-face bioinformatics courses commonly include a weekly, in-person computer lab to facilitate active learning, reinforce conceptual material, and teach practical skills. Similarly, fully-online bioinformatics courses employ hands-on exercises to achieve these outcomes, although students typically perform this work offsite. Combining a…

Innovative Strategies for Teaching Anatomy and Physiology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ritt, Laura; Stewart, Barbara

1996-01-01

Describes the development of new teaching strategies in an anatomy and physiology laboratory at Burlington County College (New Jersey) based on laser disc technology, computers with multimedia capabilities, and appropriate software. Lab activities are described and results of a survey of former students are reported, including a comparison of lab…

Electronic Notes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krauthamer, Helene

2001-01-01

Describes a workshop used with classes doing Web research for their English papers in a computer lab. Shows how this is a good opportunity for students to learn to find, evaluate, and save Web sources, how to read critically and annotate the sources, and how to weave them into working drafts and avoid plagiarism. (SR)

Remote Labs and Game-Based Learning for Process Control

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zualkernan, Imran A.; Husseini, Ghaleb A.; Loughlin, Kevin F.; Mohebzada, Jamshaid G.; El Gaml, Moataz

2013-01-01

Social networking platforms and computer games represent a natural informal learning environment for the current generation of learners in higher education. This paper explores the use of game-based learning in the context of an undergraduate chemical engineering remote laboratory. Specifically, students are allowed to manipulate chemical…

Building a Better Biology Lab? Testing Tablet PC Technology in a Core Laboratory Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pryor, Gregory; Bauer, Vernon

2008-01-01

Tablet PC technology can enliven the classroom environment because it is dynamic, interactive, and "organic," relative to the rigidity of chalkboards, whiteboards, overhead projectors, and PowerPoint presentations. Unlike traditional computers, tablet PCs employ "digital linking," allowing instructors and students to freehand annotate, clarify,…

Consumer Attitude Towards Service Failure and Recovery in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chahal, Hardeep; Devi, Pinkey

2015-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to explore consumer attitude towards service failure and recovery in the higher education in general and with respect to teaching, examination, library, computer lab, administration and infrastructure in particular. Design/Methodology/Approach: The data are collected from 120 students of three undergraduate colleges of…

CAI and Developmental Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Rick

This paper discusses the problems and achievements of computer assisted instruction (CAI) projects at University College, University of Cincinnati. The most intensive use of CAI on campus, the CAI Lab, is part of the Developmental Education Center's effort to serve students who lack mastery of basic college-level skills in mathematics and English.…

Computer Lab Modules as Problem Solving Tools. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ignatz, Mila E.; Ignatz, Milton

There are many problems involved in upgrading scientific literacy in high schools: poorly qualified teachers, the lack of good instructional materials, and economic and academic disadvantages all contribute to the problem. This document describes a project designed to increase the opportunities available to the high school science student to…

WOW! Mathematics Convention: A Community Connection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavazos, Rebecca R.

2014-01-01

This article details how certain mathematical "discoveries" that Cavazos' fourth graders made were recorded throughout the year. Cavazos invited a math professor, a biologist, a literacy professor, a chemist, a statistician, and an engineering student, as well as their school principal and computer lab technician, both of whom are…

Accommodating Technology in the Visual Literacy Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lloyd, Carla V.; Barnhurst, Kevin G.

The development of a visual literacy facility, the Creative Visual Lab, at the S. I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University (New York) is described. The facility was designed to provide students with the instruction that would develop their computer proficiency and visual sensitivity without being, in itself, completely…

Oscar Marin and the Creation of a Cognitive Neuropsychology Laboratory.

PubMed

Posner, Michael I

2015-09-01

During the 1980s, the Cognitive Neuropsychology Laboratory at Good Samaritan Hospital, Portland, Oregon, made important strides in the study of brain injury. Created and headed by Oscar Marin and the author, in affiliation with the University of Oregon, the lab brought together students, fellows, and visiting experts in neurology, psychology, psychiatry, neuropsychology, neurobiology, neurophysiology, and computation. Their patient-focused collaborations produced groundbreaking research in language and its disorders, bradyphrenia, neglect, cerebellar function and impairment, and the psychology of music. The lab hosted the meeting that they documented in the influential 1985 book Attention and Performance XI: Mechanisms of Attention. The lab's members have gone on to lead distinguished careers and continue making major contributions to cognitive neuroscience.

An Inexpensive Way of Teaching Uncertainty and Mineral Exploration Drilling in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aquino, J. S.

2014-12-01

This presentation is all about inexpensive ways of teaching uncertainty and mineral exploration drilling in the classroom. These labs were developed as an off-shoot of my years of mineral industry experience before I transitioned to geoscience education. I have developed several classroom lab exercises that relate to the role of modeling, uncertainty and prediction in mineral exploration. These lessons are mostly less expensive ($<5/group) hands-on activities that can be differentiated across grade levels. Early in the semester, modeling is explored through the cube and toilet paper roll puzzle lab. This is then immediately followed by the penny experiment that gives a physical meaning to the concept of uncertainty. However, it is the end-of-semester shoebox drilling lab that serves as the culminating activity for modeling, uncertainty and prediction. An object (orebody) is hidden inside a shoebox and the students are challenged to design a drilling program to predict the location and topology of a "mineral deposit". The students' decision on the location of the first few drill holes will be based on how they analyze, synthesize and evaluate simple surface topographic, geologic and geochemical +/- geophysical data overlain on top of the box. Before drilling, students are required to construct several geologic sections that will "model" the shape of the hidden orebody. Using bamboo skewers as their drilling equipment, students then commence their drilling and along the way learn the importance of drill spacing in decreasing uncertainty or increasing confidence. Lastly, the mineral separation lab gives them an opportunity to design another experiment that mimics mineral processing and learns a valuable lesson on the difficulties in recovery and how it relates to entropy (no such thing as 100% recoverability). The last two labs can be further enhanced with economic analysis through incorporation of drilling and processing costs. Students further appreciate the world of of mineral exploration with several YouTube videos on the use of 3D and 4D GIS mine modeling softwares. However at the same time, I forewarn them about the dangers on the dependence to these visually attractive computer-generated products without field verification or the fidelity to the ground-based and drillcore-based observations.

EDITORIAL: Student undergraduate laboratory and project work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schumacher, Dieter

2007-05-01

During the last decade 'labwork' courses at university level have changed significantly. The beginning of this development was indicated and partly initiated by the EU-project 'Labwork in Science Education' funded by the European Community (1999-2001). The present special issue of the European Journal of Physics focuses on a multitude of different aspects of this process. The aim of this publication is to improve the exchange of experience and to promote this important trend. In physics research labs a silent revolution has taken place. Today the personal computer is omnipresent. It controls the experiment via stepping motors, piezo-microdrives etc, it monitors all parameters and collects the experimental data with the help of smart sensors. In particular, computer-based modern scanning and imaging techniques open the possibility of creating really new types of experiments. The computer allows data storage and processing on the one hand and simulation and modelling on the other. These processes occur in parallel or may even be interwoven. The web plays an important role in modern science for inquiry, communication, cooperation and publication. Traditional labwork courses do not prepare students for the many resulting demands. Therefore it is necessary to redefine the learning targets and to reconsider the learning methods. Two contributions show exemplarily how modern experimental devices could find their way into students' labs. In the article 'Infrared thermal imaging as a tool in university physics education' by Klaus-Peter Möllmann and Michael Vollmer we can see that infrared thermal imaging is a valuable tool in physics education at university level. It can help to visualize and thereby enhance understanding of physical phenomena of mechanics, thermal physics, electromagnetism, optics and radiation physics. The contribution 'Using Peltier cells to study solid-liquid-vapor transitions and supercooling' by Giacomo Torzo, Isabella Soletta and Mario Branca proves that new experiments which illustrate both fundamental physics and modern technology can be realized even with a small budget. Traditional labwork courses often provide a catalogue of well known experiments. The students must first learn the theoretical background. They then assemble the setup from specified equipment, collect the data and perform the default data processing. However, there is no way to learn to swim without water. In order to achieve a constructivist access to learning, 'project labs' are needed. In a project labwork course a small group of students works as a team on a mini research project. The students have to specify the question of research, develop a suitable experimental setup, conduct the experiment and find a suitable way to evaluate the data. Finally they must present their results e.g. in the framework of a public poster session. Three contributions refer to this approach, however they focus on different aspects: 'Project laboratory for first-year students' by Gorazd Planinšič, 'RealTime Physics: active learning laboratories' by David Sokoloff et al and 'Labs outside labs: miniprojects at a spring camp for future physics teachers' by Leos Dvorák. Is it possible to prepare the students specifically for project labwork? This question is answered by the contribution 'A new labwork course for physics students: devices, methods and research projects' by Knut Neumann and Manuela Welzel. The two main parts of the labwork course cover first experimental devices (e.g. multimeters, oscilloscopes, different sensors, operational amplifiers, step motors, AD/DA-converters). Then subjects such as data processing, consideration of measurement uncertainties, keeping records or using tools like LABVIEW etc are focused on. Another concrete proposal for a new curriculum is provided by James Sharp et al, in 'Computer based learning in an undergraduate physics laboratory: interfacing and instrument control using MATLAB'. One can well imagine that project labs will be the typical learning environment for physics students in the future. However, the details of this change should be based on a better understanding of the learning process in a students' lab. A deeper insight is given by the contribution of Claudia von Aufschnaiter and Stefan von Aufschnaiter in 'University students' activities, thinking and learning during laboratory work'. A second important alteration has taken place in physics education during the last decade. The so-called new media have changed the world of learning and teaching to an unprecedented extent. Learning with new media is often much more related to physics labwork than to traditional lectures or seminars (e.g. small learning groups, problem based learning, a high level of interactivity). We need to take these new tools into consideration as suitable amendment (blended learning) or substitution (e-learning, distance learning) of labwork courses. The developments with presumably the highest impact on physics education are modelling tools, interactive screen experiments and remote labs. Under 'modelling tools', all computer programs are summarized which enable the simulation of a physical process based on an explicit or implicit given formula. Many commercial program packages are available. The application of modelling tools in labwork courses permits a tight binding of theory and experiment. This is particularly valid and necessary in the case of project work. An interactive screen experiment (ISE) is a computer assisted representation of a physical experiment. When watching a video clip of an experiment students are forced to be passive observers. In the case of an ISE they can manipulate the setup on the screen with the help of a hand-like mouse pointer and the computer will show the appropriate result. The ISE consists of a large number of digital photos taken from the real experiment. From an epistemological point of view an ISE has the character of an experiment and can be used to discover or to prove a physical law. Many more details and an overview of possible applications can be found in the contribution 'Multimedia representation of experiments in physics' by Juergen Kirstein and Volkhard Nordmeier. A remotely controlled lab (RCL) or 'remote lab' (RL) is a physical experiment which can be remotely controlled via web-interface (server) and client-PC. During recent years a lot of RLs have appeared and also disappeared on the web. At first sight it seems fascinating to use a rare and sophisticated experiment from any PC which is connected to the web. However, in order to provide such a high level experiment continuously and to manage the schedule for sequential access, an enormous amount of manpower is necessary. Sebastian Gröber et al describe their efforts to provide a number of useful RCLs in the contribution 'Experimenting from a distance—remotely controlled laboratory (RCL)'. At many universities, physics labwork courses are also provided for students of other disciplines. Usually these groups are significantly larger than the group of physics students. Labwork courses for these groups must account for the specific objectives and students' learning conditions (previous knowledge, motivation). Heike Theyßen describes a targeted labwork course especially designed for medical students: 'Towards targeted labwork in physics as a subsidiary subject: enhancing the learning efficiency by new didactical concepts and media'. The term 'targeted' refers to the specific choice of content and methods regarding the students' learning conditions as well as the objectives of the labwork course. These differ significantly from those of labwork courses for physics students. In this case two targeted learning environments were developed, implemented and evaluated by means of several comparative studies. Both learning environments differ from traditional physics labwork courses in their objectives, didactical concept, content and experimental setups. One of them is a hypermedia learning environment, in which the real experiments are represented by ISEs. We are just at the beginning of the process of developing new labwork courses. Students' labs are often provided for large learning groups. Therefore the development of new methods as well as the acquisition of new equipment demands a large amount of investment. Using the paths of communication and cooperation established in science, we can optimize the process of renewal in order to spare manpower and financial means. Robert Lambourne exemplarily presented the cooperation project piCETL in his article 'Laboratory-based teaching and the Physics Innovations Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning'. The articles show that the renewal process has many different facets. New concepts are in demand as well as new experimental setups; the new media as well as the recent progress in didactic research have a strong influence on the trends. All aspects are closely linked, which can be seen by the number of mutual citations in the contributions. In order to give the reader an orientation we have structured the content of this special issue along the following lines: • successful new ideas for student labs and projects • new roles of student labs and project work • information and communication technology in laboratory and project work. This special issue provides an overview and examples of best practice as well as general concepts and personal contacts as stimuli for an enhancement of the renewal of labwork courses at university level.

NBodyLab Simulation Experiments with GRAPE-6a AND MD-GRAPE2 Acceleration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, V.; Ates, A.

2005-12-01

NbodyLab is an astrophysical N-body simulation testbed for student research. It is accessible via a web interface and runs as a backend framework under Linux. NbodyLab can generate data models or perform star catalog lookups, transform input data sets, perform direct summation gravitational force calculations using a variety of integration schemes, and produce analysis and visualization output products. NEMO (Teuben 1994), a popular stellar dynamics toolbox, is used for some functions. NbodyLab integrators can optionally utilize two types of low-cost desktop supercomputer accelerators, the newly available GRAPE-6a (125 Gflops peak) and the MD-GRAPE2 (64-128 Gflops peak). The initial version of NBodyLab was presented at ADASS 2002. This paper summarizes software enhancements developed subsequently, focusing on GRAPE-6a related enhancements, and gives examples of computational experiments and astrophysical research, including star cluster and solar system studies, that can be conducted with the new testbed functionality.

Breadboard Amplifier: Building and Using Simple Electrophysiology Equipment.

PubMed

Crisp, Kevin M; Lin, Hunter; Prosper, Issa

2016-01-01

Electrophysiology is a valuable skill for the neuroscientist, but the learning curve for students can be steep. Here we describe a very simple electromyography (EMG) amplifier that can be built from scratch by students with no electronics experience in about 30 minutes, making it ideal for incorporating into a laboratory activity. With few parts and no adjustments except the gain, students can begin physiology experiments quickly while having the satisfaction of having built the equipment themselves. Because the output of the circuit goes to a computer sound card, students can listen to electrophysiological activity as they see it on the computer screen, a feature many of our students greatly appreciated. Various applications are discussed, including dual channel recording, using streaming media platforms with remote lab partners and acquiring data in the field on a smart phone. Our students reported that they enjoyed being able to build a working device and using it to record from their own muscles.

Using "Saccharomyces cerevisiae" to Test the Mutagenicity of Household Compounds: An Open Ended Hypothesis-Driven Teaching Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Pamela A.

2007-01-01

In our Fundamentals of Genetics lab, students perform a wide variety of labs to reinforce and extend the topics covered in lecture. I developed an active-learning lab to augment the lecture topic of mutagenesis. In this lab exercise, students determine if a compound they bring from home is a mutagen. Students are required to read extensive…

Enhancing the Teaching of Digital Processing of Remote Sensing Image Course through Geospatial Web Processing Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

di, L.; Deng, M.

2010-12-01

Remote sensing (RS) is an essential method to collect data for Earth science research. Huge amount of remote sensing data, most of them in the image form, have been acquired. Almost all geography departments in the world offer courses in digital processing of remote sensing images. Such courses place emphasis on how to digitally process large amount of multi-source images for solving real world problems. However, due to the diversity and complexity of RS images and the shortcomings of current data and processing infrastructure, obstacles for effectively teaching such courses still remain. The major obstacles include 1) difficulties in finding, accessing, integrating and using massive RS images by students and educators, and 2) inadequate processing functions and computing facilities for students to freely explore the massive data. Recent development in geospatial Web processing service systems, which make massive data, computing powers, and processing capabilities to average Internet users anywhere in the world, promises the removal of the obstacles. The GeoBrain system developed by CSISS is an example of such systems. All functions available in GRASS Open Source GIS have been implemented as Web services in GeoBrain. Petabytes of remote sensing images in NASA data centers, the USGS Landsat data archive, and NOAA CLASS are accessible transparently and processable through GeoBrain. The GeoBrain system is operated on a high performance cluster server with large disk storage and fast Internet connection. All GeoBrain capabilities can be accessed by any Internet-connected Web browser. Dozens of universities have used GeoBrain as an ideal platform to support data-intensive remote sensing education. This presentation gives a specific example of using GeoBrain geoprocessing services to enhance the teaching of GGS 588, Digital Remote Sensing taught at the Department of Geography and Geoinformation Science, George Mason University. The course uses the textbook "Introductory Digital Image Processing, A Remote Sensing Perspective" authored by John Jensen. The textbook is widely adopted in the geography departments around the world for training students on digital processing of remote sensing images. In the traditional teaching setting for the course, the instructor prepares a set of sample remote sensing images to be used for the course. Commercial desktop remote sensing software, such as ERDAS, is used for students to do the lab exercises. The students have to do the excurses in the lab and can only use the simple images. For this specific course at GMU, we developed GeoBrain-based lab excurses for the course. With GeoBrain, students now can explore petabytes of remote sensing images in the NASA, NOAA, and USGS data archives instead of dealing only with sample images. Students have a much more powerful computing facility available for their lab excurses. They can explore the data and do the excurses any time at any place they want as long as they can access the Internet through the Web Browser. The feedbacks from students are all very positive about the learning experience on the digital image processing with the help of GeoBrain web processing services. The teaching/lab materials and GeoBrain services are freely available to anyone at http://www.laits.gmu.edu.

The effects of computer-simulated experiments on high school biology students' problem-solving skills and achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carmack, Gay Lynn Dickinson

2000-10-01

This two-part quasi-experimental repeated measures study examined whether computer simulated experiments have an effect on the problem solving skills of high school biology students in a school-within-a-school magnet program. Specifically, the study identified episodes in a simulation sequence where problem solving skills improved. In the Fall academic semester, experimental group students (n = 30) were exposed to two simulations: CaseIt! and EVOLVE!. Control group students participated in an internet research project and a paper Hardy-Weinberg activity. In the Spring academic semester, experimental group students were exposed to three simulations: Genetics Construction Kit, CaseIt! and EVOLVE! . Spring control group students participated in a Drosophila lab, an internet research project, and Advanced Placement lab 8. Results indicate that the Fall and Spring experimental groups experienced significant gains in scientific problem solving after the second simulation in the sequence. These gains were independent of the simulation sequence or the amount of time spent on the simulations. These gains were significantly greater than control group scores in the Fall. The Spring control group significantly outscored all other study groups on both pretest measures. Even so, the Spring experimental group problem solving performance caught up to the Spring control group performance after the third simulation. There were no significant differences between control and experimental groups on content achievement. Results indicate that CSE is as effective as traditional laboratories in promoting scientific problem solving and that CSE is a useful tool for improving students' scientific problem solving skills. Moreover, retention of problem solving skills is enhanced by utilizing more than one simulation.

Undergraduate Student Construction and Interpretation of Graphs in Physics Lab Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nixon, Ryan S.; Godfrey, T. J.; Mayhew, Nicholas T.; Wiegert, Craig C.

2016-01-01

Lab activities are an important element of an undergraduate physics course. In these lab activities, students construct and interpret graphs in order to connect the procedures of the lab with an understanding of the related physics concepts. This study investigated undergraduate students' construction and interpretation of graphs with best-fit…

Experiences with lab-centric instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Titterton, Nathaniel; Lewis, Colleen M.; Clancy, Michael J.

2010-06-01

Lab-centric instruction emphasizes supervised, hands-on activities by substituting lab for lecture time. It combines a multitude of pedagogical techniques into the format of an extended, structured closed lab. We discuss the range of benefits for students, including increased staff interaction, frequent and varied self-assessments, integrated collaborative activities, and a systematic sequence of activities that gradually increases in difficulty. Instructors also benefit from a deeper window into student progress and understanding. We follow with discussion of our experiences in courses at U.C. Berkeley, and using data from some of these investigate the effects of lab-centric instruction on student learning, procrastination, and course pacing. We observe that the lab-centric format helped students on exams but hurt them on extended programming assignments, counter to our hypothesis. Additionally, we see no difference in self-ratings of procrastination and limited differences in ratings of course pace. We do find evidence that the students who choose to attend lab-centric courses are different in several important ways from students who choose to attend the same course in a non-lab-centric format.

SEAS Classroom to Sea Labs: New Directions for Ridge 2000 Communitywide Education Outreach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goehring, L.

2005-12-01

Lessons learned from the two year SEAS pilot program emphasize that student participation in deep-sea research is an important motivator in student learning. Further, SEAS students experience a paradigm shift in understanding evidence-based reasoning and the process of scientific discovery. At the same time, we have learned that fostering authentic student investigations within the confines of the academic year is challenging and only fits classrooms with some academic flexibility. As a result, this year, SEAS will focus on the new Classroom to Sea Lab as a means to help foster student inquiry in the secondary school science classroom. The Classroom to Sea Lab invites student participation in deep-sea research but does so without requiring students to identify and propose suitable sea-going experiments. Classroom to Sea labs are designed to feature current deep-sea research, and emphasize critical skills in laboratory techniques, data collection and analysis, and scientific reporting. Labs are conducted in the classroom (by students) and at sea (by scientists for the students), resulting in parallel datasets for comparison. Labs also feature the work of practicing scientists. An annual Classroom to Sea Report Fair invites students to summarize their findings and submit written analyses for scientist feedback and prizes, emphasizing the importance of communications skills in science. This year, the SEAS program will feature the Shallow-water vs. Deep-sea Vent Mussel Classroom to Sea lab. In this lab, students explore differences in mussel anatomy and feeding strategies, and understand how chemosynthetic symbionts function in this animal. The lab instructs students to dissect shallow-water mussels and measure the proportion of gill tissue to total body tissue. Students are also instructed to download a dataset of vent mussel measurements and compare average proportions. Finally, students are invited to submit their analyses of the lab to the on-line Report Fair sponsored by the Ridge 2000 research community. A primary goal of SEAS is to excite and engage student learners by involving them in actual research in the extreme environments of the deep-sea. The program depends on the contributions of multiple scientists within the Ridge 2000 community. Scientists field student questions during the Ask-a-Scientist email forum, serve as Report Reviewers, are featured in ``Scientist Spotlights,'' host educators during cruises to conduct at-sea portions of a lab, and help develop new labs. It is community involvement that makes the SEAS program possible and so exciting and motivating for students.

Exploratory qualitative case study of lab-type activity interactions in an online graduate geoscience course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ciavarella, Veronica C.

This exploratory qualitative case study investigated the use of lab-type activities in an online graduate geoscience course. Constructivism is the theoretical framework used to explain how learning happens in lab-type activity, and provided the goals to which successful learning in lab-type activity is compared. This study focused on the learner-instructor, learner-learner, and perceptions of the learner-content interactions that occurred related to lab-type activities in an online graduate geoscience course to determine: if the instructor appeared as a facilitator of the learning process in the interactions over the activities; if students engaged in discussion and reflection about the activities; if students perceived the activities as meaningful and authentic; and if students perceived using higher order thinking and prior knowledge while interacting with the content. Ten graduate students from three offerings of the course participated in this study, as well as the instructor and designer of the course content and lab-type activities. Data were collected through interviews, and observation and analysis of the lab-type activities, instructor feedback to students in their graded activities, and discussion that occurred between the instructor and students and among students about the lab-type activities in discussion forums. The nature of the instructor's interactions in discussion forums, in feedback to students on graded activities, and reported by students' in interviews supported that, in the learner-instructor interactions, the instructor of this course was a facilitator who guided and scaffolded the students towards successfully completing the activities. Students engaged in discussion and reflected on the activities, but most learner-learner interactions in discussion forums about the lab-type activities appeared to occur for the purpose of comparison of results, support, and empathy. Students' success at higher order thinking type questions in lab-type activities and their perceptions reported in interviews of using higher order thinking in their interactions with the lab-type activities supported that the learner-content interactions involved higher order thinking. Students also reported finding the activities realistic, meaningful and authentic, and this increased their interest with the activities, and the activities aided their understanding of the content.

Spiral Growth in Plants: Models and Simulations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, Bradford D.

2004-01-01

The analysis and simulation of spiral growth in plants integrates algebra and trigonometry in a botanical setting. When the ideas presented here are used in a mathematics classroom/computer lab, students can better understand how basic assumptions about plant growth lead to the golden ratio and how the use of circular functions leads to accurate…

Contract Training and Computer-Assisted Instruction at Santa Fe Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortego, Sheila; Richards, Beverly

In summer 1993, Santa Fe Community College, New Mexico, created the External Programs Division (EPD) under its credit instruction program to serve the needs of non-traditional students. The EPD encompasses contract training, the Flex Lab, distance education, the AutoDesk Training Center, an Alternative Fuels program, and the corrections training…

Generic Assessment Rubrics for Computer Programming Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mustapha, Aida; Samsudin, Noor Azah; Arbaiy, Nurieze; Mohammed, Rozlini; Hamid, Isredza Rahmi

2016-01-01

In programming, one problem can usually be solved using different logics and constructs but still producing the same output. Sometimes students get marked down inappropriately if their solutions do not follow the answer scheme. In addition, lab exercises and programming assignments are not necessary graded by the instructors but most of the time…

Using E-Exercise Bases in Mathematics: Case Studies at University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cazes, Claire; Gueudet, Ghislaine; Hersant, Magali; Vandebrouck, Fabrice

2006-01-01

E-Exercise Bases (EEB) are now used in the teaching of mathematics, especially at university. We discuss here the consequences of their use on the students' activity during computer lab sessions. Results stem from observations of several teaching designs organised in different French universities with three e-exercise bases. The analysis focuses…

Noise and Vibration Risk Prevention Virtual Web for Ubiquitous Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Redel-Macías, María Dolores; Cubero-Atienza, Antonio J.; Martínez-Valle, José Miguel; Pedrós-Pérez, Gerardo; del Pilar Martínez-Jiménez, María

2015-01-01

This paper describes a new Web portal offering experimental labs for ubiquitous training of university engineering students in work-related risk prevention. The Web-accessible computer program simulates the noise and machine vibrations met in the work environment, in a series of virtual laboratories that mimic an actual laboratory and provide the…

Centrifugal Pump Experiment for Chemical Engineering Undergraduates

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanderslice, Nicholas; Oberto, Richard; Marrero, Thomas R.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to describe a Centrifugal Pump Experiment that provided an experiential learning experience to chemical engineering undergraduates at the University of Missouri in the spring of 2010 in the Unit Operations Laboratory course. Lab equipment was used by senior students with computer-based data and control technology. In…

Genome Annotation in a Community College Cell Biology Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beagley, C. Timothy

2013-01-01

The Biology Department at Salt Lake Community College has used the IMG-ACT toolbox to introduce a genome mapping and annotation exercise into the laboratory portion of its Cell Biology course. This project provides students with an authentic inquiry-based learning experience while introducing them to computational biology and contemporary learning…

Continuous-Grouped-Self-Learning: In the Perspective of Lecturers, Tutors and Laboratory Instructors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Azau, Mohd Azrin Mohd; Yao, Low Ming; Aik, Goo Soon; Yeong, Chin Kock; Nor, Mohamad Nizam; Abdullah, Ahmad Yusri; Jamil, Mohd Hafidz Mohamad; Yahya, Nasiruddin; Abas, Ahmad Fauzi; Saripan, M. Iqbal

2009-01-01

This paper presents the perception of lecturers, tutors and lab instructors towards the implemented Continuous-Group-Self-Learning (CGSL) in the Department of Computer and Communication System Engineering (CCSE), Universiti Putra Malaysia. This innovative system introduces mock teaching and student-lecturer role as a technique of delivery. The…

Educators and Programs Reaching Out to At-Risk Youth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, M. Linda

1990-01-01

Presents examples of how using technology can help raise self-esteem and improve academic performance for students who are identified as being at-risk. Topics discussed include the use of computer labs, filmstrips, and videos to strengthen academic skills, and to deal with such social issues as drop-outs, alcoholism, pregnancy, and suicide. Two…

Computer Based Data Acquisition in the Undergraduate Lab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wepfer, William J.; Oehmke, Roger L. T.

1987-01-01

Describes a data acquisition system developed for an undergraduate engineering students' instructional laboratory at Georgia Tech. Special emphasis is placed on the design of an A/D Converter Board used to measure the viscosity and temperature of motor oil. The Simons' BASIC Program Listing for the Commodore 64 microcomputer is appended. (LRW)

Mobile Educational Features in Authoring Tools for Personalised Tutoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Virvou, Maria; Alepis, Eythimios

2005-01-01

One important field where mobile technology can make significant contributions is Education. In the fast pace of modern life, students and instructors would appreciate using constructively some spare time that they may have, in order to work on lessons at any place, even when away from offices, classrooms and labs where computers are usually…

The Revenue vs. Service Balance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savarese, John

2006-01-01

Ten years ago, students at the University of Vermont (UVM) had to carry separate ID cards, meal cards, and athletic cards. Today, the single CATcard combines all of these functions, plus library privileges, an optional declining balance program called CAT$cratch, access to computer labs, use of vending machines without quarters, and even a ride on…

Student Use of Physics to Make Sense of Incomplete but Functional VPython Programs in a Lab Setting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weatherford, Shawn A.

2011-12-01

Computational activities in Matter & Interactions, an introductory calculus-based physics course, have the instructional goal of providing students with the experience of applying the same set of a small number of fundamental principles to model a wide range of physical systems. However there are significant instructional challenges for students to build computer programs under limited time constraints, especially for students who are unfamiliar with programming languages and concepts. Prior attempts at designing effective computational activities were successful at having students ultimately build working VPython programs under the tutelage of experienced teaching assistants in a studio lab setting. A pilot study revealed that students who completed these computational activities had significant difficultly repeating the exact same tasks and further, had difficulty predicting the animation that would be produced by the example program after interpreting the program code. This study explores the interpretation and prediction tasks as part of an instructional sequence where students are asked to read and comprehend a functional, but incomplete program. Rather than asking students to begin their computational tasks with modifying program code, we explicitly ask students to interpret an existing program that is missing key lines of code. The missing lines of code correspond to the algebraic form of fundamental physics principles or the calculation of forces which would exist between analogous physical objects in the natural world. Students are then asked to draw a prediction of what they would see in the simulation produced by the VPython program and ultimately run the program to evaluate the students' prediction. This study specifically looks at how the participants use physics while interpreting the program code and creating a whiteboard prediction. This study also examines how students evaluate their understanding of the program and modification goals at the beginning of the modification task. While working in groups over the course of a semester, study participants were recorded while they completed three activities using these incomplete programs. Analysis of the video data showed that study participants had little difficulty interpreting physics quantities, generating a prediction, or determining how to modify the incomplete program. Participants did not base their prediction solely from the information from the incomplete program. When participants tried to predict the motion of the objects in the simulation, many turned to their knowledge of how the system would evolve if it represented an analogous real-world physical system. For example, participants attributed the real-world behavior of springs to helix objects even though the program did not include calculations for the spring to exert a force when stretched. Participants rarely interpreted lines of code in the computational loop during the first computational activity, but this changed during latter computational activities with most participants using their physics knowledge to interpret the computational loop. Computational activities in the Matter & Interactions curriculum were revised in light of these findings to include an instructional sequence of tasks to build a comprehension of the example program. The modified activities also ask students to create an additional whiteboard prediction for the time-evolution of the real-world phenomena which the example program will eventually model. This thesis shows how comprehension tasks identified by Palinscar and Brown (1984) as effective in improving reading comprehension are also effective in helping students apply their physics knowledge to interpret a computer program which attempts to model a real-world phenomena and identify errors in their understanding of the use, or omission, of fundamental physics principles in a computational model.

Virtual Transgenics: Using a Molecular Biology Simulation to Impact Student Academic Achievement and Attitudes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shegog, Ross; Lazarus, Melanie M.; Murray, Nancy G.; Diamond, Pamela M.; Sessions, Nathalie; Zsigmond, Eva

2012-10-01

The transgenic mouse model is useful for studying the causes and potential cures for human genetic diseases. Exposing high school biology students to laboratory experience in developing transgenic animal models is logistically prohibitive. Computer-based simulation, however, offers this potential in addition to advantages of fidelity and reach. This study describes and evaluates a computer-based simulation to train advanced placement high school science students in laboratory protocols, a transgenic mouse model was produced. A simulation module on preparing a gene construct in the molecular biology lab was evaluated using a randomized clinical control design with advanced placement high school biology students in Mercedes, Texas ( n = 44). Pre-post tests assessed procedural and declarative knowledge, time on task, attitudes toward computers for learning and towards science careers. Students who used the simulation increased their procedural and declarative knowledge regarding molecular biology compared to those in the control condition (both p < 0.005). Significant increases continued to occur with additional use of the simulation ( p < 0.001). Students in the treatment group became more positive toward using computers for learning ( p < 0.001). The simulation did not significantly affect attitudes toward science in general. Computer simulation of complex transgenic protocols have potential to provide a "virtual" laboratory experience as an adjunct to conventional educational approaches.

A cyber-linked undergraduate research experience in computational biomolecular structure prediction and design

PubMed Central

Alford, Rebecca F.; Dolan, Erin L.

2017-01-01

Computational biology is an interdisciplinary field, and many computational biology research projects involve distributed teams of scientists. To accomplish their work, these teams must overcome both disciplinary and geographic barriers. Introducing new training paradigms is one way to facilitate research progress in computational biology. Here, we describe a new undergraduate program in biomolecular structure prediction and design in which students conduct research at labs located at geographically-distributed institutions while remaining connected through an online community. This 10-week summer program begins with one week of training on computational biology methods development, transitions to eight weeks of research, and culminates in one week at the Rosetta annual conference. To date, two cohorts of students have participated, tackling research topics including vaccine design, enzyme design, protein-based materials, glycoprotein modeling, crowd-sourced science, RNA processing, hydrogen bond networks, and amyloid formation. Students in the program report outcomes comparable to students who participate in similar in-person programs. These outcomes include the development of a sense of community and increases in their scientific self-efficacy, scientific identity, and science values, all predictors of continuing in a science research career. Furthermore, the program attracted students from diverse backgrounds, which demonstrates the potential of this approach to broaden the participation of young scientists from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in computational biology. PMID:29216185

A cyber-linked undergraduate research experience in computational biomolecular structure prediction and design.

PubMed

Alford, Rebecca F; Leaver-Fay, Andrew; Gonzales, Lynda; Dolan, Erin L; Gray, Jeffrey J

2017-12-01

Computational biology is an interdisciplinary field, and many computational biology research projects involve distributed teams of scientists. To accomplish their work, these teams must overcome both disciplinary and geographic barriers. Introducing new training paradigms is one way to facilitate research progress in computational biology. Here, we describe a new undergraduate program in biomolecular structure prediction and design in which students conduct research at labs located at geographically-distributed institutions while remaining connected through an online community. This 10-week summer program begins with one week of training on computational biology methods development, transitions to eight weeks of research, and culminates in one week at the Rosetta annual conference. To date, two cohorts of students have participated, tackling research topics including vaccine design, enzyme design, protein-based materials, glycoprotein modeling, crowd-sourced science, RNA processing, hydrogen bond networks, and amyloid formation. Students in the program report outcomes comparable to students who participate in similar in-person programs. These outcomes include the development of a sense of community and increases in their scientific self-efficacy, scientific identity, and science values, all predictors of continuing in a science research career. Furthermore, the program attracted students from diverse backgrounds, which demonstrates the potential of this approach to broaden the participation of young scientists from backgrounds traditionally underrepresented in computational biology.

A comparison of traditional physical laboratory and computer-simulated laboratory experiences in relation to engineering undergraduate students' conceptual understandings of a communication systems topic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Javidi, Giti

2005-07-01

This study was designed to investigate an alternative to the use of traditional physical laboratory activities in a communication systems course. Specifically, this study examined whether as an alternative, computer simulation is as effective as physical laboratory activities in teaching college-level electronics engineering education students about the concepts of signal transmission, modulation and demodulation. Eighty undergraduate engineering students participated in the study, which was conducted at a southeastern four-year university. The students were randomly assigned to two groups. The groups were compared on understanding the concepts, remembering the concepts, completion time of the lab experiments and perception toward the laboratory experiments. The physical group's (n = 40) treatment was to conduct laboratory experiments in a physical laboratory. The students in this group used equipment in a controlled electronics laboratory. The Simulation group's (n = 40) treatment was to conduct similar experiments in a PC laboratory. The students in this group used a simulation program in a controlled PC lab. At the completion of the treatment, scores on a validated conceptual test were collected once after the treatment and again three weeks after the treatment. Attitude surveys and qualitative study were administered at the completion of the treatment. The findings revealed significant differences, in favor of the simulation group, between the two groups on both the conceptual post-test and the follow-up test. The findings also revealed significant correlation between simulation groups' attitude toward the simulation program and their post-test scores. Moreover, there was a significant difference between the two groups on their attitude toward their laboratory experience in favor of the simulation group. In addition, there was significant difference between the two groups on their lab completion time in favor of the simulation group. At the same time, the qualitative research has uncovered several issues not explored by the quantitative research. It was concluded that incorporating the recommendations acquired from the qualitative research, especially elements of incorporating hardware experience to avoid lack of hands-on skills, into the laboratory pedagogy should help improve students' experience regardless of the environment in which the laboratory is conducted.

Using Computers in Introductory Astronomy Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, Grace L.

1995-12-01

Computer literacy is fast becoming a focal point in undergraduate education. Scientific literacy has been a continuing goal of undergraduate programs across the nation and a course in introductory astronomy is often used to satisfy such science requirements. At U. MD an introduction to computer skills is being integrated into our astronomy curriculum for non-science majors. The campus is adequately equipped with computer labs, yet many students enter college without basic computer skills. In Astronomy 101 (General Astronomy) students are introduced to electronic mail, a Listserver, and the world wide web. Students in this course are required to register for a free campus computer account. Their first assignment is to use e-mail to subscribe to the class Listserver, Milkyway. Through Milkyway, students have access to weekly lecture summaries, questions to review for exams, and copies of previous exams. Using e-mail students may pose questions, provide comments, or exchange opinions using Milkyway, or they may e-mail the instructor directly. Studies indicate that using e-mail is less intimidating to a student than asking a question in a class of 200 students. Monitoring e-mail for student questions has not been a problem. Student reaction has been favorable to using e-mail, since instructor office hours are not always convenient, especially to commuting or working students. Through required assignments, students receive an introduction to accessing information on the world wide web using Netscape. Astronomy has great resources available on the Internet which can be used to supplement and reinforce introductory material. Assignments are structured so that students will gain the techniques necessary to access available information. It is hoped that students will successfully apply the computer skills they learn in astronomy class to their own fields and as life-long learners. We have found that students comfortable with computers are willing to share their knowledge with others. The computer activities have been structured to promote cooperation between students. These skills are also necessary for success.

Measure, Then Show: Grasping Human Evolution Through an Inquiry-Based, Data-driven Hominin Skulls Lab.

PubMed

Bayer, Chris N; Luberda, Michael

2016-01-01

Incomprehension and denial of the theory of evolution among high school students has been observed to also occur when teachers are not equipped to deliver a compelling case also for human evolution based on fossil evidence. This paper assesses the outcomes of a novel inquiry-based paleoanthropology lab teaching human evolution to high-school students. The inquiry-based Be a Paleoanthropologist for a Day lab placed a dozen hominin skulls into the hands of high-school students. Upon measuring three variables of human evolution, students explain what they have observed and discuss findings. In the 2013/14 school year, 11 biology classes in 7 schools in the Greater New Orleans area participated in this lab. The interviewed teacher cohort unanimously agreed that the lab featuring hominin skull replicas and stimulating student inquiry was a pedagogically excellent method of delivering the subject of human evolution. First, the lab's learning path of transforming facts to data, information to knowledge, and knowledge to acceptance empowered students to themselves execute part of the science that underpins our understanding of deep time hominin evolution. Second, although challenging, the hands-on format of the lab was accessible to high-school students, most of whom were readily able to engage the lab's scientific process. Third, the lab's exciting and compelling pedagogy unlocked higher order thinking skills, effectively activating the cognitive, psychomotor and affected learning domains as defined in Bloom's taxonomy. Lastly, the lab afforded students a formative experience with a high degree of retention and epistemic depth. Further study is warranted to gauge the degree of these effects.

Combinatorial Algorithms to Enable Computational Science and Engineering: Work from the CSCAPES Institute

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Boman, Erik G.; Catalyurek, Umit V.; Chevalier, Cedric

2015-01-16

This final progress report summarizes the work accomplished at the Combinatorial Scientific Computing and Petascale Simulations Institute. We developed Zoltan, a parallel mesh partitioning library that made use of accurate hypergraph models to provide load balancing in mesh-based computations. We developed several graph coloring algorithms for computing Jacobian and Hessian matrices and organized them into a software package called ColPack. We developed parallel algorithms for graph coloring and graph matching problems, and also designed multi-scale graph algorithms. Three PhD students graduated, six more are continuing their PhD studies, and four postdoctoral scholars were advised. Six of these students and Fellowsmore » have joined DOE Labs (Sandia, Berkeley), as staff scientists or as postdoctoral scientists. We also organized the SIAM Workshop on Combinatorial Scientific Computing (CSC) in 2007, 2009, and 2011 to continue to foster the CSC community.« less

Sensor-Augmented Virtual Labs: Using Physical Interactions with Science Simulations to Promote Understanding of Gas Behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chao, Jie; Chiu, Jennifer L.; DeJaegher, Crystal J.; Pan, Edward A.

2016-02-01

Deep learning of science involves integration of existing knowledge and normative science concepts. Past research demonstrates that combining physical and virtual labs sequentially or side by side can take advantage of the unique affordances each provides for helping students learn science concepts. However, providing simultaneously connected physical and virtual experiences has the potential to promote connections among ideas. This paper explores the effect of augmenting a virtual lab with physical controls on high school chemistry students' understanding of gas laws. We compared students using the augmented virtual lab to students using a similar sensor-based physical lab with teacher-led discussions. Results demonstrate that students in the augmented virtual lab condition made significant gains from pretest and posttest and outperformed traditional students on some but not all concepts. Results provide insight into incorporating mixed-reality technologies into authentic classroom settings.

Improving Student Success in Calculus I Using a Co-Requisite Calculus I Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vestal, Sharon Schaffer; Brandenburger, Thomas; Furth, Alfred

2015-01-01

This paper describes how one university mathematics department was able to improve student success in Calculus I by requiring a co-requisite lab for certain groups of students. The groups of students required to take the co-requisite lab were identified by analyzing student data, including Math ACT scores, ACT Compass Trigonometry scores, and…

Gravitational Wave Detection in the Introductory Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burko, Lior M.

2017-01-01

Great physics breakthroughs are rarely included in the introductory physics course. General relativity and binary black hole coalescence are no different, and can be included in the introductory course only in a very limited sense. However, we can design activities that directly involve the detection of GW150914, the designation of the Gravitation Wave signal detected on September 14, 2015, thereby engage the students in this exciting discovery directly. The activities naturally do not include the construction of a detector or the detection of gravitational waves. Instead, we design it to include analysis of the data from GW150914, which includes some interesting analysis activities for students of the introductory course. The same activities can be assigned either as a laboratory exercise or as a computational project for the same population of students. The analysis tools used here are simple and available to the intended student population. It does not include the sophisticated analysis tools, which were used by LIGO to carefully analyze the detected signal. However, these simple tools are sufficient to allow the student to get important results. We have successfully assigned this lab project for students of the introductory course with calculus at Georgia Gwinnett College.

Developing Guided Inquiry-Based Student Lab Worksheet for Laboratory Knowledge Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahmi, Y. L.; Novriyanti, E.; Ardi, A.; Rifandi, R.

2018-04-01

The course of laboratory knowledge is an introductory course for biology students to follow various lectures practicing in the biology laboratory. Learning activities of laboratory knowledge course at this time in the Biology Department, Universitas Negeri Padang has not been completed by supporting learning media such as student lab worksheet. Guided inquiry learning model is one of the learning models that can be integrated into laboratory activity. The study aimed to produce student lab worksheet based on guided inquiry for laboratory knowledge course and to determine the validity of lab worksheet. The research was conducted using research and developmet (R&D) model. The instruments used in data collection in this research were questionnaire for student needed analysis and questionnaire to measure the student lab worksheet validity. The data obtained was quantitative from several validators. The validators consist of three lecturers. The percentage of a student lab worksheet validity was 94.18 which can be categorized was very good.

Design and development of a solar powered mobile laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiao, L.; Simon, A.; Barrera, H.; Acharya, V.; Repke, W.

2016-08-01

This paper describes the design and development of a solar powered mobile laboratory (SPML) system. The SPML provides a mobile platform that schools, universities, and communities can use to give students and staff access to laboratory environments where dedicated laboratories are not available. The lab includes equipment like 3D printers, computers, and soldering stations. The primary power source of the system is solar PV which allows the laboratory to be operated in places where the grid power is not readily available or not sufficient to power all the equipment. The main system components include PV panels, junction box, battery, charge controller, and inverter. Not only is it used to teach students and staff how to use the lab equipment, but it is also a great tool to educate the public about solar PV technologies.

Open-ended versus guided laboratory activities:Impact on students' beliefs about experimental physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, Bethany R.; Lewandowski, H. J.

2016-12-01

Improving students' understanding of the nature of experimental physics is often an explicit or implicit goal of undergraduate laboratory physics courses. However, lab activities in traditional lab courses are typically characterized by highly structured, guided labs that often do not require or encourage students to engage authentically in the process of experimental physics. Alternatively, open-ended laboratory activities can provide a more authentic learning environment by, for example, allowing students to exercise greater autonomy in what and how physical phenomena are investigated. Engaging in authentic practices may be a critical part of improving students' beliefs around the nature of experimental physics. Here, we investigate the impact of open-ended activities in undergraduate lab courses on students' epistemologies and expectations about the nature of experimental physics, as well as their confidence and affect, as measured by the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics (E-CLASS). Using a national data set of student responses to the E-CLASS, we find that the inclusion of some open-ended lab activities in a lab course correlates with more expertlike postinstruction responses relative to courses that include only traditional guided lab activities. This finding holds when examining postinstruction E-CLASS scores while controlling for the variance associated with preinstruction scores, course level, student major, and student gender.

Virtual Simulations as Preparation for Lab Exercises: Assessing Learning of Key Laboratory Skills in Microbiology and Improvement of Essential Non-Cognitive Skills.

PubMed

Makransky, Guido; Thisgaard, Malene Warming; Gadegaard, Helen

2016-01-01

To investigate if a virtual laboratory simulation (vLAB) could be used to replace a face to face tutorial (demonstration) to prepare students for a laboratory exercise in microbiology. A total of 189 students who were participating in an undergraduate biology course were randomly selected into a vLAB or demonstration condition. In the vLAB condition students could use a vLAB at home to 'practice' streaking out bacteria on agar plates in a virtual environment. In the demonstration condition students were given a live demonstration from a lab tutor showing them how to streak out bacteria on agar plates. All students were blindly assessed on their ability to perform the streaking technique in the physical lab, and were administered a pre and post-test to determine their knowledge of microbiology, intrinsic motivation to study microbiology, and self-efficacy in the field of microbiology prior to, and after the experiment. The results showed that there were no significant differences between the two groups on their lab scores, and both groups had similar increases in knowledge of microbiology, intrinsic motivation to study microbiology, as well as self-efficacy in the field of microbiology. Our data show that vLABs function just as well as face to face tutorials in preparing students for a physical lab activity in microbiology. The results imply that vLABs could be used instead of face to face tutorials, and a combination of virtual and physical lab exercises could be the future of science education.

Evaluation of oral microbiology lab curriculum reform.

PubMed

Nie, Min; Gao, Zhen Y; Wu, Xin Y; Jiang, Chen X; Du, Jia H

2015-12-07

According to the updated concept of oral microbiology, the School of Stomatology, Wuhan University, has carried out oral microbiology teaching reforms during the last 5 years. There was no lab curriculum before 2009 except for a theory course of oral microbiology. The school has implemented an innovative curriculum with oral medicine characteristics to strengthen understanding of knowledge, cultivate students' scientific interest and develop their potential, to cultivate the comprehensive ability of students. This study was designed to evaluate the oral microbiology lab curriculum by analyzing student performance and perceptions regarding the curriculum from 2009 to 2013. The lab curriculum adopted modalities for cooperative learning. Students collected dental plaque from each other and isolated the cariogenic bacteria with selective medium plates. Then they purified the enrichment culture medium and identified the cariogenic strains by Gram stain and biochemical tests. Both quantitative and qualitative data for 5 years were analysed in this study. Part One of the current study assessed student performance in the lab from 2009 to 2013. Part Two used qualitative means to assess students' perceptions by an open questionnaire. The 271 study students' grades on oral microbiology improved during the lab curriculum: "A" grades rose from 60.5 to 81.2 %, and "C" grades fell from 28.4 to 6.3 %. All students considered the lab curriculum to be interesting and helpful. Quantitative and qualitative data converge to suggest that the lab curriculum has strengthened students' grasp of important microbiology-related theory, cultivated their scientific interest, and developed their potential and comprehensive abilities. Our student performance and perception data support the continued use of the innovative teaching system. As an extension and complement of the theory course, the oral microbiology lab curriculum appears to improve the quality of oral medicine education and help to cultivate high-quality innovative medical talents.

A Constructivist Cloud Lab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emery, Dave

1996-01-01

Describes a lab involving a cloud formation activity that uses the constructivist learning model to get students more involved in creating the lab. Enables students to develop a greater understanding of the concepts involved and more interest in the lab's outcomes. (JRH)

Incorporating a Literature-Based Learning Approach into a Lab Course to Increase Student Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parent, Beth A.; Marbach-Ad, Gili; Swanson, Karen V.; Smith, Ann C.

2010-01-01

Scientific literature was used to give a research oriented context to our immunology lab course. Immunology lab, a senior level course (60 students/year) was formerly taught in a traditional mode, with exercises aimed at learning lab protocols. To engage students in understanding we connected the protocols to their use as reported in research…

Differences between Lab Completion and Non-Completion on Student Performance in an Online Undergraduate Environmental Science Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corsi, Gianluca

2011-12-01

Web-based technology has revolutionized the way education is delivered. Although the advantages of online learning appeal to large numbers of students, some concerns arise. One major concern in online science education is the value that participation in labs has on student performance. The purpose of this study was to assess the relationships between lab completion and student academic success as measured by test grades, scientific self-confidence, scientific skills, and concept mastery. A random sample of 114 volunteer undergraduate students, from an online Environmental Science program at the American Public University System, was tested. The study followed a quantitative, non-experimental research design. Paired sample t-tests were used for statistical comparison between pre-lab and post-lab test grades, two scientific skills quizzes, and two scientific self-confidence surveys administered at the beginning and at the end of the course. The results of the paired sample t-tests revealed statistically significant improvements on all post-lab test scores: Air Pollution lab, t(112) = 6.759, p < .001; Home Chemicals lab t(114) = 8.585, p < .001; Water Use lab, t(116) = 6.657, p < .001; Trees and Carbon lab, t(113) = 9.921, p < .001; Stratospheric Ozone lab, t(112) =12.974, p < .001; Renewable Energy lab, t(115) = 7.369, p < .001. The end of the course Scientific Skills quiz revealed statistically significant improvements, t(112) = 8.221, p < .001. The results of the two surveys showed a statistically significant improvement on student Scientific Self-Confidence because of lab completion, t(114) = 3.015, p < .05. Because age and gender were available, regression models were developed. The results indicated weak multiple correlation coefficients and were not statistically significant at alpha = .05. Evidence suggests that labs play a positive role in a student's academic success. It is recommended that lab experiences be included in all online Environmental Science programs, with emphasis on open-ended inquiries, and adoption of online tools to enhance hands-on experiences, such as virtual reality platforms and digital animations. Future research is encouraged to investigate possible correlations between socio-demographic attributes and academic success of students enrolled in online science programs in reference to lab completion.

Developing a Virtual Rock Deformation Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, W.; Ougier-simonin, A.; Lisabeth, H. P.; Banker, J. S.

2012-12-01

Experimental rock physics plays an important role in advancing earthquake research. Despite its importance in geophysics, reservoir engineering, waste deposits and energy resources, most geology departments in U.S. universities don't have rock deformation facilities. A virtual deformation laboratory can serve as an efficient tool to help geology students naturally and internationally learn about rock deformation. Working with computer science engineers, we built a virtual deformation laboratory that aims at fostering user interaction to facilitate classroom and outreach teaching and learning. The virtual lab is built to center around a triaxial deformation apparatus in which laboratory measurements of mechanical and transport properties such as stress, axial and radial strains, acoustic emission activities, wave velocities, and permeability are demonstrated. A student user can create her avatar to enter the virtual lab. In the virtual lab, the avatar can browse and choose among various rock samples, determine the testing conditions (pressure, temperature, strain rate, loading paths), then operate the virtual deformation machine to observe how deformation changes physical properties of rocks. Actual experimental results on the mechanical, frictional, sonic, acoustic and transport properties of different rocks at different conditions are compiled. The data acquisition system in the virtual lab is linked to the complied experimental data. Structural and microstructural images of deformed rocks are up-loaded and linked to different deformation tests. The integration of the microstructural image and the deformation data allows the student to visualize how forces reshape the structure of the rock and change the physical properties. The virtual lab is built using the Game Engine. The geological background, outstanding questions related to the geological environment, and physical and mechanical concepts associated with the problem will be illustrated on the web portal. In addition, some web based data collection tools are available to collect student feedback and opinions on their learning experience. The virtual laboratory is designed to be an online education tool that facilitates interactive learning.; Virtual Deformation Laboratory

Kinematic Labs with Mobile Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kinser, Jason M.

2015-07-01

This book provides 13 labs spanning the common topics in the first semester of university-level physics. Each lab is designed to use only the student's smartphone, laptop and items easily found in big-box stores or a hobby shop. Each lab contains theory, set-up instructions and basic analysis techniques. All of these labs can be performed outside of the traditional university lab setting and initial costs averaging less than 8 per student, per lab.

BioMEMS and Lab-on-a-Chip Course Education at West Virginia University

PubMed Central

Liu, Yuxin

2011-01-01

With the rapid growth of Biological/Biomedical MicroElectroMechanical Systems (BioMEMS) and microfluidic-based lab-on-a-chip (LOC) technology to biological and biomedical research and applications, demands for educated and trained researchers and technicians in these fields are rapidly expanding. Universities are expected to develop educational plans to address these specialized needs in BioMEMS, microfluidic and LOC science and technology. A course entitled BioMEMS and Lab-on-a-Chip was taught recently at the senior undergraduate and graduate levels in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering at West Virginia University (WVU). The course focused on the basic principles and applications of BioMEMS and LOC technology to the areas of biomedicine, biology, and biotechnology. The course was well received and the enrolled students had diverse backgrounds in electrical engineering, material science, biology, mechanical engineering, and chemistry. Student feedback and a review of the course evaluations indicated that the course was effective in achieving its objectives. Student presentations at the end of the course were a highlight and a valuable experience for all involved. The course proved successful and will continue to be offered regularly. This paper provides an overview of the course as well as some development and future improvements. PMID:25586697

Interesting Guided-Inquiry Labs for a Large-Enrollment, Active Learning Physics II Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wagoner, Kasey; Hynes, K. Mairin; Flanagan, Daniel

2018-04-01

Introductory physics labs often focus on a series of common experiments intending to teach the student the measurement side of physics. While these experiments have the potential to be quite instructive, we observed that our students often consider them to be boring and monotonous, which often leads to them being uninstructive. To combat this, we have designed a series of labs with two major goals: the experiments should be relevant to the students' world, and the labs should gently guide the students to develop the experimental process on their own. Meeting these goals is difficult, particularly in a course with large enrollment where labs are instructed by graduate students. We have had success meeting these goals in our classroom, where over the last decade our introductory physics course has transformed from a traditional, lecture-learning class to a flipped class based on the textbook Six Ideas that Shaped Physics. Here we describe the structure of the new labs we have designed to capitalize on our classroom success while overcoming the aforementioned difficulties. These new labs are more engaging and instructive for our introductory physics students.

Using Saccharomyces cerevisiae to test the mutagenicity of household compounds: an open ended hypothesis-driven teaching lab.

PubMed

Marshall, Pamela A

2007-01-01

In our Fundamentals of Genetics lab, students perform a wide variety of labs to reinforce and extend the topics covered in lecture. I developed an active-learning lab to augment the lecture topic of mutagenesis. In this lab exercise, students determine if a compound they bring from home is a mutagen. Students are required to read extensive background material, perform research to find a potential mutagen to test, develop a hypothesis, and bring to the lab their own suspected mutagen. This lab uses a specially developed strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, D7, to determine if a compound is a mutagen. Mutagenesis of the D7 genome can lead to a scorable alteration in the phenotypes of this strain. Students outline and carry out a protocol for treatment of the yeast tester strain, utilizing the concept of dose/response and positive and negative controls. Students report on their results using a PowerPoint presentation to simulate giving a scientific presentation. The students' self-assessment of their knowledge indicated that, in all cases, the students felt that they knew more about the assay, mutagenesis, and the relationship between genotype and phenotype (P < 0.05) after completing the exercise.

The Tie that Binds: Building Discourse Communities and Group Cohesion through Computer-Based Conferences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Selfe, Cynthia L.; Eilola, J. Daniel

1988-01-01

Discussion of the use of electronic conferencing to form a discourse community focuses on a case study of student consultants working in a microcomputer lab supporting writing courses at Michigan Technological University. The formulation of a group identity, as well as group values, goals, and expectations are discussed. (16 references) (LRW)

Technology in the Classroom: Transitioning Lab and Design to an All-Digital Workflow

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anastasio, Daniel; Suresh, Aravind; Burkey, Daniel D.

2013-01-01

Mobile platforms and cloud computing allow collaborative sharing and submission of work in ways not feasible until recently. In this article, we detail how we took a writing-intensive laboratory and made the submission, reading, grading, and returning of student work online and paper-free, while maintaining familiar elements of pen-and-paper…

Proceedings of the 2000 ASCUE Summer Conference (33rd, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, June 11-15, 2000).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Peter, Ed.

This 2000 Association of Small Computer Users in Education (ASCUE) conference proceedings first highlights keynote speakers and describes the pre-conference workshops. The conference papers and abstracts that follow discuss: strategic planning for faculty, staff, and student development; a network lab; the Blackboard course delivery system;…

Enhancing Project-Based Learning in Software Engineering Lab Teaching through an E-Portfolio Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macias, J. A.

2012-01-01

Project-based learning is one of the main successful student-centered pedagogies broadly used in computing science courses. However, this approach can be insufficient when dealing with practical subjects that implicitly require many deliverables and a great deal of feedback and organizational resources. In this paper, a worked e-portfolio is…

Fostering Entrepreneurship in the CIS Sandbox

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frydenberg, Mark

2013-01-01

A fresh coat of paint and new furniture were the obvious external changes to an eleven-year-old computer lab at Bentley University when it was renovated in 2011. More difficult than changing the outward appearance of the room was changing the perceptions of what happens inside. The facility had a reputation of being a place where only students who…

Reinforcing Concepts of Transient Heat Conduction and Convection with Simple Experiments and COMSOL Simulations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mendez, Sergio; AungYong, Lisa

2014-01-01

To help students make the connection between the concepts of heat conduction and convection to real-world phenomenon, we developed a combined experimental and computational module that can be incorporated into lecture or lab courses. The experimental system we present requires materials and apparatus that are readily accessible, and the procedure…

High-Speed Video Analysis in a Conceptual Physics Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Desbien, Dwain M.

2011-01-01

The use of probe ware and computers has become quite common in introductory physics classrooms. Video analysis is also becoming more popular and is available to a wide range of students through commercially available and/or free software. Video analysis allows for the study of motions that cannot be easily measured in the traditional lab setting…

Research and Teaching. Effects of a Research-Based Ecology Lab Course: A Study of Nonvolunteer Achievement, Self-Confidence, and Perception of Lab Course Purpose

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kloser, Matthew J.; Brownell, Sara E.; Shavelson, Richard J.; Fukami, Tadashi

2013-01-01

Undergraduate biology lab courses have long been criticized for engaging students in "cookbook" experiences in which students follow a given protocol to collect data that help answer a predetermined question. Recent reform documents in biology education have suggested that students should engage in lab courses that provide more authentic…

An investigation of the effects of relevant samples and a comparison of verification versus discovery based lab design

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rieben, James C., Jr.

This study focuses on the effects of relevance and lab design on student learning within the chemistry laboratory environment. A general chemistry conductivity of solutions experiment and an upper level organic chemistry cellulose regeneration experiment were employed. In the conductivity experiment, the two main variables studied were the effect of relevant (or "real world") samples on student learning and a verification-based lab design versus a discovery-based lab design. With the cellulose regeneration experiment, the effect of a discovery-based lab design vs. a verification-based lab design was the sole focus. Evaluation surveys consisting of six questions were used at three different times to assess student knowledge of experimental concepts. In the general chemistry laboratory portion of this study, four experimental variants were employed to investigate the effect of relevance and lab design on student learning. These variants consisted of a traditional (or verification) lab design, a traditional lab design using "real world" samples, a new lab design employing real world samples/situations using unknown samples, and the new lab design using real world samples/situations that were known to the student. Data used in this analysis were collected during the Fall 08, Winter 09, and Fall 09 terms. For the second part of this study a cellulose regeneration experiment was employed to investigate the effects of lab design. A demonstration creating regenerated cellulose "rayon" was modified and converted to an efficient and low-waste experiment. In the first variant students tested their products and verified a list of physical properties. In the second variant, students filled in a blank physical property chart with their own experimental results for the physical properties. Results from the conductivity experiment show significant student learning of the effects of concentration on conductivity and how to use conductivity to differentiate solution types with the use of real world samples. In the organic chemistry experiment, results suggest that the discovery-based design improved student retention of the chain length differentiation by physical properties relative to the verification-based design.

Love the Lab, Hate the Lab Report?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bjorn, Genevive

2018-01-01

In the author's large, urban high school, enrollment in a laboratory science is mandatory. While the student participation rate for lab activities is over 98%, the turn-in rate for traditional lab reports averages just 35% to 85%. Those students who don't produce a lab report miss a critical opportunity to improve their skills in scientific…

Design of Inquiry-Oriented Science Labs: Impacts on Students' Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baseya, J. M.; Francis, C. D.

2011-01-01

Background: Changes in lab style can lead to differences in learning. Two inquiry-oriented lab styles are guided inquiry (GI) and problem-based (PB). Students' attitudes towards lab are important to consider when choosing between GI and PB styles during curriculum design. Purpose: We examined the degree to which lab experiences are explained by a…

Labatorials in introductory physics courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sobhanzadeh, Mandana; Kalman, Calvin S.; Thompson, R. I.

2017-11-01

Traditional lab sections in introductory physics courses at Mount Royal University were replaced by a new style of lab called ‘labatorials’ developed by the Physics Education Development Group at the University of Calgary. Using labatorials in introductory physics courses has lowered student anxiety and strengthened student engagement in lab sessions. Labatorials provide instant feedback to the students and instructors. Interviews with students who had completed Introductory Physics labatorials as well as the anonymous comments left by them showed that labatorials have improved student satisfaction. Students improved their understanding of concepts compared to students who had taken traditional labs in earlier years. Moreover a combination of labatorials and reflective writing can promote positive change in students’ epistemological beliefs.

Time Efficiency, Written Feedback, and Student Achievement in Inquiry-Oriented Biology Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basey, John M.; Maines, Anastasia P.; Francis, Clinton D.

2014-01-01

We examined how different styles of written feedback by graduate-student teaching assistants (GTAs) in college intro biology lab (USA) influenced student achievement and related the different styles to time efficiency. We quantified GTA feedback on formative lab reports and student achievement on two different types of assessments, a quiz in 2010…

Breadboard Amplifier: Building and Using Simple Electrophysiology Equipment

PubMed Central

Crisp, Kevin M.; Lin, Hunter; Prosper, Issa

2016-01-01

Electrophysiology is a valuable skill for the neuroscientist, but the learning curve for students can be steep. Here we describe a very simple electromyography (EMG) amplifier that can be built from scratch by students with no electronics experience in about 30 minutes, making it ideal for incorporating into a laboratory activity. With few parts and no adjustments except the gain, students can begin physiology experiments quickly while having the satisfaction of having built the equipment themselves. Because the output of the circuit goes to a computer sound card, students can listen to electrophysiological activity as they see it on the computer screen, a feature many of our students greatly appreciated. Various applications are discussed, including dual channel recording, using streaming media platforms with remote lab partners and acquiring data in the field on a smart phone. Our students reported that they enjoyed being able to build a working device and using it to record from their own muscles. PMID:27385921

Alliance for Computational Science Collaboration HBCU Partnership at Fisk University. Final Report 2001

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Collins, W. E.

2004-08-16

Computational Science plays a big role in research and development in mathematics, science, engineering and biomedical disciplines. The Alliance for Computational Science Collaboration (ACSC) has the goal of training African-American and other minority scientists in the computational science field for eventual employment with the Department of Energy (DOE). The involvements of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) in the Alliance provide avenues for producing future DOE African-American scientists. Fisk University has been participating in this program through grants from the DOE. The DOE grant supported computational science activities at Fisk University. The research areas included energy related projects, distributed computing,more » visualization of scientific systems and biomedical computing. Students' involvement in computational science research included undergraduate summer research at Oak Ridge National Lab, on-campus research involving the participation of undergraduates, participation of undergraduate and faculty members in workshops, and mentoring of students. These activities enhanced research and education in computational science, thereby adding to Fisk University's spectrum of research and educational capabilities. Among the successes of the computational science activities are the acceptance of three undergraduate students to graduate schools with full scholarships beginning fall 2002 (one for master degree program and two for Doctoral degree program).« less

Teaching Astronomy Classes and Labs in a Smart Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gugliucci, Nicole E.

2017-01-01

Saint Anselm College is a small liberal arts college in New Hampshire with an enrollment of approximately 1900 students. All students are required to take one science course with a laboratory component. Introduction to Astronomy is now being offered in regular rotation in the Department of Physics, taking advantage of the new "smart" classrooms with the technology and set up to encourage active learning. These classrooms seat 25 students and feature 5 "pods," each with their own screen that can be hooked up to a student computer or one of the iPads available to the professor. I will present how these classrooms are used for Introduction to Astronomy and related courses under development for active learning. Since the class requires a laboratory component and New Hampshire weather is notably unpredictable, the smart classroom offers an alternative using freely available computer simulations to allow for an alternative indoor laboratory experience.

Teaching About Theory-Laden Observation to Secondary Students Through Manipulated Lab Inquiry Experience

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lau, Kwok-chi; Chan, Shi-lun

2013-10-01

This study seeks to develop and evaluate a modified lab inquiry approach to teaching about nature of science (NOS) to secondary students. Different from the extended, open-ended inquiry, this approach makes use of shorter lab inquiry activities in which one or several specific NOS aspects are manipulated deliberately so that students are compelled to experience and then reflect on these NOS aspects. In this study, to let students experience theory-laden observation, they were provided with different "theories" in order to bias their observations in the lab inquiry. Then, in the post-lab discussion, the teacher guided students to reflect on their own experience and explicitly taught about theory-ladenness. This study employs a quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design using the historical approach as the control group. The results show that the manipulated lab inquiry approach was much more effective than the historical approach in fostering students' theory-laden views, and it was even more effective when the two approaches were combined. Besides, the study also sought to examine the practical epistemological beliefs of students concerning theory-ladenness, but limited evidence could be found.

Using SDO Data in the Classroom to Do Real Science -- A Community College Laboratory Investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dave, T. A.; Hildreth, S.; Lee, S.; Scherrer, D. K.

2013-12-01

The incredible accessibility of extremely high spatial and temporal resolution data from the Solar Dynamics Observatory creates an opportunity for students to do almost real-time investigation in an Astronomy Lab. We are developing a short series of laboratory exercises using SDO data, targeted for Community College students in an introductory lab class, extendable to high school and university students. The labs initially lead students to explore what SDO can do, online, through existing SDO video clips taken on specific dates. Students then investigate solar events using the Heliophysics Events Knowledgebase (HEK), and make their own online movies of events, to discuss and share with classmates. Finally, students can investigate specific events and areas, selecting specific dates, locations, wavelength regions, and time cadences to create and gather their own SDO datasets for more detailed investigation. In exploring the Sun using actual data, students actually do real science. We are in the process of beta testing the sequence of labs, and are seeking interested community college, university, and high school astronomy lab teachers who might consider trying the labs themselves.

On Laboratory Work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olney, Dave

1997-11-01

This paper offers some suggestions on making lab work for high school chemistry students more productive, with students taking an active role. They include (1) rewriting labs from manuals to better suit one's purpose, (2) the questionable use of canned data tables, (3) designing microscale labs that utilize its unique features, such as safety and ease of repetition, (4) having students actually carry out experimental design on occasion, using a model from PRACTICE IN THINKING, and (5) using comuters/calculators in the lab in meaningful ways. Many examples feature discovery-type labs the author has developed over the years.

Science Lab Report Writing in Postsecondary Education: Mediating Teaching and Learning Strategies between Students and Instructors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kalaskas, Anthony Bacaoat

The lab report is a genre commonly assigned by lab instructors and written by science majors in undergraduate science programs. The teaching and learning of the lab report, however, is a complicated and complex process that both instructors and students regularly contend with. This thesis is a qualitative study that aims to mediate the mismatch between students and instructors by ascertaining their attitudes, beliefs, and values regarding lab report writing. In this way, this thesis may suggest changes to teaching and learning strategies that lead to an improvement of lab report writing done by students. Given that little research has been conducted in this area thus far, this thesis also serves as a pilot study. A literature review is first conducted on the history of the lab report to delineate its development since its inception into American postsecondary education in the late 19th century. Genre theory and Vygotsky's zone of proximal development (ZPD) serve as the theoretical lenses for this thesis. Surveys and interviews are conducted with biology majors and instructors in the Department of Biology at George Mason University. Univariate analysis and coding are applied to elucidate responses from participants. The findings suggest that students may lack the epistemological background to understand lab reports as a process of doing science. This thesis also finds that both instructors and students consider the lab report primarily as a pedagogical genre as opposed to an apprenticeship genre. Additionally, although instructors were found to have utilized an effective piecemeal teaching strategy, there remains a lack of empathy among instructors for students. Collectively, these findings suggest that instructors should modify teaching strategies to determine and address student weaknesses more directly.

KSC-2012-2762

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dr. Ray Wheeler explains a plant growth chamber to students in the Life Support and Habitation Systems Lab at the Space Life Sciences Lab facility. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-2764

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dr. Ray Wheeler explains a system for growing salad crops in space to students in the Life Support and Habitation Systems Lab at the Space Life Sciences Lab facility. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-2761

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dr. Phil Metzger demonstrates an experiment to study the physics of granular materials to students in the Granular Physics and Regolith Operations Lab at the Space Life Sciences Lab facility. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-2763

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dr. Ray Wheeler explains a system for growing salad crops in space to students in the Life Support and Habitation Systems Lab at the Space Life Sciences Lab facility. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Effectiveness of a Lab Manual Delivered on CD-ROM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brickman, Peggy; Ketter, Catherine A. Teare; Pereira, Monica

2005-01-01

Although electronic instructional media are becoming increasingly prevalent in science classrooms, their worth remains unproven. Here, student perceptions and performance using CD-ROM delivery of lab materials are assessed. Numerous learning barriers that produced lower lab grades for students using a CD-ROM lab manual in comparison to a print…

Experiential Learning of Digital Communication Using LabVIEW

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhan, Wei; Porter, Jay R.; Morgan, Joseph A.

2014-01-01

This paper discusses the design and implementation of laboratories and course projects using LabVIEW in an instrumentation course. The pedagogical challenge is to enhance students' learning of digital communication using LabVIEW. LabVIEW was extensively used in the laboratory sessions, which better prepared students for the course projects. Two…

Virtual lab demonstrations improve students' mastery of basic biology laboratory techniques.

PubMed

Maldarelli, Grace A; Hartmann, Erica M; Cummings, Patrick J; Horner, Robert D; Obom, Kristina M; Shingles, Richard; Pearlman, Rebecca S

2009-01-01

Biology laboratory classes are designed to teach concepts and techniques through experiential learning. Students who have never performed a technique must be guided through the process, which is often difficult to standardize across multiple lab sections. Visual demonstration of laboratory procedures is a key element in teaching pedagogy. The main goals of the study were to create videos explaining and demonstrating a variety of lab techniques that would serve as teaching tools for undergraduate and graduate lab courses and to assess the impact of these videos on student learning. Demonstrations of individual laboratory procedures were videotaped and then edited with iMovie. Narration for the videos was edited with Audacity. Undergraduate students were surveyed anonymously prior to and following screening to assess the impact of the videos on student lab performance by completion of two Participant Perception Indicator surveys. A total of 203 and 171 students completed the pre- and posttesting surveys, respectively. Statistical analyses were performed to compare student perceptions of knowledge of, confidence in, and experience with the lab techniques before and after viewing the videos. Eleven demonstrations were recorded. Chi-square analysis revealed a significant increase in the number of students reporting increased knowledge of, confidence in, and experience with the lab techniques after viewing the videos. Incorporation of instructional videos as prelaboratory exercises has the potential to standardize techniques and to promote successful experimental outcomes.

Remote-controlled optics experiment for supporting senior high school and undergraduate teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choy, S. H.; Jim, K. L.; Mak, C. L.; Leung, C. W.

2017-08-01

This paper reports the development of a remote laboratory (RemoteLab) platform for practising technologyenhanced learning of optics. The development of RemoteLab enhances students' understanding of experimental methodologies and outcomes, and enable students to conduct experiments everywhere at all times. While the initial goal of the system was for physics major undergradutes, the sytem was also made available for senior secondary school students. To gauge the impact of the RemoteLab, we evaluated two groups of students, which included 109 physics 1st-year undergraduates and 11 students from a local secondary school. After the experiments, evaluation including questionnaire survey and interviews were conducted to collect data on students' perceptions on RemoteLab and implementation issues related to the platform. The surveys focused on four main topics, including user interface, experiment setup, booking system and learning process. The survey results indicated that most of the participants' views towards RemoteLab was positive.

Technology Confidence, Competence and Problem Solving Strategies: Differences within Online and Face-to-Face Formats

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Sharon L.; Palmer, Louann Bierlein

2011-01-01

This study identified the problem solving strategies used by students within a university course designed to teach pre-service teachers educational technology, and whether those strategies were influenced by the format of the course (i.e., face-to-face computer lab vs. online). It also examined to what extent the type of problem solving strategies…

A Dataset for Education-Related Majors' Performance Measures with Pre/Post-Video Game Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novak, Elena; Tassell, Janet Lynne

2015-01-01

This dataset includes a series of 30 education-related majors' performance measures before and after they completed a 10-hour video game practice in a computer lab. The goal of the experimental study was to examine the effects of action video gaming on students' mathematics performance and mathematics anxiety as mediated by the effect of attention…

A Video Lecture and Lab-Based Approach for Learning of Image Processing Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiu, Chiung-Fang; Lee, Greg C.

2009-01-01

The current practice of traditional in-class lecture for learning computer science (CS) in the high schools of Taiwan is in need of revamping. Teachers instruct on the use of commercial software instead of teaching CS concepts to students. The lack of more suitable teaching materials and limited classroom time are the main reasons for the…

EarthLabs - Investigating Hurricanes: Earth's Meteorological Monsters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDaris, J. R.; Dahlman, L.; Barstow, D.

2007-12-01

Earth science is one of the most important tools that the global community needs to address the pressing environmental, social, and economic issues of our time. While, at times considered a second-rate science at the high school level, it is currently undergoing a major revolution in the depth of content and pedagogical vitality. As part of this revolution, labs in Earth science courses need to shift their focus from cookbook-like activities with known outcomes to open-ended investigations that challenge students to think, explore and apply their learning. We need to establish a new model for Earth science as a rigorous lab science in policy, perception, and reality. As a concerted response to this need, five states, a coalition of scientists and educators, and an experienced curriculum team are creating a national model for a lab-based high school Earth science course named EarthLabs. This lab course will comply with the National Science Education Standards as well as the states' curriculum frameworks. The content will focus on Earth system science and environmental literacy. The lab experiences will feature a combination of field work, classroom experiments, and computer access to data and visualizations, and demonstrate the rigor and depth of a true lab course. The effort is being funded by NOAA's Environmental Literacy program. One of the prototype units of the course is Investigating Hurricanes. Hurricanes are phenomena which have tremendous impact on humanity and the resources we use. They are also the result of complex interacting Earth systems, making them perfect objects for rigorous investigation of many concepts commonly covered in Earth science courses, such as meteorology, climate, and global wind circulation. Students are able to use the same data sets, analysis tools, and research techniques that scientists employ in their research, yielding truly authentic learning opportunities. This month-long integrated unit uses hurricanes as the story line by which students investigate the different interactions involved in hurricane generation, steering, and intensification. Students analyze a variety of visualization resources looking for patterns in occurrence and to develop an understanding of hurricane structure. They download archived data about past hurricanes and produce temporal and spatial plots to discover patterns in hurricane life cycles. They investigate the relationship between hurricane wind speed and factors such as barometric pressure and sea surface temperature by conducting spreadsheet analyses on archived data. They also conduct hands-on laboratory experiments in order to understand the physical processes that underpin energy transfer in convection, condensation, and latent heat. These activities highlight Earth science as a vital, rich, invigorating course, employing state-of-the-art technologies and in-depth labs with high relevance for our daily lives and the future.

Using lab notebooks to examine students' engagement in modeling in an upper-division electronics lab course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, Jacob T.; Su, Weifeng; Lewandowski, H. J.

2017-12-01

We demonstrate how students' use of modeling can be examined and assessed using student notebooks collected from an upper-division electronics lab course. The use of models is a ubiquitous practice in undergraduate physics education, but the process of constructing, testing, and refining these models is much less common. We focus our attention on a lab course that has been transformed to engage students in this modeling process during lab activities. The design of the lab activities was guided by a framework that captures the different components of model-based reasoning, called the Modeling Framework for Experimental Physics. We demonstrate how this framework can be used to assess students' written work and to identify how students' model-based reasoning differed from activity to activity. Broadly speaking, we were able to identify the different steps of students' model-based reasoning and assess the completeness of their reasoning. Varying degrees of scaffolding present across the activities had an impact on how thoroughly students would engage in the full modeling process, with more scaffolded activities resulting in more thorough engagement with the process. Finally, we identified that the step in the process with which students had the most difficulty was the comparison between their interpreted data and their model prediction. Students did not use sufficiently sophisticated criteria in evaluating such comparisons, which had the effect of halting the modeling process. This may indicate that in order to engage students further in using model-based reasoning during lab activities, the instructor needs to provide further scaffolding for how students make these types of experimental comparisons. This is an important design consideration for other such courses attempting to incorporate modeling as a learning goal.

Improving chemical education from high school to college using a more hands-on approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruddick, Kristie Winfield

In this work, various alternative teaching methods and activities for chemical education are developed, presented, and evaluated. In the first study, an original hands-on activity using LEGO® blocks to model ionic chemical formulas is presented together with quantitative and qualitative data regarding its educational effectiveness. Students explore cation to anion ratios using LEGO® blocks to represent trivalent, divalent and monovalent cations and anions. High school chemistry students who participated in the LEGO® lab showed significantly higher post-test scores than other students. The second study grows out of the creation of a computational lab module that is shown to significantly increase student learning in the subject of molecular orbital theory in first semester college General Chemistry. The third and final study presented is a course redesign project for college CHEM 1100, Preparation for General Chemistry. In this project the classroom is “flipped”. Students watch video lectures at home, and spend class time working with peers and the instructor on problem solving activities. The results presented here are one of the first quantitative studies showing the effectiveness of “flipping the classroom”. Students who were taught using the Reverse-Instruction (RI) method had significantly higher success in both the Preparation for General Chemistry course and traditionally taught General Chemistry I the following semester.

Mass Spectrometry Theatre: A Model for Big-Screen Instrumental Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allison, John

2008-01-01

Teaching lecture or lab courses in instrumental analysis can be a source of frustration since one can only crowd a small number of students around a single instrument, typically leading to round-robin approaches. Round-robin labs can spread students into multiple labs and limit instructor-student interactions. We discuss "Mass Spectrometry…

Three Pedagogical Approaches to Introductory Physics Labs and Their Effects on Student Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chambers, Timothy

2014-01-01

This dissertation presents the results of an experiment that measured the learning outcomes associated with three different pedagogical approaches to introductory physics labs. These three pedagogical approaches presented students with the same apparatus and covered the same physics content, but used different lab manuals to guide students through…

Engineering Students' Experiences from Physics Group Work in Learning Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mellingsaeter, Magnus Strøm

2014-01-01

Background: This paper presents a case study from a physics course at a Norwegian university college, investigating key aspects of a group-work project, so-called learning labs, from the participating students' perspective. Purpose: In order to develop these learning labs further, the students' perspective is important. Which aspects are essential…

Open-Ended versus Guided Laboratory Activities: Impact on Students' Beliefs about Experimental Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilcox, Bethany R.; Lewandowski, H. J.

2016-01-01

Improving students' understanding of the nature of experimental physics is often an explicit or implicit goal of undergraduate laboratory physics courses. However, lab activities in traditional lab courses are typically characterized by highly structured, guided labs that often do not require or encourage students to engage authentically in the…

Identification of Minerals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allison, Diane

2005-01-01

The lab described in this article was developed to satisfy two major goals. First, the activity is designed to show students the proper techniques used to identify the seven characteristics of all minerals. Second, the lab gives students a glimpse into the life of a professional field geologist. The author has students complete this lab at the end…

Assessment of Student Learning in Modern Experiments in the Introductory Calculus-Based Physics Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodahl, Brian; Ross, John; Lang, Sarah; Scott, Derek; Williams, Jeremy

2010-10-01

With the advent of newer microelectronic sensors it's now possible to modernize introductory physics labs with the latest technology and this may allow for enhanced student participation/learning in the experiments. For example, force plate sensors can digitize and record the force on an object, later it can be analyzed in detail (i.e, impulse from force vs. time). Small 3-axis accelerometers can record 3-dim, time-dependent acceleration of objects undergoing complex motions. These devices are small, fairly easy to use, and importantly, are likely to enhance student learning by ``personalizing'' data collection, i.e. making the student an active part of the measurement process and no longer a passive observer. To assess whether these new high-tech labs enhance student learning, we have implemented pre- and post- test sessions to measure the effectiveness of student learning. Four of our calculus-based lab sections were used: Two sections the control group, using the previous ``old technology'' labs, the other two, the experimental group, using the new ``modern technology'' labs. Initial returns of assessment data offer some surprising insight.

Race to improve student understanding of uncertainty: Using LEGO race cars in the physics lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parappilly, Maria; Hassam, Christopher; Woodman, Richard J.

2018-01-01

Laboratories using LEGO race cars were developed for students in an introductory physics topic with a high early drop-out rate. In a 2014 pilot study, the labs were offered to improve students' confidence with experiments and laboratory skills, especially uncertainty propagation. This intervention was extended into the intro level physics topic the next year, for comparison and evaluation. Considering the pilot study, we subsequently adapted the delivery of the LEGO labs for a large Engineering Mechanics cohort. A qualitative survey of the students was taken to gain insight into their perception of the incorporation of LEGO race cars into physics labs. For Engineering, the findings show that LEGO physics was instrumental in teaching students the measurement and uncertainty, improving their lab reporting skills, and was a key factor in reducing the early attrition rate. This paper briefly recalls the results of the pilot study, and how variations in the delivery yielded better learning outcomes. A novel method is proposed for how LEGO race cars in a physics lab can help students increase their understanding of uncertainty and motivate them towards physics practicals.

Attack of the Killer Fungus: A Hypothesis-Driven Lab Module †

PubMed Central

Sato, Brian K.

2013-01-01

Discovery-driven experiments in undergraduate laboratory courses have been shown to increase student learning and critical thinking abilities. To this end, a lab module involving worm capture by a nematophagous fungus was developed. The goals of this module are to enhance scientific understanding of the regulation of worm capture by soil-dwelling fungi and for students to attain a set of established learning goals, including the ability to develop a testable hypothesis and search for primary literature for data analysis, among others. Students in a ten-week majors lab course completed the lab module and generated novel data as well as data that agrees with the published literature. In addition, learning gains were achieved as seen through a pre-module and post-module test, student self-assessment, class exam, and lab report. Overall, this lab module enables students to become active participants in the scientific method while contributing to the understanding of an ecologically relevant model organism. PMID:24358387

LabLessons: Effects of Electronic Prelabs on Student Engagement and Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gryczka, Patrick; Klementowicz, Edward; Sharrock, Chappel; Maxfield, MacRae; Montclare, Jin Kim

2016-01-01

Lab instructors, for both high school and undergraduate college level courses, face issues of constricted time within the lab period and limited student engagement with prelab materials. To address these issues, an online prelab delivery system named LabLessons is developed and tested out in a high school chemistry classroom. The system…

Lab at Home: Hardware Kits for a Digital Design Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, J. P.; Haim, F.

2009-01-01

An innovative laboratory methodology for an introductory digital design course is presented. Instead of having traditional lab experiences, where students have to come to school classrooms, a "lab at home" concept is proposed. Students perform real experiments in their own homes, using hardware kits specially developed for this purpose. They…

Value added or misattributed? A multi-institution study on the educational benefit of labs for reinforcing physics content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, N. G.; Olsen, Jack; Thomas, James L.; Wieman, Carl E.

2017-06-01

Instructional labs are widely seen as a unique, albeit expensive, way to teach scientific content. We measured the effectiveness of introductory lab courses at achieving this educational goal across nine different lab courses at three very different institutions. These institutions and courses encompassed a broad range of student populations and instructional styles. The nine courses studied had two key things in common: the labs aimed to reinforce the content presented in lectures, and the labs were optional. By comparing the performance of students who did and did not take the labs (with careful normalization for selection effects), we found universally and precisely no added value to learning course content from taking the labs as measured by course exam performance. This work should motivate institutions and departments to reexamine the goals and conduct of their lab courses, given their resource-intensive nature. We show why these results make sense when looking at the comparative mental processes of students involved in research and instructional labs, and offer alternative goals and instructional approaches that would make lab courses more educationally valuable.

Carrying BioMath education in a Leaky Bucket.

PubMed

Powell, James A; Kohler, Brynja R; Haefner, James W; Bodily, Janice

2012-09-01

In this paper, we describe a project-based mathematical lab implemented in our Applied Mathematics in Biology course. The Leaky Bucket Lab allows students to parameterize and test Torricelli's law and develop and compare their own alternative models to describe the dynamics of water draining from perforated containers. In the context of this lab students build facility in a variety of applied biomathematical tools and gain confidence in applying these tools in data-driven environments. We survey analytic approaches developed by students to illustrate the creativity this encourages as well as prepare other instructors to scaffold the student learning experience. Pedagogical results based on classroom videography support the notion that the Biology-Applied Math Instructional Model, the teaching framework encompassing the lab, is effective in encouraging and maintaining high-level cognition among students. Research-based pedagogical approaches that support the lab are discussed.

Student Workshops for Severe Weather Warning Decision Making using AWIPS-2 at the University of Oklahoma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zwink, A. B.; Morris, D.; Ware, P. J.; Ernst, S.; Holcomb, B.; Riley, S.; Hardy, J.; Mullens, S.; Bowlan, M.; Payne, C.; Bates, A.; Williams, B.

2016-12-01

For several years, employees at the Cooperative Institute of Mesoscale Meteorological Studies at the University of Oklahoma (OU) that are affiliated with Warning Decision Training Division (WDTD) of the National Weather Service (NWS) provided training simulations to students from OU's School of Meteorology (SoM). These simulations focused on warning decision making using Dual-Pol radar data products in an AWIPS-1 environment. Building on these previous experiences, CIMMS/WDTD recently continued the collaboration with the SoM Oklahoma Weather Lab (OWL) by holding a warning decision workshop simulating a NWS Weather Forecast Office (WFO) experience. The workshop took place in the WDTD AWIPS-2 computer laboratory with 25 AWIPS-2 workstations and the WES-2 Bridge (Weather Event Simulator) software which replayed AWIPS-2 data. Using the WES-2 Bridge and the WESSL-2 (WES Scripting Language) event display, this computer lab has the state-of-the-art ability to simulate severe weather events and recreate WFO warning operations. OWL Student forecasters attending the workshop worked in teams in a multi-player simulation of the Hastings, Nebraska WFO on May 6th, 2015, where thunderstorms across the service area produced large hail, damaging winds, and multiple tornadoes. This paper will discuss the design and goals of the WDTD/OWL workshop, as well as plans for holding similar workshops in the future.

Integrated Computer Controlled Glow Discharge Tube

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaiser, Erik; Post-Zwicker, Andrew

2002-11-01

An "Interactive Plasma Display" was created for the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory to demonstrate the characteristics of plasma to various science education outreach programs. From high school students and teachers, to undergraduate students and visitors to the lab, the plasma device will be a key component in advancing the public's basic knowledge of plasma physics. The device is fully computer controlled using LabVIEW, a touchscreen Graphical User Interface [GUI], and a GPIB interface. Utilizing a feedback loop, the display is fully autonomous in controlling pressure, as well as in monitoring the safety aspects of the apparatus. With a digital convectron gauge continuously monitoring pressure, the computer interface analyzes the input signals, while making changes to a digital flow controller. This function works independently of the GUI, allowing the user to simply input and receive a desired pressure; quickly, easily, and intuitively. The discharge tube is a 36" x 4"id glass cylinder with 3" side port. A 3000 volt, 10mA power supply, is used to breakdown the plasma. A 300 turn solenoid was created to demonstrate the magnetic pinching of a plasma. All primary functions of the device are controlled through the GUI digital controllers. This configuration allows for operators to safely control the pressure (100mTorr-1Torr), magnetic field (0-90Gauss, 7amps, 10volts), and finally, the voltage applied across the electrodes (0-3000v, 10mA).

VIBA-Lab 3.0: Computer program for simulation and semi-quantitative analysis of PIXE and RBS spectra and 2D elemental maps

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orlić, Ivica; Mekterović, Darko; Mekterović, Igor; Ivošević, Tatjana

2015-11-01

VIBA-Lab is a computer program originally developed by the author and co-workers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) as an interactive software package for simulation of Particle Induced X-ray Emission and Rutherford Backscattering Spectra. The original program is redeveloped to a VIBA-Lab 3.0 in which the user can perform semi-quantitative analysis by comparing simulated and measured spectra as well as simulate 2D elemental maps for a given 3D sample composition. The latest version has a new and more versatile user interface. It also has the latest data set of fundamental parameters such as Coster-Kronig transition rates, fluorescence yields, mass absorption coefficients and ionization cross sections for K and L lines in a wider energy range than the original program. Our short-term plan is to introduce routine for quantitative analysis for multiple PIXE and XRF excitations. VIBA-Lab is an excellent teaching tool for students and researchers in using PIXE and RBS techniques. At the same time the program helps when planning an experiment and when optimizing experimental parameters such as incident ions, their energy, detector specifications, filters, geometry, etc. By "running" a virtual experiment the user can test various scenarios until the optimal PIXE and BS spectra are obtained and in this way save a lot of expensive machine time.

Virtual Lab to Develop Achievement in Electronic Circuits for Hearing-Impaired Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baladoh, S. M.; Elgamal, A. F.; Abas, H. A.

2017-01-01

This paper aims to report and discuss the use of a virtual lab for developing achievement in electronic circuits for hearing-impaired students. Results from a number of studies have proved that the virtual lab allowed students to build and test a wide variety of electronic circuits. The present study was implemented to investigate the…

The Virtual Research Lab: Research Outcome Expectations, Research Knowledge, and the Graduate Student Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stadtlander, Lee; Giles, Martha; Sickel, Amy

2013-01-01

This paper examines the complexities of working with student researchers in a virtual lab setting, logistics, and methods to resolve issues. To demonstrate the feasibility of a virtual lab, a mixed-methods study consisting of quantitative surveys and qualitative data examined changes in doctoral students' confidence as measured by research outcome…

Teaching about Theory-Laden Observation to Secondary Students through Manipulated Lab Inquiry Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Kwok-chi; Chan, Shi-lun

2013-01-01

This study seeks to develop and evaluate a modified lab inquiry approach to teaching about nature of science (NOS) to secondary students. Different from the extended, open-ended inquiry, this approach makes use of shorter lab inquiry activities in which one or several specific NOS aspects are manipulated deliberately so that students are compelled…

Seeing an Old Lab in a New Light: Transforming a Traditional Optics Lab into Full Guided Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maley, Tim; Stoll, Will; Demir, Kadir

2013-01-01

This paper describes the authors' experiences transforming a "cookbook" lab into an inquiry-based investigation and the powerful effect the inquiry-oriented lab had on our students' understanding of lenses. We found the inquiry-oriented approach led to richer interactions between students as well as a deeper conceptual…

Genome annotation in a community college cell biology lab.

PubMed

Beagley, C Timothy

2013-01-01

The Biology Department at Salt Lake Community College has used the IMG-ACT toolbox to introduce a genome mapping and annotation exercise into the laboratory portion of its Cell Biology course. This project provides students with an authentic inquiry-based learning experience while introducing them to computational biology and contemporary learning skills. Additionally, the project strengthens student understanding of the scientific method and contributes to student learning gains in curricular objectives centered around basic molecular biology, specifically, the Central Dogma. Importantly, inclusion of this project in the laboratory course provides students with a positive learning environment and allows for the use of cooperative learning strategies to increase overall student success. Copyright © 2012 International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Virtual Reality Lab Assistant

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Saha, Hrishikesh; Palmer, Timothy A.

1996-01-01

Virtual Reality Lab Assistant (VRLA) demonstration model is aligned for engineering and material science experiments to be performed by undergraduate and graduate students in the course as a pre-lab simulation experience. This will help students to get a preview of how to use the lab equipment and run experiments without using the lab hardware/software equipment. The quality of the time available for laboratory experiments can be significantly improved through the use of virtual reality technology.

Computational Labs Using VPython Complement Conventional Labs in Online and Regular Physics Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bachlechner, Martina E.

2009-03-01

Fairmont State University has developed online physics classes for the high-school teaching certificate based on the text book Matter and Interaction by Chabay and Sherwood. This lead to using computational VPython labs also in the traditional class room setting to complement conventional labs. The computational modeling process has proven to provide an excellent basis for the subsequent conventional lab and allows for a concrete experience of the difference between behavior according to a model and realistic behavior. Observations in the regular class room setting feed back into the development of the online classes.

Biotic games and cloud experimentation as novel media for biophysics education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riedel-Kruse, Ingmar; Blikstein, Paulo

2014-03-01

First-hand, open-ended experimentation is key for effective formal and informal biophysics education. We developed, tested and assessed multiple new platforms that enable students and children to directly interact with and learn about microscopic biophysical processes: (1) Biotic games that enable local and online play using galvano- and photo-tactic stimulation of micro-swimmers, illustrating concepts such as biased random walks, Low Reynolds number hydrodynamics, and Brownian motion; (2) an undergraduate course where students learn optics, electronics, micro-fluidics, real time image analysis, and instrument control by building biotic games; and (3) a graduate class on the biophysics of multi-cellular systems that contains a cloud experimentation lab enabling students to execute open-ended chemotaxis experiments on slimemolds online, analyze their data, and build biophysical models. Our work aims to generate the equivalent excitement and educational impact for biophysics as robotics and video games have had for mechatronics and computer science, respectively. We also discuss how scaled-up cloud experimentation systems can support MOOCs with true lab components and life-science research in general.

Bringing Art, Music, Theater and Dance Students into Earth and Space Science Research Labs: A New Art Prize Science and Engineering Artists-in-Residence Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moldwin, M.; Mexicotte, D.

2017-12-01

A new Arts/Lab Student Residence program was developed at the University of Michigan that brings artists into a research lab. Science and Engineering undergraduate and graduate students working in the lab describe their research and allow the artists to shadow them to learn more about the work. The Arts/Lab Student Residencies are designed to be unique and fun, while encouraging interdisciplinary learning and creative production by exposing students to life and work in an alternate discipline's maker space - i.e. the artist in the engineering lab, the engineer in the artist's studio or performance space. Each residency comes with a cash prize and the expectation that a work of some kind will be produced as a response to experience. The Moldwin Prize is designed for an undergraduate student currently enrolled in the Penny W. Stamps School of Art & Design, the Taubman School of Architecture and Urban Planning or the School of Music, Theatre and Dance who is interested in exchange and collaboration with students engaged in research practice in an engineering lab. No previous science or engineering experience is required, although curiosity and a willingness to explore are essential! Students receiving the residency spend 20 hours over 8 weeks (February-April) participating with the undergraduate research team in the lab of Professor Mark Moldwin, which is currently doing work in the areas of space weather (how the Sun influences the space environment of Earth and society) and magnetic sensor development. The resident student artist will gain a greater understanding of research methodologies in the space and climate fields, data visualization and communication techniques, and how the collision of disciplinary knowledge in the arts, engineering and sciences deepens the creative practice and production of each discipline. The student is expected to produce a final work of some kind within their discipline that reflects, builds on, explores, integrates or traces their experience in the residency. This talk will describe the program, the inaugural year's outcomes, and plans to expand the program to other research labs.

There Once Was a 9-Block ...--A Middle-School Design for Probability and Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abrahamson, Dor; Janusz, Ruth M.; Wilensky, Uri

2006-01-01

ProbLab is a probability-and-statistics unit developed at the Center for Connected Learning and Computer-Based Modeling, Northwestern University. Students analyze the combinatorial space of the 9-block, a 3-by-3 grid of squares, in which each square can be either green or blue. All 512 possible 9-blocks are constructed and assembled in a "bar…

Collaboration through Flickr & Skype: Can Web 2.0 Technology Substitute the Traditional Design Studio in Higher Design Education?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fleischmann, Katja

2014-01-01

Technology has not only changed the work practice of designers but also how design is taught and learned. The emergence of digital technology has made computer labs a central learning space for design students. Since this change, studio-based learning in its traditional sense appears to be in decline in higher education institutions. This is in…

Metacognition Lab at Miles College Takes Peer Mentoring to a Higher Level

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chekwa, Emmanuel; Dorius, Tina

2016-01-01

Albert Einstein famously said, "I never teach my students. I only attempt to provide the conditions in which they can learn." At the Miles College Metacognition Lab, we follow a similar philosophy. In the Metacognition Lab, we teach our students to think about how they are thinking. We have created a system of student interactions that…

Using Lab Notebooks to Examine Students' Engagement in Modeling in an Upper-Division Electronics Lab Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanley, Jacob T.; Su, Weifeng; Lewandowski, H. J.

2017-01-01

We demonstrate how students' use of modeling can be examined and assessed using student notebooks collected from an upper-division electronics lab course. The use of models is a ubiquitous practice in undergraduate physics education, but the process of constructing, testing, and refining these models is much less common. We focus our attention on…

Online versus in the Classroom: Student Success in a Hands-On Lab Class

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reuter, Ron

2009-01-01

This study compares learning success of online and on-campus students in a general education soil science course with lab and field components. Two terms of students completed standardized pre- and postassessments designed to test knowledge and skills from the lecture and lab content of the course. There was no difference in overall grade or lab…

Teaching Chemistry Lab Safety through Comics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

di Raddo, Pasquale

2006-04-01

As a means for raising students' interest in aspects pertaining to chemistry lab safety, this article presents a novel approach to teaching this important subject. Comic book lab scenes that involve fictional characters familiar to many students are presented and discussed as to the safety concerns represented in those images. These are discussed in a safety prelab session. For the sake of comparison, students are then shown images taken from current chemistry journals of safety-conscious contemporary chemists at work in their labs. Finally the need to adhere to copyright regulations for the use of the images is discussed so as to increase students' awareness of academic honesty and copyright issues.

KSC-2012-2766

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Students view a demonstration by Dr. James Fesmire inside the cryogenics lab in the Operations and Checkout Building. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-2767

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Outside the Operations and Checkout Building, Rudy Werlink gives students a first-hand look at the workings of the cryogenics lab. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-2765

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Students and their teachers get some hands-on experience inside the applied physics lab in the Operations and Checkout Building. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Integrating Robotic Observatories into Astronomy Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruch, Gerald T.

2015-01-01

The University of St. Thomas (UST) and a consortium of five local schools is using the UST Robotic Observatory, housing a 17' telescope, to develop labs and image processing tools that allow easy integration of observational labs into existing introductory astronomy curriculum. Our lab design removes the burden of equipment ownership by sharing access to a common resource and removes the burden of data processing by automating processing tasks that are not relevant to the learning objectives.Each laboratory exercise takes place over two lab periods. During period one, students design and submit observation requests via the lab website. Between periods, the telescope automatically acquires the data and our image processing pipeline produces data ready for student analysis. During period two, the students retrieve their data from the website and perform the analysis. The first lab, 'Weighing Jupiter,' was successfully implemented at UST and several of our partner schools. We are currently developing a second lab to measure the age of and distance to a globular cluster.

Optics and optics-based technologies education with the benefit of LabVIEW

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Yuhong; Man, Tianlong; Tao, Shiquan

2015-10-01

The details of design and implementation of incoherent digital holographic experiments based on LabVIEW are demonstrated in this work in order to offer a teaching modal by making full use of LabVIEW as an educational tool. Digital incoherent holography enables holograms to be recorded from incoherent light with just a digital camera and spatial light modulator and three-dimensional properties of the specimen are revealed after the hologram is reconstructed in the computer. The experiment of phase shifting incoherent digital holography is designed and implemented based on the principle of Fresnel incoherent correlation holography. An automatic control application is developed based on LabVIEW, which combines the functions of major experimental hardware control and digital reconstruction of the holograms. The basic functions of the system are completed and a user-friendly interface is provided for easy operation. The students are encouraged and stimulated to learn and practice the basic principle of incoherent digital holography and other related optics-based technologies during the programming of the application and implementation of the system.

The effects of different gender groupings on middle school students' performance in science lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Drab, Deborah D.

Grouping students for labs in science classes is a common practice. This mixed methods quasi-experimental action research study examines homogeneous and heterogeneous gender grouping strategies to determine what gender grouping strategy is the most effective in a coeducational science classroom setting. Sixth grade students were grouped in same-gender and mixed-gender groups, alternating each quarter. Over the course of an academic year, data were collected from four sources. The teacher-researcher observed groups working during hands-on activities to collect data on student behaviors. Students completed post-lab questionnaires and an end-of-course questionnaire about their preferences and experiences in the different grouping strategies. Student scores on written lab assignments were also utilized. Data analysis focused on four areas: active engagement, student achievement, student perceptions of success and cooperative teamwork. Findings suggest that teachers may consider grouping students of different ability levels according to different gender grouping strategies to optimize learning.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Harold (Russ) McAmis demonstrates machinery inside NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Prototype Lab for students in the My Brother’s Keeper program. The Florida spaceport is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

Improving the Quality of Lab Reports by Using Them as Lab Instructions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haagen-Schuetzenhoefer, Claudia

2012-10-01

Lab exercises are quite popular in teaching science. Teachers have numerous goals in mind when teaching science laboratories. Nevertheless, empirical research draws a heterogeneous picture of the benefits of lab work. Research has shown that it does not necessarily contribute to the enhancement of practical abilities or content knowledge. Lab activities are frequently based on recipe-like, step-by-step instructions ("cookbook style"), which do not motivate students to engage cognitively. Consequently, students put the emphasis on "task completion" or "manipulating equipment."2

A New Observatory for Eastern College: A Dream Realized

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradstreet, D. H.

1996-12-01

The Eastern College Observatory began as a rooftop observing deck with one Celestron 8 telescope in 1976 as the workhorse instrument of the observational astronomy lab within the core curriculum. For 20 years the observing deck served as the crude observatory, being augmented through the years by other computerized Celestron 8's and a 17.5" diameter Dobsonian with computerized setting circles. The lab consisted primarily of visual observations and astrophotography. In 1987 plans were set into motion to raise money to build a permanent Observatory on the roof of the main classroom building. Fundraising efforts included three Jog-A-Thons (raising more than $40,000) and many donations from individuals and foundations. The fundraising was completed in 1996 and a two telescope observatory was constructed in the summer of 1996 complete with warm room, CCD cameras, computers, spectrograph, video network, and computerized single channel photometer. The telescopes are computerized 16" diameter Meade LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrains, each coupled to Gateway Pentium Pro 200 MHz computers. SBIG ST-8 CCD cameras were also secured for each telescope and an Optec SSP-7 photometer and Optomechanics Research 10C Spectrograph were also purchased. A Daystar H-alpha solar filter and Thousand Oaks visual light solar filter have expanded the Observatory's functionality to daytime observing as well. This is especially useful for the thousands of school children who frequent the Planetarium each year. The Observatory primarily serves the core astronomy lab where students must observe and photograph a prescribed number of celestial objects in a semester. Advanced students can take directed studies where they conduct photometry on eclipsing binaries or other variable stars or search for new asteroids. In addition, the Observatory and Planetarium are open to the public. Interested members of the community can reserve time on the telescopes and receive training and supervision from lab assistants. The lessons learned from building the Observatory as well as structural plans, equipment and curriculum development will be discussed in this poster.

A validation of well-being and happiness surveys for administration via the Internet.

PubMed

Howell, Ryan T; Rodzon, Katrina S; Kurai, Mark; Sanchez, Amy H

2010-08-01

Internet research is appealing because it is a cost- and time-efficient way to access a large number of participants; however, the validity of Internet research for important subjective well-being (SWB) surveys has not been adequately assessed. The goal of the present study was to validate the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS; Diener, Emmons, Larsen, & Griffin, 1985), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS-X; Watson & Clark, 1994), and the Subjective Happiness Scale (SHS; Lyubomirsky & Lepper, 1999) for use on the Internet. This study compared the quality of data collected using paper-based (paper-and-pencil version in a lab setting), computer-based (Web-based version in a lab setting), and Internet (Web-based version on a computer of the participant's choosing) surveys for these three measures of SWB. The paper-based and computer-based experiment recruited two college student samples; the Internet experiments recruited a college student sample and an adult sample responding to ads on different social-networking Web sites. This study provides support for the reliability, validity, and generalizability of the Internet format of the SWLS, PANAS-X, and SHS. Across the three experiments, the results indicate that the computer-based and Internet surveys had means, standard deviations, reliabilities, and factor structures that were similar to those of the paper-based versions. The discussion examines the difficulty of higher attrition for the Internet version, the need to examine reverse-coded items in the future, and the possibility that unhappy individuals are more likely to participate in Internet surveys of SWB.

Partial polarization: a comprehensive student exercise

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topasna, Gregory A.; Topasna, Daniela M.

2015-10-01

We present a comprehensive student exercise in partial polarization. Students are first introduced to the concept of partial polarization using Fresnel Equations. Next, MATHCAD is used to compute and graph the reflectance for dielectrics materials. The students then design and construct a simple, easy to use collimated light source for their experiment, which is performed on an optical breadboard using optical components typically found in an optics lab above the introductory level. The students obtain reflection data that is compared with their model by a nonlinear least square fit using EXCEL. Sources of error and uncertainty are discussed and students present a final written report. In this one exercise students learn how an experiment is constructed "from the ground up". They gain practical experience on data modeling and analysis, working with optical equipment, machining and construction, and preparing a final presentation.

Status of chemistry lab safety in Nepal.

PubMed

Kandel, Krishna Prasad; Neupane, Bhanu Bhakta; Giri, Basant

2017-01-01

Chemistry labs can become a dangerous environment for students as the lab exercises involve hazardous chemicals, glassware, and equipment. Approximately one hundred thousand students take chemistry laboratory classes annually in Nepal. We conducted a survey on chemical lab safety issues across Nepal. In this paper, we assess the safety policy and equipment, protocols and procedures followed, and waste disposal in chemistry teaching labs. Significant population of the respondents believed that there is no monitoring of the lab safety in their lab (p<0.001). Even though many labs do not allow food and beverages inside lab and have first aid kits, they lack some basic safety equipment. There is no institutional mechanism to dispose lab waste and chemical waste is disposed haphazardly. Majority of the respondents believed that the safety training should be a part of educational training (p = 0.001) and they would benefit from short course and/or workshop on lab safety (p<0.001).

Status of chemistry lab safety in Nepal

PubMed Central

Kandel, Krishna Prasad; Neupane, Bhanu Bhakta

2017-01-01

Chemistry labs can become a dangerous environment for students as the lab exercises involve hazardous chemicals, glassware, and equipment. Approximately one hundred thousand students take chemistry laboratory classes annually in Nepal. We conducted a survey on chemical lab safety issues across Nepal. In this paper, we assess the safety policy and equipment, protocols and procedures followed, and waste disposal in chemistry teaching labs. Significant population of the respondents believed that there is no monitoring of the lab safety in their lab (p<0.001). Even though many labs do not allow food and beverages inside lab and have first aid kits, they lack some basic safety equipment. There is no institutional mechanism to dispose lab waste and chemical waste is disposed haphazardly. Majority of the respondents believed that the safety training should be a part of educational training (p = 0.001) and they would benefit from short course and/or workshop on lab safety (p<0.001). PMID:28644869

Computerized approaches to enhance understanding of organic reaction mechanisms: CAN reaction mechanisms and CPLEX prelaboratory methodology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Al-Shammari, Abdulrahman G. Alhamzani

2008-10-01

Two approaches to enhance the understanding of organic reaction mechanisms are described. First, a new method for teaching organic reaction mechanisms that can be used in a Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) environment is proposed and tested (Chapter 1). The method concentrates upon the important intermediate structures, which are assumed to be on the reaction coordinate, and which can be evaluated and graded by currently available computer techniques. At the same time, the "curved arrows" that show the electron flow in a reaction mechanism are neglected, since they cannot be evaluated and graded with currently available computer techniques. By allowing student practice for learning organic reaction mechanisms using the Curved Arrow Neglect (CAN) method within a "Practice Makes Perfect" CAI method, student performance in the drawing of traditional reaction mechanisms, in which students had to include the "curved arrows" on their written classroom exams, was significantly enhanced. Second, computerized prelaboratory experiments (CPLEX) for organic chemistry laboratory 1 & 2 courses have been created, used, and evaluated (Chapters 2 and 3). These computerized prelabs are unique because they combine both "dry lab" actions with detailed animations of the actual chemistry occurring at the molecular level. The "dry lab" serves to simulate the actual physical manipulations of equipment and chemicals that occur in the laboratory experiment through the use of drag-and-drop computer technology. At the same time, these physical actions are accompanied on a separate part of the computer screen by animations showing the chemistry at the molecular level that is occurring in the experiment. These CPLEX modules were made into Internet accessible modules. The students were allowed to access the CPLEX modules prior to performing the actual laboratory experiment. A detailed evaluation of students' perception of the modules was accomplished via survey methodology during the entire implementation process over the course of three semesters. Results of the survey data indicate that students thought that they better understood the chemical principles and procedures of the laboratory experiment. Interestingly, students prefer the CPLEX prelaboratory materials, compared to the traditional textbooks, by a wide margin (Chapter 2). The utility of CPLEX was further demonstrated by enabling a study of the effectiveness of animated reaction mechanisms to promote student learning. While most instructors believe that animated mechanisms aid student understanding of reactions, there has been no quantitative data to-date to support this view. In this work, a quantitative study, using an experimental/control group study, was conducted to provide data on the effectiveness of animated reaction mechanisms to promote student learning. Analysis of student answers, using an appropriate rubric, demonstrated that there was a statistically significant improvement in students' scores in the mechanistic question of a pre-laboratory quiz in the post-treatment results of the experimental group which had had access to the animated reaction mechanisms (Chapter 3).

Reforming Cookbook Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Erin

2005-01-01

Deconstructing cookbook labs to require the students to be more thoughtful could break down perceived teacher barriers to inquiry learning. Simple steps that remove or disrupt the direct transfer of step-by-step procedures in cookbook labs make students think more critically about their process. Through trials in the author's middle school…

Differences in gender participation in college physical science laboratory as perceived by students and instructors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gifford, Fay Evan

The purpose of this study was to determine the difference in gender participation in the college physical science laboratory as perceived by students. The sample n this study consisted of 168 college sophomore architecture students (56 males and 33 females) and engineering students (61 males and 18 females). Depending on the type of information desired, a number of analyses were used including independent samples t-test, two-way Anova, general linear model analysis, Univariate analysis of variance, and descriptive statistics. In the analysis of data for the first fourteen questions of the questionnaire, which are called descriptive data, both gender and academic discipline differences were examined. It was found both genders picked personal choice as the role they played in the lab, and they were recorder, computer operator, and set up. There was no major difference here for the two disciplines except for engineers (by four to one over the architectures), who thought one member took the lead and assigned the role. There was no statistically significant difference in attitude toward group laboratory work between the two genders, but there was a significant difference by academic discipline here. There was a significant difference between genders for the way that students were assigned to small groups (i.e., the females would prefer the professor assign the role). For the open-ended student question dealing with suggestions for improving student participation in the labs, about one-third responded. One major difference between the disciplines was the architectural students by a twenty to one ratio over the engineers thought they didn't need a physics lab. For Hypothesis 4, there was a general agreement between the students' and the instructors' that there was not a difference in the students' gender responses and the instructors'. For Hypothesis 5, the responses from the four special gender questions for the students and instructors show that the males don't agree with the instructors on any of the four questions, but the females agree with the instructors on two of the questions.

KSC-2012-2769

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Operations and Checkout Building, Rudy Werlink gives students a first-hand look at the workings of the sound testing area of cryogenics lab. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-2768

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Inside the Operations and Checkout Building, Rudy Werlink gives students a first-hand look at the workings of the sound testing area of cryogenics lab. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy Space Center as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

KSC-2012-2760

NASA Image and Video Library

2012-05-14

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – Dr. LaNetra C. Tate, center, materials engineer at Kennedy Space Center, is surrounded by students as she welcomes them for their tour of the Space Life Sciences Lab facilities. The 26 honor students in chemistry and biology and their teachers got a chance to visit a number of high-tech labs at Kennedy as part of an effort to encourage students in the areas of science, technology, engineering and math. The tenth and eleventh grade students from Terry Parker High School in Jacksonville, Fla., visited a number of vastly different labs during their one-day tour. The group's visit to Kennedy was hosted by the Education Office as part of a nationwide effort by the National Lab Network to help introduce the nation's students to science careers. Photo credit: NASA/Jim Grossmann

Exploring problem-based cooperative learning in undergraduate physics labs: student perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergin, S. D.; Murphy, C.; Shuilleabhain, A. Ni

2018-03-01

This study examines the potential of problem-based cooperative learning (PBCL) in expanding undergraduate physics students’ understanding of, and engagement with, the scientific process. Two groups of first-year physics students (n = 180) completed a questionnaire which compared their perceptions of learning science with their engagement in physics labs. One cohort completed a lab based on a PBCL approach, whilst the other completed the same experiment, using a more traditional, manual-based lab. Utilising a participant research approach, the questionnaire was co-constructed by researchers and student advisers from each cohort in order to improve shared meaning between researchers and participants. Analysis of students’ responses suggests that students in the PBCL cohort engaged more in higher-order problem-solving skills and evidenced a deeper understanding of the scientific process than students in the more traditional, manual-based cohort. However, the latter cohort responses placed more emphasis on accuracy and measurement in lab science than the PBCL cohort. The students in the PBCL cohort were also more positively engaged with their learning than their counterparts in the manual led group.

Implementation of a Parameterization Framework for Cybersecurity Laboratories

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

designer of laboratory exercises with tools to parameterize labs for each student , and automate some aspects of the grading of laboratory exercises. A...is to provide the designer of laboratory exercises with tools to parameterize labs for each student , and automate some aspects of the grading of...support might assist the designer of laboratory exercises to achieve the following? 1. Verify that students performed lab exercises, with some

Implementing 'The Math You Need' in an Introductory Physical Geology Course at California State University East Bay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moran, J. E.

2011-12-01

The wide range of abilities in the student population at California State University East Bay, with a significant fraction of students under-prepared and requiring mathematics remediation, is a challenge to including mathematical concepts and exercises in our introductory geoscience courses. Student expectations that a geoscience course will not include quantitative work may result in math-phobics choosing the course and resisting quantitative work when presented with it. Introductory courses that are required for Geology and Environmental Science majors are also designated as General Education, which gives rise to a student group with a wide range of abilities and expectations. This presentation will focus on implementation of a series of online math tutorials for students in introductory geoscience courses called 'The Math You Need' (TMYN; http://serc.carleton.edu/mathyouneed/index.html). The program is implemented in a Physical Geology course, in which 2/3 of the students are typically non-majors. The Physical Geology course has a three hour lab each week and the lab exercises and lab manual offer several opportunities for application of TMYN. Many of the lab exercises include graphing, profiling, working with map scales, converting units, or using equations to calculate some parameter or solve for an unknown. Six TMYN modules covering topics using density calculations as applied to mineral properties and isostasy, graphing as applied to rock properties, earthquake location, and radiometric dating, and calculation of rates as applied to plate movement, stream discharge, and groundwater flow, are assigned as pre-labs to be completed before lab classes. TMYN skills are reinforced during lectures and lab exercises, as close in time as possible to students' exposure via TMYN. Pre- and post-tests give a measure of the effectiveness of TMYN in improving students' quantitative literacy.

Measure, Then Show: Grasping Human Evolution Through an Inquiry-Based, Data-driven Hominin Skulls Lab

PubMed Central

Luberda, Michael

2016-01-01

Incomprehension and denial of the theory of evolution among high school students has been observed to also occur when teachers are not equipped to deliver a compelling case also for human evolution based on fossil evidence. This paper assesses the outcomes of a novel inquiry-based paleoanthropology lab teaching human evolution to high-school students. The inquiry-based Be a Paleoanthropologist for a Day lab placed a dozen hominin skulls into the hands of high-school students. Upon measuring three variables of human evolution, students explain what they have observed and discuss findings. In the 2013/14 school year, 11 biology classes in 7 schools in the Greater New Orleans area participated in this lab. The interviewed teacher cohort unanimously agreed that the lab featuring hominin skull replicas and stimulating student inquiry was a pedagogically excellent method of delivering the subject of human evolution. First, the lab’s learning path of transforming facts to data, information to knowledge, and knowledge to acceptance empowered students to themselves execute part of the science that underpins our understanding of deep time hominin evolution. Second, although challenging, the hands-on format of the lab was accessible to high-school students, most of whom were readily able to engage the lab’s scientific process. Third, the lab’s exciting and compelling pedagogy unlocked higher order thinking skills, effectively activating the cognitive, psychomotor and affected learning domains as defined in Bloom’s taxonomy. Lastly, the lab afforded students a formative experience with a high degree of retention and epistemic depth. Further study is warranted to gauge the degree of these effects. PMID:27513927

Creating a lab to facilitate high school student engagement in authentic paleoclimate science practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maloney, A.; Walsh, E.

2012-12-01

A solid understanding of timescales is crucial for any climate change discussion. This hands-on lab was designed as part of a dual-credit climate change course in which high school students can receive college credit. Using homemade ice cores, students have the opportunity to participate in scientific practices associated with collecting, processing, and interpreting temperature and CO2 data. Exploring millennial-scale cycles in ice core data and extending the CO2 record to the present allows students to discover timescales from an investigators perspective. The Ice Core Lab has been piloted in two high school classrooms and student engagement, and epistemological and conceptual understanding was evaluated using quantitative pre and post assessment surveys. The process of creating this lab involved a partnership between an education assessment professional, high school teachers, and University of Washington professors and graduate students in Oceanography, Earth and Space Sciences, Atmospheric Sciences and the Learning Sciences as part of the NASA Global Climate Change University of Washington in the High School program. This interdisciplinary collaboration led to the inception of the lab and was necessary to ensure that the lesson plan was pedagogically appropriate and scientifically accurate. The lab fits into a unit about natural variability and is paired with additional hands-on activities created by other graduate students that explore short-timescale temperature variations, Milankovitch cycles, isotopes, and other proxies. While the Ice Core Lab is intended to follow units that review the scientific process, global energy budget, and transport, it can be modified to fit any teaching platform.

Astronomy for Everyone: Harvard's Move Toward an All-Inclusive Astronomy Lab and Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bieryla, Allyson

2016-01-01

Harvard University has a growing astronomy program that offers various courses to the undergraduate concentrators, secondaries and non-majors. Many of the courses involve labs that use the 16-inch DFM Clay Telescope for night-time observations and the heliostat for observing the Sun. The goal is to proactively adapt the lab and telescope facilities to accommodate all students with disabilities. The current focus is converting the labs to accommodate visually impaired students. Using tactile images and sound, the intention is to create an experience equivalent to that of a student with full sight.

Hydrogel Beads: The New Slime Lab?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brockway, Debra; Libera, Matthew; Welner, Heidi

2011-01-01

Creating slime fascinates students. Unfortunately, though intrigue is at its peak, the educational aspect of this activity is often minimal. This article describes a chemistry lab that closely relates to the slime lab and allows high school students to explore the concepts of chemical bonding, properties, and replacement reactions. It involves the…

Lab Report Blues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diaz, Andrew

2004-01-01

For middle school students, writing a formal lab report can be challenging. For middle level teachers, reading students lab reports can be overwhelming. After grading report after report with incomplete procedures, incorrect graphs, and missing conclusions, the author's frustration level was at an all-time high. Ready to try anything, he thought,…

[Virtual microscopy in pathology teaching and postgraduate training (continuing education)].

PubMed

Sinn, H P; Andrulis, M; Mogler, C; Schirmacher, P

2008-11-01

As with conventional microscopy, virtual microscopy permits histological tissue sections to be viewed on a computer screen with a free choice of viewing areas and a wide range of magnifications. This, combined with the possibility of linking virtual microscopy to E-Learning courses, make virtual microscopy an ideal tool for teaching and postgraduate training in pathology. Uses of virtual microscopy in pathology teaching include blended learning with the presentation of digital teaching slides in the internet parallel to presentation in the histology lab, extending student access to histology slides beyond the lab. Other uses are student self-learning in the Internet, as well as the presentation of virtual slides in the classroom with or without replacing real microscopes. Successful integration of virtual microscopy depends on its embedding in the virtual classroom and the creation of interactive E-learning content. Applications derived from this include the use of virtual microscopy in video clips, podcasts, SCORM modules and the presentation of virtual microscopy using interactive whiteboards in the classroom.

Promoting Metacognition in Introductory Calculus-based Physics Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grennell, Drew; Boudreaux, Andrew

2010-10-01

In the Western Washington University physics department, a project is underway to develop research-based laboratory curriculum for the introductory calculus-based course. Instructional goals not only include supporting students' conceptual understanding and reasoning ability, but also providing students with opportunities to engage in metacognition. For the latter, our approach has been to scaffold reflective thinking with guided questions. Specific instructional strategies include analysis of alternate reasoning presented in fictitious dialogues and comparison of students' initial ideas with their lab group's final, consensus understanding. Assessment of student metacognition includes pre- and post- course data from selected questions on the CLASS survey, analysis of written lab worksheets, and student opinion surveys. CLASS results are similar to a traditional physics course and analysis of lab sheets show that students struggle to engage in a metacognitive process. Future directions include video studies, as well as use of additional written assessments adapted from educational psychology.

The impact of instructional design in a case-based, computer-assisted instruction module on learning liver pathology in a medical school pathology course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Latham, Patricia S.

The purpose of this quantitative experimental study was to test the impact of three learning interventions on student learning and satisfaction when the interventions were embedded in the instructional design of case-based, Computer-Assisted Instruction (CAI) modules for learning liver pathology in an in-class, self-study, laboratory exercise during a Year-2 medical school Pathology course. The hypothesis was that inclusion of the learning interventions would enhance student satisfaction in using the CAI and improve subsequent CAI-directed exam performance. Three learning interventions were studied, including the use of microscopic virtual slides instead of only static images, the use of interactive image annotations instead of only still annotations, and the use of guiding questions before presenting new information. Students were randomly assigned to with one of eight CAI learning modules configured to control for each of the three learning interventions. Effectiveness of the CAI for student learning was assessed by student performance on questions included in subsequent CAI-directed exams in a pretest and on posttests immediately after the lab exercise, at two weeks and two months. Student satisfaction and perceived learning was assessed by a student survey. Results showed that the learning interventions did not improve subsequent student exam performance, although satisfaction and perceived learning with use of the CAI learning modules was enhanced. Student class rank was evaluated to determine if the learning interventions might have a differential effect based on class rank, but there were no significant differences. Class rank at the time of the lab exercise was itself the strongest predictor of exam performance. The findings suggest that the addition of virtual slides, interactive annotations and guiding questions as learning interventions in self-study, case-based CAI for learning liver pathology in a medical class room setting are not likely to increase performance on subsequent MCQ-based exams, but student satisfaction with use of the CAI can be enhanced, which could provide to be an incentive for students to use similar CAI learning modules for future self-directed learning.

Assessing the Impact of a Virtual Lab in an Allied Health Program.

PubMed

Kay, Robin; Goulding, Helene; Li, Jia

2018-01-01

Competency-based education in health care requires rigorous standards to ensure professional proficiency. Demonstrating competency in hands-on laboratories calls for effective preparation, knowledge, and experience, all of which can be difficult to achieve using traditional teaching methods. Virtual laboratories are an alternative, cost-effective approach to providing students with sufficient preparatory information. Research on the use of virtual labs in allied health education is limited. The current study investigated the benefits, challenges, and perceived impact of a virtual lab in an allied health program. The sample consisted of 64 students (55 females, 9 males) enrolled in a university medical laboratory science program. A convergent mixed-methods approach (Likert survey, open-ended questions, think-aloud protocol data) revealed that students had positive attitudes towards visual learning, authenticity, learner control, organization, and scaffolding afforded by the virtual lab. Challenges reported included navigational difficulties, an absence of control over content selection, and lack of understanding for certain concepts. Over 90% of students agreed that the virtual lab helped them prepare for hands-on laboratory sessions and that they would use this format of instruction again. Overall, 84% of the students agreed that the virtual lab helped them to achieve greater success in learning.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Students in the My Brother’s Keeper program line the railings of an observation deck overlooking the Granular Mechanics and Regolith Operations Lab at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The spaceport is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Students in the My Brother’s Keeper program try out some of the machinery inside the Prototype Lab at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The Florida spaceport is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Mike Lane demonstrates a 3D scanner inside the NASA Kennedy Space Center Prototype Lab for students in the My Brother’s Keeper program. The Florida spaceport is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Jose Nunez of NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration Research and Technology Programs talks to students in the My Brother’s Keeper program outside the Florida spaceport’s Swamp Works Lab. Kennedy is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

[Chances and Potential of a Modern Surgical Skills Lab as Substantial Practical Part of the Study of Human Medicine - "The Magdeburg Model"].

PubMed

Piatek, S; Altmann, S; Haß, H-J; Werwick, K; Winkler-Stuck, K; Zardo, P; von Daake, S; Baumann, B; Rahmanzadeh, A; Chiapponi, C; Reschke, K; Meyer, F

2017-02-01

Introduction: Surgical education of medical students within "skills labs" have not been standardised throughout Germany as yet; there is a substantial impact of available aspects such as personal and space at the various medical schools. Aim: The aim of this contribution is to illustrate the concept of a surgical skills lab in detail, including curricular teaching and integrated facultative courses at the Medical School, University of Magdeburg ("The Magdeburg Model") in the context of a new and reconstructed area for the skills lab at the Magdeburg's apprenticeship center for medical basic abilities (MAMBA). Method: We present an overview on the spectrum of curricular and facultative teaching activities within the surgical part of the skills lab. Student evaluation of this teaching concept is implemented using the programme "EvaSys" and evaluation forms adapted to the single courses. Results: By establishing MAMBA, the options for a practice-related surgical education have been substantially improved. Student evaluations of former courses presented within the skills lab and the chance of moving the skills lab into a more generous and reconstructed area led to a reorganisation of seminars and courses. New additional facultative courses held by student tutors have been introduced and have shown to be of great effect, in particular, because of their interdisciplinary character. Conclusion: Practice-related surgical education within a skills lab may have the potential to effectively prepare medical students for their professional life. In addition, it allows one to present and teach the most important basic skills in surgery, which need to be pursued by every student. An enthusiastic engagement of the Office for Student Affairs can be considered the crucial and indispensable link between clinical work and curricular as well as facultative teaching with regard to organisation and student evaluation. The practice-related teaching parts and contents at the surgical section of a skills lab should be integrated into the National Competence-based Catalogue of Teaching Aims in Medicine ("NKLM"). Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Engaging with science: High school students in summer lab internships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bequette, Marjorie Bullitt

Years of research and rhetoric have suggested that students should be given the opportunity to work with practicing scientists as a way to develop more sophisticated ideas about the nature of science, yet little research about these experiences exists. This project uses a case study approach to examine the experience of eight high school students working part-time during one summer as research assistants in biomedical laboratories. The students completed small research studies under the supervision of scientist-mentors. This dissertation explores questions related to how these students learned to work in a lab, in what ways they grew to understand this scientific context, and how their own relationships with science changed. The goal of looking at these young adults' summer experiences in science labs is to make suggestions for three settings: programs like this one, where high school students work closely with scientists in lab settings; other programs where scientists and students work together; and science education more generally. Analysis of pre- and post-interviews with students, and extensive observations of their laboratory work, suggests that students develop new ideas about the culture of science and the day-to-day workings of the labs. These ideas hold potential power for the students, and other participants in both similar and different educational settings, as they prepare for lives as scientifically engaged adults.

Learning Experience on Transformer Using HOT Lab for Pre-service Physics Teacher’s

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Malik, A.; Setiawan, A.; Suhandi, A.; Permanasari, A.

2017-09-01

This study aimed at investigating pre-service teacher’s critical thinking skills improvement through Higher Order Thinking (HOT) Lab on transformer learning. This research used mix method with the embedded experimental model. Research subjects are 60 students of Physics Education in UIN Sunan Gunung Djati Bandung. The results showed that based on the results of the analysis of practical reports and observation sheet shows students in the experimental group was better in carrying out the practicum and can solve the real problem while the control group was going on the opposite. The critical thinking skills of students applying the HOT Lab were higher than the verification lab. Critical thinking skills could increase due to HOT Lab based problems solving that can develop higher order thinking skills through laboratory activities. Therefore, it was concluded that the application of HOT Lab was more effective than verification lab on improving students’ thinking skills on transformer topic learning. Finally, HOT Lab can be implemented in other subject learning and could be used to improve another higher order thinking skills.

Exploring Space Physics Concepts Using Simulation Results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gross, N. A.

2008-05-01

The Center for Integrated Space Weather Modeling (CISM), a Science and Technology Center (STC) funded by the National Science Foundation, has the goal of developing a suite of integrated physics based computer models of the space environment that can follow the evolution of a space weather event from the Sun to the Earth. In addition to the research goals, CISM is also committed to training the next generation of space weather professionals who are imbued with a system view of space weather. This view should include an understanding of both helio-spheric and geo-space phenomena. To this end, CISM offers a yearly Space Weather Summer School targeted to first year graduate students, although advanced undergraduates and space weather professionals have also attended. This summer school uses a number of innovative pedagogical techniques including devoting each afternoon to a computer lab exercise that use results from research quality simulations and visualization techniques, along with ground based and satellite data to explore concepts introduced during the morning lectures. These labs are suitable for use in wide variety educational settings from formal classroom instruction to outreach programs. The goal of this poster is to outline the goals and content of the lab materials so that instructors may evaluate their potential use in the classroom or other settings.

A General Chemistry Laboratory Course Designed for Student Discussion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obenland, Carrie A.; Kincaid, Kristi; Hutchinson, John S.

2014-01-01

We report a study of the general chemistry laboratory course at one university over four years. We found that when taught as a traditional laboratory course, lab experiences do not encourage students to deepen their understanding of chemical concepts. Although the lab instructor emphasized that the lab experiences were designed to enhance…

Impacts of Digital Imaging versus Drawing on Student Learning in Undergraduate Biodiversity Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Basey, John M.; Maines, Anastasia P.; Francis, Clinton D.; Melbourne, Brett

2014-01-01

We examined the effects of documenting observations with digital imaging versus hand drawing in inquiry-based college biodiversity labs. Plant biodiversity labs were divided into two treatments, digital imaging (N = 221) and hand drawing (N = 238). Graduate-student teaching assistants (N = 24) taught one class in each treatment. Assessments…

Formalizing the First Day in an Organic Chemistry Laboratory Using a Studio-Based Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collison, Christina G.; Cody, Jeremy; Smith, Darren; Swartzenberg, Jennifer

2015-01-01

A novel studio-based lab module that incorporates student-centered activities was designed and implemented to introduce second-year undergraduate students to the first-semester organic chemistry laboratory. The "First Day" studio module incorporates learning objectives for the course, lab safety, and keeping a professional lab notebook.

NOT Another Lab Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ende, Fred

2012-01-01

Ask students to name the aspects of science class they enjoy most, and working on labs will undoubtedly be mentioned. What often won't be included, however, is writing lab reports. For many students, the process of exploration and data collection is paramount, while the explanation and analysis of findings often takes a backseat. After all, if…

A Case Study of a High School Fab Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacy, Jennifer E.

This dissertation examines making and design-based STEM education in a formal makerspace. It focuses on how the design and implementation of a Fab Lab learning environment and curriculum affect how instructors and students see themselves engaging in science, and how the Fab Lab relates to the social sorting practices that already take place at North High School. While there is research examining design-based STEM education in informal and formal learning environments, we know little about how K-12 teachers define STEM in making activities when no university or museum partnership exists. This study sought to help fill this gap in the research literature. This case study of a formal makerspace followed instructors and students in one introductory Fab Lab course for one semester. Additional observations of an introductory woodworking course helped build the case and set it into the school context, and provided supplementary material to better understand the similarities and differences between the Fab Lab course and a more traditional design-based learning course. Using evidence from observational field notes, participant interviews, course materials, and student work, I found that the North Fab Lab relies on artifacts and rhetoric symbolic of science and STEM to set itself apart from other design-based courses at North High School. Secondly, the North Fab Lab instructors and students were unable to explain how what they were doing in the Fab Lab was science, and instead relied on vague and unsupported claims related to interdisciplinary STEM practices and dated descriptions of science. Lastly, the design and implementation of the Fab Lab learning environment and curriculum and its separation from North High School's low tech, design-based courses effectively reinforced social sorting practices and cultural assumptions about student work and intelligence.

Students' views about the nature of experimental physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, Bethany R.; Lewandowski, H. J.

2017-12-01

The physics community explores and explains the physical world through a blend of theoretical and experimental studies. The future of physics as a discipline depends on training of students in both the theoretical and experimental aspects of the field. However, while student learning within lecture courses has been the subject of extensive research, lab courses remain relatively under-studied. In particular, there is little, if any, data available that address the effectiveness of physics lab courses at encouraging students to recognize the nature and importance of experimental physics within the discipline as a whole. To address this gap, we present the first large-scale, national study (Ninstitutions=75 and Nstudents=7167 ) of undergraduate physics lab courses through analysis of students' responses to a research-validated assessment designed to investigate students' beliefs about the nature of experimental physics. We find that students often enter and leave physics lab courses with ideas about experimental physics as practiced in their courses that are inconsistent with the views of practicing experimental physicists, and this trend holds at both the introductory and upper-division levels. Despite this inconsistency, we find that both introductory and upper-division students are able to accurately predict the expertlike response even in cases where their views about experimentation in their lab courses disagree. These finding have implications for the recruitment, retention, and adequate preparation of students in physics.

Characterizing Mystery Cell Lines: Student-driven Research Projects in an Undergraduate Neuroscience Laboratory Course.

PubMed

Lemons, Michele L

2012-01-01

Inquiry-based projects promote discovery and retention of key concepts, increase student engagement, and stimulate interest in research. Described here are a series of lab exercises within an undergraduate upper level neuroscience course that train students to design, execute and analyze their own hypothesis-driven research project. Prior to developing their own projects, students learn several research techniques including aseptic cell culture, cell line maintenance, immunocytochemistry and fluorescent microscopy. Working in groups, students choose how to use these techniques to characterize and identify a "mystery" cell line. Each lab group is given a unique cell line with either a neural, astrocyte, or Schwann cell origin. Working together, students plan and execute experiments to determine the cellular origin and other unique characteristics of their mystery cell line. Students generate testable hypotheses, design interpretable experiments, generate and analyze data, and report their findings in both oral and written formats. Students receive instructor and peer feedback throughout the entire project. In summary, these labs train students the process of scientific research. This series of lab exercises received very strong positive feedback from the students. Reflections on student feedback and plans for future improvements are discussed.

Characterizing Mystery Cell Lines: Student-driven Research Projects in an Undergraduate Neuroscience Laboratory Course

PubMed Central

Lemons, Michele L.

2012-01-01

Inquiry-based projects promote discovery and retention of key concepts, increase student engagement, and stimulate interest in research. Described here are a series of lab exercises within an undergraduate upper level neuroscience course that train students to design, execute and analyze their own hypothesis-driven research project. Prior to developing their own projects, students learn several research techniques including aseptic cell culture, cell line maintenance, immunocytochemistry and fluorescent microscopy. Working in groups, students choose how to use these techniques to characterize and identify a “mystery” cell line. Each lab group is given a unique cell line with either a neural, astrocyte, or Schwann cell origin. Working together, students plan and execute experiments to determine the cellular origin and other unique characteristics of their mystery cell line. Students generate testable hypotheses, design interpretable experiments, generate and analyze data, and report their findings in both oral and written formats. Students receive instructor and peer feedback throughout the entire project. In summary, these labs train students the process of scientific research. This series of lab exercises received very strong positive feedback from the students. Reflections on student feedback and plans for future improvements are discussed. PMID:23504583

Program Processes Thermocouple Readings

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quave, Christine A.; Nail, William, III

1995-01-01

Digital Signal Processor for Thermocouples (DART) computer program implements precise and fast method of converting voltage to temperature for large-temperature-range thermocouple applications. Written using LabVIEW software. DART available only as object code for use on Macintosh II FX or higher-series computers running System 7.0 or later and IBM PC-series and compatible computers running Microsoft Windows 3.1. Macintosh version of DART (SSC-00032) requires LabVIEW 2.2.1 or 3.0 for execution. IBM PC version (SSC-00031) requires LabVIEW 3.0 for Windows 3.1. LabVIEW software product of National Instruments and not included with program.

LBNL Computational ResearchTheory Facility Groundbreaking - Full Press Conference. Feb 1st, 2012

ScienceCinema

Yelick, Kathy

2018-01-24

Energy Secretary Steven Chu, along with Berkeley Lab and UC leaders, broke ground on the Lab's Computational Research and Theory (CRT) facility yesterday. The CRT will be at the forefront of high-performance supercomputing research and be DOE's most efficient facility of its kind. Joining Secretary Chu as speakers were Lab Director Paul Alivisatos, UC President Mark Yudof, Office of Science Director Bill Brinkman, and UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau. The festivities were emceed by Associate Lab Director for Computing Sciences, Kathy Yelick, and Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates joined in the shovel ceremony.

LBNL Computational Research and Theory Facility Groundbreaking. February 1st, 2012

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yelick, Kathy

2012-02-02

Energy Secretary Steven Chu, along with Berkeley Lab and UC leaders, broke ground on the Lab's Computational Research and Theory (CRT) facility yesterday. The CRT will be at the forefront of high-performance supercomputing research and be DOE's most efficient facility of its kind. Joining Secretary Chu as speakers were Lab Director Paul Alivisatos, UC President Mark Yudof, Office of Science Director Bill Brinkman, and UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau. The festivities were emceed by Associate Lab Director for Computing Sciences, Kathy Yelick, and Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates joined in the shovel ceremony.

LBNL Computational Research and Theory Facility Groundbreaking. February 1st, 2012

ScienceCinema

Yelick, Kathy

2017-12-09

Energy Secretary Steven Chu, along with Berkeley Lab and UC leaders, broke ground on the Lab's Computational Research and Theory (CRT) facility yesterday. The CRT will be at the forefront of high-performance supercomputing research and be DOE's most efficient facility of its kind. Joining Secretary Chu as speakers were Lab Director Paul Alivisatos, UC President Mark Yudof, Office of Science Director Bill Brinkman, and UC Berkeley Chancellor Robert Birgeneau. The festivities were emceed by Associate Lab Director for Computing Sciences, Kathy Yelick, and Berkeley Mayor Tom Bates joined in the shovel ceremony.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Students in the My Brother’s Keeper program watch as Jose Nunez of NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration Research and Technology Programs demonstrates some of the hardware in the Electrostatic and Surface Physics Lab at the Florida spaceport. Kennedy is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Students in the My Brother’s Keeper program listen as Jose Nunez of NASA Kennedy Space Center’s Exploration Research and Technology Programs explains some of the hardware in the Electrostatic and Surface Physics Lab at the Florida spaceport. Kennedy is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

Syllabus Computer in Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hojaev, Alisher S.

2015-08-01

One of the most important and actual subjects and training courses in the curricula for undergraduate level students at the National university of Uzbekistan is ‘Computer Methods in Astronomy’. It covers two semesters and includes both lecture and practice classes. Based on the long term experience we prepared the tutorial for students which contain the description of modern computer applications in astronomy.The main directions of computer application in field of astronomy briefly as follows:1) Automating the process of observation, data acquisition and processing2) Create and store databases (the results of observations, experiments and theoretical calculations) their generalization, classification and cataloging, working with large databases3) The decisions of the theoretical problems (physical modeling, mathematical modeling of astronomical objects and phenomena, derivation of model parameters to obtain a solution of the corresponding equations, numerical simulations), appropriate software creation4) The utilization in the educational process (e-text books, presentations, virtual labs, remote education, testing), amateur astronomy and popularization of the science5) The use as a means of communication and data transfer, research result presenting and dissemination (web-journals), the creation of a virtual information system (local and global computer networks).During the classes the special attention is drawn on the practical training and individual work of students including the independent one.

Strategies for involving undergraduates in mentored research (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marin-Spiotta, E.

2013-12-01

Early engagement in research can transform the undergraduate experience and has a positive effect on minority student recruitment to graduate school. Multiple strategies used to involve undergraduates in research at a large R1 university are presented. During my first four years as an assistant professor, my lab has hosted 14 undergraduates, 9 of them women and 4 of them Hispanic. Institutional support has been critical for undergraduate student involvement. UW supports a research program for incoming underrepresented students. An advantage of this program is very early research participation, with the opportunity for long-term training. One disadvantage is that many first year students have not yet identified their interests. The Biology major also requires students to complete an independent project, which culminates in a research symposium. Competitive research fellowships and grants are available for students to conduct work under faculty mentorship. We have been successful at keeping students on even when their majors are very different from our research discipline, mainly by providing flexibility and a welcoming lab environment. This mentoring culture is strongly fostered by graduate student interest and involvement with all undergraduates as well as active mentor training. By offering multiple pathways for involvement, we can accommodate students' changing schedules and priorities as well as changing lab needs. Students can volunteer, receive course credit, conduct an independent project or honors thesis, contribute to an existing project, do lab work or write a literature review, work with one mentor or on multiple projects. We often provide employment over the summer and subsequent semesters for continuing students. Some will increase their commitment over time and work more closely with me. Others reduce down to a few hours a week as they gain experience elsewhere. Most students stay multiple semesters and multiple years because they 'enjoy being in the lab.' All undergrads are encouraged to participate in weekly lab meetings, are added to our email list, portrayed on our website, and included in social and professional activities, including meetings with visiting researchers and other campus labs. Beyond receiving research skills training and professional development, students gain a social community beyond their dorms and classes as well as peer and senior mentors in the lab. In a campus with 30,000 students, building a personal relationship with senior researchers and faculty provides an invaluable benefit for students' careers. We have hosted three Puerto Rican students to participate in an intensive summer research program, which provides professional preparation for graduate school. Much of our research is based in Puerto Rico, so we meet our students there and take them to our sites, which provides them with training in field skills as well as a context for their summer lab work at UW. We have learned the importance of setting out clear expectations at the beginning of each project. While getting students excited about our own research field is personally satisfying, we are learning to be more flexible in our measures of student success. Students can enjoy doing research for research sake while others enjoy it as another job. It is important that they all receive mentoring and learn about opportunities appropriate to their own career choices.

Map Your Way to a Better Lab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roth, Wolff-Michael

1990-01-01

The use of concept maps, Vee diagrams, flow charts, and productive questions to increase student understanding of laboratory exercises and to improve student attitudes toward lab classes is discussed. Examples of each are provided. Student responses to these teaching methods are described. (CW)

Vocational Home Economics for the Mainstreamed Physically Handicapped Student: The Least Restrictive Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Susan J.

School building and classroom accessibility are the first factors considered in a discussion of making provisions for mainstreamed physically handicapped students in vocational home economics programs. Legal mandates are cited, and ideas for adapting food labs and sewing labs for wheelchair students and students with visual impairments are noted.…

Peer Assessment of Student-Produced Mechanics Lab Report Videos

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Douglas, Scott S.; Aiken, John M.; Lin, Shih-Yin; Greco, Edwin F.; Alicea-Muñoz, Emily; Schatz, Michael F.

2017-01-01

We examine changes in students' rating behavior during a semester-long sequence of peer evaluation laboratory exercises in an introductory mechanics course. We perform a quantitative analysis of the ratings given by students to peers' physics lab reports, and conduct interviews with students. We find that peers persistently assign higher ratings…

Students' Epistemologies about Experimental Physics: Validating the Colorado Learning Attitudes about Science Survey for Experimental Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilcox, Bethany R.; Lewandowski, H. J.

2016-01-01

Student learning in instructional physics labs represents a growing area of research that includes investigations of students' beliefs and expectations about the nature of experimental physics. To directly probe students' epistemologies about experimental physics and support broader lab transformation efforts at the University of Colorado Boulder…

Faculty Perceptions of Students in Life and Physical Science Research Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonyo, Claire P.; Cantwell, Brendan

2015-01-01

This qualitative study involved interviews of 32 faculty principle investigators at three research institutions and explored how they view the role of students within physical and life science labs. We used socialization theory and student engagement literature to analyze faculty views, which can contribute to student investment in STEM fields.…

Examining the Relationship of Textbooks and Labs on Student Achievement in Eighth-Grade Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sugalan, Anacita Noromor

One of the most important objectives of teachers, parents, school administrators, and students is to improve student scores on standardized tests such as the State of Texas Assessment for Academic Readiness (STAAR) in eighth-grade science. This quasi experimental study examined the science achievement scores between schools that use textbooks and labs when delivering instruction. This study utilized a quantitative approach using archival data and survey design. Analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) and multiple regression were used to analyze the data while controlling STAAR eighth-grade reading scores to reveal significant differences between classes. The sample and population for this study were predominantly eighth-grade Hispanic students in South Texas. Analysis of covariance showed that classes that used high labs got higher science scores and that the reading scores were significantly related to science scores. Multiple regression findings indicated that textbooks and labs were significant predictors of student achievement on the STAAR eighth- grade science class result in South Texas for Spring 2015. The findings of this study may serve as a catalyst for improving student achievement in science through changes in textbook adoption and doing labs in science. The result suggests the need to research further to investigate other contributing factors of student achievement.

The use of food in chemistry experiments to engage and enrich the teaching in the classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Topping, Brian Michael

Students often gain more knowledge out of hands on work. Labs and demonstrations increase knowledge often more than the book work and notes because they motivate interest and provide real world application. In an effort to incorporate labs into chemistry I have developed a unit centered on food in order to teach a variety of concepts and lab techniques to high school students. The study of food can be a tremendous motivator and help students take interest and ownership in the learning process. The unit was evaluated for its effectiveness through the use of a pre and post-test assessments as well as a post survey of students' attitudes towards labs and learning science. This study showed that students' overall conceptual knowledge of the various topics related to food increased as a result of this unit with evidence provided by the post-test scores.

Teachers' Perspectives on Online Virtual Labs vs. Hands-On Labs in High School Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bohr, Teresa M.

This study of online science teachers' opinions addressed the use of virtual labs in online courses. A growing number of schools use virtual labs that must meet mandated laboratory standards to ensure they provide learning experiences comparable to hands-on labs, which are an integral part of science curricula. The purpose of this qualitative case study was to examine teachers' perceptions of the quality and effectiveness of high school virtual labs. The theoretical foundation was constructivism, as labs provide student-centered activities for problem solving, inquiry, and exploration of phenomena. The research questions focused on experienced teachers' perceptions of the quality of virtual vs. hands-on labs. Data were collected through survey questions derived from the lab objectives of The Next Generation Science Standards . Eighteen teachers rated the degree of importance of each objective and also rated how they felt virtual labs met these objectives; these ratings were reported using descriptive statistics. Responses to open-ended questions were few and served to illustrate the numerical results. Many teachers stated that virtual labs are valuable supplements but could not completely replace hands-on experiences. Studies on the quality and effectiveness of high school virtual labs are limited despite widespread use. Comprehensive studies will ensure that online students have equal access to quality labs. School districts need to define lab requirements, and colleges need to specify the lab experience they require. This study has potential to inspire positive social change by assisting science educators, including those in the local school district, in evaluating and selecting courseware designed to promote higher order thinking skills, real-world problem solving, and development of strong inquiry skills, thereby improving science instruction for all high school students.

A comparative analysis of traditional and online lab science transfer courses in the rural community college

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Andrea

Through distance learning, the community college system has moved beyond geographical boundaries to serve all students and provide educational opportunities at a distance to individuals previously out of reach of the college community. With the inception of the Mississippi Virtual Community College (MSVCC) in January 2000, Mississippi's public community colleges have experienced unprecedented growth in online enrollments and online course offerings to include the laboratory sciences; however, transfer of online lab science courses are problematic for individuals who wish to gain admittance to Medical, Dental, and Pharmacy schools in Mississippi. Currently online lab science courses are not accepted for transfer for students seeking admission to Mississippi Medical, Dental, or Pharmacy schools. The need for this study, the statement of the problem, and the purpose of the study address transfer issues related to the transfer of online lab science courses in Mississippi and the impact of such on the student and community college. The study also addresses existing doubts regarding online course delivery as a viable method of lab science delivery. The purpose of the study was to investigate differences between online instructional delivery as compared to traditional face-to-face delivery with the following research questions to: (1) Investigate the perception of quality of online courses as compared to traditional face-to-face courses. (2) Investigate the difference in student performance in online transfer lab science courses as compared to student performance in traditional face-to-face lab science courses. The results of this 13 semester study show significant differences in both perception of quality and student performance between online instructional delivery as compared to traditional face-to-face delivery. The findings demonstrate a need for Mississippi Dental, Medical, and Pharmacy schools to reexamine the articulation agreement between IHL and Community and Junior Colleges and consider accepting online lab sciences courses taken at the community college as transfer for admission to Medical, Dental, and Pharmacy schools. Conclusions are included in the study; however, additional studies are needed to address the issue of student performance in the online lab science classroom.

Field Botanist for a Day: A Group Exercise for the Introductory Botany Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barbatt, Natalie M.

2004-01-01

A group exercise, suggested to be most effective when used near the semester-end, enables entry-level students to appreciate the application of plant biology and makes botany labs experimental. It is believed that this series of labs helps students to appreciate their own learning when they teach and explain things to others.

Serial Dilution Simulation Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keler, Cynthia; Balutis, Tabitha; Bergen, Kim; Laudenslager, Bryanna; Rubino, Deanna

2010-01-01

Serial dilution is often a difficult concept for students to understand. In this short dry lab exercise, students perform serial dilutions using seed beads. This exercise helps students gain skill at performing dilutions without using reagents, bacterial cultures, or viral cultures, while being able to visualize the process.

Project-based physics labs using low-cost open-source hardware

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouquet, F.; Bobroff, J.; Fuchs-Gallezot, M.; Maurines, L.

2017-03-01

We describe a project-based physics lab, which we proposed to third-year university students. These labs are based on new open-source low-cost equipment (Arduino microcontrollers and compatible sensors). Students are given complete autonomy: they develop their own experimental setup and study the physics topic of their choice. The goal of these projects is to let students to discover the reality of experimental physics. Technical specifications of the acquisition material and case studies are presented for practical implementation in other universities.

A Data Mining Approach to Study the Impact of the Methodology Followed in Chemistry Lab Classes on the Weight Attributed by the Students to the Lab Work on Learning and Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Figueiredo, M.; Esteves, L.; Neves, J.; Vicente, H.

2016-01-01

This study reports the use of data mining tools in order to examine the influence of the methodology used in chemistry lab classes, on the weight attributed by the students to the lab work on learning and own motivation. The answer frequency analysis was unable to discriminate the opinions expressed by the respondents according to the type of the…

Alliance for Computational Science Collaboration: HBCU Partnership at Alabama A&M University Continuing High Performance Computing Research and Education at AAMU

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Qian, Xiaoqing; Deng, Z. T.

2009-11-10

This is the final report for the Department of Energy (DOE) project DE-FG02-06ER25746, entitled, "Continuing High Performance Computing Research and Education at AAMU". This three-year project was started in August 15, 2006, and it was ended in August 14, 2009. The objective of this project was to enhance high performance computing research and education capabilities at Alabama A&M University (AAMU), and to train African-American and other minority students and scientists in the computational science field for eventual employment with DOE. AAMU has successfully completed all the proposed research and educational tasks. Through the support of DOE, AAMU was able tomore » provide opportunities to minority students through summer interns and DOE computational science scholarship program. In the past three years, AAMU (1). Supported three graduate research assistants in image processing for hypersonic shockwave control experiment and in computational science related area; (2). Recruited and provided full financial support for six AAMU undergraduate summer research interns to participate Research Alliance in Math and Science (RAMS) program at Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL); (3). Awarded highly competitive 30 DOE High Performance Computing Scholarships ($1500 each) to qualified top AAMU undergraduate students in science and engineering majors; (4). Improved high performance computing laboratory at AAMU with the addition of three high performance Linux workstations; (5). Conducted image analysis for electromagnetic shockwave control experiment and computation of shockwave interactions to verify the design and operation of AAMU-Supersonic wind tunnel. The high performance computing research and education activities at AAMU created great impact to minority students. As praised by Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) in 2009, ?The work on high performance computing that is funded by the Department of Energy provides scholarships to undergraduate students as computational science scholars. This is a wonderful opportunity to recruit under-represented students.? Three ASEE papers were published in 2007, 2008 and 2009 proceedings of ASEE Annual Conferences, respectively. Presentations of these papers were also made at the ASEE Annual Conferences. It is very critical to continue the research and education activities.« less

Designing a Versatile Dedicated Computing Lab to Support Computer Network Courses: Insights from a Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gercek, Gokhan; Saleem, Naveed

2006-01-01

Providing adequate computing lab support for Management Information Systems (MIS) and Computer Science (CS) programs is a perennial challenge for most academic institutions in the US and abroad. Factors, such as lack of physical space, budgetary constraints, conflicting needs of different courses, and rapid obsolescence of computing technology,…

The acquisition of inquiry skills and computer skills by 8th grade urban middle school students in a technology-supported environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruffin, Monya Aisha

The evolution of increased global accessibility and dependency on computer technologies has revolutionized most aspects of everyday life, including a rapid transformation of 21st century schools. Current changes in education reflect the need for the integration of effective computer technologies in school curricula. The principal objective of this investigation was to examine the acquisition of computer skills and inquiry skills by urban eighth grade students in a technology-supported environment. The study specifically focused on students' ability to identify, understand, and work through the process of scientific inquiry, while also developing computer technology tool skills. The unique component of the study was its contextualization within a local historically significant setting---an African-American cemetery. Approximately seventy students, in a local middle school, participated in the five-week treatment. Students conducted research investigations on site and over the Internet, worked in collaborative groups, utilized technology labs, and received inquiry and computer technology instruction. A mixed method design employing quantitative and qualitative methods was used. Two pilot studies conducted in an after-school science club format helped sharpen the research question, data collection methods, and survey used in the school-based study. Complete sets of data from pre and post surveys and journals were collected from sixty students. Six students were randomly selected to participate in in-depth focus group interviews. Researcher observations and inferences were also included in the analysis. The research findings showed that, after the treatment, students: (a) acquired more inquiry skills and computer skills, (b) broadened their basic conceptual understanding and perspective about science, (c) engaged actively in a relevant learning process, (d) created tangible evidence of their inquiry skills and computer skills, and (e) recalled and retained more details about the inquiry process and the computer technology tools (when they attended at least 80% of the treatment sessions). The findings indicated that project-based, technology-supported experiences allowed students to learn content in an interdisciplinary way (building on culturally relevant local histories) and provided enjoyable learning opportunities for students and teachers. Participation in the treatment encouraged students to think beyond the technical aspects of technology and relate its relevancy and usefulness to solving scientific queries.

Logistics in the Computer Lab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowles, Jim

1989-01-01

Discusses ways to provide good computer laboratory facilities for elementary and secondary schools. Topics discussed include establishing the computer lab and selecting hardware; types of software; physical layout of the room; printers; networking possibilities; considerations relating to the physical environment; and scheduling methods. (LRW)

A Moment of Mindfulness: Computer-Mediated Mindfulness Practice Increases State Mindfulness.

PubMed

Mahmood, Lynsey; Hopthrow, Tim; Randsley de Moura, Georgina

2016-01-01

Three studies investigated the use of a 5-minute, computer-mediated mindfulness practice in increasing levels of state mindfulness. In Study 1, 54 high school students completed the computer-mediated mindfulness practice in a lab setting and Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS) scores were measured before and after the practice. In Study 2 (N = 90) and Study 3 (N = 61), the mindfulness practice was tested with an entirely online sample to test the delivery of the 5-minute mindfulness practice via the internet. In Study 2 and 3, we found a significant increase in TMS scores in the mindful condition, but not in the control condition. These findings highlight the impact of a brief, mindfulness practice for single-session, computer-mediated use to increase mindfulness as a state.

A Moment of Mindfulness: Computer-Mediated Mindfulness Practice Increases State Mindfulness

PubMed Central

Mahmood, Lynsey; Hopthrow, Tim; Randsley de Moura, Georgina

2016-01-01

Three studies investigated the use of a 5-minute, computer-mediated mindfulness practice in increasing levels of state mindfulness. In Study 1, 54 high school students completed the computer-mediated mindfulness practice in a lab setting and Toronto Mindfulness Scale (TMS) scores were measured before and after the practice. In Study 2 (N = 90) and Study 3 (N = 61), the mindfulness practice was tested with an entirely online sample to test the delivery of the 5-minute mindfulness practice via the internet. In Study 2 and 3, we found a significant increase in TMS scores in the mindful condition, but not in the control condition. These findings highlight the impact of a brief, mindfulness practice for single-session, computer-mediated use to increase mindfulness as a state. PMID:27105428

Adding an Extra Dimension to What Students See through the Light Microscope: A Lab Exercise Demonstrating Critical Analysis for Microscopy Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrill, Ashley

2011-01-01

This article describes an undergraduate lab exercise that demonstrates the importance of students thinking critically about what they see through a microscope. The students are given growth data from tip-growing organisms that suggest the cells grow in a pulsatile manner. The students then critique this data in several exercises that incorporate…

From trace evidence to bioinformatics: putting bryophytes into molecular biology education.

PubMed

Fuselier, Linda; Bougary, Azhar; Malott, Michelle

2011-01-01

Students benefit most from their science education when they participate fully in the process of science in the context of real-world problems. We describe a student-directed open-inquiry lab experience that has no predetermined outcomes and requires students to engage in all components of scientific inquiry from posing a question through evaluating and reporting results. Over 5 weeks, students learn how bryophytes are used in forensics and become proficient in important molecular biology lab skills including DNA isolation, polymerase chain reaction, gel electrophoresis, capillary electrophoresis, and genotyping. For this portion of the experience, there is no specialized equipment necessary outside of gel electrophoresis supplies and a thermocycler. In an optional extension of the experience, students sequence a plastid intron and use introductory bioinformatics skills to identify species related to their forensics case. Students who participated in the lab experience performed well on content-based assessment, and student attitudes toward the experience were positive and indicative of engaged learning. The lab experience is easily modified for higher or lower level courses and can be used in secondary education. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Seeing Science through Symmetry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gould, L. I.

Seeing Through Symmetry is a course that introduces non-science majors to the pervasive influence of symmetry in science. The concept of symmetry is usedboth as a link between subjects (such as physics, biology, mathematics, music, poetry, and art) and as a method within a subject. This is done through the development and use of interactive multimedia learning environments to stimulate learning. Computer-based labs enable the student to further explore the concept by being gently led from the arts to science. This talk is an update that includes some of the latest changes to the course. Explanations are given on methodology and how a variety of interactive multimedia tools contribute to both the lecture and lab portion of the course (created in 1991 and taught almost every semester since then, including one in Sweden).

Dorm Room Labs for Introductory Large-Lecture Science Classes for Nonscience Majors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moldwin, Mark B.

2018-01-01

Many large-lecture introductory science courses for nonscience majors do not have a lab component and hence do not provide much opportunity for students to engage in the practice of science. I have developed a new instructional activity called Dorm Room Labs that enables students to conduct hands-on activities as homework (or dorm room work) to…

Mobile Robot Lab Project to Introduce Engineering Students to Fault Diagnosis in Mechatronic Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gómez-de-Gabriel, Jesús Manuel; Mandow, Anthony; Fernández-Lozano, Jesús; García-Cerezo, Alfonso

2015-01-01

This paper proposes lab work for learning fault detection and diagnosis (FDD) in mechatronic systems. These skills are important for engineering education because FDD is a key capability of competitive processes and products. The intended outcome of the lab work is that students become aware of the importance of faulty conditions and learn to…

The StratusLab cloud distribution: Use-cases and support for scientific applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Floros, E.

2012-04-01

The StratusLab project is integrating an open cloud software distribution that enables organizations to setup and provide their own private or public IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) computing clouds. StratusLab distribution capitalizes on popular infrastructure virtualization solutions like KVM, the OpenNebula virtual machine manager, Claudia service manager and SlipStream deployment platform, which are further enhanced and expanded with additional components developed within the project. The StratusLab distribution covers the core aspects of a cloud IaaS architecture, namely Computing (life-cycle management of virtual machines), Storage, Appliance management and Networking. The resulting software stack provides a packaged turn-key solution for deploying cloud computing services. The cloud computing infrastructures deployed using StratusLab can support a wide range of scientific and business use cases. Grid computing has been the primary use case pursued by the project and for this reason the initial priority has been the support for the deployment and operation of fully virtualized production-level grid sites; a goal that has already been achieved by operating such a site as part of EGI's (European Grid Initiative) pan-european grid infrastructure. In this area the project is currently working to provide non-trivial capabilities like elastic and autonomic management of grid site resources. Although grid computing has been the motivating paradigm, StratusLab's cloud distribution can support a wider range of use cases. Towards this direction, we have developed and currently provide support for setting up general purpose computing solutions like Hadoop, MPI and Torque clusters. For what concerns scientific applications the project is collaborating closely with the Bioinformatics community in order to prepare VM appliances and deploy optimized services for bioinformatics applications. In a similar manner additional scientific disciplines like Earth Science can take advantage of StratusLab cloud solutions. Interested users are welcomed to join StratusLab's user community by getting access to the reference cloud services deployed by the project and offered to the public.

Development of Guided Inquiry-Based Student Lab Worksheet on the Making of Pineapple Flavoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dwiyanti, G.; Suryatna, A.; Taibah, I.

2017-02-01

The aim of this research was to develop guided inquiry based student lab worksheet on making pineapple flavour and knowing the quality of worksheet that is being developed. Research methods that is being conducted is research and development that is limited by a preliminary studies (literature studies, field surveys, and preparation of the initial product) and development of the model (within limited testing). The results from analyze the books sources and fields survey showed that the characteristic of esterification lab worksheet that currently available still in the direct instruction form (cookbook). The optimization result of making pineapple flavour experiment that was conducted are the ethanol volume 3 mL, butyric acid volume 2 mL, sulfuric acid 5 drops, saturated NaHCO3 solution volume 9 mL, and temperature of heating was 80 °C. The characteristic of guided inquiry based student lab worksheet that was developed contained phenomenon and instructions that suitable with inquiry stages to guide the students in doing the experiment of making pineapple flavour. The evaluation of designated teachers and lecturers of the developed student worksheet were very good (96,08%). Lab-experiment feasibility achieved by using guided inquiry based student lab worksheets that is being developed based on the inquiry stages that conducted by student were found very good (97,50%) and accomplishment based on students’ answer of the tasks in the worksheet were found very good (83,84%). Students’ responses of the experiments using the developed worksheet are found very good (81,84%).

[Skills lab training in veterinary medicine. Effective preparation for clinical work at the small animal clinic of the University for Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation].

PubMed

Engelskirchen, Simon; Ehlers, Jan; Kirk, Ansgar T; Tipold, Andrea; Dilly, Marc

2017-09-20

During five and a half years of studying veterinary medicine, students should in addition to theoretical knowledge acquire sufficient practical skills. Considering animal welfare and ethical aspects, opportunities for hands-on learning on living animals are limited because of the high annual number of students. The first German veterinary clinical-skills lab, established in 2013 at the University for Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation (TiHo), offers opportunities for all students to learn, train and repeat clinical skills on simulators and models as frequently as they would like, until they feel sufficiently confident to transfer these skills to living animals. This study describes the establishment of clinical-skills lab training within the students' practical education, using the example of the small-animal clinic of the TiHo. Two groups of students were compared: without skills lab training (control group K) and with skills lab training (intervention group I). At the end of both the training and a subsequent 10-week clinical rotation in different sections of the clinic, an objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) was performed, testing the students' practical skills at 15 stations. An additional multiple-choice test was performed before and after the clinical rotation to evaluate the increased theoretical knowledge. Students of group I achieved significantly (p ≤ 0.05) better results in eight of the 15 tested skills. The multiple-choice test revealed a significant (p ≤ 0.05) gain of theoretical knowledge in both groups without any differences between the groups. Students displayed a high degree of acceptance of the skills lab training. Using simulators and models in veterinary education is an efficient teaching concept, and should be used continually and integrated in the curriculum.

eComLab: remote laboratory platform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pontual, Murillo; Melkonyan, Arsen; Gampe, Andreas; Huang, Grant; Akopian, David

2011-06-01

Hands-on experiments with electronic devices have been recognized as an important element in the field of engineering to help students get familiar with theoretical concepts and practical tasks. The continuing increase the student number, costly laboratory equipment, and laboratory maintenance slow down the physical lab efficiency. As information technology continues to evolve, the Internet has become a common media in modern education. Internetbased remote laboratory can solve a lot of restrictions, providing hands-on training as they can be flexible in time and the same equipment can be shared between different students. This article describes an on-going remote hands-on experimental radio modulation, network and mobile applications lab project "eComLab". Its main component is a remote laboratory infrastructure and server management system featuring various online media familiar with modern students, such as chat rooms and video streaming.

Three pedagogical approaches to introductory physics labs and their effects on student learning outcomes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chambers, Timothy

This dissertation presents the results of an experiment that measured the learning outcomes associated with three different pedagogical approaches to introductory physics labs. These three pedagogical approaches presented students with the same apparatus and covered the same physics content, but used different lab manuals to guide students through distinct cognitive processes in conducting their laboratory investigations. We administered post-tests containing multiple-choice conceptual questions and free-response quantitative problems one week after students completed these laboratory investigations. In addition, we collected data from the laboratory practical exam taken by students at the end of the semester. Using these data sets, we compared the learning outcomes for the three curricula in three dimensions of ability: conceptual understanding, quantitative problem-solving skill, and laboratory skills. Our three pedagogical approaches are as follows. Guided labs lead students through their investigations via a combination of Socratic-style questioning and direct instruction, while students record their data and answers to written questions in the manual during the experiment. Traditional labs provide detailed written instructions, which students follow to complete the lab objectives. Open labs provide students with a set of apparatus and a question to be answered, and leave students to devise and execute an experiment to answer the question. In general, we find that students performing Guided labs perform better on some conceptual assessment items, and that students performing Open labs perform significantly better on experimental tasks. Combining a classical test theory analysis of post-test results with in-lab classroom observations allows us to identify individual components of the laboratory manuals and investigations that are likely to have influenced the observed differences in learning outcomes associated with the different pedagogical approaches. Due to the novel nature of this research and the large number of item-level results we produced, we recommend additional research to determine the reproducibility of our results. Analyzing the data with item response theory yields additional information about the performance of our students on both conceptual questions and quantitative problems. We find that performing lab activities on a topic does lead to better-than-expected performance on some conceptual questions regardless of pedagogical approach, but that this acquired conceptual understanding is strongly context-dependent. The results also suggest that a single "Newtonian reasoning ability" is inadequate to explain student response patterns to items from the Force Concept Inventory. We develop a framework for applying polytomous item response theory to the analysis of quantitative free-response problems and for analyzing how features of student solutions are influenced by problem-solving ability. Patterns in how students at different abilities approach our post-test problems are revealed, and we find hints as to how features of a free-response problem influence its item parameters. The item-response theory framework we develop provides a foundation for future development of quantitative free-response research instruments. Chapter 1 of the dissertation presents a brief history of physics education research and motivates the present study. Chapter 2 describes our experimental methodology and discusses the treatments applied to students and the instruments used to measure their learning. Chapter 3 provides an introduction to the statistical and analytical methods used in our data analysis. Chapter 4 presents the full data set, analyzed using both classical test theory and item response theory. Chapter 5 contains a discussion of the implications of our results and a data-driven analysis of our experimental methods. Chapter 6 describes the importance of this work to the field and discusses the relevance of our research to curriculum development and to future work in physics education research.

The Computer-Networked Writing Lab: One Instructor's View. ERIC Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Puccio, P. M.

According to an instructor of basic writing in the Writing Lab at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, he can teach differently in a computer-networked writing lab than he did in a conventional classroom. Because the room is designed to teach writing and nothing else, it offers a congenial workspace where the teacher can interact with…

Curricular Adaptations in Introductory Physics Labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dreyfus, Benjamin W.; Ewell, Mary; Moore, Kimberly

2017-01-01

When curricular materials are disseminated to new sites, there can be a tension between fidelity to the original intent of the developers and adaptation to local needs. In this case study we look at a lab activity that was initially developed for an introductory physics for the life sciences (IPLS) course at the University of Maryland, then implemented at George Mason University with significant adaptations. The goals of the two implementations were overlapping, but also differed in ways that are reflected in the two versions of the lab. We compare student lab report data from the two sites to examine the impacts of the adaptation on how students engaged with the lab.

Stream piracy in the Black Hills: A geomorphology lab exercise

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zaprowski, B.J.; Evenson, E.B.; Epstein, J.B.

2002-01-01

The Black Hills of South Dakota exhibits many fine examples of stream piracy that are very suitable for teaching geomorphology lab exercises. This lab goes beyond standard topographic map interpretation by using geologic maps, well logs, gravel provenance and other types of data to teach students about stream piracy. Using a step-by-step method in which the lab exercises ramp up in difficulty, students hone their skills in deductive reasoning and data assimilation. The first exercises deal with the identification of stream piracy at a variety of spatial scales and the lab culminates with an exercise on landscape evolution and drainage rearrangement.

Integrating Multiple On-line Knowledge Bases for Disease-Lab Test Relation Extraction.

PubMed

Zhang, Yaoyun; Soysal, Ergin; Moon, Sungrim; Wang, Jingqi; Tao, Cui; Xu, Hua

2015-01-01

A computable knowledge base containing relations between diseases and lab tests would be a great resource for many biomedical informatics applications. This paper describes our initial step towards establishing a comprehensive knowledge base of disease and lab tests relations utilizing three public on-line resources. LabTestsOnline, MedlinePlus and Wikipedia are integrated to create a freely available, computable disease-lab test knowledgebase. Disease and lab test concepts are identified using MetaMap and relations between diseases and lab tests are determined based on source-specific rules. Experimental results demonstrate a high precision for relation extraction, with Wikipedia achieving the highest precision of 87%. Combining the three sources reached a recall of 51.40%, when compared with a subset of disease-lab test relations extracted from a reference book. Moreover, we found additional disease-lab test relations from on-line resources, indicating they are complementary to existing reference books for building a comprehensive disease and lab test relation knowledge base.

Tap Teens' Curiosity with Lab Band.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Jane

2002-01-01

Describes the Lab Band project used with 12th grade students at the Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute in Thunder Bay, Ontario (Canada). Explains that each band student taught a peer how to play their instrument which created versatility in the band. States that all students kept a reflective journal. (CMK)

Can You Solve the Crime? Using Agarose Electrophoresis To Identify an Unknown Colored Protein.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiltfong, Cynthia L.; Chester, Emily; Albertin, Faith; Smith, Julia; Hall, Judith C.; Arth, Emily C.; Martin, Stephanie

2003-01-01

Describes a lab that introduces agarose electrophoresis techniques and basic information on proteins to middle school and high school students. Insists that, built around a scenario in which students must solve a crime, the lab has real-world applications that should spark student interest. (KHR)

Online Lab Books for Supervision of Project Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badge, J. L.; Badge, R. M.

2009-01-01

In this article, the authors report a case study where Blackboard's wiki function was used to create electronic lab books for the supervision of undergraduate students completing laboratory based research projects. This successful experiment in supervision using electronic notebooks provided a searchable record of student work and a permanent…

Introductory labs; what they don't, should, and can teach (and why)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieman, Carl

2016-03-01

Introductory physics labs are widely used and expensive. They have a wide variety of potential learning goals, but these are seldom specified and less often measured if they are achieved. We cover three different research projects on introductory labs: 1) We have done cognitive task analyses of both experimental research in physics and instructional labs. The striking differences explain much of the unhappiness expressed by students with labs: 2) We have measured the effectiveness of two introductory physics lab courses specifically intended to teach the physics content covered in standard introductory courses on mechanics and E & M. As measured by course exams, the benefit is 0 +/-2% for both. 3) We show how it is possible to use lab courses to teach students to correctly evaluate physical models with uncertain data. Such quantitative critical thinking is an important skill that is not learned in typical lab courses, but is well learned by our modified lab instruction.

Microbes in Mascara: Hypothesis-Driven Research in a Nonmajor Biology Lab †

PubMed Central

Burleson, Kathryn M.; Martinez-Vaz, Betsy M.

2011-01-01

In this laboratory exercise, students were taught concepts of microbiology and scientific process through an everyday activity — cosmetic use. The students’ goals for the lab were to develop a hypothesis regarding microbial contamination in cosmetics, learn techniques to culture and differentiate microorganisms from cosmetics, and propose best practices in cosmetics use based on their findings. Prior to the lab, students took a pretest to assess their knowledge of scientific hypotheses, microbiology, and cosmetic safety. In the first week, students were introduced to microbiological concepts and methodologies, and cosmetic terminology and safety. Students completed a hypothesis-writing exercise before formulating and testing their own hypotheses regarding cosmetic contamination. Students provided a cosmetic of their own and, in consultation with their lab group, chose one product for testing. Samples were serially diluted and plated on a variety of selective media. In the second week, students analyzed their plates to determine the presence and diversity of microbes and if their hypotheses were supported. Students completed a worksheet of their results and were given a posttest to assess their knowledge. Average test scores improved from 5.2 (pretest) to 7.8 (posttest), with p-values < 0.0001. Seventy-nine percent (79%) of students correctly identified hypotheses that were not falsifiable or lacked variables, and 89% of students improved their scores on questions concerning safe cosmetic use. Ninety-one percent (91%) of students demonstrated increased knowledge of microbial concepts and methods. Based on our results, this lab is an easy, yet effective, way to enhance knowledge of scientific concepts for nonmajors, while maintaining relevance to everyday life. PMID:23653761

Problem-Based Approach to Teaching Advanced Chemistry Laboratories and Developing Students' Critical Thinking Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quattrucci, Joseph G.

2018-01-01

A new method for teaching advanced laboratories at the undergraduate level is presented. The intent of this approach is to get students more engaged in the lab experience and apply critical thinking skills to solve problems. The structure of the lab is problem-based and provides students with a research-like experience. Students read the current…

Allergic to the Laboratory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fields, Ronda K.

2000-01-01

Presents a creative set-up that allows students with latex allergies full participation in chemistry labs. Discusses how one student having a latex allergy is turned into a learning experience for all and how this challenged lab safety. (ASK)

Are Africans, Europeans, and Asians different "races"? A guided-inquiry lab for introducing undergraduate students to genetic diversity and preparing them to study natural selection.

PubMed

Kalinowski, Steven T; Andrews, Tessa M; Leonard, Mary J; Snodgrass, Meagan

2012-01-01

Many students do not recognize that individual organisms within populations vary, and this may make it difficult for them to recognize the essential role variation plays in natural selection. Also, many students have weak scientific reasoning skills, and this makes it difficult for them to recognize misconceptions they might have. This paper describes a 2-h laboratory for college students that introduces them to genetic diversity and gives them practice using hypothetico-deductive reasoning. In brief, the lab presents students with DNA sequences from Africans, Europeans, and Asians, and asks students to determine whether people from each continent qualify as distinct "races." Comparison of the DNA sequences shows that people on each continent are not more similar to one another than to people on other continents, and therefore do not qualify as distinct races. Ninety-four percent of our students reported that the laboratory was interesting, and 79% reported that it was a valuable learning experience. We developed and used a survey to measure the extent to which students recognized variation and its significance within populations and showed that the lab increased student awareness of variation. We also showed that the lab improved the ability of students to construct hypothetico-deductive arguments.

Optimizing physician access to surgical intensive care unit laboratory information through mobile computing.

PubMed

Strain, J J; Felciano, R M; Seiver, A; Acuff, R; Fagan, L

1996-01-01

Approximately 30 minutes of computer access time are required by surgical residents at Stanford University Medical Center (SUMC) to examine the lab values of all patients on a surgical intensive care unit (ICU) service, a task that must be performed several times a day. To reduce the time accessing this information and simultaneously increase the readability and currency of the data, we have created a mobile, pen-based user interface and software system that delivers lab results to surgeons in the ICU. The ScroungeMaster system, loaded on a portable tablet computer, retrieves lab results for a subset of patients from the central laboratory computer and stores them in a local database cache. The cache can be updated on command; this update takes approximately 2.7 minutes for all ICU patients being followed by the surgeon, and can be performed as a background task while the user continues to access selected lab results. The user interface presents lab results according to physiologic system. Which labs are displayed first is governed by a layout selection algorithm based on previous accesses to the patient's lab information, physician preferences, and the nature of the patient's medical condition. Initial evaluation of the system has shown that physicians prefer the ScroungeMaster interface to that of existing systems at SUMC and are satisfied with the system's performance. We discuss the evolution of ScroungeMaster and make observations on changes to physician work flow with the presence of mobile, pen-based computing in the ICU.

Lessons Learned from Conducting a K-12 Project to Revitalize Achievement by Using Instrumentation in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kapila, Vikram; Iskander, Magued

2014-01-01

A student's first introduction to engineering and technology is typically through high school science labs. Unfortunately, in many high schools, science labs often make use of antiquated tools that fail to deliver exciting lab content. As a result, many students are turned off by science, fail to excel on standardized science exams, and do not…

Turning a Common Lab Exercise into a Challenging Lab Experiment: Revisiting the Cart on an Inclined Track

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amato, Joseph C.; Williams, Roger E.

2010-01-01

A common lab exercise in the introductory college physics course employs a low-friction cart and associated track to study the validity of Newton's second law. Yet for college students, especially those who have already encountered a good high school physics course, the exercise must seem a little pointless. These students have already learned to…

California State University, Bakersfield Fab Lab: "Making" a Difference in Middle School Students' STEM Attitudes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medina, Andrea Lee

2017-01-01

The digital fabrication lab, or Fab Lab, at California State University, Bakersfield provided a 1-week, half-day summer program for local area middle school students. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect this summer program had on their attitudes towards math and science. The theoretical framework used for this study was based on…

DNA Microarray Wet Lab Simulation Brings Genomics into the High School Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, A. Malcolm; Zanta, Carolyn A.; Heyer, Laurie J.; Kittinger, Ben; Gabric, Kathleen M.; Adler, Leslie

2006-01-01

We have developed a wet lab DNA microarray simulation as part of a complete DNA microarray module for high school students. The wet lab simulation has been field tested with high school students in Illinois and Maryland as well as in workshops with high school teachers from across the nation. Instead of using DNA, our simulation is based on pH…

The Design of NetSecLab: A Small Competition-Based Network Security Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, C. P.; Uluagac, A. S.; Fairbanks, K. D.; Copeland, J. A.

2011-01-01

This paper describes a competition-style of exercise to teach system and network security and to reinforce themes taught in class. The exercise, called NetSecLab, is conducted on a closed network with student-formed teams, each with their own Linux system to defend and from which to launch attacks. Students are expected to learn how to: 1) install…

Attracting STEM talent: do STEM students prefer traditional or work/life-interaction labs?

PubMed

DeFraine, William C; Williams, Wendy M; Ceci, Stephen J

2014-01-01

The demand for employees trained in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to increase, yet the number of Millennial students pursuing STEM is not keeping pace. We evaluated whether this shortfall is associated with Millennials' preference for flexibility and work/life-interaction in their careers-a preference that may be inconsistent with the traditional idea of a science career endorsed by many lab directors. Two contrasting approaches to running STEM labs and training students were explored, and we created a lab recruitment video depicting each. The work-focused video emphasized the traditional notions of a science lab, characterized by long work hours and a focus on individual achievement and conducting research above all else. In contrast, the work/life-interaction-focused video emphasized a more progressive view - lack of demarcation between work and non-work lives, flexible hours, and group achievement. In Study 1, 40 professors rated the videos, and the results confirmed that the two lab types reflected meaningful real-world differences in training approaches. In Study 2, we recruited 53 current and prospective graduate students in STEM fields who displayed high math-identification and a commitment to science careers. In a between-subjects design, they watched one of the two lab-recruitment videos, and then reported their anticipated sense of belonging to and desire to participate in the lab depicted in the video. Very large effects were observed on both primary measures: Participants who watched the work/life-interaction-focused video reported a greater sense of belonging to (d = 1.49) and desire to participate in (d = 1.33) the lab, relative to participants who watched the work-focused video. These results suggest Millennials possess a strong desire for work/life-interaction, which runs counter to the traditional lab-training model endorsed by many lab directors. We discuss implications of these findings for STEM recruitment.

Attracting STEM Talent: Do STEM Students Prefer Traditional or Work/Life-Interaction Labs?

PubMed Central

DeFraine, William C.; Williams, Wendy M.; Ceci, Stephen J.

2014-01-01

The demand for employees trained in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields continues to increase, yet the number of Millennial students pursuing STEM is not keeping pace. We evaluated whether this shortfall is associated with Millennials' preference for flexibility and work/life-interaction in their careers-a preference that may be inconsistent with the traditional idea of a science career endorsed by many lab directors. Two contrasting approaches to running STEM labs and training students were explored, and we created a lab recruitment video depicting each. The work-focused video emphasized the traditional notions of a science lab, characterized by long work hours and a focus on individual achievement and conducting research above all else. In contrast, the work/life-interaction-focused video emphasized a more progressive view – lack of demarcation between work and non-work lives, flexible hours, and group achievement. In Study 1, 40 professors rated the videos, and the results confirmed that the two lab types reflected meaningful real-world differences in training approaches. In Study 2, we recruited 53 current and prospective graduate students in STEM fields who displayed high math-identification and a commitment to science careers. In a between-subjects design, they watched one of the two lab-recruitment videos, and then reported their anticipated sense of belonging to and desire to participate in the lab depicted in the video. Very large effects were observed on both primary measures: Participants who watched the work/life-interaction-focused video reported a greater sense of belonging to (d = 1.49) and desire to participate in (d = 1.33) the lab, relative to participants who watched the work-focused video. These results suggest Millennials possess a strong desire for work/life-interaction, which runs counter to the traditional lab-training model endorsed by many lab directors. We discuss implications of these findings for STEM recruitment. PMID:24587044

Learning effectiveness: A comparative study to measure effectiveness of webcasting in success of students in an introductory computer science class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghyam, Massoud

This study investigates if providing delayed webcast of college lectures would improve the retention of students enrolled in an introductory computer science class over a span of six semesters. The population for this study was undergraduate engineering students enrolled in the same course at a major research university in a western state in six different semesters. The same instructor taught all sections of the course, the same textbook and software were used, and the number of lab/teaching assistants were also exactly the same. Assignments and exams were changed but were kept at the same level of difficulty. Some students were enrolled in the courses where webcasting was not utilized as a tool, while others took the same course where delayed webcasting was used. The research question that guided the study was: Will use of the delayed webcast and the availability of the course lectures on line improve students' grades and therefore the success ratio in the Introduction to Computer Science and Programming course? For the purposes of this study successful completion is defined as the number of students who did not drop the course, and who passed the course with a grade of C- or better. Grade improvement of students who completed the course was also examined. Result of the study showed providing delayed webcast of the lectures did not improve retention, but neither did it harm the student's learning. Future study is recommended to include coding for gender and student's field of study.

Fully On-line Introductory Physics with a Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schatz, Michael

We describe the development and implementation of a college-level introductory physics (mechanics) course and laboratory that is suited for both on-campus and on-line environments. The course emphasizes a ``Your World is Your Lab'' approach whereby students first examine and capture on video (using cellphones) motion in their immediate surroundings, and then use free, open-source software both to extract data from the video and to apply physics principles to build models that describe, predict, and visualize the observations. Each student reports findings by creating a video lab report and posting it online; these video lab reports are then distributed to the rest of the class for peer review. In this talk, we will discuss the student and instructor experiences in courses offered to three distinct audiences in different venues: (1) a Massively Open On-line Course (MOOC) for off-campus participants, (2) a flipped/blended course for on-campus students, and, most recently, (3) a fully-online course for off-campus students.

An introductory biology lab that uses enzyme histochemistry to teach students about skeletal muscle fiber types.

PubMed

Sweeney, Lauren J; Brodfuehrer, Peter D; Raughley, Beth L

2004-12-01

One important goal of introductory biology laboratory experiences is to engage students directly in all steps in the process of scientific discovery. Even when laboratory experiences are built on principles discussed in the classroom, students often do not adequately apply this background to interpretation of results they obtain in lab. This disconnect has been described at the level of medical education (4), so it should not be surprising that educators have struggled with this same phenomenon at the undergraduate level. We describe a new introductory biology lab that challenges students to make these connections. The lab utilizes enzyme histochemistry and morphological observations to draw conclusions about the composition of functionally different types of muscle fibers present in skeletal muscle. We report that students were not only successful at making these observations on a specific skeletal muscle, the gastrocnemius of the frog Rana pipiens, but that they were able to connect their results to the principles of fiber type differences that exist in skeletal muscles in all vertebrates.

Exploratory study of the acceptance of two individual practical classes with remote labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tirado-Morueta, Ramón; Sánchez-Herrera, Reyes; Márquez-Sánchez, Marco A.; Mejías-Borrero, Andrés; Andujar-Márquez, José Manuel

2018-03-01

Remote lab experiences are proliferating in higher education, although there are still few studies that manage to build a theoretical framework for educational assessment and design of this technology. In order to explore to what extent the use of facilitators of proximity to the laboratory and the autonomy of the experiment makes remote laboratories a technology accepted by students, two remote labs different yet similar educational conditions in laboratories are used. A sample of 98 undergraduate students from a degree course in Energy Engineering was used for this study; 57 of these students ran experiments in a laboratory of electrical machines and 41 in a photovoltaic systems laboratory. The data suggest using conditions that facilitate the proximity of the laboratory and the autonomy in the realisation of the experiment; in both laboratories the experience was positively valued by the students. Also, data suggest that the types of laboratory and experiment have influences on usability - autonomy and lab proximity - perceived by students.

My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week

NASA Image and Video Library

2016-03-02

Students in the My Brother’s Keeper program get an inside look at NASA Kennedy Space Center’s iconic Vehicle Assembly Building from the transfer aisle. The Florida spaceport is one of six NASA centers that participated in My Brother’s Keeper National Lab Week. The event is a nationwide effort to bring youth from underrepresented communities into federal labs and centers for hands-on activities, tours and inspirational speakers. Sixty students from the nearby cities of Orlando and Sanford visited Kennedy, where they toured the Vehicle Assembly Building, the Space Station Processing Facility and the center’s innovative Swamp Works Labs. The students also had a chance to meet and ask questions of a panel of subject matter experts from across Kennedy.

A study of the effects of gender and different instructional media (computer-assisted instruction tutorials vs. textbook) on student attitudes and achievement in a team-taught integrated science class

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eardley, Julie Anne

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of different instructional media (computer assisted instruction (CAI) tutorial vs. traditional textbook) on student attitudes toward science and computers and achievement scores in a team-taught integrated science course, ENS 1001, "The Whole Earth Course," which was offered at Florida Institute of Technology during the Fall 2000 term. The effect of gender on student attitudes toward science and computers and achievement scores was also investigated. This study employed a randomized pretest-posttest control group experimental research design with a sample of 30 students (12 males and 18 females). Students had registered for weekly lab sessions that accompanied the course and had been randomly assigned to the treatment or control group. The treatment group used a CAI tutorial for completing homework assignments and the control group used the required textbook for completing homework assignments. The Attitude toward Science and Computers Questionnaire and Achievement Test were the two instruments administered during this study to measure students' attitudes and achievement score changes. A multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA), using hierarchical multiple regression/correlation (MRC), was employed to determine: (1) treatment versus control group attitude and achievement differences; and (2) male versus female attitude and achievement differences. The differences between the treatment group's and control group's homework averages were determined by t test analyses. The overall MANCOVA model was found to be significant at p < .05. Examining research factor set independent variables separately resulted in gender being the only variable that significantly contributed in explaining the variability in a dependent variable, attitudes toward science and computers. T test analyses of the homework averages showed no significant differences. Contradictory to the findings of this study, anecdotal information from personal communication, course evaluations, and homework assignments indicated favorable attitudes and higher achievement scores for a majority of the students in the treatment group.

Implementation of the peer-led team-learning instructional model as a stopgap measure improves student achievement for students opting out of laboratory.

PubMed

Snyder, Julia J; Carter, B Elijah; Wiles, Jason R

2015-03-02

In entry-level university courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, students participating in associated laboratory sessions generally do better than those who have no related lab classes. This is a problem when, for various reasons, not enough lab sections can be offered for students and/or when students opt out of optional available lab courses. Faced with such a situation, this study evaluated the efficacy of the peer-led team-learning (PLTL) instructional model as a potential method for narrowing the achievement gap among undergraduate students electing not to enroll in an optional laboratory component of an introductory biology course. In peer-led workshops, small groups of students participated in solving problems and other activities that encouraged active learning. Students led by peer leaders attained significantly higher exam and final course grades in introductory biology than comparable students not participating in PLTL. Among the introductory biology students who opted not to enroll in the optional lab course, those who participated in PLTL averaged more than a letter grade higher than those who did not. This difference was statistically significant, and the PLTL workshops almost entirely closed the achievement gap in lecture exam and final grades for students who did not take the lab. © 2015 J. J. Snyder et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

A Structured-Inquiry Approach to Teaching Neurophysiology Using Computer Simulation

PubMed Central

Crisp, Kevin M.

2012-01-01

Computer simulation is a valuable tool for teaching the fundamentals of neurophysiology in undergraduate laboratories where time and equipment limitations restrict the amount of course content that can be delivered through hands-on interaction. However, students often find such exercises to be tedious and unstimulating. In an effort to engage students in the use of computational modeling while developing a deeper understanding of neurophysiology, an attempt was made to use an educational neurosimulation environment as the basis for a novel, inquiry-based research project. During the semester, students in the class wrote a research proposal, used the Neurodynamix II simulator to generate a large data set, analyzed their modeling results statistically, and presented their findings at the Midbrains Neuroscience Consortium undergraduate poster session. Learning was assessed in the form of a series of short term papers and two 10-min in-class writing responses to the open-ended question, “How do ion channels influence neuronal firing?”, which they completed on weeks 6 and 15 of the semester. Students’ answers to this question showed a deeper understanding of neuronal excitability after the project; their term papers revealed evidence of critical thinking about computational modeling and neuronal excitability. Suggestions for the adaptation of this structured-inquiry approach into shorter term lab experiences are discussed. PMID:23494064

Students' Attitudes toward and Conceptual Understanding of Chemical Instrumentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Larry S.; Nakhleh, Mary B.; Nash, John J.; Meyer, Jeanne A.

2004-01-01

Students' attitudes toward and conceptual understanding of chemical instrumentation is surveyed. The study shows that, in general, the students' attitudes toward using instrumentation in the lab is quite positive and they felt that using instrumentation in the lab allowed them not only to connect "chemistry" and the "real world", but also to…

Using a Laboratory Conclusion Rubric

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rutherford, Sandra

2007-01-01

Adding a strong conclusion can alter a cookbook lab into an inquiry lab by challenging the student to defend relevant data and clearly communicate his or her findings. A well-organized scoring guide makes it easier for students to understand what is involved in writing a strong conclusion. Examples of student writing that are accompanied with the…

Assessing Student Learning in a Virtual Laboratory Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, T.

2010-01-01

Laboratory experience is a key factor in technical and scientific education. Virtual laboratories have been proposed to reduce cost and simplify maintenance of lab facilities while still providing students with access to real systems. It is important to determine if such virtual labs are still effective for student learning. In the assessment of a…

Easy Ways to Promote Inquiry in a Laboratory Course: The Power of Student Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polacek, Kelly Myer; Keeling, Elena Levine

2005-01-01

To teach students to think like scientists, the authors modified their laboratory course to include regular opportunities for student practice of inquiry and the scientific process. Their techniques are simple; they can be implemented without rewriting lab manuals, require little additional grading beyond typical lab reports, and are applicable…

Impact of Fab Lab Tulsa on Student Self-Efficacy toward STEM Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubriwny, Nicholas; Pritchett, Nathan; Hardesty, Michelle; Hellman, Chan M.

2016-01-01

Student self-confidence is important to any attempt to increase interest and achievement in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education. This study presents a longitudinal examination of Fab Lab Tulsa's impact on attitude and self-efficacy toward STEM education among middle-school aged students. Paired samples t-test showed a…

Island Explorations: Discovering Effects of Environmental Research-Based Lab Activities on Analytical Chemistry Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomasik, Janice Hall; LeCaptain, Dale; Murphy, Sarah; Martin, Mary; Knight, Rachel M.; Harke, Maureen A.; Burke, Ryan; Beck, Kara; Acevedo-Polakovich, I. David

2014-01-01

Motivating students in analytical chemistry can be challenging, in part because of the complexity and breadth of topics involved. Some methods that help encourage students and convey real-world relevancy of the material include incorporating environmental issues, research-based lab experiments, and service learning projects. In this paper, we…

Implementing the Lab School Club Model at the Academy in Manayunk

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herman, Chris

2010-01-01

Central to The Lab School model is Sally Smith's Club Methodology, the full immersion of students into a time period where historical information is learned through multi-sensory activities. While immersed, through the use of costumes and elaborately decorated classrooms, students are engaged in project-based learning. As the student's…

Promoting Student Learning through the Integration of Lab and Lecture: The Seamless Biology Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burrowes, Patricia; Nazario, Gladys

2008-01-01

The authors engaged in an education experiment to determine if the integration of lab and lecture activities in zoology and botany proved beneficial to student learning and motivation toward biology. Their results revealed that this strategy positively influenced students' academic achievement, conceptual understanding, and ability to apply…

Quantitative Comparisons to Promote Inquiry in the Introductory Physics Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holmes, N. G.; Bonn, D. A.

2015-09-01

In a recent report, the American Association of Physics Teachers has developed an updated set of recommendations for curriculum of undergraduate physics labs. This document focuses on six major themes: constructing knowledge, modeling, designing experiments, developing technical and practical laboratory skills, analyzing and visualizing data, and communicating physics. These themes all tie together as a set of practical skills in scientific measurement, analysis, and experimentation. In addition to teaching students how to use these skills, it is important for students to know when to use them so that they can use them autonomously. This requires, especially in the case of analytical skills, high levels of inquiry behaviors to reflect on data and iterate measurements, which students rarely do in lab experiments. Often, they perform lab experiments in a plug-and-chug frame, procedurally completing each activity with little to no sensemaking. An emphasis on obtaining true theoretical values or agreement on individual measurements also reinforces inauthentic behaviors such as retroactively inflating measurement uncertainties. This paper aims to offer a relatively simple pedagogical framework for engaging students authentically in experimentation and inquiry in physics labs.

Web-based e-learning and virtual lab of human-artificial immune system.

PubMed

Gong, Tao; Ding, Yongsheng; Xiong, Qin

2014-05-01

Human immune system is as important in keeping the body healthy as the brain in supporting the intelligence. However, the traditional models of the human immune system are built on the mathematics equations, which are not easy for students to understand. To help the students to understand the immune systems, a web-based e-learning approach with virtual lab is designed for the intelligent system control course by using new intelligent educational technology. Comparing the traditional graduate educational model within the classroom, the web-based e-learning with the virtual lab shows the higher inspiration in guiding the graduate students to think independently and innovatively, as the students said. It has been found that this web-based immune e-learning system with the online virtual lab is useful for teaching the graduate students to understand the immune systems in an easier way and design their simulations more creatively and cooperatively. The teaching practice shows that the optimum web-based e-learning system can be used to increase the learning effectiveness of the students.

Hydrogen Technology and Energy Curriculum (HyTEC)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nagle, Barbara

The Lawrence Hall of Science of the University of California, Berkeley has collaborated with scientists and engineers, a local transit agency, school districts, and a commercial curriculum publisher to develop, field-test nationally, and publish a two-week curriculum module on hydrogen and fuel cells for high school science. Key partners in this project are the Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) of Humboldt State University, the Alameda-Contra Costa Transit District (AC Transit), FilmSight Productions, Lab-Aids, Inc., and 32 teachers and 2,370 students in field-test classrooms in California, Connecticut, Ohio, New York, South Carolina, and Washington. Field-test teachers received two to three daysmore » of professional development before teaching the curriculum and providing feedback used for revision of the curriculum. The curriculum, titled Investigating Alternative Energy: Hydrogen and Fuel Cells and published by Lab-Aids, Inc., includes a teachers guide (with lesson plans, resources, and student handout pages), two interactive computer animations, a video, a website, and a laboratory materials kit. The project has been disseminated to over 950 teachers through awareness workshops at state, regional, and national science teacher conferences.« less

Exploring the Potential of Smartphones and Tablets for Performance Support in Food Chemistry Laboratory Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Kolk, Koos; Hartog, Rob; Beldman, Gerrit; Gruppen, Harry

2013-12-01

Increasingly, mobile applications appear on the market that can support students in chemistry laboratory classes. In a multiple app-supported laboratory, each of these applications covers one use-case. In practice, this leads to situations in which information is scattered over different screens and written materials. Such a multiple app-supported laboratory will become awkward with the growth of the number of applications and use cases. In particular, using and switching between applications is likely to induce extraneous cognitive load that can easily be avoided. The manuscript describes the design of a prototype smartphone web app (LabBuddy) designed to support students in food chemistry laboratory classes. The manuscript describes a case study ( n = 26) of the use of a LabBuddy prototype in such a laboratory class. Based on the evaluation of this case study, design requirements for LabBuddy were articulated. LabBuddy should work on HTML5 capable devices, independent of screen size, by having a responsive layout. In addition, LabBuddy should enable a student using LabBuddy to switch between devices without much effort. Finally, LabBuddy should offer an integrated representation of information.

Service-Learning in the Undergraduate Geoscience Classroom: Establishing Community Partnerships to Enhance Education in Climate Change Science in Local Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Joseph, L. H.; Faust, R.

2009-12-01

The complexity of the science surrounding global climate change makes effective communication about this issue to the public difficult, especially at a time when many would argue that public understanding of science in general has decreased. As a service-learning project, a partnership was created between an upper-level environmental studies climate change class at Ursinus College (UC) and the UC Science In Motion (SIM) program to construct an appropriate lab activity that would foster scientific knowledge and abilities in high school students particularly in relation to basic climate change science. The Pennsylvania SIM program is a state-funded initiative to make a selection of lab activities, equipment, and expertise available to teachers at secondary schools at no cost to the schools with the goal to “strengthen the quality of science education for all.” The twelve SIM sites are dispersed throughout PA and serve over 200 school districts overall. The UC SIM program has served over 30 local schools with labs and activities from which the teachers may select. Prior to the partnership discussed here, there were no labs in the UC SIM program that incorporated the concepts of climate change and though a “drop-off” climate change lab was desired, the staff would have no time to design one. The adaptation of a previously written lab set on climate change was assigned as a project for the 9 environmental studies majors at UC enrolled in a Fall 2008 course exploring the science of global climate change. While an advanced course within the environmental studies curriculum, the science backgrounds of the college students themselves were mixed, ranging from science majors to students for whom this was the first or second science course taken at college. In addition to the typical load of coursework, the students worked in small groups on this project throughout the semester, collecting the supplies, testing and adapting the labs, creating a video to guide users through the lab, visiting a local high school for a trial run, and editing and writing the worksheets and teacher guides. It was necessary for the students to clearly understand the concepts behind the labs so the activities could be adapted and presented appropriately. Effective communication of the concepts through visuals and written work was also important. Continued coordination with UC SIM staff was required and helpful and the final product was turned over to the UC SIM for further adaptation and use. The college students appreciated the positive impact the lab could have on climate change science education even after the end of the semester and found it both motivating and rewarding. Partnering with an organization already established and utilized as a source of science education activities for the local school districts ensured quick dissemination of the lab activity. Between 1/09-6/09, ~12 teachers have used this global climate change lab with ~500 students of mixed academic levels. The lab has received positive feedback from teachers and supplies have been duplicated to meet demand, likely indicative of a desire for accessible lab activities within the field of environmental science.

Inquiry Science for Liberal Arts Students: A Topical Course on Sound

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pine, Jerry; Hinckley, Joy; Mims, Sandra; Smith, Joel

1997-04-01

We have developed a topical general studies physics course for liberal arts students, and particularly for preservice elementary teachers. The course is taught entirely in a lab, and is based on a mix of student inquiries and ''sense-making'' in discussion. There are no lectures. A physics professor and a master elementary teacher co-lead. The students begin by conceptualizing the nature of sound by examining everyday phenomena, and then progress through a study of topics such as waves, interference, sysnthesis of complex sounds from pure tones, analysis of complex sounds into spectra, and independent projects. They use the computer program Soundedit Pro and the Macintosh interface as a powerful tool for analysis and synthesis. The student response has been extremely enthusiastic, though most have come to the course with very strong physics anxiety. The course has so far been trial-taught at five California campuses, and incorporatio into some of hte regular curricula seems promising.

Climate-Literacy Laboratory Exercises for Undergraduate Students in an Introductory Weather and Climate Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diem, J.; Elliott, W.; Criswell, B.; Morrow, C. A.

2012-12-01

A suite of NASA-sponsored, Web-based exercises are in development for an introductory weather and climate course at Georgia State University (GSU) to improve climate literacy among undergraduate students. An extremely small percentage of the students are STEM majors. The exercises make extensive use of NASA resources and are guided in part by the concepts in Climate Literacy: The Essential Principles of Climate Science. At least two thousand undergraduate students have completed a majority of the exercises over the past two years. Nine of the twelve exercises in the course are connected strongly to climate literacy. The topics of those nine exercises are as follows: (1) Solar Irradiance, (2) Stratospheric Ozone, (3) Tropospheric Air, (4) The Carbon Cycle, (5) Global Surface Temperature, (6) Glacial-Interglacial Cycles, (7) Temperature Changes during the Past Millennium, (8) Climate & Ecosystems, and (9) Current & Future Climate Change. Two of the exercises (Tropospheric Air and The Carbon Cycle) make use of carbon dioxide (CO2) measurements made by students themselves and by a stationary CO2 monitor at GSU. The three remaining exercises, The Hadley Cell, Atlanta Weather, and Air Pollution, are less connected to multiple climate-literacy concepts; nonetheless, they provide a more complete experience for the students in the understanding of climate processes, differences between weather and climate, and human impacts on the atmosphere. All exercises are based on an inquiry-based learning cycle (i.e. 7 Es) and require substantial amounts of engagement, applied thinking, and critical thinking by the students. Not only do students become knowledgeable about the essential principles of climate change, especially global warming, but extensive use of geographical-information software and hand-held measurement devices has provided students with training in geography and technology. Student attitudes towards the labs were gathered via an on-line, anonymous survey from hundreds of students in Geography 1112 during the Fall semester of 2010. Students liked the use of high-quality imagery and animations, using Google™ earth, using Microsoft® Excel for calculations and chart production, going outside to collect data, and working in groups. Students did not like the large number of questions in some of the labs, not receiving a "lecture" in the beginning lab exercise, and improperly working Web links. Students suggested having a small lecture at the beginning in addition to having the topics be presented in the lecture sessions before doing the lab exercises as way to improve the labs. Therefore, students desired a more traditional approach to instruction. Seven lab instructors, all of whom were graduate students in the Department of Geosciences, were interviewed by the project evaluator in April of 2011. The main findings were as follows: the instructors viewed themselves as facilitators of the student-centered exercises; the students are uncomfortable with an inquiry-based approach; and there is disconnection between the lecture and lab portions of the course. Future work involves major pedagogical renovations to the exercises, training the lab instructors in the leading of inquiry-based exercises, and assessing student learning of climate-change concepts using pre- and post-tests.

Does It Matter if Students Have the Same Instructor for Lecture and Lab Sections? An Analysis of Introductory Biology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wise, Michael J.

2017-01-01

With the goal of increasing the immediacy of the relationship between tenure-track professors and students, science departments in liberal arts colleges may try to arrange their curriculum so that students have the same professor in both the lecture and the lab section of introductory courses. While this goal seems laudable, empirical data are…

An Inexpensive Biophysics Laboratory Apparatus for Acquiring Pulmonary Function Data with Clinical Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harkay, Gregory

2001-11-01

Interest on the part of the Physics Department at KSC in developing a computer interfaced lab with appeal to biology majors and a need to perform a clinical pulmonological study to fulfill a biology requirement led to the author's undergraduate research project in which a recording spirometer (typical cost: $15K) was constructed from readily available materials and a typical undergraduate lab computer interface. Simple components, including a basic photogate circuit, CPU fan, and PVC couplings were used to construct an instrument for measuring flow rates as a function of time. Pasco software was used to build an experiment in which data was collected and integration performed such that one could obtain accurate values for FEV1 (forced expiratory volume for one second) and FVC (forced vital capacity) and their ratio for a large sample of subjects. Results were compared to published norms and subjects with impaired respiratory mechanisms identified. This laboratory exercise is one with which biology students can clearly identify and would be a robust addition to the repertoire for a HS or college physics or biology teaching laboratory.

Integration of NASA Research into Undergraduate Education in Math, Science, Engineering and Technology at North Carolina A&T State University

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Monroe, Joseph; Kelkar, Ajit

2003-01-01

The NASA PAIR program incorporated the NASA-Sponsored research into the undergraduate environment at North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. This program is designed to significantly improve undergraduate education in the areas of mathematics, science, engineering, and technology (MSET) by directly benefiting from the experiences of NASA field centers, affiliated industrial partners and academic institutions. The three basic goals of the program were enhancing core courses in MSET curriculum, upgrading core-engineering laboratories to compliment upgraded MSET curriculum, and conduct research training for undergraduates in MSET disciplines through a sophomore shadow program and through Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs. Since the inception of the program nine courses have been modified to include NASA related topics and research. These courses have impacted over 900 students in the first three years of the program. The Electrical Engineering circuit's lab is completely re-equipped to include Computer controlled and data acquisition equipment. The Physics lab is upgraded to implement better sensory data acquisition to enhance students understanding of course concepts. In addition a new instrumentation laboratory in the department of Mechanical Engineering is developed. Research training for A&T students was conducted through four different programs: Apprentice program, Developers program, Sophomore Shadow program and Independent Research program. These programs provided opportunities for an average of forty students per semester.

Synchronized Pair Configuration in Virtualization-Based Lab for Learning Computer Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kongcharoen, Chaknarin; Hwang, Wu-Yuin; Ghinea, Gheorghita

2017-01-01

More studies are concentrating on using virtualization-based labs to facilitate computer or network learning concepts. Some benefits are lower hardware costs and greater flexibility in reconfiguring computer and network environments. However, few studies have investigated effective mechanisms for using virtualization fully for collaboration.…

How Do You Like Your Science, Wet or Dry? How Two Lab Experiences Influence Student Understanding of Science Concepts and Perceptions of Authentic Scientific Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munn, Maureen; Knuth, Randy; Van Horne, Katie; Shouse, Andrew W.; Levias, Sheldon

2017-01-01

This study examines how two kinds of authentic research experiences related to smoking behavior--genotyping human DNA (wet lab) and using a database to test hypotheses about factors that affect smoking behavior (dry lab)--influence students' perceptions and understanding of scientific research and related science concepts. The study used pre and…

Development of an Android Application in the Form of a Simulation Lab as Learning Media for Senior High School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Astra, I Made; Nasbey, Hadi; Nugraha, Aditiya

2015-01-01

The aim of this research is to create learning media for senior high school students through an android application in the form of a simulation lab. The method employed in the study is research and development. A simulation lab which has been made subsequently validated by concept and media experts, further empirical testing by teachers and…

Perceptions of Prospective Biology Teachers on Scientific Argumentation in Microbiology Inquiry Lab Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roviati, E.; Widodo, A.; Purwianingsih, W.; Riandi, R.

2017-09-01

Inquiry laboratory activity and scientific argumentation in science education should be promoted and explicitly experienced by prospective biology teacher students in classes, including in microbiology courses. The goal of this study is to get information about perceptions of prospective biology teachers on scientific argumentation in microbiology inquiry lab activities. This study reported the result of a survey research to prospective biology teachers about how their perception about microbiology lab classes and their perception about inquiry and argumentation in microbiology lab activities should be. The participants of this study were 100 students of biology education department from an institute in Cirebon, West Java taking microbiology lecture during the fifth semester. The data were collected using questionnaire to explore the perceptions and knowledge of prospective biology teachers about microbiology, inquiry lab activities and argumentation. The result showed that students thought that the difficulties of microbiology as a subject were the lack of references and the way lecturer teaching. The students’ perception was that argumentation and inquiry should be implemented in microbiology courses and lab activities. Based on the data from questionnaire, It showed that prospective biology teacher students had very little knowledge about scientific argumentation and its implementation in science education. When the participants made arguments based on the problems given, they showed low quality of arguments.

Recommendations for the use of notebooks in upper-division physics lab courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stanley, Jacob T.; Lewandowski, H. J.

2018-01-01

The use of lab notebooks for scientific documentation is a ubiquitous part of physics research. However, it is common for undergraduate physics laboratory courses not to emphasize the development of documentation skills, despite the fact that such courses are some of the earliest opportunities for students to start engaging in this practice. One potential impediment to the inclusion of explicit documentation training is that it may be unclear to instructors which features of authentic documentation practice are efficacious to teach and how to incorporate these features into the lab class environment. In this work, we outline some of the salient features of authentic documentation, informed by interviews with physics researchers, and provide recommendations for how these can be incorporated into the lab curriculum. We do not focus on structural details or templates for notebooks. Instead, we address holistic considerations for the purpose of scientific documentation that can guide students to develop their own documentation style. While taking into consideration all the aspects that can help improve students' documentation, it is also important to consider the design of the lab activities themselves. Students should have experience with implementing these authentic features of documentation during lab activities in order for them to find practice with documentation beneficial.

Citizen Science: The Small World Initiative Improved Lecture Grades and California Critical Thinking Skills Test Scores of Nonscience Major Students at Florida Atlantic University.

PubMed

Caruso, Joseph P; Israel, Natalie; Rowland, Kimberly; Lovelace, Matthew J; Saunders, Mary Jane

2016-03-01

Course-based undergraduate research is known to improve science, technology, engineering, and mathematics student achievement. We tested "The Small World Initiative, a Citizen-Science Project to Crowdsource Novel Antibiotic Discovery" to see if it also improved student performance and the critical thinking of non-science majors in Introductory Biology at Florida Atlantic University (a large, public, minority-dominant institution) in academic year 2014-15. California Critical Thinking Skills Test pre- and posttests were offered to both Small World Initiative (SWI) and control lab students for formative amounts of extra credit. SWI lab students earned significantly higher lecture grades than control lab students, had significantly fewer lecture grades of D+ or lower, and had significantly higher critical thinking posttest total scores than control students. Lastly, more SWI students were engaged while taking critical thinking tests. These results support the hypothesis that utilizing independent course-based undergraduate science research improves student achievement even in nonscience students.

(De)Constructing the Undergraduate Research Experience in an Environmental Geochemistry Lab (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, C. S.

2013-12-01

Maintaining a productive research lab at the undergraduate level requires a savvy combination of internal organization, high (but realistic) expectations, and adaptation of one's research interests into semester- and summer-length projects. Several key strategies can help achieve the goal of building a lab culture that both enriches students' academic experiences and advances one's own scholarly research and visibility. Foremost among these is the need to maintain momentum and preserve institutional knowledge in an environment where undergraduate students' lifetime in an individual lab may only last a year or two. Examples from the Environmental Geochemistry Lab at Chapman University (www.chapman.edu/envgeo) developed over several years and with 40+ undergraduate students will be presented which can be transferable to other faculty research labs in the earth sciences. Approaches to writing successful external research grant proposals at a primarily undergraduate institution (PUI) and strategies for both personal and institutional time management/savings will also be discussed, with a focus on new models at Chapman offered to further incentivize faculty involvement in undergraduate research.

Undergraduate Labs for Biological Physics: Brownian Motion and Optical Trapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chu, Kelvin; Laughney, A.; Williams, J.

2006-12-01

We describe a set of case-study driven labs for an upper-division biological physics course. These labs are motivated by case-studies and consist of inquiry-driven investigations of Brownian motion and optical-trapping experiments. Each lab incorporates two innovative educational techniques to drive the process and application aspects of scientific learning. Case studies are used to encourage students to think independently and apply the scientific method to a novel lab situation. Student input from this case study is then used to decide how to best do the measurement, guide the project and ultimately evaluate the success of the program. Where appropriate, visualization and simulation using VPython is used. Direct visualization of Brownian motion allows students to directly calculate Avogadro's number or the Boltzmann constant. Following case-study driven discussion, students use video microscopy to measure the motion of latex spheres in different viscosity fluids arrive at a good approximation of NA or kB. Optical trapping (laser tweezer) experiments allow students to investigate the consequences of 100-pN forces on small particles. The case study consists of a discussion of the Boltzmann distribution and equipartition theorem followed by a consideration of the shape of the potential. Students can then use video capture to measure the distribution of bead positions to determine the shape and depth of the trap. This work supported by NSF DUE-0536773.

Teaching Ocean Sciences in the 21st Century Classroom: Lab to Classroom Videoconferencing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peach, C. L.; Gerwick, W.; Gerwick, L.; Senise, M.; Jones, C. S.; Malloy, K.; Jones, A.; Trentacoste, E.; Nunnery, J.; Mendibles, T.; Tayco, D.; Justice, L.; Deutscher, R.

2010-12-01

Teaching Ocean Science in the 21st Century Classroom (TOST) is a Center for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence (COSEE CA) initiative aimed at developing and disseminating technology-based instructional strategies, tools and ocean science resources for both formal and informal science education. San Diego Unified School District (SDUSD), Scripps Institution of Oceanography (SIO) and the Lawrence Hall of Science (LHS) have established a proving ground for TOST activities and for development of effective, sustainable solutions for researchers seeking to fulfill NSF and other funding agency broader impact requirements. Lab to Classroom Videoconferencing: Advances in Information and Communications Technology (ICT) are making it easier to connect students and researchers using simple online tools that allow them to interact in novel ways. COSEE CA is experimenting with these tools and approaches to identify effective practices for providing students with insight into the research process and close connections to researchers and their laboratory activities. At the same time researchers, including graduate students, are learning effective communication skills and how to align their presentations to specific classroom needs - all from the comfort of their own lab. The lab to classroom videoconferencing described here is an ongoing partnership between the Gerwick marine biomedical research lab and a group of three life science teachers (7th grade) at Pershing Middle School (SDUSD) that started in 2007. Over the last 5 years, the Pershing science teachers have created an intensive, semester-long unit focused on drug discovery. Capitalizing on the teacher team’s well-developed unit of study and the overlap with leading-edge research at SIO, COSEE CA created the videoconferencing program as a broader impact solution for the lab. The team has refined the program over 3 iterations, experimenting with structuring the activities to most effectively reach the students. In the 2009 3-day videoconferencing event, 3 graduate students and the lab PI connected to nine, 7th grade life science classes (~300 students) using SKYPE. Each of the nine videoconferences lasted for ~50 minutes and included a mini-lab tour, a short presentation on the graduate students’ field and lab-based research activities, and interspersed question and answer sessions. Teachers are currently exploring ways they can further capitalize on the connection to the research lab and are writing up a “how to” guide for SKYPE lab to classroom videoconferencing. LHS has been evaluating this videoconference project to get feedback from the participants about the collaboration, the technology, and the format in order to improve the program in the future. The collaboration has now been turned over to the graduate students and teachers with little facilitation by COSEE CA staff. COSEE CA is applying the approach to other earth and ocean science topics by offering “Virtual Lab Tours” as a broader impact option.

SoftLab: A Soft-Computing Software for Experimental Research with Commercialization Aspects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akbarzadeh-T, M.-R.; Shaikh, T. S.; Ren, J.; Hubbell, Rob; Kumbla, K. K.; Jamshidi, M

1998-01-01

SoftLab is a software environment for research and development in intelligent modeling/control using soft-computing paradigms such as fuzzy logic, neural networks, genetic algorithms, and genetic programs. SoftLab addresses the inadequacies of the existing soft-computing software by supporting comprehensive multidisciplinary functionalities from management tools to engineering systems. Furthermore, the built-in features help the user process/analyze information more efficiently by a friendly yet powerful interface, and will allow the user to specify user-specific processing modules, hence adding to the standard configuration of the software environment.

A study on the effect of varying sequence of lab performance skills on lab performance of high school physics students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bournia-Petrou, Ethel A.

The main goal of this investigation was to study how student rank in class, student gender and skill sequence affect high school students' performance on the lab skills involved in a laboratory-based inquiry task in physics. The focus of the investigation was the effect of skill sequence as determined by the particular task. The skills considered were: Hypothesis, Procedure, Planning, Data, Graph, Calculations and Conclusion. Three physics lab tasks based on the simple pendulum concept were administered to 282 Regents physics high school students. The reliability of the designed tasks was high. Student performance was evaluated on individual student written responses and a scoring rubric. The tasks had high discrimination power and were of moderate difficulty (65%). It was found that, student performance was weak on Conclusion (42%), Hypothesis (48%), and Procedure (51%), where the numbers in parentheses represent the mean as a percentage of the maximum possible score. Student performance was strong on Calculations (91%), Data (82%), Graph (74%) and Plan (68%). Out of all seven skills, Procedure had the strongest correlation (.73) with the overall task performance. Correlation analysis revealed some strong relationships among the seven skills which were grouped in two distinct clusters: Hypothesis, Procedure and Plan belong to one, and Data, Graph, Calculations, and Conclusion belong to the other. This distinction may indicate different mental processes at play within each skill cluster. The effect of student rank was not statistically significant according to the MANOVA results due to the large variation of rank levels among the participating schools. The effect of gender was significant on the entire test because of performance differences on Calculations and Graph, where male students performed better than female students. Skill sequence had a significant effect on the skills of Procedure, Plan, Data and Conclusion. Students are rather weak in proposing a sensible, detailed procedure for the inquiry task which involves the "novel" concept. However they perform better on Procedure and Plan, if the "novel" task is not preceded by another, which explicitly offers step-by-step procedure instructions. It was concluded that the format of detailed, structured instructions often adopted by many commercial and school-developed lab books and conventional lab practices, fails to prepare students to propose a successful, detailed procedure when faced with a slightly "novel", lab-based inquiry task. Student performance on Data collection was higher in the tasks that involved the more familiar experimental arrangement than in the tasks using the slightly "novel" equipment. Student performance on Conclusion was better in tasks where they had to collect the Data themselves than in tasks, where all relevant Data information was given to them.

Sequencing Genetics Information: Integrating Data into Information Literacy for Undergraduate Biology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacMillan, Don

2010-01-01

This case study describes an information literacy lab for an undergraduate biology course that leads students through a range of resources to discover aspects of genetic information. The lab provides over 560 students per semester with the opportunity for hands-on exploration of resources in steps that simulate the pathways of higher-level…

The Art-Science Connection: Students Create Art Inspired by Extracurricular Lab Investigations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hegedus, Tess; Segarra, Verónica A.; Allen, Tawannah G.; Wilson, Hillary; Garr, Casey; Budzinski, Christina

2016-01-01

The authors developed an integrated science-and-art program to engage science students from a performing arts high school in hands-on, inquiry based lab experiences. The students participated in eight biology-focused investigations at a local university with undergraduate mentors. After the laboratory phase of the project, the high school students…

An Introductory Biology Lab that Uses Enzyme Histochemistry to Teach Students about Skeletal Muscle Fiber Types

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeney, Lauren J.; Brodfuehrer, Peter D.; Raughley, Beth L.

2004-01-01

One important goal of introductory biology laboratory experiences is to engage students directly in all steps in the process of scientific discovery. Even when laboratory experiences are built on principles discussed in the classroom, students often do not adequately apply this background to interpretation of results they obtain in lab. This…

The Study Team for Early Life Asthma Research (STELAR) consortium ‘Asthma e-lab’: team science bringing data, methods and investigators together

PubMed Central

Custovic, Adnan; Ainsworth, John; Arshad, Hasan; Bishop, Christopher; Buchan, Iain; Cullinan, Paul; Devereux, Graham; Henderson, John; Holloway, John; Roberts, Graham; Turner, Steve; Woodcock, Ashley; Simpson, Angela

2015-01-01

We created Asthma e-Lab, a secure web-based research environment to support consistent recording, description and sharing of data, computational/statistical methods and emerging findings across the five UK birth cohorts. The e-Lab serves as a data repository for our unified dataset and provides the computational resources and a scientific social network to support collaborative research. All activities are transparent, and emerging findings are shared via the e-Lab, linked to explanations of analytical methods, thus enabling knowledge transfer. eLab facilitates the iterative interdisciplinary dialogue between clinicians, statisticians, computer scientists, mathematicians, geneticists and basic scientists, capturing collective thought behind the interpretations of findings. PMID:25805205

EarthLabs: A National Model for Earth Science Lab Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDaris, J. R.; Dahlman, L.; Barstow, D.

2008-12-01

As a response to the need for more rigorous, inquiry-based high school Earth science courses, a coalition of scientists, educators, and five states have created EarthLabs, a set of pilot modules that can serve as a national model for lab-based science courses. The content of EarthLabs chapters focuses on Earth system science and environmental literacy and conforms to the National Science Education Standards as well as the states' curriculum frameworks. The effort is funded by NOAA's Environmental Literacy program. The pilot modules present activities on Corals, Drought, Fisheries, and Hurricanes. The Fisheries and Hurricanes units were reviewed and field-tested by educators in Texas and Arizona. The feedback from this evaluation led to revisions of these units and guided development of the Corals and Drought chapters. Each module consists of activities that use online data sets, satellite imagery, web-based readings, and hands-on laboratory experiments. The project comprises two separate websites, one for the instructor and one for students. The instructor's site contains the pedagogical underpinnings for each lab including teaching materials, assessment strategies, and the alignment of activities with state and national science standards. The student site provides access to all materials that students need to complete the activities or, in the case of the hands-on labs, where they access additional information to help extend their learning. There are also formative and summative questions embedded in the student webpages to help scaffold learning through the activities.

Are Virtual Labs as Effective as Hands-on Labs for Undergraduate Physics? A Comparative Study at Two Major Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darrah, Marjorie; Humbert, Roxann; Finstein, Jeanne; Simon, Marllin; Hopkins, John

2014-01-01

Most physics professors would agree that the lab experiences students have in introductory physics are central to the learning of the concepts in the course. It is also true that these physics labs require time and money for upkeep, not to mention the hours spent setting up and taking down labs. Virtual physics lab experiences can provide an…

Are Africans, Europeans, and Asians Different “Races”? A Guided-Inquiry Lab for Introducing Undergraduate Students to Genetic Diversity and Preparing Them to Study Natural Selection

PubMed Central

Kalinowski, Steven T.; Andrews, Tessa M.; Leonard, Mary J.; Snodgrass, Meagan

2012-01-01

Many students do not recognize that individual organisms within populations vary, and this may make it difficult for them to recognize the essential role variation plays in natural selection. Also, many students have weak scientific reasoning skills, and this makes it difficult for them to recognize misconceptions they might have. This paper describes a 2-h laboratory for college students that introduces them to genetic diversity and gives them practice using hypothetico-deductive reasoning. In brief, the lab presents students with DNA sequences from Africans, Europeans, and Asians, and asks students to determine whether people from each continent qualify as distinct “races.” Comparison of the DNA sequences shows that people on each continent are not more similar to one another than to people on other continents, and therefore do not qualify as distinct races. Ninety-four percent of our students reported that the laboratory was interesting, and 79% reported that it was a valuable learning experience. We developed and used a survey to measure the extent to which students recognized variation and its significance within populations and showed that the lab increased student awareness of variation. We also showed that the lab improved the ability of students to construct hypothetico-deductive arguments. PMID:22665587

Using Affinity Chromatography to Investigate Novel Protein–Protein Interactions in an Undergraduate Cell and Molecular Biology Lab Course

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Inquiry-driven lab exercises require students to think carefully about a question, carry out an investigation of that question, and critically analyze the results of their investigation. Here, we describe the implementation and assessment of an inquiry-based laboratory exercise in which students obtain and analyze novel data that contribute to our understanding of macromolecular trafficking between the nucleus and cytoplasm in eukaryotic cells. Although many of the proteins involved in nucleocytoplasmic transport are known, the physical interactions between some of these polypeptides remain uncharacterized. In this cell and molecular biology lab exercise, students investigate novel protein–protein interactions between factors involved in nuclear RNA export. Using recombinant protein expression, protein extraction, affinity chromatography, SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, and Western blotting, undergraduates in a sophomore-level lab course identified a previously unreported association between the soluble mRNA transport factor Mex67 and the C-terminal region of the yeast nuclear pore complex protein Nup1. This exercise immersed students in the process of investigative science, from proposing and performing experiments through analyzing data and reporting outcomes. On completion of this investigative lab sequence, students reported enhanced understanding of the scientific process, increased proficiency with cellular and molecular methods and content, greater understanding of data analysis and the importance of appropriate controls, an enhanced ability to communicate science effectively, and an increased enthusiasm for scientific research and for the lab component of the course. The modular nature of this exercise and its focus on asking novel questions about protein–protein interactions make it easily transferable to undergraduate lab courses performed in a wide variety of contexts. PMID:19723816

Complementing Neurophysiology Education for Developing Countries via Cost-Effective Virtual Labs: Case Studies and Classroom Scenarios.

PubMed

Diwakar, Shyam; Parasuram, Harilal; Medini, Chaitanya; Raman, Raghu; Nedungadi, Prema; Wiertelak, Eric; Srivastava, Sanjeeva; Achuthan, Krishnashree; Nair, Bipin

2014-01-01

Classroom-level neuroscience experiments vary from detailed protocols involving chemical, physiological and imaging techniques to computer-based modeling. The application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is revolutionizing the current laboratory scenario in terms of active learning especially for distance education cases. Virtual web-based labs are an asset to educational institutions confronting economic issues in maintaining equipment, facilities and other conditions needed for good laboratory practice. To enhance education, we developed virtual laboratories in neuroscience and explored their first-level use in (Indian) University education in the context of developing countries. Besides using interactive animations and remotely-triggered experimental devices, a detailed mathematical simulator was implemented on a web-based software platform. In this study, we focused on the perceptions of technology adoption for a virtual neurophysiology laboratory as a new pedagogy tool for complementing college laboratory experience. The study analyses the effect of virtual labs on users assessing the relationship between cognitive, social and teaching presence. Combining feedback from learners and teachers, the study suggests enhanced motivation for students and improved teaching experience for instructors.

Complementing Neurophysiology Education for Developing Countries via Cost-Effective Virtual Labs: Case Studies and Classroom Scenarios

PubMed Central

Diwakar, Shyam; Parasuram, Harilal; Medini, Chaitanya; Raman, Raghu; Nedungadi, Prema; Wiertelak, Eric; Srivastava, Sanjeeva; Achuthan, Krishnashree; Nair, Bipin

2014-01-01

Classroom-level neuroscience experiments vary from detailed protocols involving chemical, physiological and imaging techniques to computer-based modeling. The application of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is revolutionizing the current laboratory scenario in terms of active learning especially for distance education cases. Virtual web-based labs are an asset to educational institutions confronting economic issues in maintaining equipment, facilities and other conditions needed for good laboratory practice. To enhance education, we developed virtual laboratories in neuroscience and explored their first-level use in (Indian) University education in the context of developing countries. Besides using interactive animations and remotely-triggered experimental devices, a detailed mathematical simulator was implemented on a web-based software platform. In this study, we focused on the perceptions of technology adoption for a virtual neurophysiology laboratory as a new pedagogy tool for complementing college laboratory experience. The study analyses the effect of virtual labs on users assessing the relationship between cognitive, social and teaching presence. Combining feedback from learners and teachers, the study suggests enhanced motivation for students and improved teaching experience for instructors. PMID:24693260

Virtual Computing Laboratories: A Case Study with Comparisons to Physical Computing Laboratories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burd, Stephen D.; Seazzu, Alessandro F.; Conway, Christopher

2009-01-01

Current technology enables schools to provide remote or virtual computing labs that can be implemented in multiple ways ranging from remote access to banks of dedicated workstations to sophisticated access to large-scale servers hosting virtualized workstations. This paper reports on the implementation of a specific lab using remote access to…

Integration of Computer Technology Into an Introductory-Level Neuroscience Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evert, Denise L.; Goodwin, Gregory; Stavnezer, Amy Jo

2005-01-01

We describe 3 computer-based neuroscience laboratories. In the first 2 labs, we used commercially available interactive software to enhance the study of functional and comparative neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. In the remaining lab, we used customized software and hardware in 2 psychophysiological experiments. With the use of the computer-based…

Use of On-Line Math Skills Modules in an Introductory General Education Geoscience Course at a Community College: The Importance of Integration Across Lab & Lecture Sections

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moosavi, S. C.

2011-12-01

The NSF sponsored on-line math skills module series The Math You Need When You Need It (TMYN) was constructed to provide math skill development and support to introductory geoscience course instructors whose students science learning is often hindered by deficiencies in critical math skills. The on-line modules give instructors a mechanism for student-centered, skill-specific math tutorials, practice exercises and assessments outside regular class time. In principle, a student deficient in a skill such as graphing, calculating a best-fit line or manipulating and quantifying a concept such as density can use the appropriate TMYN module to identify their area of weakness, focus on developing the skill using geologically relevant examples, and get feedback reflecting their mastery of the skill in an asynchronous format just as the skill becomes critical to learning in the course. The asynchronous format allows the instructor to remain focused on the geoscience content during class time without diverting all students' attention to skill remediation needed by only a subset of the population. Such a blended approach prevents the progression of the class from being slowed by the need for remediation for some students while simultaneously not leaving those students behind. The challenge to geoscience educators comes in identifying the best strategy for implementing TMYN modules in their classrooms. This presentation contrasts the effectiveness of 2 strategies for implementing TMYN in an introductory Earth System Science class taken as a general education science lab requirement by lower division students at a community college. This course is typical of many such large general education courses in that lab instruction is provided by separate educators from the primary instructor in charge of the lecture, often creating 2 parallel and only dimly connected courses in the experience of many students. In case 1, TMYN was implemented in 3 of 4 lab sections by an adjunct lab instructor while the primary instructor made no mention or use of TMYN in lecture or in the remaining lab section. In case 2, the same instructors each taught independent lecture and lab (2) sections, with TMYN being fully integrated in the course of the first instructor while not mentioned in that of the second. The strengths and weaknesses of each approach both for faculty implementation and student learning are compared with important insights into how such modules should be implemented in lecture/lab courses with separate instructors.

Student Plagiarism and Faculty Responsibility in Undergraduate Engineering Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parameswaran, Ashvin; Devi, Poornima

2006-01-01

In undergraduate engineering labs, lab reports are routinely copied. By ignoring this form of plagiarism, teaching assistants and lab technicians neglect their role responsibility. By designing courses that facilitate it, however inadvertently, professors neglect their causal responsibility. Using the case of one university, we show via interviews…

An inquiry-based biochemistry laboratory structure emphasizing competency in the scientific process: a guided approach with an electronic notebook format.

PubMed

L Hall, Mona; Vardar-Ulu, Didem

2014-01-01

The laboratory setting is an exciting and gratifying place to teach because you can actively engage the students in the learning process through hands-on activities; it is a dynamic environment amenable to collaborative work, critical thinking, problem-solving and discovery. The guided inquiry-based approach described here guides the students through their laboratory work at a steady pace that encourages them to focus on quality observations, careful data collection and thought processes surrounding the chemistry involved. It motivates students to work in a collaborative manner with frequent opportunities for feedback, reflection, and modification of their ideas. Each laboratory activity has four stages to keep the students' efforts on track: pre-lab work, an in-lab discussion, in-lab work, and a post-lab assignment. Students are guided at each stage by an instructor created template that directs their learning while giving them the opportunity and flexibility to explore new information, ideas, and questions. These templates are easily transferred into an electronic journal (termed the E-notebook) and form the basic structural framework of the final lab reports the students submit electronically, via a learning management system. The guided-inquiry based approach presented here uses a single laboratory activity for undergraduate Introductory Biochemistry as an example. After implementation of this guided learning approach student surveys reported a higher level of course satisfaction and there was a statistically significant improvement in the quality of the student work. Therefore we firmly believe the described format to be highly effective in promoting student learning and engagement. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

The effectiveness of computer-generated 3D animations in inquiry chemistry laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Theall, Rachel Morgan

It has been shown that students need a molecular-level understanding of substances in order to comprehend chemistry. For solid structures, atomic-level understanding requires students to learn additional and different concepts than for other states of matter. To aid understanding, animations were created to model unit cell structures and depict the properties of unit cells. In order to determine if these animations are helpful to students, they were tested during a laboratory exercise in which students had previously been using model kits and images from textbooks to learn about solid structures. Students evaluated in this study were from two lecture sections of general chemistry, one that routinely used animations during lecture and one that used a more traditional lecture format that did not include animations or models. Twelve laboratory sections of these lectures, taught by six different instructors each teaching two sections, were chosen for participation. One section for each instructor was given the animations as an optional tool for completing the laboratory assignment, which consisted of questions about unit cells and crystal structures. The results of the study indicate that students who looked at the animations performed significantly better on the assignment. For the control group, students who routinely viewed multiple representations of chemistry in lecture performed significantly better on the lab assignment than students in the lecture section where chemistry concepts were only presented on the chalkboard and overhead projector. Students in the traditional lecture section also had significantly less appreciation for the model kits used in the laboratory than students in the other lecture section. Observations of students in the lab combined with statistical results led to the revision of the solid structures investigation. Additional animations were created and inserted into the module that covered areas where students indicated more help was needed. Movies of "real life" chemistry were also incorporated into the module to help students relate the investigation to prior knowledge.

The Advanced Lab Course at the University of Houston

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forrest, Rebecca

2009-04-01

The University of Houston Advanced Lab course is designed to help students understand the physics in classic experiments, become familiar with experimental equipment and techniques, gain experience with independent experimentation, and learn to communicate results orally and in writing. It is a two semester course, with a Lab Seminar also required during the first semester. In the Seminar class we discuss keeping a notebook and writing a laboratory report, error analysis, data fitting, and scientific ethics. The students give presentations, in pairs, on the workings and use of basic laboratory equipment. In the Lab courses students do a one week introductory experiment, followed by six two-week experiments each semester. These range from traditional experiments in modern physics to contemporary experiments with superconductivity and chaos. The students are required to keep a laboratory notebook and to write a four-page paper for each experiment in the publication style of the American Institute of Physics. This course introduces students to the experimental tools and techniques used in physics, engineering, and industry laboratories, and allows them to mature as experimentalists.

Geology in the Movies: Using Hollywood Films as a Teaching Tool in Introductory Geosciences Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, K. T.; Malinconico, L. L.

2008-12-01

A common challenge in introductory Geoscience courses is engaging students who often do not have a long- standing interest in science. In recent years Hollywood has produced a number of geoscience-themed films (Dante's Peak, Deep Impact, Day After Tomorrow, Inconvenient Truth), most of which contain kernels of scientific truth as well as gross misrepresentations of scientific reality. In our introductory courses (Geological Disasters: Agents of Chaos and Earth's Climate: Past Present and Future) we have had great success using these films as a way of both engaging students and accomplishing many of our course goals. Even though most of the students in these courses will not become geoscience majors, it is important for them to realize that they can make informed judgments about concepts portrayed in the popular media. We have incorporated short written movie critiques into our suite of introductory course laboratory exercises. Through these movie-critique labs, students have an opportunity to apply their new geoscience expertise to examining the validity of the scientific concepts presented in the film. Along the way, students start to see the relevance of course materials to their everyday lives, think more critically about how science is portrayed by non-scientists, synthesize what they have learned by applying their knowledge to a new problem, and improve their ability to communicate what they have learned. Despite the fact that these movie-critique labs require significantly more out-of-lab effort that our other introductory lab assignments, in our course evaluations many students rate the movie critiques as not only one of the most interesting lab exercises of the semester, but also the lab exercise containing the most educational value.

Students' views about the nature of experimental physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilcox, Bethany

2017-04-01

The physics community explores and explains the physical world through a blend of theoretical and experimental studies. The future of physics as a discipline depends on training of students in both the theoretical and experimental aspects of the field. However, while student learning within lecture courses has been the subject of extensive research, lab courses remain relatively under-studied. In particular, there is little, if any, data available that addresses the effectiveness of physics lab courses at encouraging students to recognize the nature and importance of experimental physics within the discipline as a whole. To address this gap, we present the first large-scale, national study (Ninstitutions = 71 and Nstudents = 7167) of undergraduate physics lab courses through analysis of students' responses to a research-validated assessment designed to investigate students' beliefs about the nature of experimental physics. We find that students often enter and leave physics lab courses with ideas about experimental physics that are inconsistent with the views of practicing experimental physicists, and this trend holds at both the introductory and upper-division levels. Despite this inconsistency, we find that both introductory and upper-division students are able to accurately predict the expert-like response even in cases where their personal views disagree. These finding have implications for the recruitment, retention, and adequate preparation of students in physics. This work was funded by the NSF-IUSE Grant No. DUE-1432204 and NSF Grant No. PHY-1125844.

Students Dig Deep in the Mystery Soil Lab: A Playful, Inquiry-Based Soil Laboratory Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thiet, Rachel K.

2014-01-01

The Mystery Soil Lab, a playful, inquiry-based laboratory project, is designed to develop students' skills of inquiry, soil analysis, and synthesis of foundational concepts in soil science and soil ecology. Student groups are given the charge to explore and identify a "Mystery Soil" collected from a unique landscape within a 10-mile…

The Library in the Laboratory: Implementing an Online Library Tutorial in a Freshman Biology Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barkley, Meg

2018-01-01

Online tutorials are a way many librarians connect with students. The main benefit is the ability to reach more students than traditional face-to-face instruction sessions. In 2016, the Life & Health Sciences Librarian received instruction session requests for a freshman biology lab to teach students how to search for articles and use proper…

Gourmet Lab: The Scientific Principles Behind Your Favorite Foods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Sarah

2011-01-01

Hands-on, inquiry-based, and relevant to every student's life, "Gourmet Lab" serves up a full menu of activities for science teachers of grades 6-12. This collection of 15 hands-on experiments--each of which includes a full set of both student and teacher pages--challenges students to take on the role of scientist and chef, as they boil,…

Relating Chemistry to Healthcare and MORE: Implementation of MORE in a Survey Organic and Biochemistry Course for Prehealth Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schroeder, Lianne; Bierdz, Joshua; Wink, Donald J.; King, Maripat; Daubenmire, Patrick L.; Clark, Ginevra A.

2018-01-01

We implemented a laboratory curriculum reform to teach foundational concepts in chemistry, particularly those concepts related to healthcare, in a chemistry course for prenursing students. Here, we discuss the reform, exploring how students built upon understandings gained in lab and correlating lab learning to course outcomes. We further discuss…

Aligning Goals, Assessments, and Activities: An Approach to Teaching PCR and Gel Electrophoresis

PubMed Central

Robertson, Amber L.; Batzli, Janet; Harris, Michelle; Miller, Sarah

2008-01-01

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and gel electrophoresis have become common techniques used in undergraduate molecular and cell biology labs. Although students enjoy learning these techniques, they often cannot fully comprehend and analyze the outcomes of their experiments because of a disconnect between concepts taught in lecture and experiments done in lab. Here we report the development and implementation of novel exercises that integrate the biological concepts of DNA structure and replication with the techniques of PCR and gel electrophoresis. Learning goals were defined based on concepts taught throughout the cell biology lab course and learning objectives specific to the PCR and gel electrophoresis lab. Exercises developed to promote critical thinking and target the underlying concepts of PCR, primer design, gel analysis, and troubleshooting were incorporated into an existing lab unit based on the detection of genetically modified organisms. Evaluative assessments for each exercise were aligned with the learning goals and used to measure student learning achievements. Our analysis found that the exercises were effective in enhancing student understanding of these concepts as shown by student performance across all learning goals. The new materials were particularly helpful in acquiring relevant knowledge, fostering critical-thinking skills, and uncovering prevalent misconceptions. PMID:18316813

Engaging teenagers in improving their health behaviours and increasing their interest in science (Evaluation of LifeLab Southampton): study protocol for a cluster randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Woods-Townsend, Kathryn; Bagust, Lisa; Barker, Mary; Christodoulou, Andri; Davey, Hannah; Godfrey, Keith; Grace, Marcus; Griffiths, Janice; Hanson, Mark; Inskip, Hazel

2015-08-21

Lifestyle and health behaviours are strongly linked to non-communicable disease risk, but modifying them is challenging. There is an increasing recognition that adolescence is an important time for lifestyle and health behaviours to become embedded. Improving these behaviours in adolescents is important not only for their own health but also for that of their future children. LifeLab Southampton has been developed as a purpose-built classroom and laboratory in University Hospital Southampton. Secondary school students visit LifeLab to learn how childhood, adolescent and parental nutrition influences health, understand the impact of their lifestyle on their cardiovascular and metabolic health, and to inspire them with the excitement of research and future career possibilities in science. The LifeLab visit is part of a programme of work linked to the English National Curriculum. Pilot work has indicated that attitudes towards health can be changed by such LifeLab sessions. A cluster randomised controlled trial is being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the LifeLab intervention, the primary outcome being a measurement of the change in nutrition, health and lifestyle literacy from before to after the LifeLab intervention. The LifeLab intervention comprises professional development for the teachers involved; preparatory lessons for the school students, delivered in school; a hands-on practical day at LifeLab, including a 'Meet the Scientist' session; post-visit lessons delivered in school; and the opportunity to participate in the annual LifeLab Schools' Conference. This study aims to recruit approximately 2,500 secondary school students aged 13 to 14 years from 32 schools (the clusters) from Southampton and neighbouring areas. Participating schools will be randomised to control or intervention groups. The intervention will be run over two academic school years, with baseline questionnaire data collected from students at participating schools at the start of the academic year and follow- up questionnaire data collected approximately 12 months later. Evaluation of LifeLab is a cluster randomised controlled trial ( ISRCTN71951436 , registered 25 March 2015), funded by the British Heart Foundation (PG/14/33/30827).

A Pilot Study of the Effectiveness of Augmented Reality to Enhance the Use of Remote Labs in Electrical Engineering Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mejías Borrero, A.; Andújar Márquez, J. M.

2012-10-01

Lab practices are an essential part of teaching in Engineering. However, traditional laboratory lessons developed in classroom labs (CL) must be adapted to teaching and learning strategies that go far beyond the common concept of e-learning, in the sense that completely virtualized distance education disconnects teachers and students from the real world, which can generate specific problems in laboratory classes. Current proposals of virtual labs (VL) and remote labs (RL) do not either cover new needs properly or contribute remarkable improvement to traditional labs—except that they favor distance training. Therefore, online teaching and learning in lab practices demand a further step beyond current VL and RL. This paper poses a new reality and new teaching/learning concepts in the field of lab practices in engineering. The developed augmented reality-based lab system (augmented remote lab, ARL) enables teachers and students to work remotely (Internet/intranet) in current CL, including virtual elements which interact with real ones. An educational experience was conducted to assess the developed ARL with the participation of a group of 10 teachers and another group of 20 students. Both groups have completed lab practices of the contents in the subjects Digital Systems and Robotics and Industrial Automation, which belong to the second year of the new degree in Electronic Engineering (adapted to the European Space for Higher Education). The labs were carried out by means of three different possibilities: CL, VL and ARL. After completion, both groups were asked to fill in some questionnaires aimed at measuring the improvement contributed by ARL relative to CL and VL. Except in some specific questions, the opinion of teachers and students was rather similar and positive regarding the use and possibilities of ARL. Although the results are still preliminary and need further study, seems to conclude that ARL remarkably improves the possibilities of current VL and RL. Furthermore, ARL can be concluded to allow further possibilities when used online than traditional laboratory lessons completed in CL.

University-School Partnerships: On the Impact on Students of Summer Schools (for School Students Aged 17-18) Run by Bristol ChemLabs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, A. J.; Harrison, T. G.; Croker, S. J.; Medley, M.; Sellou, L.; Shallcross, K. L.; Williams, S, J.; Grayson, D. J.; Shallcross, D. E.

2010-01-01

Chemistry summer schools for 17-18 year old school students in the UK were run by Bristol ChemLabS, a Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning in Chemistry at the University of Bristol. Students attending were all studying Chemistry at post-16 level (A level in the UK) and experienced not only new practical techniques but also lectures on…

Peer assessment of student-produced mechanics lab report videos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Douglas, Scott S.; Aiken, John M.; Lin, Shih-Yin; Greco, Edwin F.; Alicea-Muñoz, Emily; Schatz, Michael F.

2017-12-01

We examine changes in students' rating behavior during a semester-long sequence of peer evaluation laboratory exercises in an introductory mechanics course. We perform a quantitative analysis of the ratings given by students to peers' physics lab reports, and conduct interviews with students. We find that peers persistently assign higher ratings to lab reports than do experts, that peers begin the semester by giving high ratings most frequently and end the semester with frequent middle ratings, and that peers go through the semester without much change in the frequency of low ratings. We then use student interviews to develop a model for student engagement with peer assessment. This model is based on two competing influences which appear to shape peer evaluation behavior: a strong disinclination to give poor ratings with a complementary preference to give high ratings when in doubt, and an attempt to develop an expertlike criticality when assessing peers' work.

Resources and Approaches for Teaching Quantitative and Computational Skills in the Geosciences and Allied Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Orr, C. H.; Mcfadden, R. R.; Manduca, C. A.; Kempler, L. A.

2016-12-01

Teaching with data, simulations, and models in the geosciences can increase many facets of student success in the classroom, and in the workforce. Teaching undergraduates about programming and improving students' quantitative and computational skills expands their perception of Geoscience beyond field-based studies. Processing data and developing quantitative models are critically important for Geoscience students. Students need to be able to perform calculations, analyze data, create numerical models and visualizations, and more deeply understand complex systems—all essential aspects of modern science. These skills require students to have comfort and skill with languages and tools such as MATLAB. To achieve comfort and skill, computational and quantitative thinking must build over a 4-year degree program across courses and disciplines. However, in courses focused on Geoscience content it can be challenging to get students comfortable with using computational methods to answers Geoscience questions. To help bridge this gap, we have partnered with MathWorks to develop two workshops focused on collecting and developing strategies and resources to help faculty teach students to incorporate data, simulations, and models into the curriculum at the course and program levels. We brought together faculty members from the sciences, including Geoscience and allied fields, who teach computation and quantitative thinking skills using MATLAB to build a resource collection for teaching. These materials, and the outcomes of the workshops are freely available on our website. The workshop outcomes include a collection of teaching activities, essays, and course descriptions that can help faculty incorporate computational skills at the course or program level. The teaching activities include in-class assignments, problem sets, labs, projects, and toolboxes. These activities range from programming assignments to creating and using models. The outcomes also include workshop syntheses that highlights best practices, a set of webpages to support teaching with software such as MATLAB, and an interest group actively discussing aspects these issues in Geoscience and allied fields. Learn more and view the resources at http://serc.carleton.edu/matlab_computation2016/index.html

A Student View of Experimental Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bu, Frank; Marlowe, Robert Lloyd; Whitson, Kristin

2017-03-01

This is the story of how an enterprising high school student came to my lab one afternoon, asking if there were any way that he could gain "hands-on" lab experience by working with me. While I had some doubts about allowing him to work in an area with an expensive 150-mW focused laser beam, I eventually said yes. I was well aware that a couple of weeks of lab work could lead to interesting investigations for him….

Improving Middle School Students’ Quantitative Literacy through Inquiry Lab and Group Investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aisya, N. S. M.; Supriatno, B.; Saefudin; Anggraeni, S.

2017-02-01

The purpose of this study was to analyze the application of metacognitive strategies learning based Vee Diagram through Inquiry Lab and Group Investigation toward students’ quantitative literacy. This study compared two treatments on learning activity in middle school. The metacognitive strategies have applied to the content of environmental pollution at 7th grade. This study used a quantitative approach with quasi-experimental method. The research sample were the 7th grade students, involves 27 students in the experimental through Inquiry Lab and 27 students in the experimental through Group Investigation. The instruments that used in this research were pretest and posttest quantitative literacy skills, learning step observation sheets, and the questionnaire of teachers and students responses. As the result, N-gain average of pretest and posttest increased in both experimental groups. The average of posttest score was 61,11 for the Inquiry Lab and 54,01 to the Group Investigation. The average score of N-gain quantitative literacy skill of Inquiry Lab class was 0,492 and Group Investigation class was 0,426. Both classes of experiments showed an average N-gain in the medium category. The data has been analyzed statistically by using SPSS ver.23 and the results showed that although both the learning model can develop quantitative literacy, but there is not significantly different of improving students’ quantitative literacy between Inquiry Lab and Group Investigation in environmental pollution material.

Electronics lab instructors' approaches to troubleshooting instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dounas-Frazer, Dimitri R.; Lewandowski, H. J.

2017-06-01

In this exploratory qualitative study, we describe instructors' self-reported practices for teaching and assessing students' ability to troubleshoot in electronics lab courses. We collected audio data from interviews with 20 electronics instructors from 18 institutions that varied by size, selectivity, and other factors. In addition to describing participants' instructional practices, we characterize their perceptions about the role of troubleshooting in electronics, the importance of the ability to troubleshoot more generally, and what it means for students to be competent troubleshooters. One major finding of this work is that, while almost all instructors in our study said that troubleshooting is an important learning outcome for students in electronics lab courses, only half of instructors said they directly assessed students' ability to troubleshoot. Based on our findings, we argue that there is a need for research-based instructional materials that attend to both cognitive and noncognitive aspects of troubleshooting proficiency. We also identify several areas for future investigation related to troubleshooting instruction in electronics lab courses.

The experiment editor: supporting inquiry-based learning with virtual labs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galan, D.; Heradio, R.; de la Torre, L.; Dormido, S.; Esquembre, F.

2017-05-01

Inquiry-based learning is a pedagogical approach where students are motivated to pose their own questions when facing problems or scenarios. In physics learning, students are turned into scientists who carry out experiments, collect and analyze data, formulate and evaluate hypotheses, and so on. Lab experimentation is essential for inquiry-based learning, yet there is a drawback with traditional hands-on labs in the high costs associated with equipment, space, and maintenance staff. Virtual laboratories are helpful to reduce these costs. This paper enriches the virtual lab ecosystem by providing an integrated environment to automate experimentation tasks. In particular, our environment supports: (i) scripting and running experiments on virtual labs, and (ii) collecting and analyzing data from the experiments. The current implementation of our environment supports virtual labs created with the authoring tool Easy Java/Javascript Simulations. Since there are public repositories with hundreds of freely available labs created with this tool, the potential applicability to our environment is considerable.

Teaching Gene Technology in an Outreach Lab: Students' Assigned Cognitive Load Clusters and the Clusters' Relationships to Learner Characteristics, Laboratory Variables, and Cognitive Achievement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scharfenberg, Franz-Josef; Bogner, Franz X.

2013-02-01

This study classified students into different cognitive load (CL) groups by means of cluster analysis based on their experienced CL in a gene technology outreach lab which has instructionally been designed with regard to CL theory. The relationships of the identified student CL clusters to learner characteristics, laboratory variables, and cognitive achievement were examined using a pre-post-follow-up design. Participants of our day-long module Genetic Fingerprinting were 409 twelfth-graders. During the module instructional phases (pre-lab, theoretical, experimental, and interpretation phases), we measured the students' mental effort (ME) as an index of CL. By clustering the students' module-phase-specific ME pattern, we found three student CL clusters which were independent of the module instructional phases, labeled as low-level, average-level, and high-level loaded clusters. Additionally, we found two student CL clusters that were each particular to a specific module phase. Their members reported especially high ME invested in one phase each: within the pre-lab phase and within the interpretation phase. Differentiating the clusters, we identified uncertainty tolerance, prior experience in experimentation, epistemic interest, and prior knowledge as relevant learner characteristics. We found relationships to cognitive achievement, but no relationships to the examined laboratory variables. Our results underscore the importance of pre-lab and interpretation phases in hands-on teaching in science education and the need for teachers to pay attention to these phases, both inside and outside of outreach laboratory learning settings.

Constructing the Components of a Lab Report Using Peer Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berry, David E.; Fawkes, Kelli L.

2010-01-01

A protocol that emphasizes lab report writing using a piecemeal approach coupled with peer review is described. As the lab course progresses, the focus of the report writing changes sequentially through the abstract and introduction, the discussion, and the procedure. Two styles of lab programs are presented. One style rotates the students through…

The Math You Need at Baylor University: Improving Quantitative Skills in an Introductory Geology Lab Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Browning, S.

2014-12-01

The Math You Need (TMYN) modules were introduced at Baylor University in fall 2012 to address issues of math anxiety common among freshmen non-majors completing their lab science requirement, and to reduce lab time spent reviewing basic math concepts. Modules and associated assessment questions commonly use geoscience examples to illustrate the mathematical principles involved, reinforcing topics addressed in lab. Large enrollments in the course selected for these modules necessitate multiple graduate teaching assistants in the lab, making the online nature of the modules and minimal required involvement of the teaching assistants even more valuable. Students completed three selected modules before encountering associated topics in lab, as well as a pre and post-test to gauge improvement. This presentation will review lessons learned and changes made in the first two years of TMYN at Baylor. Results indicate continued increases in mean pre to post test scores (e.g. 3.2% in fall 2012 to 11.9% in spring 2014), percentage of student pre to post- test improvement (59% in fall 2012 to 72% in spring 2014) and student participation (95 in fall 2012 to 186 in spring 2014). Continued use of these modules is anticipated.

Using Solar Dynamics Observatory Data in the Classroom to Do Real Science -- A Community College Astronomy Laboratory Investigation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scherrer, Deborah K.; Hildreth, S.; Lee, S.; Dave, T.; Scherrer, P. H.

2013-07-01

A partnership between Stanford University and Chabot Community College (Hayward, CA) has developed a series of laboratory exercises using SDO (AIA, HMI) data, targeted for community college students in an introductory astronomy lab class. The labs lead students to explore what SDO can do via online resources and videos. Students investigate their chosen solar events, generate their own online videos, prepare their own hypotheses relating to the events, and explore outcomes. Final assessment should be completed by the end of summer 2013. Should the labs prove valuable, they may be adapted for high school use.

A Project To Make the Laboratory More Accessible to Students with Disabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lunsford, Suzanne K.; Bargerhuff, Mary Ellen

2006-03-01

This article describes project CLASS (Creating Laboratory Access for Science Students) an innovative NSF-funded project originating at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Project CLASS enables students to participate in chemistry labs regardless of physical or learning disabilities in grades 7 12. This nationally recognized project prepares educators to accommodate and develop adaptive lab equipment to meet the needs of students with physical and learning disabilities while maintaining the integrity of the science curriculum.

Teaching Gene Technology in an Outreach Lab: Students' Assigned Cognitive Load Clusters and the Clusters' Relationships to Learner Characteristics, Laboratory Variables, and Cognitive Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scharfenberg, Franz-Josef; Bogner, Franz X.

2013-01-01

This study classified students into different cognitive load (CL) groups by means of cluster analysis based on their experienced CL in a gene technology outreach lab which has instructionally been designed with regard to CL theory. The relationships of the identified student CL clusters to learner characteristics, laboratory variables, and…

Introducing Environmental Toxicology in Instructional Labs: The Use of a Modified Amphibian Developmental Toxicity Assay to Support Inquiry-Based Student Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sauterer, Roger; Rayburn, James R.

2012-01-01

Introducing students to the process of scientific inquiry is a major goal of high school and college labs. Environmental toxins are of great concern and public interest. Modifications of a vertebrate developmental toxicity assay using the frog Xenopus laevis can support student-initiated toxicology experiments that are relevant to humans. Teams of…

Developing and Implementing Lab Skills Seminars, a Student-Led Learning Approach in the Organic Chemistry Laboratory: Mentoring Current Students While Benefiting Facilitators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sabanayagam, Kalyani; Dani, Vivek D.; John, Matthew; Restivo, Wanda; Mikhaylichenko, Svetlana; Dalili, Shadi

2017-01-01

This paper describes the successful adaptation of certain components of peer-led team learning (PLTL) as well as service learning principles into our initiative: lab skills seminars (LSS). These seminars were organized for large, second year organic chemistry laboratory courses. Prior to LSS, the only help available for students was traditional…

Meteorological Development Laboratory Student Career Experience Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McCalla, C., Sr.

2007-12-01

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. The NWS's Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL) supports this mission by developing meteorological prediction methods. Given this mission, NOAA, NWS, and MDL all have a need to continually recruit talented scientists. One avenue for recruiting such talented scientist is the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP). Through SCEP, MDL offers undergraduate and graduate students majoring in meteorology, computer science, mathematics, oceanography, physics, and statistics the opportunity to alternate full-time paid employment with periods of full-time study. Using SCEP as a recruiting vehicle, MDL has employed students who possess some of the very latest technical skills and knowledge needed to make meaningful contributions to projects within the lab. MDL has recently expanded its use of SCEP and has increased the number of students (sometimes called co- ops) in its program. As a co-op, a student can expect to develop and implement computer based scientific techniques, participate in the development of statistical algorithms, assist in the analysis of meteorological data, and verify forecasts. This presentation will focus on describing recruitment, projects, and the application process related to MDL's SCEP. In addition, this presentation will also briefly explore the career paths of students who successfully completed the program.

GeoWall use in an Introductory Geology laboratory: Impacts in Student Understanding of Field Mapping Concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, L. E.; Kelly, M.; Springer, A. E.

2003-12-01

In the Fall semester of 2003, Northern Arizona University will introduce the GeoWall to its introductory geology courses. This presents an opportunity to assess the impact of this new technology on students' understanding of basic topographic concepts and the spatial relationships between geology, topography, and hydrology on a field trip. Introductory Geology fulfills the Lab Science component of the Liberal Studies Program at Northern Arizona University. The class is open to all Northern Arizona University students, and is most commonly taken by non-science majors. In this class students learn to: locate their position using maps, identify common minerals and rocks, recognize the relationship between geology and geomorphology, visualize how rocks exposed at the surface continue into the subsurface, and to draw conclusions about possible geologic hazards in different settings. In this study we will report how a GeoWall 3D visualization technology was used in a field study of a graben south of Flagstaff. The goal of the field exercise is to improve students' ability to synthesize data collected at field stops into a conceptual model of the graben, linking geology, geomorphology and hydrology. We plan to present a quantitative assessment of the GeoWall learning objectives from data collected from a paired test and control group of students. Teaching assistants (TAs) with two or more lab classes have been identified; these TAs will participate in both GeoWall and non-GeoWall lab exercises. The GeoWall use will occur outside of normal lab hours to avoid disrupting the lab schedule during the eighth week of lab. This field preparation exercise includes a 3D visualization of the Lake Mary graben rendered with the ROMA software. The following week, all students attend the graben field trip; immediately following the trip, students will interviewed about their gain in understanding of the geologic features illustrated during the field trip. The results of the post-fieldtrip interviews will also be presented to quantitatively assess how students perceive the use of the GeoWall in this introductory geology setting, and how it affected their understanding.

Using Computer Simulations to Integrate Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liao, Thomas T.

1983-01-01

Describes the primary design criteria and the classroom activities involved in "The Yellow Light Problem," a minicourse on decision making in the secondary school Mathematics, Engineering and Science Achievement (MESA) program in California. Activities include lectures, discussions, science and math labs, computer labs, and development…

Quantum optics and nano-optics teaching laboratory for the undergraduate curriculum: teaching quantum mechanics and nano-physics with photon counting instrumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lukishova, Svetlana G.

2017-08-01

At the Institute of Optics, University of Rochester (UR), we have adapted to the main challenge (the lack of space in the curriculum) by developing a series of modular 3-hour experiments and 20-min-demonstrations based on technical elective, 4-credit-hour laboratory course "Quantum Optics and Nano-Optics Laboratory" (OPT 253/OPT453/PHY434), that were incorporated into a number of required courses ranging from freshman to senior level. Rochester Monroe Community College (MCC) students also benefited from this facility that was supported by four NSF grants. MCC students carried out two 3-hour labs on photon quantum mechanics at the UR. Since 2006, total 566 students passed through the labs with lab reports submission (including 144 MCC students) and more than 250 students through lab demonstrations. In basic class OPT 253, four teaching labs were prepared on generation and characterization of entangled and single (antibunched) photons demonstrating the laws of quantum mechanics: (1) entanglement and Bell's inequalities, (2) single-photon interference (Young's double slit experiment and Mach-Zehnder interferometer), (3) confocal microscope imaging of single-emitter (colloidal nanocrystal quantum dots and NV-center nanodiamonds) fluorescence within photonic (liquid crystal photonic bandgap microcavities) or plasmonic (gold bowtie nanoantennas) nanostructures, (4) Hanbury Brown and Twiss setup. Fluorescence antibunching from nanoemitters. Students also carried out measurements of nanodiamond topography using atomic force microscopy and prepared photonic bandgap materials from cholesteric liquid crystals. Manuals, student reports, presentations, lecture materials and quizzes, as well as some NSF grants' reports are placed on a website http://www.optics.rochester.edu/workgroups/lukishova/QuantumOpticsLab/ . In 2011 UR hosted 6 professors from different US universities in three-days training of these experiments participating in the Immersion Program of the Advanced Laboratory Physics Association.

Molecular mechanics and dynamics characterization of an in silico mutated protein: a stand-alone lab module or support activity for in vivo and in vitro analyses of targeted proteins.

PubMed

Chiang, Harry; Robinson, Lucy C; Brame, Cynthia J; Messina, Troy C

2013-01-01

Over the past 20 years, the biological sciences have increasingly incorporated chemistry, physics, computer science, and mathematics to aid in the development and use of mathematical models. Such combined approaches have been used to address problems from protein structure-function relationships to the workings of complex biological systems. Computer simulations of molecular events can now be accomplished quickly and with standard computer technology. Also, simulation software is freely available for most computing platforms, and online support for the novice user is ample. We have therefore created a molecular dynamics laboratory module to enhance undergraduate student understanding of molecular events underlying organismal phenotype. This module builds on a previously described project in which students use site-directed mutagenesis to investigate functions of conserved sequence features in members of a eukaryotic protein kinase family. In this report, we detail the laboratory activities of a MD module that provide a complement to phenotypic outcomes by providing a hypothesis-driven and quantifiable measure of predicted structural changes caused by targeted mutations. We also present examples of analyses students may perform. These laboratory activities can be integrated with genetics or biochemistry experiments as described, but could also be used independently in any course that would benefit from a quantitative approach to protein structure-function relationships. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Alternation of Generations and Experimental Design: A Guided-Inquiry Lab Exploring the Nature of the "her1" Developmental Mutant of "Ceratopteris richardii" (C-Fern)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spiro, Mark D.; Knisely, Karin I.

2008-01-01

Inquiry-based labs have been shown to greatly increase student participation and learning within the biological sciences. One challenge is to develop effective lab exercises within the constraints of large introductory labs. We have designed a lab for first-year biology majors to address two primary goals: to provide effective learning of the…

Student-Designed Experiments: A Pedagogical Design for Introductory Science Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coker, Jeffrey Scott

2017-01-01

Despite numerous calls for science education to be driven by authentic investigation, many laboratory experiences continue to consist of disconnected weekly units during which students carry out instructions that lead to some predetermined finding. This study developed and evaluated a pedagogical design for introductory biology labs where students…

Helping Students to Think Like Scientists in Socratic Dialogue-Inducing Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hake, Richard

2012-01-01

Socratic dialogue-inducing (SDI) labs are based on Arnold Arons' half-century of ethnographic research, listening carefully to students' responses to probing Socratic questions on physics, science, and ways of thinking, and culminating in his landmark "Teaching Introductory Physics." They utilize "interactive engagement" methods and are designed,…

Active Learning Improves Student Performance in a Respiratory Physiology Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Alex M.; Liachovitzky, Carlos; Abdullahi, Abass S.

2015-01-01

This study assessed the effectiveness of the introduction of active learning exercises into the anatomy and physiology curriculum in a community college setting. Specifically, the incorporation of a spirometry-based respiratory physiology lab resulted in improved student performance in two concepts (respiratory volumes and the hallmarks of…

A New Twist on Torque Labs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lane, W. Brian

2014-01-01

The traditional introductory-level meterstick-balancing lab assumes that students already know what torque is and that they readily identify it as a physical quantity of interest. We propose a modified version of this activity in which students qualitatively and quantitatively measure the amount of force required to keep the meterstick level. The…

Guided-Inquiry Labs Using Bean Beetles for Teaching the Scientific Method & Experimental Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlueter, Mark A.; D'Costa, Allison R.

2013-01-01

Guided-inquiry lab activities with bean beetles ("Callosobruchus maculatus") teach students how to develop hypotheses, design experiments, identify experimental variables, collect and interpret data, and formulate conclusions. These activities provide students with real hands-on experiences and skills that reinforce their understanding of the…

Are High School Students Ready for Recombinant DNA?: The UOP Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minch, Michael J.

1989-01-01

Discusses a three-week summer college honors course for talented high school juniors with three exams, lab six days a week, a research paper, field trips, and student panel discussions. Presents an overview of the course. Describes the lab which uses "E. coli" for DNA recombination. (MVL)

Safety in the Chemical Laboratory: Chemical Wastes in Academic Labs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walton, Wendy A.

1987-01-01

Encourages instruction about disposal of hazardous wastes in college chemistry laboratories as an integral part of experiments done by students. Discusses methods such as down-the-drain disposal, lab-pack disposal, precipitation and disposal, and precipitation and recovery. Suggests that faculty and students take more responsibility for waste…

Physical Therapist Assistant Fitness Lab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Backstrom, Kurt; And Others

Colby Community College's (CCC) Fitness Lab was established to provide the Physical Therapist Assistant (PTA) Program with a learning laboratory in which students can practice classroom-acquired skills, while at the same time promoting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual well-being of CCC students and staff, and community members. A…

The Role of Language Laboratory in English Language Learning Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mohammed, Abdelaziz

2017-01-01

This study aims at determining the relationship between language labs and the effective ways of mastering better performance of English language. The study raised two questions. They are "Is language laboratory useful in teaching English to Saudi students?" And "How do language labs help in improving students' performance?"…

Are You Certain?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonner, David

2012-01-01

Conducting labs isn't a new way to teach physics, but labs have become increasingly prevalent with the rise of inquiry. Physics students collect mostly quantitative data, often represented by graphs or tables. Interpreting this data can be a challenge for students, especially when it comes to experimental error. To address this issue, this article…

Project-Based Learning in Education through an Undergraduate Lab Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joye, Donald D.; Hoffman, Adam; Christie, Jacqueline; Brown, Mayo; Niemczyk, Jennifer

2011-01-01

Three undergraduate students functioned as teaching assistants in unit ops lab for their senior project, which included developing a purchased size exclusion chromatography experiment, supervising the running of this experiment, and assisting the junior students with their calculations. They also read the reports, graded them, and commented on…

Undergraduate Research in Physics as a course for Engineering and Computer Science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

O'Brien, James; Rueckert, Franz; Sirokman, Greg

2017-01-01

Undergraduate research has become more and more integral to the functioning of higher educational institutions. At many institutions undergraduate research is conducted as capstone projects in the pure sciences, however, science faculty at some schools (including that of the authors) face the challenge of not having science majors. Even at these institutions, a select population of high achieving engineering students will often express a keen interest in conducting pure science research. Since a foray into science research provides the student the full exposure to the scientific method and scientific collaboration, the experience can be quite rewarding and beneficial to the development of the student as a professional. To this end, the authors have been working to find new contexts in which to offer research experiences to non- science majors, including a new undergraduate research class conducted by physics and chemistry faculty. An added benefit is that these courses are inherently interdisciplinary. Students in the engineering and computer science fields step into physics and chemistry labs to solve science problems, often invoking their own relevant expertise. In this paper we start by discussing the common themes and outcomes of the course. We then discuss three particular projects that were conducted with engineering students and focus on how the undergraduate research experience enhanced their already rigorous engineering curriculum.

STEPS at CSUN: Increasing Retention of Engineering and Physical Science Majors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pedone, V. A.; Cadavid, A. C.; Horn, W.

2012-12-01

STEPS at CSUN seeks to increase the retention rate of first-time freshman in engineering, math, and physical science (STEM) majors from ~55% to 65%. About 40% of STEM first-time freshmen start in College Algebra because they do not take or do not pass the Mathematics Placement Test (MPT). This lengthens time to graduation, which contributes to dissatisfaction with major. STEPS at CSUN has made substantial changes to the administration of the MPT. Initial data show increases in the number of students who take the test and who place out of College Algebra, as well as increases in overall scores. STEPS at CSUN also funded the development of supplemental labs for Trigonometry and Calculus I and II, in partnership with similar labs created by the Math Department for College Algebra and Precalculus. These labs are open to all students, but are mandatory for at-risk students who have low scores on the MPT, low grades in the prerequisite course, or who failed the class the first time. Initial results are promising. Comparison of the grades of 46 Fall 2010 "at-risk" students without lab to those of 36 Fall 2011 students who enrolled in the supplementary lab show D-F grades decreased by 10% and A-B grades increased by 27%. A final retention strategy is aimed at students in the early stages of their majors. At CSUN the greatest loss of STEM majors occurs between sophomore-level and junior-level coursework because course difficulty increases and aspirations to potential careers weaken. The Summer Interdisciplinary Team Experience (SITE) is an intensive 3-week-long summer program that engages small teams of students from diverse STEM majors in faculty-mentored, team-based problem solving. This experience simulates professional work and creates strong bonds between students and between students and faculty mentors. The first two cohorts of students who have participated in SITE indicate that this experience has positively impacted their motivation to complete their STEM degree.

Problem Solvers: MathLab's Design Brings Professional Learning into the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morales, Sara; Sainz, Terri

2017-01-01

Imagine teachers, administrators, and university mathematicians and staff learning together in a lab setting where students are excited about attending a week-long summer math event because they are at the forefront of the experience. Piloted in three New Mexico classrooms during summer 2014, MathLab expanded into 17 lab settings over six…

Low Budget Biology 3: A Collection of Low Cost Labs and Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wartski, Bert; Wartski, Lynn Marie

This document contains biology labs, demonstrations, and activities that use low budget materials. The goal is to get students involved in the learning process by experiencing biology. Each lab has a teacher preparation section which outlines the purpose of the lab, some basic information, a list of materials , and how to prepare the different…

Berkeley Lab 2nd Grader Outreach

ScienceCinema

Scoggins, Jackie; Louie, Virginia

2017-12-11

The Berkeley Lab IT Department sponsored a community outreach program aimed at teaching young children about computers and networks. Second graders from LeConte Elementary School joined Lab IT Staff for a day of in-depth exercises and fun.

Internet-Based Laboratory Immersion: When The Real Deal is Not Available

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meisner, Gerald; Hoffman, Harol

2004-11-01

Do you want all of your students to investigate equilibrium conditions in the physics lab, but don't have time for lab investigations? Do your under-prepared students need basic, careful and detailed remedial work to help them succeed? LAAPhysics provides an answer to these questions by means of robust online physics courseware based on: (1) a sound, research-based pedagogy (2) a rich laboratory environment with skills and operational knowledge transferable to the wet lab' and (3) a paradigm which is economically scalable. LAAPhysics provides both synchronous and asynchronous learning experiences for an introductory, algebra-based course for students (undergraduate, AP High School, seekers of a second degree), those seeking career changes, and pre-service and in-service teachers. We have developed a simulated physics laboratory comprised of virtual lab equipment and instruments, associated curriculum modules and virtual guidance for real time feedback, formative assessment and collaborative learning.

Medical student responses to clinical procedure teaching in the anatomy lab.

PubMed

Wilson, Donald R; Nava, Pedro B

2010-03-01

the teaching of gross anatomy to first-year medical students has progressed from a 'stand-alone' discipline to one with much clinical emphasis. The curriculum at Loma Linda University School of Medicine has had increasing clinical correlates in recent years. We decided to supplement this with procedure demonstrations early in the course, and measure the student response. clinical procedures were performed on cadavers in the anatomy lab. For example, pleural and pericardial effusions were simulated by placing bags of intravenous fluid in the pleural and pericardial cavities; pneumothorax and tension pneumothorax were simulated using an inflatable rubber bladder. Videos were made and then presented in sequence with gross anatomy lectures. The student response was evaluated with a survey sheet. the Student response was overwhelmingly positive, with all students stating that the presentations made anatomy more relevant, and most indicating that anatomy also became easier to learn. Feedback confirmed that first-year medical students have a strong clinical orientation, which can facilitate both the teaching and learning of gross anatomy. advantages of having clinicians present simulated procedures in the anatomy lab include: heightened student interest; mentoring and modelling for students; introduction to clinical concepts now encountered in basic science examinations; supplementation of the thinning ranks of qualified gross anatomy teachers. The use of intravenous fluid bags and distensible bladders to simulate abnormal collections of fluid and air in body cavities is simple, inexpensive, and can be replicated in any anatomy lab. Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2010.

Numerical simulation of nonlinear feedback model of saccade generation circuit implemented in the LabView graphical programming language.

PubMed

Jackson, M E; Gnadt, J W

1999-03-01

The object-oriented graphical programming language LabView was used to implement the numerical solution to a computational model of saccade generation in primates. The computational model simulates the activity and connectivity of anatomical strictures known to be involved in saccadic eye movements. The LabView program provides a graphical user interface to the model that makes it easy to observe and modify the behavior of each element of the model. Essential elements of the source code of the LabView program are presented and explained. A copy of the model is available for download from the internet.

Evaluation of social interaction, task management, and trust among dental hygiene students in a collaborative learning environment.

PubMed

Saylor, Catherine D; Keselyak, Nancy T; Simmer-Beck, Melanie; Tira, Daniel

2011-02-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of collaborative learning on the development of social interaction, task management, and trust in dental hygiene students. These three traits were assessed with the Teamwork Assessment Scale in two different learning environments (traditional lecture/lab and collaborative learning environment). A convenience sample of fifty-six entry-level dental hygiene students taking an introductory/preclinic course at two metropolitan area dental hygiene programs provided comparable experimental and control groups. Factor scores were computed for the three traits, and comparisons were conducted using the Ryan-Einot-Gabriel-Welsh multiple comparison procedure among specific cell comparisons generated from a two-factor repeated measures ANOVA. The results indicate that the collaborative learning environment influenced dental hygiene students positively regarding the traits of social interaction, task management, and trust. However, comparing dental hygiene students to undergraduate students overall indicates that dental hygiene students already possess somewhat higher levels of these traits. Future studies on active learning strategies should examine factors such as student achievement and explore other possible active learning methodologies.