The Art and Science Connection. Hands-On Activities for Primary Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tolley, Kimberley

Most people think that the artist and the scientist live in two totally different worlds. However, art and science are only two different ways of understanding and knowing the world. To help primary students make a connection between art and science, a collection of hands-on activities have been developed. By engaging in these activities that…

Pi in the Sky: Hands-on Mathematical Activities for Teaching Astronomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pethoud, Robert

This book of activities was designed to provide students with the opportunity to create mental models of concepts in astronomy while using simple, homemade tools. In addition, these sequential, hands-on activities are to help students see how scientific knowledge is obtained. The introduction describes the rationale for the book and describes the…

The Art and Science Connection: Hands-on Activities for Intermediate Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tolley, Kimberley

Most people think that the artist and the scientist live in two totally different worlds. However, art and science are only two different ways of understanding and knowing the world. To help intermediate students make a connection between art and science, a collection of hands-on activities have been developed. By engaging in these activities that…

Hands-On Whole Science. Pass the Beetles, Please.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kepler, Lynne

1992-01-01

Several hands-on whole science activities help elementary students learn about animals' diets and how they affect other animals. One activity involves identifying animals as carnivores, herbivores, or omnivores. Another has students construct food chains. Two across-the-curriculum ideas involve naming carnivores and preparing imaginary menus for…

Hands-On Science, 680 Hands at a Time: Shrinking the Large Lecture with a Collapsing Can Experiment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shipman, Harry L.

2001-01-01

Explains how hands-on science activities can be done in a class designed as a lecture setting. Uses the collapsing can activity to demonstrate the birth of a black hole. Evaluates student responses to the hands-on approach. (YDS)

Student responses to a hands-on kinesthetic lecture activity for learning about the oxygen carrying capacity of blood.

PubMed

Breckler, Jennifer; Yu, Justin R

2011-03-01

This article describes a new hands-on, or "kinesthetic," activity for use in a physiology lecture hall to help students comprehend an important concept in cardiopulmonary physiology known as oxygen carrying capacity. One impetus for designing this activity was to address the needs of students who have a preference for kinesthetic learning and to help increase their understanding and engagement during lecture. This activity uses simple inexpensive materials, provides an effective model for demonstrating related pathophysiology, and helps promote active learning. The activity protocol and its implementation are described here in detail. We also report data obtained from student surveys and assessment tools to determine the effectiveness of the activity on student conceptual learning and perceptions. A brief multiple-choice pretest showed that although students had already been introduced to the relevant concepts in lecture, they had not yet mastered these concepts before performing the activity. Two postactivity assessments showed that student performance was significantly improved on the posttest compared with the pretest and that information was largely retained at the end of the course. Survey data showed that one-half of the students stated kinesthetic learning as among their learning preferences, yet nearly all students enjoyed and were engaged in this hands-on kinesthetic activity regardless of their preferences. Most students would recommend it to their peers and expressed a desire for more kinesthetic learning opportunities in the lecture curriculum.

New Educational Video Series From AGU

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adamec, Bethany Holm; Sollosi, Derek

2013-04-01

A new video series entitled Live Education Activity Resource Network (LEARN) With AGU was recently launched. This series of short Earth and space science-related videos is designed to give K-12 formal and informal educators the tools they need to try new hands-on activities with their students. Research indicates that hands-on learning and problem solving are important ways for students to learn, but educators do not always know where to begin or think that they need a lot of materials to do a hands-on activity (which often is not the case).

Do Predators Always Win? Starfish versus Limpets: A Hands-On Activity Examining Predator-Prey Interactions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faria, Claudia; Boaventura, Diana; Galvao, Cecilia; Chagas, Isabel

2011-01-01

In this article we propose a hands-on experimental activity about predator-prey interactions that can be performed both in a research laboratory and in the classroom. The activity, which engages students in a real scientific experiment, can be explored not only to improve students' understanding about the diversity of anti-predator behaviors but…

Rain Forest: The Latest Information and Hands-on Activities To Explore Animals, Plants, and Geography. Grades 2-5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bernard, Robin

This book contains information and activities to help make the study of rainforests an exciting exploration for teachers and students. Students explore the animals, plants, and geography of the rainforest by completing hands-on activities from various disciplines. This book contains five units: (1) "Living Layers"; (2) "Animals, Animals, Animals";…

Assessing High School Student Learning on Science Outreach Lab Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Courtney L.

2012-01-01

The effect of hands-on laboratory activities on secondary student learning was examined. Assessment was conducted over a two-year period, with 262 students participating the first year and 264 students the second year. Students took a prequiz, performed a laboratory activity (gas chromatography of alcohols, or photosynthesis and respiration), and…

The Use of Molecular Modeling as "Pseudoexperimental" Data for Teaching VSEPR as a Hands-On General Chemistry Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Christopher B.; Vandehoef, Crissie; Cook, Allison

2015-01-01

A hands-on activity appropriate for first-semester general chemistry students is presented that combines traditional VSEPR methods of predicting molecular geometries with introductory use of molecular modeling. Students analyze a series of previously calculated output files consisting of several molecules each in various geometries. Each structure…

The Influence of Toy Design Activities on Middle School Students' Understanding of the Engineering Design Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ninger; Pereira, Nielsen L.; George, Tarun Thomas; Alperovich, Jeffrey; Booth, Joran; Chandrasegaran, Senthil; Tew, Jeffrey David; Kulkarni, Devadatta M.; Ramani, Karthik

2017-10-01

The societal demand for inspiring and engaging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and preparing our workforce for the emerging creative economy has necessitated developing students' self-efficacy and understanding of engineering design processes from as early as elementary school levels. Hands-on engineering design activities have shown the potential to promote middle school students' self-efficacy and understanding of engineering design processes. However, traditional classrooms often lack hands-on engineering design experiences, leaving students unprepared to solve real-world design problems. In this study, we introduce the framework of a toy design workshop and investigate the influence of the workshop activities on students' understanding of and self-efficacy beliefs in engineering design. Using a mixed method approach, we conducted quantitative analyses to show changes in students' engineering design self-efficacy and qualitative analyses to identify students' understanding of the engineering design processes. Findings show that among the 24 participants, there is a significant increase in students' self-efficacy beliefs after attending the workshop. We also identified major themes such as design goals and prototyping in students' understanding of engineering design processes. This research provides insights into the key elements of middle school students' engineering design learning and the benefits of engaging middle school students in hands-on toy design workshops.

Development of Accessible Laboratory Experiments for Students with Visual Impairments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kroes, KC; Lefler, Daniel; Schmitt, Aaron; Supalo, Cary A.

2016-01-01

The hands-on laboratory experiments are frequently what spark students' interest in science. Students who are blind or have low vision (BLV) typically do not get the same experience while participating in hands-on activities due to accessibility. Over the course of approximately nine months, common chemistry laboratory experiments were adapted and…

Testing The Scale-up Approach To Introductory Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kregenow, Julia M.; Keller, L.; Rogers, M.; Romero, D.

2008-09-01

Ithaca College physics department has begun transforming our general education astronomy courses into hands-on, active-learning courses from the previous lecture-based format. We are using the SCALE-UP model (Student Centered Activities for Large Enrollment University Programs) pioneered at North Carolina State University. Expanding on the successes of Studio Physics (developed at RPI), which exchanges traditionally separate lecture/recitation/ laboratory sessions for one dynamic, active-learning environment for approximately 40 students, SCALE-UP extends this model to accommodate 100+ students by using large round tables creating naturally smaller groups of students. Classes meet three times per week with each class blending lecture, hands-on activities, group problem solving, and the use of student polling devices. We are testing whether this mode of teaching astronomy will lead to a better understanding of astronomy and the nature of science. Applying this approach in both the SCALE-UP classroom (90 students) and a traditional lecture classroom (45 students) in spring 2008, we report on our early results and lessons learned after one semester. We also discuss some of our lingering implementation questions and issues, such as: whether to use the same or different instructor in two parallel sections, requiring textbook reading, reading quizzes, on-line homework and activities, how much math to include, development of hands-on activities, and culling the typically overpacked intro astronomy syllabus.

5,4,3,2,...Thumbs Up!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brannon, Frank

1997-01-01

Presents activities for K-4 students that explore two areas of body mechanics--bones and joints--with an emphasis on the human hand. Relates knowledge of how the body functions to comparable examples in robotics such as the "hand" of the Canadarm of the space shuttle. Activities are geared for students in pairs. (AIM)

Hands-on Science. Why Do Mittens Work?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kepler, Lynne

1996-01-01

This article presents hands-on, experiential science activities that use mittens to teach elementary students about classification and insulation. The first involves children sorting mittens. The second has them find out for themselves why mittens keep their hands warm. Across-the-curriculum activities are also described. (SM)

Using Polymer Semiconductors and a 3-in-1 Plastic Electronics STEM Education Kit to Engage Students in Hands-On Polymer Inquiry Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Enlow, Jessica L.; Marin, Dawn M.; Walter, Michael G.

2017-01-01

To improve polymer education for 9-12 and undergraduate students, a plastic electronics laboratory kit using polymer semiconductors has been developed. The three-module kit and curriculum use polymer semiconductors to provide hands-on inquiry activities with overlapping themes of electrical conductivity, light emission, and light-harvesting solar…

Witness to History: Using Hands-On Activities, A Guidebook for High School History Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metzler, Suzanne

This guidebook is intended to help high school students discover the connection between themselves and the people from the past by being engaged in hands-on activities. The guidebook allows students to create artifacts or recreate a process known well to people from times past. The guide is arranged to provide historical background, materials…

Using a Hands-On Hydrogen Peroxide Decomposition Activity to Teach Catalysis Concepts to K-12 Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cybulskis, Viktor J.; Ribeiro, Fabio H.; Gounder, Rajamani

2016-01-01

A versatile and transportable laboratory apparatus was developed for middle and high school (6th-12th grade) students as part of a hands-on outreach activity to estimate catalytic rates of hydrogen peroxide decomposition from oxygen evolution rates measured by using a volumetric displacement method. The apparatus was constructed with inherent…

KSC-2011-3465

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-12

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- Students listen intently as a laboratory technician describes the experiment being conducted in Kennedy’s Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL). High-school students from two Orlando, Fla., schools travelled to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to participate in National Lab Day activities. During the event, about 80 students, toured various facilities and engaged in educational hands-on activities. National Lab Day is a partnership between federal agencies, foundations, professional societies and organizations devoted to promoting science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, hands-on discovery-based laboratory experiences for students. Photo Credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

At-risk children's use of reflection and revision in hands-on experimental activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrosino, Anthony J., Jr.

The goal of this study was to investigate the effects of incorporating opportunities for reflection and revision in hands-on science instruction which emphasized experimentation using model rockets. The participants were low achieving sixth grade summer school students (n = 23) designated as at-risk for school failure by their district. The group was asked a series of interview questions based on work by Schauble et al. (1995) relating to experimentation. The interviews took place over three distinct time points corresponding to a "hands-on only" condition, a "hands-on with reflection and revision" condition and a "hands-on with repeated reflection and revision" condition. A Friedman's Two-Way Analysis of Variance by Ranks indicate students score low at first with traditional hands-on instruction but improve significantly with opportunities to reflect and revise their experiments. In addition, a sociocultural analysis was conducted during the summer school session to assess the model rocket activity as an apprenticeship, as guided participation and as participatory appropriation using a framework established by Rogoff (1994). Finally, a survey (the Classroom Environment Survey) was administered to the students measuring five constructs consistent with a constructivist classroom: participation, autonomy, relevance, commitment to learning and disruptions to learning. Analysis indicate students in the summer school model rocket intervention experienced a greater sense of constructivist principles during the activity than a similar comparison group utilizing reform minded instruction but not including opportunities for reflection and revision cycles. This research provides important evidence that, like scientists, students in school can learn effectively from extended practice in a varied context. Importantly, the data indicate that hands-on instruction is best utilized when opportunities for reflection and revision are made explicit. Implications are discussed related to designing instruction, the incorporation of computer supported scaffolding and implications for future research.

Hands-on Humidity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pankiewicz, Philip R.

1992-01-01

Presents five hands-on activities that allow students to detect, measure, reduce, and eliminate moisture. Students make a humidity detector and a hygrometer, examine the effects of moisture on different substances, calculate the percent of water in a given food, and examine the absorption potential of different desiccants. (MDH)

Hands-On Hydrology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathews, Catherine E.; Monroe, Louise Nelson

2004-01-01

A professional school and university collaboration enables elementary students and their teachers to explore hydrology concepts and realize the beneficial functions of wetlands. Hands-on experiences involve young students in determining water quality at field sites after laying the groundwork with activities related to the hydrologic cycle,…

The influence of contextual teaching with the problem solving method on students' knowledge and attitudes toward horticulture, science, and school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Whitcher, Carrie Lynn

2005-08-01

Adolescence is marked with many changes in the development of higher order thinking skills. As students enter high school they are expected to utilize these skills to solve problems, become abstract thinkers, and contribute to society. The goal of this study was to assess horticultural science knowledge achievement and attitude toward horticulture, science, and school in high school agriculture students. There were approximately 240 high school students in the sample including both experimental and control groups from California and Washington. Students in the experimental group participated in an educational program called "Hands-On Hortscience" which emphasized problem solving in investigation and experimentation activities with greenhouse plants, soilless media, and fertilizers. Students in the control group were taught by the subject matter method. The activities included in the Hands-On Hortscience curriculum were created to reinforce teaching the scientific method through the context of horticulture. The objectives included evaluating whether the students participating in the Hands-On Hortscience experimental group benefited in the areas of science literacy, data acquisition and analysis, and attitude toward horticulture, science, and school. Pre-tests were administered in both the experimental and control groups prior to the research activities and post-tests were administered after completion. The survey questionnaire included a biographical section and attitude survey. Significant increases in hortscience achievement were found from pre-test to post-test in both control and experimental study groups. The experimental treatment group had statistically higher achievement scores than the control group in the two areas tested: scientific method (p=0.0016) and horticulture plant nutrition (p=0.0004). In addition, the students participating in the Hands-On Hortscience activities had more positive attitudes toward horticulture, science, and school (p=0.0033). Students who were more actively involved in hands-on projects had higher attitude scores compared to students who were taught traditional methods alone. In demographic comparisons, females had more positive attitudes toward horticulture science than males; and students from varying ethnic backgrounds had statistically different achievement (p=0.0001). Ethnicity was determined with few students in each background, 8 in one ethnicity and 10 students in another. Youth organization membership such as FFA or 4-H had no significant bearing on achievement or attitude.

Adapting a successful inquiry-based immersion program to create an Authentic, Hands- on, Field based Curriculum in Environmental Science at Barnard College

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kenna, T. C.; Pfirman, S.; Mailloux, B. J.; Martin, S.; Kelsey, R.; Bower, P.

2008-12-01

Adapting a successful inquiry-based immersion program to create an Authentic, Hands-on, Field based Curriculum in Environmental Science at Barnard College T. C. Kenna, S. Pfirman, B. J. Mailloux, M. Stute, R. Kelsey, and P. Bower By adapting a successful inquiry-based immersion program (SEA semester) to the typical college format of classes, we are improving the technical and quantitative skills of undergraduate women and minorities in environmental science and improving their critical thinking and problem-solving by exposing our students to open-ended real-world environmental issues. Our approach uses the Hudson River Estuary as a natural laboratory. In a series of hands-on inquiry-based activities, students use advanced equipment to collect data and samples. Each class session introduces new analytical and data analysis techniques. All classes have the connecting theme of the river. Working with real data is open-ended. Our major findings as indicated by surveys as well as journaling throughout the semester are that the field- based experience significantly contributed to student learning and engagement. Journaling responses indicated that nearly all students discussed the importance and excitement of an authentic research experience. Some students were frustrated with data irregularities, uncertainty in methods and data, and the general challenge of a curriculum with inherent ambiguity. The majority were satisfied with the aims of the course to provide an integrative experience. All students demonstrated transfer of learned skills. This project has had a significant impact on our undergraduate female students: several students have pursued senior thesis projects stemming from grant activities, stating that the field activities were the highlight of their semester. Some students love the experience and want more. Others decide that they want to pursue a different career. All learn how science is conducted and have a better foundation to understand concepts such as sampling, uncertainty, and variability, which are important to many fields. Many of the hands-on curricular activities have been adapted and used with a variety of student, teacher, and faculty groups. Faculty participants in our River Summer program (www.riversummer.org) see earth system science in a way that would be hard to replicate without the hands-on experience. Faculty participants are encouraged to adapt our activities to their own classroom. We are in the process of assembling many of our hands-on field-based activities as fully exportable curricular elements to further increase impacts.

KSC-2011-3468

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-12

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- Students participate in a high-altitude balloon experiment that's being conducted on the grounds of Kennedy’s Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL). High-school students from two Orlando, Fla., schools travelled to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to participate in National Lab Day activities. During the event, about 80 students, toured various facilities and engaged in educational hands-on activities. National Lab Day is a partnership between federal agencies, foundations, professional societies and organizations devoted to promoting science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, hands-on discovery-based laboratory experiences for students. Photo Credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-3469

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-12

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- Students participate in a high-altitude balloon experiment that's being conducted on the grounds of Kennedy’s Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL). High-school students from two Orlando, Fla., schools travelled to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to participate in National Lab Day activities. During the event, about 80 students, toured various facilities and engaged in educational hands-on activities. National Lab Day is a partnership between federal agencies, foundations, professional societies and organizations devoted to promoting science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, hands-on discovery-based laboratory experiences for students. Photo Credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-3466

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-12

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- Students listen intently as a laboratory technician describes the high-altitude balloon experiment that's being conducted on the grounds of Kennedy’s Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL). High-school students from two Orlando, Fla., schools travelled to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to participate in National Lab Day activities. During the event, about 80 students, toured various facilities and engaged in educational hands-on activities. National Lab Day is a partnership between federal agencies, foundations, professional societies and organizations devoted to promoting science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, hands-on discovery-based laboratory experiences for students. Photo Credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-3467

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-12

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- Students participate in a high-altitude balloon experiment that's being conducted on the grounds of Kennedy’s Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL). High-school students from two Orlando, Fla., schools travelled to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to participate in National Lab Day activities. During the event, about 80 students, toured various facilities and engaged in educational hands-on activities. National Lab Day is a partnership between federal agencies, foundations, professional societies and organizations devoted to promoting science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, hands-on discovery-based laboratory experiences for students. Photo Credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

The Citizen Science Program "H2O SOS: Help Heal the Ocean—Student Operated Solutions: Operation Climate Change" teaches middle and high school students about ocean threats related to climate change through hands-on activities and learning experiences in the field. This is a continuation of the Program presented last year at the Poster Session.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, N. K.; Wood, J. H.

2017-12-01

TThe Citizen Science Program H2O SOS: Help Heal the Ocean—Student Operated Solutions: Operation Climate Change, teaches middle and high school students about ocean threats related to climate change through hands-on activities and learning experiences in the field. During each session (in-class or after-school as a club), students build an understanding about how climate change impacts our oceans using resources provided by ExplorOcean (hands-on activities, presentations, multi-media). Through a student leadership model, students present lessons to each other, interweaving a deep learning of science, 21st century technology, communication skills, and leadership. After participating in learning experiences and activities related to 6 key climate change concepts: 1) Introduction to climate change, 2) Increased sea temperatures, 3) Ocean acidification, 4) Sea level rise, 5) Feedback mechanisms, and 6) Innovative solutions. H2O SOS- Operation Climate change participants select one focus issue and use it to design a multi-pronged campaign to increase awareness about this issue in their local community. The campaign includes social media, an interactive activity, and a visual component. All participating clubs that meet participation and action goals earn a field trip to Ocean Quest where they dive deeper into their selected issue through hands-on activities, real-world investigations, and interviews or presentations with experts. In addition to self-selected opportunities to showcase their focus issue, teams will participate in one of several key events identified by Ocean Quest.

Hands-on Herps.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Activities, 1987

1987-01-01

Presents a hands-on activity to help primary, intermediate, and advanced students learn about and compare the general characteristics of reptiles and amphibians. Suggests "herp stations" to provide experiences. Details materials, background and procedures necessary for using this activity. (CW)

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,…

Creating a Critical Thinker

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piergiovanni, Polly R.

2014-01-01

A college education is expected to improve students' critical thinking skills. Keeping students active in class--through writing activities and class discussion--has been shown to help students think critically. In this article, creative hands-on activities, which are common in engineering courses, are shown to improve students' critical thinking…

Actigraphic investigations on the activity-rest behavior of right- and left-handed students.

PubMed

Lehnkering, Hanna; Strauss, Andreas; Wegner, Brigitte; Siegmund, Renate

2006-01-01

The aim of this study was to explore differences between left-and right-handed subjects in sleep duration. Sleep and activity patterns were continuously registered for 12 days using actometers on 20 left-handed and 20 right-handed medical students in Berlin. Handedness was determined by a modified version of the Edinburgh handedness inventory. Each participant wore one actometer on each wrist. Actiwatch Sleep Analysis Software (CNT, UK) was used to evaluate the data, and statistical calculations were performed with a non-parametric variance analysis. A significant difference in mean sleep duration between left-handers (7.9 h) and right-handers (7.3 h) was determined (p=0.025 for measurement made on the dominant hand and p=0.013 for ones made on the non-dominant hand). In contrast, the maximal phase of daily activity (acrophase) did not show any difference between the two groups. The difference in sleep duration might be caused by either the greater effort required for left-handers to cope in a right-handed world or by structural brain differences.

Hands On Earth Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weisgarber, Sherry L.; Van Doren, Lisa; Hackathorn, Merrianne; Hannibal, Joseph T.; Hansgen, Richard

This publication is a collection of 13 hands-on activities that focus on earth science-related activities and involve students in learning about growing crystals, tectonics, fossils, rock and minerals, modeling Ohio geology, geologic time, determining true north, and constructing scale-models of the Earth-moon system. Each activity contains…

Introducing Chemical Reactions Concepts in K-6 through a Hands-On Food Spherification and Spaghetti-Fication Experiment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gupta, Anju; Hill, Nicole; Valenzuela, Patricia; Johnson, Eric

2017-01-01

Recruiting students in STEM majors to fill the gap in STEM workforce is a continued challenge, which can be addressed by introducing scientific principles through hand-on activities to the students at an early stage. This paper presents the design, implementation and assessment of a chemistry-related workshop for sixth grade students that were…

KSC-2011-3472

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-12

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- Students listen intently as a laboratory technician describes a project that's being researched in Kennedy’s Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL). High-school students from two Orlando, Fla., schools travelled to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to participate in National Lab Day activities. During the event, about 80 students, toured various facilities and engaged in educational hands-on activities. National Lab Day is a partnership between federal agencies, foundations, professional societies and organizations devoted to promoting science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, hands-on discovery-based laboratory experiences for students. Photo Credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-3474

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-12

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- Students listen intently as a laboratory technician describes a project that's being researched in Kennedy’s Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL). High-school students from two Orlando, Fla., schools travelled to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to participate in National Lab Day activities. During the event, about 80 students, toured various facilities and engaged in educational hands-on activities. National Lab Day is a partnership between federal agencies, foundations, professional societies and organizations devoted to promoting science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, hands-on discovery-based laboratory experiences for students. Photo Credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

KSC-2011-3471

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-05-12

Cape Canaveral, Fla. -- Students listen intently as a laboratory technician describes a project that's being researched in Kennedy’s Space Life Sciences Laboratory (SLSL). High-school students from two Orlando, Fla., schools travelled to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to participate in National Lab Day activities. During the event, about 80 students, toured various facilities and engaged in educational hands-on activities. National Lab Day is a partnership between federal agencies, foundations, professional societies and organizations devoted to promoting science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, hands-on discovery-based laboratory experiences for students. Photo Credit: NASA/Frankie Martin

Data-driven Approaches to Teaching Stable Isotopes in Hydrology and Environmental Geochemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jefferson, A.; Merchant, W. R.; Dees, D.; Griffith, E. M.; Ortiz, J. D.

2016-12-01

Stable isotopes have revolutionized our understanding of watershed hydrology and other earth science processes. However, students may struggle to correctly interpret isotope ratios and few students understand how isotope measurements are made. New laser-based technologies lower the barrier to entry for giving students hands on experience with isotope measurements and data analysis. We hypothesizedthat integrating such activities into the curriculum would increase student content knowledge, perceptions, and motivation to learn. This project assessed the impact that different pedagogical approaches have on student learning of stable isotope concepts in upper-division geoscience courses. An isotope hydrograph separation module was developed and taught for a Watershed Hydrology course, and a Rayleigh distillation activity was developed and deployed for Environmental Geochemistry and Sedimentology/Stratigraphy classes. Groups of students were exposed to this content via (1) a lecture-only format; (2) a paper-based data analysis activity; and (3) hands-on data collection, sometimes including spectrometer analysis. Pre- and post-tests measured gains in content knowledge while approaches to learning and motivational questionnaires instruments were used to identify the effects of the classroom environment on learning approaches and motivation. Focus group interviews were also conducted to verify the quantitative data. All instructional styles appear to be equally effective at increasing student content knowledge of stable isotopes in the geosciences, but future studies need to move beyond "exam question" style assessment of learning. Our results may reflect that hands-on experiences are not new to upper-level geosciences students, because this is the way that many classes are taught in the geosciences (labs, field trips). Thus, active learning approaches may not have had the impact they would with other groups. The "messiness" of hands-on activities and authentic research experiences may be perceived as negatives by students, particularly those who use surface learning techniques and extrinsic motivation.

Calculator-Controlled Robots: Hands-On Mathematics and Science Discovery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuchscherer, Tyson

2010-01-01

The Calculator Controlled Robots activities are designed to engage students in hands-on inquiry-based missions. These activities address National science and technology standards, as well as specifically focusing on mathematics content and process standards. There are ten missions and three exploration extensions that provide activities for up to…

The impact of a hands-on approach to learning visible spectrometry upon students' performance, motivation, and attitudes.

PubMed

Vrtacnik, Margareta; Gros, Natasa

2013-01-01

In this paper, the effect of introducing visible spectrometry concepts through hands-on laboratory work upon student learning within four vocational programs are discussed. All together, 118 students, average 18.6 years old, participated in the study. The results showed no correlation between students' motivational components (intrinsic, regulated, and controlled), chemistry self-concept and their achievement on an experiential knowledge test and knowledge gained from this hands-on approach. Statistically significant differences were found for academic achievement among students in a biotechnology technical program (School 1), food processing program (School 2), laboratory biomedicine program (School 3), and a biotechnology general program (School 4). Differences in academic achievement are further reflected in students' perception of particular knowledge gained through their hands-on experiences and in their expressed attitude toward different didactical characteristics. All students, regardless of their study program, highly evaluated the relaxed atmosphere that contributed to their self-confidence in completing their laboratory activities.

The healthy heart race: a short-duration, hands-on activity in cardiovascular physiology for museums and science festivals.

PubMed

Pressley, Thomas A; Limson, Melvin; Byse, Miranda; Matyas, Marsha Lakes

2011-09-01

The "Healthy Heart Race" activity provides a hands-on demonstration of cardiovascular function suitable for lay audiences. It was field tested during the United States of America Science and Engineering Festival held in Washington, DC, in October 2010. The basic equipment for the activity consisted of lengths of plastic tubing, a hand pump, collection containers, clamps, and simulated blood prepared by tinting water with red food coloring. Student participants were first asked to experience the effort required to pump through an unaltered tube. A presenter then applied a strong clamp that pinched each tube downstream from the pump, and students were asked to pump against the increased resistance. The students' observations were then used as the basis for discussions of atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease with the presenters. Distribution of informative postcards during the 2 days of the festival indicated that at least 2,500 students completed the Healthy Heart Race activity. Our experiences to date suggest that the Healthy Heart Race activity can be accomplished effectively in the high-volume, high-distraction environment of a science fair or museum.

Process and Learning Outcomes from Remotely-Operated, Simulated, and Hands-on Student Laboratories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corter, James E.; Esche, Sven K.; Chassapis, Constantin; Ma, Jing; Nickerson, Jeffrey V.

2011-01-01

A large-scale, multi-year, randomized study compared learning activities and outcomes for hands-on, remotely-operated, and simulation-based educational laboratories in an undergraduate engineering course. Students (N = 458) worked in small-group lab teams to perform two experiments involving stress on a cantilever beam. Each team conducted the…

Activities for Students: Averaging Rates--Deciding when to Use the Harmonic or Arithmetic Mean

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, S. L.; Rizzardi, M. A.

2005-01-01

The article describes the harmonic mean and explores situations for using it. Activities that involve hands-on practice for students are provided. Students learn to recognize which mean, harmonic or arithmetic, is appropriate.

Alignment of Hands-on STEM Engagement Activities with Positive STEM Dispositions in Secondary School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christensen, Rhonda; Knezek, Gerald; Tyler-Wood, Tandra

2015-12-01

This study examines positive dispositions reported by middle school and high school students participating in programs that feature STEM-related activities. Middle school students participating in school-to-home hands-on energy monitoring activities are compared to middle school and high school students in a different project taking part in activities such as an after-school robotics program. Both groups are compared and contrasted with a third group of high school students admitted at the eleventh grade to an academy of mathematics and science. All students were assessed using the same science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) dispositions instrument. Findings indicate that the after-school group whose participants self-selected STEM engagement activities, and the self-selected academy of mathematics and science group, each had highly positive STEM dispositions comparable to those of STEM professionals, while a subset of the middle school whole-classroom energy monitoring group that reported high interest in STEM as a career, also possessed highly positive STEM dispositions comparable to the STEM Professionals group. The authors conclude that several different kinds of hands-on STEM engagement activities are likely to foster or maintain positive STEM dispositions at the middle school and high school levels, and that these highly positive levels of dispositions can be viewed as a target toward which projects seeking to interest mainstream secondary students in STEM majors in college and STEM careers, can hope to aspire. Gender findings regarding STEM dispositions are also reported for these groups.

Investigating Plants: Hands-On, Low-Cost Laboratory Exercises in Plant Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinclair, Thomas R.; Johnson, Marty

This manual describes 14 hands-on exercises for middle school introductory biology courses that are designed to allow all students to be involved in self-discoveries about life and plant life in particular. The exercises were developed to supplement normal classroom activities by allowing students to initiate ongoing projects to investigate the…

A Hands-On Approach to Maglev for Gifted Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Budd, Raymond T.

2003-01-01

This article discusses how Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) can be taught to gifted students in grades 4-9 using hands-on activities that align to the National Science Standards. Principles of magnetic levitation, advantages of magnetic levitation, construction of a Maglev project, testing and evaluation of vehicles, and presentation of the unit are…

Hands-On Experiences with Buoyant-Less Water

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slisko, Josip; Planinsic, Gorazd

2010-01-01

The phenomenon of weightlessness is known to students thanks to videos of amazing things astronauts do in spaceships orbiting the Earth. In this article we propose two hands-on activities which give students opportunities to infer by themselves the absence of buoyant force in a gravity accelerated system. The system is a free-falling or vertically…

An Ap"peel"ing Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urich, Joshua A.; Sasse, Elizabeth A.

2011-01-01

This article describes a hands-on mathematics activity wherein students peel oranges to explore the surface area and volume of a sphere. This activity encourages students to make conjectures and hold mathematical discussions with both their peers and their teacher. Moreover, students develop formulas for the surface area and volume of a sphere…

"JCE" Classroom Activity #111: Redox Reactions in Three Representations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nieves, Edgardo L. Ortiz; Barreto, Reizelie; Medina, Zuleika

2012-01-01

This activity introduces students to the concept of reduction-oxidation (redox) reactions. To help students obtain a thorough understanding of redox reactions, the concept is explored at three levels: macroscopic, submicroscopic, and symbolic. In this activity, students perform hands-on investigations of the three levels as they work at different…

What's the Matter with Food?: A Hands-On Action Research Study on the Effect of Using Food Preparation To Teach Students with Autism about the Three States of Matter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Diller, Nicole

This investigation studied the effectiveness of using food preparation to teach students with Autism about the three states of matter. A hands-on learning approach was used within the home and careers classroom. One class of five students, three boys and two girls, all diagnosed with Autism, participated in a five day academic unit about the three phases of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. The class received hands-on learning science instruction using food through various differentiated activities. Results indicate that students express focus when using food to learn. In addition, this study acknowledges that hands-on learning in science enhances the learning process of students with Autism. One of the main reasons is that students enjoy learning when this teaching style is used in the classroom, and students that enjoy what they are learning are more likely to be engaged and motivated to learn. After using this approach, all the students in the study increased their scores from the pre-assessments to the post-assessments. Students expressed through actions and words that they enjoyed using hands-on experiences to learn in the classroom. Implications for practice indicate that a variety of manipulatives are needed to teach students with Autism. Future research would help uncover additional information about student motivation and learning in the home and careers classroom.

Build a Simple Seismograph

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koc, Isil

2009-01-01

The purpose of this activity is to inform students about earthquakes and their movements and to give students an idea of how a seismograph works. Even though students may not experience an actual earthquake, the hands-on activity of creating a seismograph will give students an opportunity to visually explore concepts related to earthquakes.…

Hands-On Optics science camps and clubs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Constance E.; Sparks, Robert T.; Pompea, Stephen M.

2007-06-01

Hands-On Optics (HOO) is a National Science Foundation funded program to bring optics education to traditionally underserved middle school students. We have developed six modules that teach students optics concepts through hands-on, inquiry-based activities. The modules have been used extensively in after-school and non-school settings such as in the Boys and Girls Clubs in South Tucson, Arizona and the Boys and Girls Club in Sells, Arizona on the Tohono O'odham reservation. We will describe these programs and the lessons learned in these settings. These modules also form the basis for a week-long optics camp that provides students with approximately 40 hours of instruction time in optics. We will provide an outline of the activities and concepts covered in the camp. These camps provide an ideal way to encourage interest in optics before career choices are developed.

Knowledge Retention for Computer Simulations: A study comparing virtual and hands-on laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Croom, John R., III

The use of virtual laboratories has the potential to change physics education. These low-cost, interactive computer activities interest students, allow for easy setup, and give educators a way to teach laboratory based online classes. This study investigated whether virtual laboratories could replace traditional hands-on laboratories and whether students could retain the same long-term knowledge in virtual laboratories as compared to hands-on laboratories. This study is a quantitative quasi-experiment that used a multiple posttest design to determine if students using virtual laboratories would retain the same knowledge as students who performed hands-on laboratories after 9 weeks. The study was composed of 336 students from 14 school districts. Students had their performances on the laboratories and their retention of the laboratories compared to a series of factors that might have affected their retention using a pretest and two posttests, which were compared using a t test. The results showed no significant difference in short-term learning between the hands-on laboratory groups and virtual laboratory groups. There was, however, a significant difference (p = .005) between the groups in long-term retention; students in the hands-on laboratory groups retained more information than those in the virtual laboratory groups. These results suggest that long-term learning is enhanced when a laboratory contains a hands-on component. Finally, the results showed that both groups of students felt their particular laboratory style was superior to the alternative method. The findings of this study can be used to improve the integration of virtual laboratories into science curriculum.

A Hands-On Approach to Teaching Protein Translation & Translocation into the ER

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

LaBonte, Michelle L.

2013-01-01

The process of protein translation and translocation into the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) can often be challenging for introductory college biology students to visualize. To help them understand how proteins become oriented in the ER membrane, I developed a hands-on activity in which students use Play-Doh to simulate the process of protein…

Response of Fish to Chemical Signals in Water: A Constructivist Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlenker, Richard M.; Schlenker, Karl R.

2005-01-01

In contemporary science education, the trend is to engage students in hands-on activities in which they must manipulate equipment and gather data in an effort to answer questions. Hands-on experiences may turn out to be meaningless unless the experiences are well designed, planned, and focused so that students are guided to construct accurate…

Classroom Social Dynamics Management: Why the Invisible Hand of the Teacher Matters for Special Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmer, Thomas W.; Dawes, Molly; Hamm, Jill V.; Lee, David; Mehtaji, Meera; Hoffman, Abigail S.; Brooks, Debbie S.

2018-01-01

The "invisible hand" is a metaphor that refers to teachers' impact on the classroom peer ecology. Although teachers have the capacity to organize the classroom environment and activities in ways that contribute to students' social experiences, their contributions are often overlooked in research on students' peer relations and the…

Introducing Computational Thinking through Hands-on Projects Using R with Applications to Calculus, Probability and Data Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benakli, Nadia; Kostadinov, Boyan; Satyanarayana, Ashwin; Singh, Satyanand

2017-01-01

The goal of this paper is to promote computational thinking among mathematics, engineering, science and technology students, through hands-on computer experiments. These activities have the potential to empower students to learn, create and invent with technology, and they engage computational thinking through simulations, visualizations and data…

Are All Hands-On Activities Equally Effective? Effect of Using Plastic Models, Organ Dissections, and Virtual Dissections on Student Learning and Perceptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lombardi, Sara A.; Hicks, Reimi E.; Thompson, Katerina V.; Marbach-Ad, Gili

2014-01-01

This study investigated the impact of three commonly used cardiovascular model-assisted activities on student learning and student attitudes and perspectives about science. College students enrolled in a Human Anatomy and Physiology course were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups (organ dissections, virtual dissections, or…

Increasing Higher Level Thinking Skills in Science of Gifted Students in Grades 1-4 through "Hands-On" Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dindial, Myrna J.

This practicum was designed to increase higher level thinking skills of gifted students in primary school. The project sought to retrain students from recalling science information from the textbook to a more challenging and active form of learning through individual projects and small group and large group activities. Students were given…

Enhancing the Connection to Undergraduate Engineering Students: A Hands-On and Team-Based Approach to Fluid Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wei, Tie; Ford, Julie

2015-01-01

This article provides information about the integration of innovative hands-on activities within a sophomore-level Fluid Mechanics course at New Mexico Tech. The course introduces students to the fundamentals of fluid mechanics with emphasis on teaching key equations and methods of analysis for solving real-world problems. Strategies and examples…

Isaac Newton Olympics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Carol

2001-01-01

Presents the Isaac Newton Olympics in which students complete a hands-on activity at seven stations and evaluate what they have learned in the activity and how it is related to real life. Includes both student and teacher instructions for three of the activities. (YDS)

Partnership with informal education learning centers to develop hands-on activities for research outreach efforts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Courville, Z.; Haynes, R.; DeFrancis, G.; Koh, S.; Ringelberg, D.

2012-12-01

Outreach informed by scientific research plays an important role in fostering interest in science by making science and scientists accessible, fun, and interesting. Developing an interest in science in young, elementary-aged students through outreach is a rewarding endeavor for researchers, in that audiences are usually receptive, requirements for broader impacts are met, and bonds are formed between researchers and members of their local and surrounding communities. Promoting such interest among young students is imperative not only for an individual researcher's own self interest, but also for the strength of American science and innovation moving forward, and is the responsibility of the current generation of scientists. Developing genuine and successful inquiry-based, hands-on activities for elementary-aged students is outside the expertise of many researchers. Partnering with an informal education learning center (i.e. science museum or after-school program) provides researchers with the expertise they might be lacking in such endeavors. Here, we present a series of polar-, engineering- and microbiology-themed hands-on activities that have been developed by researchers at a government lab in partnership with a local science museum. Through a series of workshops, the science education staff at the museum provided researchers with background and instruction on inquiry and hands-on activities, and then collaborated with the researchers to develop activities which were later demonstrated at the museum to museum-goers. Education staff provided feedback about the presentation of the activities for further refinement. The program provided an opportunity for researchers to develop fun, on-target and age-appropriate science activities for elementary-aged students, an audience for outreach, and enabled general public audiences the chance to interact with researchers and scientists in an informal setting.

Motivational Qualities of Hands-on Science Activities for Turkish Preservice Kindergarten Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bulunuz, Mizrap

2012-01-01

The purpose of this research, conducted in a science methods course in Turkey, was to explore the qualities of hands-on science activities which might motivate preservice kindergarten teachers to use these activities in their own classrooms. Two similar classes totaling 47 students and taught by the same instructor were used in this study. On…

Student Activities in Meteorology: SAM. Version 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meier, Beverly L.; Passarelli, Elisa

The task of providing hands-on as well as minds-on activities for students in science is one of concern to many scientists and educators. In an effort to inspire student interest in science and technology, scientists from the Forecast Systems Laboratory, a laboratory within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Environmental…

Are all hands-on activities equally effective? Effect of using plastic models, organ dissections, and virtual dissections on student learning and perceptions.

PubMed

Lombardi, Sara A; Hicks, Reimi E; Thompson, Katerina V; Marbach-Ad, Gili

2014-03-01

This study investigated the impact of three commonly used cardiovascular model-assisted activities on student learning and student attitudes and perspectives about science. College students enrolled in a Human Anatomy and Physiology course were randomly assigned to one of three experimental groups (organ dissections, virtual dissections, or plastic models). Each group received a 15-min lecture followed by a 45-min activity with one of the treatments. Immediately after the lesson and then 2 mo later, students were tested on anatomy and physiology knowledge and completed an attitude survey. Students who used plastic models achieved significantly higher overall scores on both the initial and followup exams than students who performed organ or virtual dissections. On the initial exam, students in the plastic model and organ dissection treatments scored higher on anatomy questions than students who performed virtual dissections. Students in the plastic model group scored higher than students who performed organ dissections on physiology questions. On the followup exam, when asked anatomy questions, students in the plastic model group scored higher than dissection students and virtual dissection students. On attitude surveys, organ dissections had higher perceived value and were requested for inclusion in curricula twice as often as any other activity. Students who performed organ dissections were more likely than the other treatment groups to agree with the statement that "science is fun," suggesting that organ dissections may promote positive attitudes toward science. The findings of this study provide evidence for the importance of multiple types of hands-on activities in anatomy laboratory courses.

Student learning styles in anatomy and physiology courses: Meeting the needs of nursing students.

PubMed

Johnston, A N B; Hamill, J; Barton, M J; Baldwin, S; Percival, J; Williams-Pritchard, G; Salvage-Jones, J; Todorovic, M

2015-11-01

Anatomy and Physiology is a core course in pre-registration nursing programs, yet many students have difficulty successfully negotiating the large volume of content and the complex concepts in these bioscience courses. Typically students perform poorly in these 'threshold' courses', despite multiple interventions to support student engagement. Investigation of the shortcomings in these courses, based on feedback from students indicated several key areas of difficulty in the course, especially focused around a relative lack of hands-on 'concrete' activities in laboratories and tutorials. To attempt to address this, academic and technical staff developed activities for students that promoted discussion and allowed students to interact easily and repetitively with content. Interactive tables and posters that needed to be labelled or 'filled-in' using pre-prepared Velcro dots, as well as pre-prepared flash cards to promote group work, were some examples of the activities used to enhance student experiences and promote hands-on learning. Over the academic year of 2013 these activities were introduced into the laboratory and tutorial classes for first year Bachelor of Nursing anatomy and physiology students. Staff and student participants positively rated implementation of these new activities on surveys, as they allowed them to explore the difficult aspects of anatomy and physiology, utilising various learning styles that may have been neglected in the past. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of Students' Critical-Reasoning Skills through Content-Focused Activities in a General Education Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fencl, Heidi S.

2010-01-01

Students in a general education science course made significant gains in scientific reasoning skills when they were taught using carefully designed hands-on activities and writing assignments. The activities required students to make use of scientific skills such as graphing, predicting outcomes under changing conditions, or designing experiments,…

Place-Based Investigations and Authentic Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarkar, Somnath; Frazier, Richard

2008-01-01

Although many science students perform hands-on activities as inquiry exercises, such activities sometimes remain disconnected in the student's mind and fail to nurture a deeper understanding of methods of science and the role these methods play in scientific inquiry. Students may be able to reiterate the steps of the standard "scientific…

Featherweight Challenge

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Love, Tyler S.; Ryan, Larry

2012-01-01

As science, technology education, and engineering programs suffer budget cuts, educators continue to seek cost-effective activities that engage students and reinforce standards. The featherweight challenge is a hands-on activity that challenges students to continually refine their design while not breaking the budget. This activity uses one of the…

Ciênsação: gaining a feeling for sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abreu de Oliveira, Marcos Henrique; Fischer, Robert

2017-03-01

Ciênsação, an open online repository for hands-on experiments, has been developed to convince teachers in Latin America that science is best experienced first hand. Permitting students to experiment autonomously in small groups can be a challenging endeavour for educators in these countries. We analyse the reasons that cause hesitation of teachers appling hands-on experiments in class, and discuss how Ciênsação was implemented to overcome these obstacles. The resulting student research activities are specifically designed to be easily integrated in formal science education at school, to foster research skills and, most importantly, to let young people get to know science as an engaging creative activity.

Science Action Labs Part 3: Puzzlers. An Innovative Collection of Hands-On Science Activities and Labs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shevick, Ed

This book contains hands-on science laboratory activities for grades 4 through 9 that use discrepant events to challenge students. All of the "puzzlers" are based upon science principles and include directions for building gadgets that explain the "puzzlers." Topics covered include: volume conservation, magnetic phenomena,…

A Hands-On Activity to Build Mastery of Intermolecular Forces and Its Impacts on Student Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruck, Laura B.

2016-01-01

The intermolecular forces activity presented in this article is designed to foster concept-building through students' use of concrete, manipulative objects, and it was developed to be pedagogically sound. Data analysis via pre- and posttesting and subsequent exam questions indicated that students who had the opportunity to participate in the…

An Illumination of the Roles of Hands-On Activities, Discussion, Text Reading, and Writing in Constructing Biology Knowledge in Seventh Grade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Carolyn S.

2004-01-01

A previous study (Wallace, Yang, Hand, & Hohenshell, 2001) indicated that seventh-grade life science students using a learning tool known as the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) performed significantly better on conceptual test questions than did a control group. In the present study, the researcher studied more deeply how students utilized a…

Building New Partnerships--Museums, Universities, and Schools: A "Rocks and Minerals" Thematic Loan Kit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Brien, George E.; And Others

Ten activities that feature a hands-on, student inquiry-based investigatory approach to rocks and minerals are presented. "Guided discovery" and/or inquiry instructional strategies are emphasized. They focus on a student-centered active classroom. Each activity includes the heading, science content, the scientific process skills, objective or…

Science beyond the Classroom: Hands-On Optics and the Boys and Girls Club

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dokter, Erin F.; Walker, C.; Peruta, C.; Ubach, C.; Sparks, R.; Pompea, S.

2006-12-01

In Summer and Fall 2006, the Hands-On Optics program of the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO) teamed up with two local Boys and Girls Clubs in the Tucson area to conduct informal education programs for elementary and middle school aged children. Hands-On Optics (HOO) is a collaborative program funded by NSF to create and sustain a unique, national, informal science education program to excite students about science by actively engaging them in optics activities. The program was designed especially to reach underserved students. In this talk, the successes and challenges of implementing these programs will be discussed, as well as the lessons learned in the process, which may be applied to other partnerships between EPO providers and informal learning venues.

The Impact of Hands-On-Approach on Student Academic Performance in Basic Science and Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ekwueme, Cecilia O.; Ekon, Esther E.; Ezenwa-Nebife, Dorothy C.

2015-01-01

Children can learn mathematics and sciences effectively even before being exposed to formal school curriculum if basic Mathematics and Sciences concepts are communicated to them early using activity oriented (Hands-on) method of teaching. Mathematics and Science are practical and activity oriented and can best be learnt through inquiry (Okebukola…

Reduction of illness absenteeism in elementary schools using an alcohol-free instant hand sanitizer.

PubMed

White, C G; Shinder, F S; Shinder, A L; Dyer, D L

2001-10-01

Hand washing is the most effective way to prevent the spread of communicable disease. The purpose of this double-blind, placebo-controlled study was to assess whether an alcohol-free, instant hand sanitizer containing surfactants, allantoin, and benzalkonium chloride could reduce illness absenteeism in a population of 769 elementary school children and serve as an effective alternative when regular soap and water hand washing was not readily available. Prior to the study, students were educated about proper hand washing technique, the importance of hand washing to prevent transmission of germs, and the relationship between germs and illnesses. Children in kindergarten through the 6th grade (ages 5-12) were assigned to the active or placebo hand-sanitizer product and instructed to use the product at scheduled times during the day and as needed after coughing or sneezing. Data on illness absenteeism were tracked. After 5 weeks, students using the active product were 33% less likely to have been absent because of illness when compared with the placebo group.

Amazing Soil Stories: Adventure and Activity Book [and] Teacher's Guide to the Activity Book.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

California Association of Resource Conservation Districts, Sacramento.

The student activity book offers a variety of written exercises and "hands on" experiments and demonstrations for students at the fourth grade level. The book begins with a cartoon story that follows the adventures of a student investigating a soil erosion crisis and what her community can do to prevent soil erosion. Interspersed within…

A Simple Classroom Teaching Technique to Help Students Understand Michaelis-Menten Kinetics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Runge, Steven W.; Hill, Brent J. F.; Moran, William M.

2006-01-01

A new, simple classroom technique helps cell biology students understand principles of Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics. A student mimics the enzyme and the student's hand represents the enzyme's active site. The catalytic event is the transfer of marbles (substrate molecules) by hand from one plastic container to another. As predicted, increases…

Be the Volume: A Classroom Activity to Visualize Volume Estimation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mikhaylov, Jessica

2011-01-01

A hands-on activity can help multivariable calculus students visualize surfaces and understand volume estimation. This activity can be extended to include the concepts of Fubini's Theorem and the visualization of the curves resulting from cross-sections of the surface. This activity uses students as pillars and a sheet or tablecloth for the…

Hands-On Whole Science. What Rots?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markle, Sandra

1991-01-01

Presents activities on the science of garbage to help elementary students learn to save the earth. A rotting experiment teaches students what happens to apple slices sealed in plastic or buried in damp soil. Other activities include reading stories on the subject and conducting classroom composting or toxic materials projects. (SM)

The Blind Spot: Re-Educating Ourselves about Visual Images

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farkas, N.; Donnelly, K. M.; Henriksen, P. N.; Ramsier, R. D.

2004-01-01

A simple blind spot activity has been devised to help students discard misconceptions about image formation by lenses. Our hands-on experiment, in which students determine the location and size of their blind spots, is suitable for various age groups at different educational levels. The activity provides an opportunity to teach students how to…

The Science Activity Center: An Alternative To the Traditional Science Fair.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padwa, Linda; Krieger, Melanie

1997-01-01

Describes the Suffolk Activity Center for Science (SACS) built by middle school students for middle school students and enhanced by a partnership with the University of Stony Brook. Involves students from nine participating schools building an interactive hands-on exhibit dealing with the concept of energy. Discusses advantages and suggestions for…

Real Science, Real Scientists: Student's Experiments with Natural and Artificial Wastewater Treatment in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdogan, Ibrahim

2006-01-01

In this extended biology, ecology, and earth science activity, students construct hands-on models of natural wastewater treatment and wastewater treatment facilities to achieve an understanding of wastewater treatment process in nature and wastewater treatment facilities. During this simulation activity, students have opportunities to learn…

An Exploratory Study of a Robotics Educational Platform on STEM Career Interests in Middle School Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hinton, Tracy Barger

With the large expected growth in STEM-related careers in American industries, there are not enough graduates to fill these positions (United States Department of Labor, 2015). Increased efforts are being made to reform STEM education from early childhood to college level studies, mainly through increased efforts to incorporate new technologies and project-based learning activities (Hegedorn & Purnamasari, 2012). At the middle school level, a robotics educational platform can be a worthwhile activity that provides hands-on learning as students learn basic programming and engineering skills (Grubbs, 2013). Based on the popularity of LEGO toys, LEGO Education developed an engaging and effective way to learn about computer programming and basic engineering concepts (Welch & Huffman, 2011). LEGO MINDSTORMS offers a project-based learning environment that engages students in real-life, problem-solving challenges. The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the instructional use of a robotics educational curriculum on middle school students' attitudes toward and interests in STEM and their experiences with LEGO Robotics activities. Participants included 23 seventh grade students who were enrolled in a Career Cluster Technologies I class in a suburban middle school. Data for the study were collected from three focus group interviews, open-ended surveys, classroom observations, and the Career Cruising program. Findings revealed that the robotics activities led to an increased interest and higher self-efficacy in STEM tasks. If students continue to nurture and develop their STEM interests, it is possible that many of them may develop higher confidence and eventually set personal goals related to STEM classes and careers. While other studies have been conducted on similar topics, this qualitative research is unique because it contributed to the gap in research that investigates the impact of an in-class robotics curriculum on middle school students' attitudes and interests in STEM. Throughout the robotics unit, students exhibited positive reactions, including much excitement and enjoyment as they solved the robotics challenges. In addition, students demonstrated a greater interest in STEM courses and careers as a result of this hands-on activity. Middle school teachers should incorporate STEM-based activities such as robotics to help students gain hands-on STEM skills.

The Effect of Hands-on '"Energy-Saving House" Learning Activities on Elementary School Students' Knowledge, Attitudes, and Behavior Regarding Energy Saving and Carbon-Emissions Reduction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Lung-Sheng; Lin, Kuen-Yi; Guu, Yunn-Horng; Chang, Liang-Te; Lai, Chih-Chien

2013-01-01

Energy saving and carbon-emissions reduction (ESCER) are widely regarded as important issues for progress towards ensuring sustainable forms of economic development. This Taiwanese study focuses on the effects of a series of educational activities about ESCER on students' knowledge, attitudes and behavior. Sixty fifth-grade students from two…

ExplorOcean H2O SOS: Help Heal the Ocean-Student Operated Solutions: Operation Climate Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weiss, N.; Wood, J. H.

2016-12-01

The ExplorOcean H2O SOS: Help Heal the Ocean—Student Operated Solutions: Operation Climate Change, teaches middle and high school students about ocean threats related to climate change through hands-on activities and learning experiences in the field. During each session (in-class or after-school as a club), students build an understanding about how climate change impacts our oceans using resources provided by ExplorOcean (hands-on activities, presentations, multi-media). Through a student leadership model, students present lessons to each other, interweaving a deep learning of science, 21st century technology, communication skills, and leadership. After participating in learning experiences and activities related to 6 key climate change concepts: 1) Introduction to climate change, 2) Increased sea temperatures, 3) Ocean acidification, 4) Sea level rise, 5) Feedback mechanisms, and 6) Innovative solutions. H2O SOS- Operation Climate change participants select one focus issue and use it to design a multi-pronged campaign to increase awareness about this issue in their local community. The campaign includes social media, an interactive activity, and a visual component. All participating clubs that meet participation and action goals earn a field trip to ExplorOcean where they dive deeper into their selected issue through hands-on activities, real-world investigations, and interviews or presentations with experts. In addition to self-selected opportunities to showcase their focus issue, teams will participate in one of several key events identified by ExplorOcean, including ExplorOcean's annual World Oceans Day Expo.

Landslides! Engaging students in natural hazards and STEM principles through the exploration of landslide analog models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gochis, E. E.; Lechner, H. N.; Brill, K. A.; Lerner, G.; Ramos, E.

2014-12-01

Graduate students at Michigan Technological University developed the "Landslides!" activity to engage middle & high school students participating in summer engineering programs in a hands-on exploration of geologic engineering and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) principles. The inquiry-based lesson plan is aligned to Next Generation Science Standards and is appropriate for 6th-12th grade classrooms. During the activity students focus on the factors contributing to landslide development and engineering practices used to mitigate hazards of slope stability hazards. Students begin by comparing different soil types and by developing predictions of how sediment type may contribute to differences in slope stability. Working in groups, students then build tabletop hill-slope models from the various materials in order to engage in evidence-based reasoning and test their predictions by adding groundwater until each group's modeled slope fails. Lastly students elaborate on their understanding of landslides by designing 'engineering solutions' to mitigate the hazards observed in each model. Post-evaluations from students demonstrate that they enjoyed the hands-on nature of the activity and the application of engineering principles to mitigate a modeled natural hazard.

Hands-On Science: Is It an Acid or a Base? These Colorful Tests Tell All!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanCleave, Janice

1998-01-01

Two hands-on science activities for K-6 students teach them how to determine if something is an acid or a base. The activities require acid/base indicator juice, testing strips, and a base solution. A recipe for making them in the classroom using red cabbage and baking soda is provided. (SM)

Of Heart & Kidneys: Hands-On Activities for Demonstrating Organ Function & Repair

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kao, Robert M.

2014-01-01

A major challenge in teaching organ development and disease is deconstructing a complex choreography of molecular and cellular changes over time into a linear stepwise process for students. As an entry toward learning developmental concepts, I propose two inexpensive hands-on activities to help facilitate learning of (1) how to identify defects in…

Does Hands-On Science Practices Make an Impact on Achievement in Science? A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caglak, Serdar

2017-01-01

This study aimed to investigate to what extent the use of hands-on science activities influences on students? academic achievement in science. Review of literature revealed several research studies focusing upon such aim and thus, a meta-analysis of these researches was carried out to obtain an overall effect size estimate of hands-on science…

Virtual to Reality: Teaching Mathematics and Aerospace Concepts to Undergraduates Using Unmanned Aerial Systems and Flight Simulation Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aji, Chadia Affane; Khan, M. Javed

2015-01-01

Student engagement is an essential element for learning. Active learning has been consistently shown to increase student engagement and hence learning. Hands-on activities are one of the many active learning approaches. These activities vary from structured laboratory experiments on one end of the spectrum to virtual gaming environments and to for…

Impact of Middle School Student Energy Monitoring Activities on Climate Change Beliefs and Intentions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Rhonda; Knezek, Gerald

2018-01-01

The Going Green! Middle Schoolers Out to Save the World project aims to direct middle school students' enthusiasm for hands-on activities toward interest in science and other STEM areas while guiding them to solve real-world problems. Students in this project are taught by their teachers to use energy monitoring equipment to audit standby power…

Enhancing the Introductory Astronomical Experience with the Use of a Tablet and Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gill, Robert M.; Burin, Michael J.

2013-02-01

College and university general education (GE) classes are designed to broaden the understanding of all college and university students in areas outside their major interest. However, most GE classes are lecture type and do not facilitate hands-on experimental or observational activities related to the specific subject matter. Utilizing astronomy application programs (apps), currently available for the iPad and iPhone, in conjunction with a small inexpensive telescope, allows students unique hands-on experiences to explore and observe astronomical objects and concepts independently outside of class. These activities enhance the students' overall GE experience in a unique way not possible prior to the development of these technologies.

Enhancing the Educational Astronomical Experience of Non-Science Majors With the Use of an iPad and Telescope (Abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gill, R. M.; Burin, M. J.

2012-12-01

General Education (GE) classes are designed to broaden the understanding of all college and university students in areas outside their major interest. However, most GE classes are lecture type and do not facilitate hands-on experimental or observational activities related to the specific subject matter. Utilizing several astronomy application programs (apps), currently available for the iPad and iPhone, in conjunction with a small inexpensive telescope allows students unique hands-on experiences to explore and observe astronomical objects and concepts independently outside of class. These activities enhance the student's overall GE experience in a unique way not possible prior to the development of this technology.

An Educational Program for Underserved Middle School Students to Encourage Pursuit of Pharmacy and Other Health Science Careers.

PubMed

Goldsmith, Carroll-Ann; Tran, Thao T; Tran, Linh

2014-11-15

To develop and implement an active, hands-on program for underrepresented minority (URM) seventh grade students and to determine if participation in the program increased interest in health care careers and understanding of pharmacy and physician assistant (PA) professions. A hands-on educational program was developed in conjunction with local middle school administrators and staff for URM 7th grade students. The program was designed to be hands-on and focus on pharmacy and PA laboratory skills. A discussion component was included, allowing participants to interact personally with pharmacy and PA students and faculty members. Students' responses to survey questions about interest in health care careers and knowledge about health professions were compared before and after 2 separate offerings of the program. After the program, significant increases were seen in participants' understanding of the pharmacy and PA professions. An increased percentage of participants reported interest in health care careers after the program than before the program. Introducing middle school-aged URM students to the pharmacy and PA professions through a hands-on educational program increased interest in, and knowledge of, these professions.

Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s (ORNL) ecological and physical science study center: A hands-on science program for K-12 students

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

Bradshaw, S.P.

1994-12-31

In our tenth year of educational service and outreach, Oak Ridge National Laboratory`s Ecological and Physical Science Study Center (EPSSC) provides hands-on, inquiry-based science activities for area students and teachers. Established in 1984, the EPSSC now hosts over 20,000 student visits. Designed to foster a positive attitude towards science, each unit includes activities which reinforce the science concept being explored. Outdoor science units provide field experience at the Department of Energy`s Oak Ridge National Environmental Research Park and outreach programs are offered on-site in area schools. Other programs are offered as extensions of the EPSSC core programs, including on-site studentmore » science camps, all-girl programs, outreach science camps, student competitions, teacher in-service presentations and teacher workshops.« less

Learning the Ropes with Electricity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carrier, Sarah; Rex, Ted

2013-01-01

This article presents a lesson plan that uses materials such as rope, drinking water, and straws in a classroom activity to teach elementary students about electrical circuits in a "hands on/minds on" fashion. Students first experiment with bulbs, wires, and switches, then they do an activity with simulating electricity through a circuit…

Body painting to promote self-active learning of hand anatomy for preclinical medical students.

PubMed

Jariyapong, Pitchanee; Punsawad, Chuchard; Bunratsami, Suchirat; Kongthong, Paranyu

2016-01-01

The purpose of this study was to use the body painting method to teach hand anatomy to a group of preclinical medical students. Students reviewed hand anatomy using the traditional method and body painting exercise. Feedback and retention of the anatomy-related information were examined by a questionnaire and multiple-choice questions, respectively, immediately and 1 month after the painting exercise. Students agreed that the exercise was advantageous and helped facilitate self-active learning after in-class anatomy lessons. While there was no significant difference in knowledge retention between the control and experimental groups, the students appreciated the exercise in which they applied body paint to the human body to learn anatomy. The body painting was an efficient tool for aiding the interactive learning of medical students and increasing the understanding of gross anatomy.

Hands-on optics and photonics outreach in Riga

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lesina, Natalija; Spigulis, Janis

2014-07-01

A long-term exposition focused on optics and photonics was created in Institute of Atomic Physics and Spectroscopy at University of Latvia in 2010. Considering unpopularity of science in Latvia and lack of broadly accessible hands-on outreach activities for school children, as well as rapid development of advanced photonic technologies, this exposition was meant to involve more students to the natural sciences and modern technologies. Exposition covers 10 topics of optics - colors, diffraction, interference, polarization, reflection, liquid crystals, gas discharge, lasers, fluorescence, infrared and ultraviolet radiation. Students' visits are organized as an exciting adventure, which differs from ordinary school lessons. The visit mainly includes own actions with hands-on exhibits, lecturer's explanations about the most difficult topics and some demonstrations shown by the lecturer. The main accent is made on hands-on experiments due to the fact that students, who had performed hands-on experiments, will be emboldened to choose their career in the field of science and technologies. The exposition now is running and is part of Riga Photonics Center. Nearly 300 students from the 8th till 12th grades visited it during academic years 2011/2012 and 2012/2013 and their generally positive feedback has been analyzed.

The effect of inquiry science activity in educational productivity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shimizu, Kinya

This is a study the effect of inquiry science activity on the science achievement of junior high school students. Since the post-sputnik curriculum improvement project, science educators have supported the effect of inquiry activities. In terms of the effect of laboratory activity, however, the literature review indicated that the controlled experimental studies have failed to present the effect of laboratory activities. For example, Blosser suggested more rigid experimental design, such as longer treatment and larger sample. On the other hand, some of the recent case studies of effect of laboratory are successful to support the effect and the other recent classroom ethnographic studies indicated that the laboratory activities are implemented in inappropriate situation. This study investigates the effect of inquiry activities by using the national survey to balance the internal and external validity. In order to control the environmental effect and student aptitude, the study adopted the structural model of science achievement suggested by Reynolds and Walberg in 1991. The study utilized the extensive student and teacher data reports from the Longitudinal Study of American Youth (LSAY) to examine these differences and interactions quantitatively. The study utilized two independent variables: (1) teachers' report of the degree of their teaching emphasis on inquiry skill, and (2) teachers' report of the frequency of hands-on method. The effects of these instructional qualities are estimated in terms of the science achievement score of their student. The study utilized path analysis techniques in order to understand the complex relationship among the nine productivity factors; which are (1) motivation, (2) prior ability, (3) development, (4) home environment, (5) peer environment, (6) media environment, (7) classroom environment, (8) instructional quantity, and (9) instructional quality. The result failed to support the effectiveness of the hands-on science teaching. On the other hand, when teacher emphasize the scientific inquiry skill in lower grade, the effect of inquiry emphasis present the significant impact.

3Hs Education: Examining hands-on, heads-on and hearts-on early childhood science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeynep Inan, Hatice; Inan, Taskin

2015-08-01

Active engagement has become the focus of many early childhood science education curricula and standards. However, active engagement usually emphasizes getting children engaged with science solely through hands-on activities. Active engagement by way of hands, heads, and hearts are kept separate and rarely discussed in terms of getting all to work together, although inquiry-based education and student interest have been accepted as important in science education. The current study is an inquiry-based research. It aims to describe and examine projects and activity stations for preschoolers in a Turkish preschool classroom bringing together the pieces of the puzzle of science education, called here 'Hands-Heads-Hearts-on Science Education'. The study, conducted from a qualitative-interpretivist paradigm, reveals that activity stations and projects create a context for hands-on (active engagement), heads-on (inquiry based or mental-engagement), and hearts-on (interest based) science education. It is found that activity stations and projects, when maintained by appropriate teacher-support, create a playful context in which children can be actively and happily engaged in science-related inquiry.

More Fun and Curiosity with Magnetic Guns in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chittasirinuwat, O.; Kruatong, T.; Paosawatyanyong, B.

2011-01-01

The magnetic gun was chosen as a hands-on activity for our high school students. When conducting this activity in the classroom, we found some interesting points were raised following difficulties encountered by the students. Some students proposed that during the collision, the magnet changed its pole then it pushed the last ball out of the…

Confronting Scientific Misconceptions by Fostering a Classroom of Scientists in the Introductory Biology Lab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holding, Matthew L.; Denton, Robert D.; Kulesza, Amy E.; Ridgway, Judith S.

2014-01-01

A fundamental component of science curricula is the understanding of scientific inquiry. Although recent trends favor using student inquiry to learn concepts through hands-on activities, it is often unclear to students where the line is drawn between the content and the process of science. This activity explicitly introduces students to the…

Teaching Young Scientists about Their Bodies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ashbrook, Peggy

2012-01-01

Early childhood educators contribute to the good health of their students every day. By telling students, "Wash your hands" and "Eat your healthy food first," and providing them time to develop gross motor skills through active play outdoors, teachers hope that students will take the advice with them on the way to a healthy and active lifestyle.…

What Is a Primate?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGee, Elizabeth

2003-01-01

Describes a series of hands-on experiments that engage students in hypothesis testing and promotes active learning of the concepts of evolution and adaptation. Laboratory exercises demonstrate how features of the hands and eyes distinguish primates from other mammals. (SOE)

Minds-on and Hands-on Activity: Improving Instruction in Science for All Students. Presidential Address, 1995.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andre, Thomas

1997-01-01

Reviews evidence on gender inequities in science education and gender differences in "ways of knowing" and argues that making science instruction more effective can promote greater equity. Describes a conceptual change approach to science instruction that explicitly activates students' preexisting conceptions and misconceptions and helps students…

Probability with Collaborative Data Visualization Software

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willis, Melinda B. N.; Hay, Sue; Martin, Fred G.; Scribner-MacLean, Michelle; Rudnicki, Ivan

2015-01-01

Mathematics teachers continually look for ways to make the learning of mathematics more active and engaging. Hands-on activities, in particular, have been demonstrated to improve student engagement and understanding in mathematics classes. Likewise, many scholars have emphasized the growing importance of giving students experience with the…

"JCE" Classroom Activity #107. And the Oscar Goes to...A Chemist!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howder, Collin R.; Groen, Kyle D.; Kuntzleman, Thomas S.

2010-01-01

A hands-on activity and demonstration, both applicable to the 2010 National Chemistry Week theme of Behind the Scenes with Chemistry, are presented. In the activity, students compare and contrast the properties of heat conductors and heat insulators. During the demonstration, students learn that water absorbed by a superabsorbent polymer can…

Using a Combined Approach of Guided Inquiry & Direct Instruction to Explore How Physiology Affects Behavior

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Machtinger, Erika T.

2014-01-01

Hands-on activities with live organisms allow students to actively explore scientific investigation. Here, I present activities that combine guided inquiry with direct instruction and relate how nutrition affects the physiology and behavior of the common housefly. These experiments encourage student involvement in the formulation of experimental…

Motivating the Study of International Trade: A Classroom Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jensen, Sherry

2016-01-01

In this article, the author describes a classroom activity for use in introductory economics courses to motivate the study of international trade. The learning activity highlights the importance of international trade in students' everyday lives by having students inventory their on-hand belongings and identify where the items were manufactured.…

Lasers. Technology Learning Activity. Teacher Edition. Technology Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This document contains the materials required for presenting an 8-day competency-based technology learning activity (TLA) designed to introduce students in grades 6-10 to advances and career opportunities in the field of laser technology. The guide uses a series of hands-on exploratory experiences into which activities to help students develop…

The Case of the Flooded Island.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGinnis, Randy

1989-01-01

Presents a hands-on activity for bridging the gap between the exposure to three-dimensional topography and contour mapping. This activity describes the use of a volcano-making activity and offers laboratory sheets that can be duplicated for student use. Argues that students learn the concept of contour mapping better in a guided fashion that holds…

Photography. Technology Learning Activity. Teacher Edition. Technology Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This curriculum guide provides technology learning activities designed to prepare students in grades 6-10 to work in the world of the future. The 8-day course provides exploratory, hands-on learning activities and information that can enhance the education of students of all types in an integrated curriculum that provides practical applications of…

Robotics-Control Technology. Technology Learning Activity. Teacher Edition. Technology Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This document contains the materials required for presenting an 8-day competency-based technology learning activity (TLA) designed to introduce students in grades 6-10 to advances and career opportunities in the field of robotics-control technology. The guide uses hands-on exploratory experiences into which activities to help students develop…

The effect of inquiry-based, hands-on labs on achievement in middle school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Donna Kaye Green

The purpose of this quasi-experimental study was to measure the difference in science achievement between students who had been taught with an inquiry-based, hands-on pedagogical approach and those who had not. Improving student academic achievement and standardized test scores is the major objective of teachers, parents, school administrators, government entities, and students themselves. One major barrier to this academic success in Georgia, and the entire United States, has been the paucity of success in middle level science classes. Many studies have been conducted to determine the learning approaches that will best enable students to not only acquire a deeper understanding of science concepts, but to equip them to apply that new knowledge in their daily activities. Inquiry-based, hands-on learning involves students participating in activities that reflect methods of scientific investigation. The effective utilization of the inquiry-based learning approach demands inclusion of learners in a self-directed learning environment, the ability to think critically, and an understanding of how to reflect and reason scientifically. The treatment group using an inquiry-based, hands-on program did score slightly higher on the CRCT. However, the results revealed that there was not a significant difference in student achievement. This study showed that the traditionally instructed control group had slightly higher interest in science than the inquiry-based treatment group. The findings of this research study indicated that the NCLB mandates might need to be altered if there are no significant academic gains that result from the use of inquiry-based strategies.

Giving Students a Leg Up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lund, Tony; Walker, Mimi

2015-01-01

To address the needs of the high population of students with learning disabilities at their school, the author and a colleague created an inclusion science class that focuses on active, hands-on science. The course prepares students of various learning abilities for the state-mandated end-of-course biology assessment. Many of their students have…

Insects: An Interdisciplinary Unit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leger, Heather

2007-01-01

The author talks about an interdisciplinary unit on insects, and presents activities that can help students practice communication skills (interpersonal, interpretive, and presentational) and learn about insects with hands-on activities.

Exploring Insulation with Ice Hands

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Neil; Taylor, Subhashni; Littledyke, Michael

2017-01-01

Students often hold misconceptions about insulation, largely because they put on clothes to keep themselves warm--at least in winter in the cooler regions of Australia. The following activity is designed to identify students' misconceptions about insulation and provide an engaging, evidence-based activity to help address these misconceptions using…

Hands-On Science: Cool Ways to Teach about Warm-Blooded Animals.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanCleave, Janice

1998-01-01

Presents three activities for teaching elementary students about the built-in mechanisms that help warm-blooded animals maintain constant internal body temperatures. The activities help students understand why humans sweat, why dogs pant, and why blubber keeps whales warm in frigid water. (SM)

Low Budget Biology: Genetics Unit.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wartski, Bert; Wartski, Lynn Marie

Some concepts in genetics are difficult for many students to understand. This document provides hands-on, cost efficient, fun activities for students to help them better understand abstract concepts in genetics. Each activity includes: purpose, introduction, materials, procedures, results and conclusion. Some of the topics explored are: (1)…

One Fish, Two Fish, Redfish, You Fish!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Katherine; Timmons, Maryellen; Medders, Paul

2011-01-01

The recreational fishing activity presented in this article provides a hands-on, problem-based experience for students; it unites biology, math, economics, environmental policy, and population dynamics concepts. In addition, the activity allows students to shape environmental policy in a realistic setting and evaluate their peers' work. By…

Body painting to promote self-active learning of hand anatomy for preclinical medical students.

PubMed

Jariyapong, Pitchanee; Punsawad, Chuchard; Bunratsami, Suchirat; Kongthong, Paranyu

2016-01-01

Background The purpose of this study was to use the body painting method to teach hand anatomy to a group of preclinical medical students. Methods Students reviewed hand anatomy using the traditional method and body painting exercise. Feedback and retention of the anatomy-related information were examined by a questionnaire and multiple-choice questions, respectively, immediately and 1 month after the painting exercise. Results Students agreed that the exercise was advantageous and helped facilitate self-active learning after in-class anatomy lessons. While there was no significant difference in knowledge retention between the control and experimental groups, the students appreciated the exercise in which they applied body paint to the human body to learn anatomy. Conclusion The body painting was an efficient tool for aiding the interactive learning of medical students and increasing the understanding of gross anatomy.

Teach CAD and Measuring Skills through Reverse Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Board, Keith

2012-01-01

This article describes a reverse engineering activity that gives students hands-on, minds-on experience with measuring tools, machine parts, and CAD. The author developed this activity to give students an abundance of practical experience with measuring tools. Equally important, it provides a good interface between the virtual world of CAD 3D…

Rules of (Student) Engagement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buskist, William; Busler, Jessica N.; Kirby, Lauren A. J.

2018-01-01

Teachers often think of student engagement in terms of hands-on activities that get students involved in their courses. They seldom consider the larger aspects of the teaching--learning environment that often influence the extent to which students are willing to become engaged in their coursework. In this chapter, we describe five "rules of…

Enhancement of anatomical learning and developing clinical competence of first-year medical and allied health profession students.

PubMed

Keim Janssen, Sarah A; VanderMeulen, Stephane P; Shostrom, Valerie K; Lomneth, Carol S

2014-01-01

Hands-on educational experiences can stimulate student interest, increase knowledge retention, and enhance development of clinical skills. The Lachman test, used to assess the integrity of the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), is commonly performed by health care professionals and is relatively easy to teach to first-year health profession students. This study integrated teaching the Lachman test into a first-year anatomy laboratory and examined if students receiving the training would be more confident, competent, and if the training would enhance anatomical learning. First-year medical, physician assistant and physical therapy students were randomly assigned into either the intervention (Group A) or control group (Group B). Both groups received the course lecture on knee anatomy and training on how to perform the Lachman test during a surface anatomy class. Group A received an additional 15 minutes hands-on training for the Lachman test utilizing a lightly embalmed cadaver as a simulated patient. One week later, both groups performed the Lachman test on a lightly embalmed cadaver and later completed a post-test and survey. Students with hands-on training performed significantly better than students with lecture-only training in completing the checklist, a post-test, and correctly diagnosing an ACL tear. Students in Group A also reported being more confident after hands-on training compared to students receiving lecture-only training. Both groups reported that incorporating clinical skill activities facilitated learning and created excitement for learning. Hands-on training using lightly embalmed cadavers as patient simulators increased confidence and competence in performing the Lachman test and aided in learning anatomy. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

An Educational Program for Underserved Middle School Students to Encourage Pursuit of Pharmacy and Other Health Science Careers

PubMed Central

Tran, Thao T.; Tran, Linh

2014-01-01

Objective. To develop and implement an active, hands-on program for underrepresented minority (URM) seventh grade students and to determine if participation in the program increased interest in health care careers and understanding of pharmacy and physician assistant (PA) professions. Design. A hands-on educational program was developed in conjunction with local middle school administrators and staff for URM 7th grade students. The program was designed to be hands-on and focus on pharmacy and PA laboratory skills. A discussion component was included, allowing participants to interact personally with pharmacy and PA students and faculty members. Assessment. Students’ responses to survey questions about interest in health care careers and knowledge about health professions were compared before and after 2 separate offerings of the program. After the program, significant increases were seen in participants’ understanding of the pharmacy and PA professions. An increased percentage of participants reported interest in health care careers after the program than before the program. Conclusion. Introducing middle school-aged URM students to the pharmacy and PA professions through a hands-on educational program increased interest in, and knowledge of, these professions. PMID:26056405

"Finger Kits:" An Interactive Demonstration of Biomaterials and Engineering for Elementary School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Canavan, Heather E.; Stanton, Michael; Lopez, Kaori; Grubin, Catherine; Graham, Daniel J.

2008-01-01

This article describes a hands-on activity and demonstration developed at the University of Washington and further reined at the University of New Mexico. In this activity, the authors present a real-world problem to the student: Someone has an injured finger joint, and the students in the class need to design an implant to replace it. After…

Mentor's hand hygiene practices influence student's hand hygiene rates.

PubMed

Snow, Michelle; White, George L; Alder, Stephen C; Stanford, Joseph B

2006-02-01

There were 3 objectives for this prospective quasiexperimental study. The first was to determine the effect of mentor's hand hygiene practices on student's hand hygiene rates during clinical rotations. The second was to assess the difference in hand hygiene rates for students with and without prior medical experience. The third was to assess the student's opinion and beliefs regarding hand hygiene. Sixty students enrolled in a certified nursing program were selected to participate in the study. Each study group was observed twice during the 30-day span. The first observational period was conducted on day 1 of clinical rotation. The second observational period was conducted on day 30 of clinical rotation. Students were observed for hand hygiene. Also assessed were medical experience, sex, gloving, age, and mentor's hand hygiene practices. After observational period 2, a brief questionnaire was given to students to determine their opinion and beliefs regarding hand hygiene. The questionnaire was divided into 5 sections: student's commitment to hand hygiene, their perception of hand hygiene inconvenience, the necessity of hand hygiene, the student's ability to perform hand hygiene, and their opinion on the frequency of medical staff's hand hygiene. The mentor's practice of hand hygiene was the strongest predictor of the student's rate of hand hygiene for both observational periods (P < .01). Furthermore, students without prior medical experience had a significant increase in hand hygiene rates when comparing observational period 1 to observational period 2 (P < .01). Glove usage was associated with increased hand hygiene rates by 50% during observational period 1 (P = .01) and 44% during observational period 2 (P < .01). Male students during observational period 1 practiced hand hygiene 30% less often than female students (P < .01); however, during observational period 2, there was no significant difference between hand hygiene rates for males and females (P = .82). Questionnaires were completed by 47 students, who reported a strong commitment to hand hygiene, belief in its necessity, and ability to perform hand hygiene (with scores in the high 90s on a 10 to 100 rating scale). Mentor's use of hand hygiene and glove usage was associated with increased hand hygiene among students. Even though students reported strongly positive attitudes toward hand hygiene, students had a low overall rate of hand hygiene.

Inquiry Learning in the Singaporean Context: Factors affecting student interest in school science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jocz, Jennifer Ann; Zhai, Junqing; Tan, Aik Ling

2014-10-01

Recent research reveals that students' interest in school science begins to decline at an early age. As this lack of interest could result in fewer individuals qualified for scientific careers and a population unprepared to engage with scientific societal issues, it is imperative to investigate ways in which interest in school science can be increased. Studies have suggested that inquiry learning is one way to increase interest in science. Inquiry learning forms the core of the primary syllabus in Singapore; as such, we examine how inquiry practices may shape students' perceptions of science and school science. This study investigates how classroom inquiry activities relate to students' interest in school science. Data were collected from 425 grade 4 students who responded to a questionnaire and 27 students who participated in follow-up focus group interviews conducted in 14 classrooms in Singapore. Results indicate that students have a high interest in science class. Additionally, self-efficacy and leisure-time science activities, but not gender, were significantly associated with an increased interest in school science. Interestingly, while hands-on activities are viewed as fun and interesting, connecting learning to real-life and discussing ideas with their peers had a greater relation to student interest in school science. These findings suggest that inquiry learning can increase Singaporean students' interest in school science; however, simply engaging students in hands-on activities is insufficient. Instead, student interest may be increased by ensuring that classroom activities emphasize the everyday applications of science and allow for peer discussion.

The effects of hands-on-science instruction on the science achievement of middle school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wiggins, Felita

Student achievement in the Twenty First Century demands a new rigor in student science knowledge, since advances in science and technology require students to think and act like scientists. As a result, students must acquire proficient levels of knowledge and skills to support a knowledge base that is expanding exponentially with new scientific advances. This study examined the effects of hands-on-science instruction on the science achievement of middle school students. More specifically, this study was concerned with the influence of hands-on science instruction versus traditional science instruction on the science test scores of middle school students. The subjects in this study were one hundred and twenty sixth-grade students in six classes. Instruction involved lecture/discussion and hands-on activities carried out for a three week period. Specifically, the study ascertained the influence of the variables gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on the science test scores of middle school students. Additionally, this study assessed the effect of the variables gender, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status on the attitudes of sixth grade students toward science. The two instruments used to collect data for this study were the Prentice Hall unit ecosystem test and the Scientific Work Experience Programs for Teachers Study (SWEPT) student's attitude survey. Moreover, the data for the study was treated using the One-Way Analysis of Covariance and the One-Way Analysis of Variance. The following findings were made based on the results: (1) A statistically significant difference existed in the science performance of middle school students exposed to hands-on science instruction. These students had significantly higher scores than the science performance of middle school students exposed to traditional instruction. (2) A statistically significant difference did not exist between the science scores of male and female middle school students. (3) A statistically significant difference did not exist between the science scores of African American and non-African American middle school students. (4) A statistically significant difference existed in the socioeconomic status of students who were not provided with assisted lunches. Students with unassisted lunches had significantly higher science scores than those middle school students who were provided with assisted lunches. (5) A statistically significant difference was not found in the attitude scores of middle school students who were exposed to hands-on or traditional science instruction. (6) A statistically significant difference was not found in the observed attitude scores of middle school students who were exposed to either hands-on or traditional science instruction by their socioeconomic status. (7) A statistically significant difference was not found in the observed attitude scores of male and female students. (8) A statistically significant difference was not found in the observed attitude scores of African American and non African American students.

Snap! Catch Students' Attention with Mousetrap Vehicles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roberts, Ed; Gonzalez-Espada, Wilson J.

2006-01-01

The current paradigm in science education calls for greater emphasis on guiding students in active and extended scientific inquiry. This is supported by research suggesting that using a hands-on approach to learning fosters ownership in the learning process and allows students to gain greater appreciation for the design and implementation of…

Camp Invention Fosters Creativity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landona, Nancy

2001-01-01

This article describes Camp Invention, a summer one-week day camp program for students in grades 2-6 that is designed to develop creativity in gifted students. The curriculum of the camp features hands-on, interactive activities in science, history, math, and the arts. Examples of activities undertaken in 2001 are provided. (Contains one…

Teaching Science: Seat Belt Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leyden, Michael B.

1994-01-01

Describes activities that will help students understand how car seat belts work, the limited reaction time available to passengers in an automobile accident, and the force of impact in a car collision. These activities will provide students with hands-on experiences that demonstrate the importance of always wearing seat belts while in an…

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…

Controlled Volcanism in the Classroom: A Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erdogan, Ibrahim

2005-01-01

In this extended earth science activity, students create a hands-on model of a volcano to achieve an understanding of volcanic structure, lava flows, formation of lava layers, and the scientific work of archaeologists and geoscientists. During this simulation activity, students have opportunities to learn science as inquiry and the nature of…

Classroom Activities to Make Aquifers Transparent

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coughlin, J. P.; Mays, D. C.

2016-12-01

Many studies have shown that in-class hands-on activities help K-12 students gain a deeper conceptual understanding for the subject matter. With funding from the National Science Foundation, the University of Colorado Denver is working to increase the availability of groundwater-related hands-on activities in TeachEngineering, a peer-reviewed online database of searchable lesson plans for use by K-12 teachers and other educators. In this presentation, we would like to present and solicit feedback on groundwater-related hands-on demonstrations such as quicksand, infiltration into porous pavement, or using refractive index matching to render transparent porous media that allow lasers to measure flow within model groundwater aquifers.

Mobile Response System: A Novel Approach to Interactive and Hands-On Activity in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuad, Muztaba; Deb, Debzani; Etim, James; Gloster, Clay

2018-01-01

Mobile devices are being used profusely in the classrooms to improve passive learning environments and to enhance student comprehension. However, with respect to students' active involvement in problem solving activities, the typical usage of the mobile devices in answering multiple choice and true/false questions is not adequate and the use of…

Problem Solving. Technology Learning Activity. Teacher Edition. Technology Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This curriculum guide provides technology learning activities designed to prepare students in grades 6-10 to work in the world of the future. The 8-day course provides exploratory, hands-on learning activities and information that can enhance the education of students of all types in an integrated curriculum that provides practical applications of…

Structural Engineering. Technology Learning Activity. Teacher Edition. Technology Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This curriculum guide provides technology learning activities designed to prepare students in grades 6-10 to work in the world of the future. The 8-day course provides exploratory, hands-on learning activities and information that can enhance the education of students of all types in an integrated curriculum that provides practical applications of…

Thermal Screen Printing. Technology Learning Activity. Teacher Edition. Technology Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This curriculum guide provides technology learning activities designed to prepare students in grades 6-10 to work in the world of the future. The 8-day course provides exploratory, hands-on learning activities and information that can enhance the education of students of all types in an integrated curriculum that provides practical applications of…

Enhancing Learning Outcomes through Application Driven Activities in Marketing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stegemann, Nicole; Sutton-Brady, Catherine

2013-01-01

This paper introduces an activity used in class to allow students to apply previously acquired information to a hands-on task. As the authors have previously shown active learning is a way to effectively facilitate and improve students' learning outcomes. As a result to improve learning outcomes we have overtime developed a series of learning…

Research and Design. Technology Learning Activity. Teacher Edition. Technology Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This curriculum guide provides technology learning activities designed to prepare students in grades 6-10 to work in the world of the future. The 8-day course provides exploratory, hands-on learning activities and information that can enhance the education of students of all types in an integrated curriculum that provides practical applications of…

Language Use in a Multilingual Class: a Study of the Relation Between Bilingual Students' Languages and Their Meaning-Making in Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ünsal, Zeynep; Jakobson, Britt; Molander, Bengt-Olov; Wickman, Per-Olof

2017-04-01

In this study, we examine how bilingual students in elementary school use their languages and what this means for their meaning-making in science. The class was multilingual with students bilingual in different minority languages and the teacher monolingual in Swedish. The analysis is based on a pragmatic approach and the theory of translanguaging. The science content was electricity, and the teaching involved class instruction and hands-on activities in small groups. The findings of the study are divided into two categories, students' conversations with the teacher and student's conversations with each other. Since the class was multilingual, the class instruction was carried out in Swedish. Generally, when the conversations were characterised by an initiation, response and evaluation pattern, the students made meaning of the activities without any language limitations. However, when the students, during whole class instruction, were engaged in conversations where they had to argue, discuss and explain their ideas, their language repertoire in Swedish limited their possibilities to express themselves. During hands-on activities, students with the same minority language worked together and used both of their languages as resources. In some situations, the activities proceeded without any visible language limitations. In other situations, students' language repertoire limited their possibilities to make meaning of the activities despite being able to use both their languages. What the results mean for designing and conducting science lessons in a multilingual class is discussed.

A Low-Tech, Hands-On Approach To Teaching Sorting Algorithms to Working Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dios, R.; Geller, J.

1998-01-01

Focuses on identifying the educational effects of "activity oriented" instructional techniques. Examines which instructional methods produce enhanced learning and comprehension. Discusses the problem of learning "sorting algorithms," a major topic in every Computer Science curriculum. Presents a low-tech, hands-on teaching method for sorting…

Amoebas and Euglenas and Paramecia...Oh, My!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farenga, Stephen; Joyce, Beverly

2000-01-01

Describes a partnership involving fifth grade students, preservice teachers, a classroom teacher, and a university faculty member in introducing students to the basic anatomy of a cell using three-dimensional models, analogies, and hands-on/minds-on activities. (ASK)

So you want to be a dentist? An investigative report.

PubMed

Shelton, John W; Smithgall, Francis J

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify a testing mechanism that could predict a student's hand skills performance if they chose a career in dentistry. Hand eye coordination is an important developmental skill required to navigate the rigorous dental school curriculum. These skills traditionally were assessed by using a carving chalk block exercise. This "gold standard" for determining a student's digital dexterity was used for many years in dental education. We postulated that a survey could take the place of chalk carving and still be a reliable predictor of a student's performance. A questionnaire was developed looking at a dental student's everyday activities and hobbies. We wanted to determine if a correlation could be made between hand-eye coordination activities and a student's preclinical grades. Analysis of the questionnaire given to ninety-seven first year students at the University of Pennsylvania School of Dental Medicine showed a direct correlation between activities that students were involved in prior to beginning dental education and the quality of their preclinical dental skills. With insightful interpretation, the use of this type of questionnaire might help locate individuals that are suited for dentistry, and allow potential students to have greater confidence in choosing dentistry or a related field.

Quantum Mechanics for Everyone: Hands-On Activities Integrated with Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zollman, Dean A.; Rebello, N. Sanjay; Hogg, Kirsten

2002-01-01

Explains a hands-on approach to teaching quantum mechanics that challenges the belief shared by many physics instructors that quantum mechanics is a very abstract subject that cannot be understood until students have learned much of the classical physics. (Contains 23 references.) (Author/YDS)

Hands-on experiences with buoyant-less water

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sliško, Josip; Planinšič, Gorazd

2010-05-01

The phenomenon of weightlessness is known to students thanks to videos of amazing things astronauts do in spaceships orbiting the Earth. In this article we propose two hands-on activities which give students opportunities to infer by themselves the absence of buoyant force in a gravity accelerated system. The system is a free-falling or vertically tossed bottle filled with water with a small, inflated balloon attached to the bottom by a spring. Practical hints on how to make efficient demonstration experiments are added.

Laser-based study of geometrical optics at school level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garg, Amit; Dhingra, Vishal; Sharma, Reena; Mittal, Ankit; Tiwadi, Raman; Chakravarty, Pratik

2011-10-01

Students at the school level from grade 7 to 12 are taught various concepts of geometrical optics but with little hands-on activities. Light propagation through different media, image formation using lenses and mirrors under different conditions and application of basic principles to characterization of lenses, mirrors and other instruments has been a subject which although fascinates students but due to lack of suitable demonstrating setups, students find difficulty in understanding these concepts and hence unable to appreciate the importance of such concepts in various useful scientific apparatus, day to day life, instruments and devices. Therefore, students tend to cram various concepts related to geometrical optics instead of understanding them. As part of the extension activity in the University Grants Commission major research project "Investigating science hands-on to promote innovation and research at undergraduate level" and University of Delhi at Acharya Narendra Dev College SPIE student chapter, students working under this optics outreach programme have demonstrated various experiments on geometrical optics using a five beam laser ray box and various optical components like different types of mirrors, lenses, prisms, optical fibers etc. The various hands-on activities includes demonstrations on laws of reflection, image formation using plane, concave and convex mirrors, mirror formula, total internal reflection, light propagation in an optical fiber, laws of refraction, image formation using concave and convex lenses and combination of these lenses, lens formula, light propagation through prisms, dispersion in prism, defects in eye- Myopia and hypermetropia. Subjects have been evaluated through pre and post tests in order to measure the improvement in their level of understanding.

Viewing the Earth with Closed Eyes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaschner, Susan K.

1978-01-01

Describes earth science activities for the visually impaired student. Includes soil type identification, stream table erosion, and relief map activities. Recommends a multisensory approach to the teaching of earth science and hands-on activities. (MA)

A DNA Fingerprint Simulation: Different, Simple, Effective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reed, Eileen

2001-01-01

Discusses the impact of biotechnology (i.e., the use of DNA profiling in the courtroom) on today's society. Presents a hands-on activity for DNA profiling simulation that actively involves students. (YDS)

Introducing computational thinking through hands-on projects using R with applications to calculus, probability and data analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benakli, Nadia; Kostadinov, Boyan; Satyanarayana, Ashwin; Singh, Satyanand

2017-04-01

The goal of this paper is to promote computational thinking among mathematics, engineering, science and technology students, through hands-on computer experiments. These activities have the potential to empower students to learn, create and invent with technology, and they engage computational thinking through simulations, visualizations and data analysis. We present nine computer experiments and suggest a few more, with applications to calculus, probability and data analysis, which engage computational thinking through simulations, visualizations and data analysis. We are using the free (open-source) statistical programming language R. Our goal is to give a taste of what R offers rather than to present a comprehensive tutorial on the R language. In our experience, these kinds of interactive computer activities can be easily integrated into a smart classroom. Furthermore, these activities do tend to keep students motivated and actively engaged in the process of learning, problem solving and developing a better intuition for understanding complex mathematical concepts.

Digital Game-Based Learning to Encourage Secondary Students to Purse STEM Related Careers Using Arecibo Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ortiz-Correa, Z. M.; Lautenbach, J.; Franco-Diaz, E.; Raizada, S.; Ghosh, T.; Rivera-Valentín, E.; Ortiz, A.

2017-12-01

This project was developed to encourage secondary students to pursue STEM related careers through exposure to the interdisciplinary nature of the Arecibo Observatory (AO) in Puerto Rico. The idea for this project was initiated due to the NSF-funded Research Experience for Teachers (RET) Summer Program. The AO RET summer program allows teaching faculty from public schools to collaborate with scientist on their ongoing research or instrument development projects at the AO for five weeks. Subsequently, the research is disseminated among secondary students through several workshops and hands-on activities. Through the workshops and hands-on activities underrepresented secondary students will learn about the research conducted at the AO to study Earth's upper atmosphere, asteroids and other Solar System bodies, as well as stars and galaxies beyond. Afterwards, students will develop virtual worlds simulating the different AO facilities (Lidar Laboratory, Radio Telescope, Planetary Radar System, HF Facility, Visitor Center, among others) and showing their functions using digital game-based learning.

Making the Science Literacy Connection: After-School Science Clubs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore-Hart, Margaret A.; Liggit, Peggy; Daisey, Peggy

2004-01-01

Children make discoveries spontaneously while participating in hands-on science learning experiences. The students in this study were attending an after-school science program that was organized around authentic literacy activities and hands-on science learning experiences related to the theme of wetlands. Literacy connections formed natural…

The Money Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tabach, Michal; Friedlander, Alex

2009-01-01

One of the basic disagreements in mathematics education concerns the roles that rules and procedures, on the one hand, and concepts and principles, on the other hand, should play in students' learning of mathematics. The use of procedures and an understanding of concepts are considered to be two separate aspects of mathematical activity.…

What K-8 Principals Should Know about Hands-On Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jorgenson, Olaf

2005-01-01

In an increasing number of schools and school systems, active, hands-on science is gaining momentum and realizing remarkable gains in students' science, literacy, and mathematics standardized test achievement. Two recent major research projects have documented significant improvements in objective test results, which are supported by extensive…

Think Scientifically: Science Hidden in a Storybook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Van Norden, W. M.

2012-12-01

The Solar Dynamics Observatory's Think Scientifically (TS) program links literacy and science in the elementary classroom through an engaging storybook format and hands-on, inquiry based activities. TS consists of three illustrated storybooks, each addressing a different solar science concept. Accompanying each book is a hands-on science lesson plan that emphasizes the concepts addressed in the book, as well as math, reading, and language arts activities. Written by teachers, the books are designed to be extremely user-friendly and easy to implement in classroom instruction. The objectives of the program are: (1) to increase time spent on science in elementary school classrooms, (2) to assist educators in implementing hands-on science activities that reinforce concepts from the book, (3) to increase teacher capacity and comfort in teaching solar concepts, (4) to increase student awareness and interest in solar topics, especially students in under-served and under-represented communities. Our program meets these objectives through the National Science Standards-based content delivered in each story, the activities provided in the books, and the accompanying training that teachers are offered through the program.; ;

Homes for Wildlife: A Planning Guide for Habitat Enhancement on School Grounds.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wyzga, Marilyn C.

This guide for enhancing wildlife habitats on school grounds provides students and teachers the opportunity for direct, hands-on learning in the environment of their schoolyard. Geared towards grades K-8, all activities are developmentally appropriate to involve students on every level, resulting in student ownership of the project and a greater…

Space Science in Action: Earth's Atmosphere [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1999

In this videotape recording, students learn about the layers of the atmosphere and why each is important to the survival of life on the planet. Students discover why the atmosphere is responsible for weather and see how special aircraft actually fly into hurricanes. Students build their own working barometer in a hands-on activity. Contents…

"Gone" into Solution: Assessing the Effect of Hands-On Activity on Students' Comprehension of Solubility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bruck, Laura B.; Bruck, Aaron D.; Phelps, Amy J.

2010-01-01

Solubility is challenging for many general chemistry students, and the interactions of aqueous species are difficult to conceptualize. Derived from the pedagogies of Johnstone, Bloom, and Piaget, our primary research questions probe whether students' conceptual understandings of solubility could be enhanced by participation in a concept-building,…

The Influence of Toy Design Activities on Middle School Students' Understanding of the Engineering Design Processes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhou, Ninger; Pereira, Nielsen L.; Tarun, Thomas George; Alperovich, Jeffrey; Booth, Joran; Chandrasegaran, Senthil; Tew, Jeffrey David; Kulkarni, Devadatta M.; Ramani, Karthik

2017-01-01

The societal demand for inspiring and engaging science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) students and preparing our workforce for the emerging creative economy has necessitated developing students' self-efficacy and understanding of engineering design processes from as early as elementary school levels. Hands-on engineering design…

Engaging Students in Early Exploration of Nanoscience Topics Using Hands-On Activities and Scanning Tunneling Microscopy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furlan, Ping Y.

2009-01-01

This manuscript reports on efforts to introduce beginning college students to the modern nanoscience field. These include: implementing selected experiments into sequencing core first-year and second-year chemistry laboratory courses; providing students with a first research experience; and engaging them in service learning and outreach programs…

Metamorphic Mountain: Mount Jefferson State Park. An Environmental Education Learning Experience Designed for Grades 5-7.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pittman, George K., II

This activity packet was designed to introduce students in grades 5-7 to the geology of the Blue Ridge Mountains through hands-on activities for the classroom and the outdoor setting of Mount Jefferson State Park (Jefferson, North Carolina). Previsit activities introduce students to the different rock types: sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic.…

Rocks: A Concrete Activity That Introduces Normal Distribution, Sampling Error, Central Limit Theorem and True Score Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Duzer, Eric

2011-01-01

This report introduces a short, hands-on activity that addresses a key challenge in teaching quantitative methods to students who lack confidence or experience with statistical analysis. Used near the beginning of the course, this activity helps students develop an intuitive insight regarding a number of abstract concepts which are key to…

Sciencing with Mother Goose: Observation Activities with Chicken Little.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angus, Carolyn

1996-01-01

Provides sample observation activities to accompany the nursery tale of Chicken Little. Includes five activities that involve the skills of observing, communicating, comparing, ordering, and categorizing to engage students in hands-on science. (DDR)

Cosmic collaboration in an undergraduate astrophysics laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunter, Ramona; Spiczak, Glenn; Madsen, James

2010-10-01

Lessons learned during the first offering of a lab component of an intermediate astrophysics course at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls are discussed. The course enrolled students from a variety of majors. Students worked in mixed-gender, mixed-major collaborative groups. They explored cosmic rays through hands-on, inquiry-based activities that took them from classic, fundamental discoveries to open-ended questions of their own design. We find that students divided their labor and brought the various parts of their research project together with little or no discussion regarding the various pieces and how they inform each other. Aspects of the lab design helped disrupt some typical gender dynamics in that men did not dominate group discussions. However, men did dominate the hands-on activities of the lab.

A Ratio Explanation for Evolution.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riss, Pam Helfers

1993-01-01

Describes hands-on physical anthropology activities for teaching students about evolution. Using evidence found in hominid skulls, students conduct investigations that involve calculating ratios. Eight full-page photographs of skulls from the program Stones and Bones are included. (PR)

Science Curriculum Guide. Grade 8. Bulletin 1989, No. 78.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery.

The purpose of this curriculum guide is to help teachers implement the Alabama Course of Study: Science. The major emphasis of the guide is to provide student-oriented, hands-on activities that engage students in "sciencing" behaviors. This guide has two major components, the table of contents and the activities. The table of contents…

Science Curriculum Guide. Kindergarten. Bulletin 1989, No. 70.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery.

The purpose of this curriculum guide is to help teachers implement the Alabama Course of Study: Science. The major emphasis of the guide is to provide student-oriented, hands-on activities that engage students in "sciencing" behaviors. This guide has two major components, the table of contents and the activities. The table of contents…

See the Math behind the Medicine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saunders, Marnie M.

2010-01-01

To promote math and science, this author designed an activity to show students that biomedical fields are within their reach. The activity has three distinct goals: (1) To introduce the field of biomedical engineering to students and encourage them in these career pursuits; (2) To give them hands-on experience conducting a biomechanical test; and…

Cookie-Ases: Interactive Models for Teaching Genotype-Phenotype Relationships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seipelt, Rebecca L.

2006-01-01

Several hands-on and wet laboratory activities have been proposed to model the genetic concepts of genotypes and phenotypes and their relationship. The exercise presented in this article is a novel, time effective, student-centered, role-playing activity in which students learn about the intricate connection between genotype and phenotype by…

Science Curriculum Guide. Grade 5. Bulletin 1989, No. 75.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery.

The purpose of this curriculum guide is to help teachers implement the Alabama Course of Study: Science. The major emphasis of the guide is to provide student-oriented, hands-on activities that engage students in "sciencing" behaviors. This guide has two major components, the table of contents and the activities. The table of contents…

Making a Kite: The "Very" First Flying Machine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitts, Charles

2013-01-01

The kite design activity described in this article is "hands-on" and provides students the opportunity to learn and apply STEM concepts in the process of building and flying a traditional diamond-shaped bowed kite from scratch. Important components of the activity are that students read and follow instructions and lessons about the…

Inertial Mass

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Kenneth P.

2007-01-01

The inertial balance is one device that can help students to quantify the quality of inertia--a body's resistance to a change in movement--in more generally understood terms of mass. In this hands-on activity, students use the inertial balance to develop a more quantitative idea of what mass means in an inertial sense. The activity also helps…

Incredible Edibles: Science You Can Eat!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckbee, Susan J.; And Others

This book is designed to be a guide for a hands-on science experience for students in grades 3 through 6. Over 200 students can participate at the same time, moving from one station to another. The activities have been selected to encourage experimentation, creativity, higher-order thinking and fun with science. All activities use multi-modality…

Science Curriculum Guide. Grade 2. Bulletin 1989, No. 72.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery.

The purpose of this curriculum guide is to help teachers implement the Alabama Course of Study: Science. The major emphasis of the guide is to provide student-oriented, hands-on activities that engage students in "sciencing" behaviors. This guide has to major components, the table of contents and the activities. The table of contents…

Science Curriculum Guide. Grade 1. Bulletin 1989, No. 71.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery.

The purpose of this curriculum guide is to help teachers implement the Alabama Course of Study: Science. The major emphasis of the guide is to provide student-oriented, hands-on activities that engage students in "sciencing" behaviors. This guide has to major components, the table of contents and the activities. The table of contents…

Beyond Pilgrim Hats and Turkey Hands: Using Thanksgiving to Promote Citizenship and Activism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christie, Erica M.; Montgomery, Sarah E.

2010-01-01

In many elementary classrooms, Thanksgiving is celebrated by donning homemade Pilgrim hats, grocery bag vests, and colorful construction-paper headdresses, as students join together to reenact the "first" Thanksgiving with a mock feast. Students compose journal entries on the topic, "what I am thankful for." These typical Thanksgiving activities,…

Standardized Tests and Other Criteria in Admissions Decisions: A Classroom Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pawlow, Laura A.

2010-01-01

This exercise aims to provide a hands-on, role-playing activity that requires students to evaluate the strengths and limitations of standardized tests in making admission decisions. Small groups pretend to be an admissions committee and review fictitious student applications containing both standardized test scores and other information admissions…

Science Curriculum Guide. Grade 3. Bulletin 1989, No. 73.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alabama State Dept. of Education, Montgomery.

The purpose of this curriculum guide is to help teachers implement the Alabama Course of Study: Science. The major emphasis of the guide is to provide student-oriented, hands-on activities that engage students in "sciencing" behaviors. This guide has two major components, the table of contents and the activities. The table of contents…

Using Informal Inferential Reasoning to Develop Formal Concepts: Analyzing an Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weinberg, Aaron; Wiesner, Emilie; Pfaff, Thomas J.

2010-01-01

Inferential reasoning is a central component of statistics. Researchers have suggested that students should develop an informal understanding of the ideas that underlie inference before learning the concepts formally. This paper presents a hands-on activity that is designed to help students in an introductory statistics course draw informal…

From Maxwell to Millikan: A Little History and a Little Hands-on with the Photoelectric Effect.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gipps, John

1993-01-01

Provides an historical chronology of events related to understanding the photoelectric effect. Focuses on the early history, the mystery of the photoelectric effect, the contributions of Albert Einstein and Robert Millikan to the field, and hands-on activities that demonstrate the phenomenon to students. (DDR)

Space Product Development (SPD)

NASA Image and Video Library

2003-01-12

Experiments to seek solutions for a range of biomedical issues are at the heart of several investigations that will be hosted by the Commercial Instrumentation Technology Associates (ITA), Inc. Biomedical Experiments (CIBX-2) payload. CIBX-2 is unique, encompassing more than 20 separate experiments including cancer research, commercial experiments, and student hands-on experiments from 10 schools as part of ITA's ongoing University Among the Stars program. Student Marnix Aklian and ITA's Mark Bem prepare biological samples for flight as part of ITA's hands-on student outreach program on STS-95. Similar activities are a part of the CIBX-2 payload. The experiments are sponsored by NASA's Space Product Development Program (SPD).

Commercial Instrumentation Technology Associates' Biomedical Experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2003-01-01

Experiments to seek solutions for a range of biomedical issues are at the heart of several investigations that will be hosted by the Commercial Instrumentation Technology Associates (ITA), Inc. Biomedical Experiments (CIBX-2) payload. CIBX-2 is unique, encompassing more than 20 separate experiments including cancer research, commercial experiments, and student hands-on experiments from 10 schools as part of ITA's ongoing University Among the Stars program. Student Marnix Aklian and ITA's Mark Bem prepare biological samples for flight as part of ITA's hands-on student outreach program on STS-95. Similar activities are a part of the CIBX-2 payload. The experiments are sponsored by NASA's Space Product Development Program (SPD).

Transporting Students into Thin Air: Using Science to Enhance Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bricker, Patricia; Rogowski, Nick; Hedt, Melissa; Rolfe, Nadeen

2010-01-01

The "Into Thin Air" unit, based on the book by Jon Krakauer, was designed as an interdisciplinary unit for a small group of academically gifted sixth-grade students. It included hands-on, minds-on activities that would immerse students in the scientific, social, and personal struggles people face while attempting to climb the world's tallest…

The Effects of an After-School Science Program on Middle School Female Students' Attitudes towards Science, Mathematics and Engineering.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferreira, Maria M.

This study examined the impact of an after-school science program that incorporated cooperative learning, hands-on activities, mentoring, and role models on a group of minority female students' attitudes toward science, engineering, and mathematics. Eighteen African American middle school students participated in the study. Seven female engineers…

Can an Inquiry Approach Improve College Student Learning in a Teaching Laboratory?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rissing, Steven W.; Cogan, John G.

2009-01-01

We present an inquiry-based, hands-on laboratory exercise on enzyme activity for an introductory college biology course for science majors. We measure student performance on a series of objective and subjective questions before and after completion of this exercise; we also measure performance of a similar cohort of students before and after…

Make Science Matter. Hands on Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kepler, Lynne

1992-01-01

Presents class activities to help elementary students learn about changes in the state of matter by making ice cream. In addition to making observations on the changes of state, students can practice measuring and identifying the properties (e.g., color, size, and shape). (SM)

Celebrating Service and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emeagwali, Susan; Berkey, Lisa; Guempel, Martha

2010-01-01

This month's "Techniques" magazine celebrates service-learning and the contributions that it makes to students' learning by fostering civic engagement while students learn in hands-on, real-world contexts. For close to half a century, service-learning has spread throughout schools in the United States as students engage in activities as diverse as…

Exploring Old Growth Forests: A Teacher's Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lemieux, Chris; Powers, Jennene; Quinby, Peter; Schultz, Caroline; Stabb, Mark

"Exploring Old Growth Forests" is an Ontario (Canada) program that provides secondary students with hands-on experiences in old growth forests. Activity-based and student-centered, the program aims to develop student awareness of the importance of old growth forests and the need to conserve them. This manual provides teachers with…

Let's Get Physical

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahn, Sami; Wild, Tiffany; Woolsey, Lynn; Haegele, Justin A.

2014-01-01

How do students with visual impairments measure liquids? Can a student with cerebral palsy participate in hands-on science activities? What challenges might a hearing-impaired student have in my science class? These are just some of the important questions increasingly being asked by science teachers, thanks in part to the Individuals with…

The Living Dead: Transformative Experiences in Modelling Natural Selection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Petersen, Morten Rask

2017-01-01

This study considers how students change their coherent conceptual understanding of natural selection through a hands-on simulation. The results show that most students change their understanding. In addition, some students also underwent a transformative experience and used their new knowledge in a leisure time activity. These transformative…

Learning Physical Science through Astronomy Activities: A Comparison between Constructivist and Traditional Approaches in Grades 3-6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, R. Bruce; Sadler, Philip M.; Shapiro, Irwin I.

2008-01-01

We report on an evaluation of the effectiveness of Project ARIES, an astronomy-based physical science curriculum for upper elementary and middle school children. ARIES students use innovative, simple, and affordable apparatus to carry out a wide range of indoor and outdoor hands-on, discovery-based activities. Student journals and comprehensive…

A Category-Based Video Analysis of Students' Activities in an Out-of-School Hands-on Gene Technology Lesson

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scharfenberg, Franz-Josef; Bogner, Franz X.; Klautke, Siegfried

2008-01-01

Our research objectives focused on monitoring (i) students' activities during experimental teaching phases in an out-of-school gene technology laboratory, and (ii) potential relationships with variables such as work group size and cognitive achievement. Altogether, we videotaped 20 work groups of A-level 12th graders (n = 67) by continuous…

Developing and evaluating effective bioscience learning activities for nursing students.

PubMed

Salvage-Jones, Judith; Hamill, Jessie; Todorovic, Michael; Barton, Matthew J; Johnston, Amy N B

2016-07-01

Effective engagement of nursing students in the study of biosciences remains a challenge for many tertiary institutes. In this study we attempted to implement and then evaluate a simple hands-on intervention, consisting of a series of hands-on games and puzzles, to increase nursing student engagement with core concepts and anatomical learning involved in clinical anatomy and physiology. The study used a quazi-experimental longitudinal before and after design, to explore the effect of a learning intervention on student performance. Set across three different campuses of the same University, it included 1320 first year undergraduate nursing students from 2013 to 2014 who were studying Anatomy and Physiology. Students were exposed to the interventions or not, and concomitant academic performance, weekly quiz scores, performance in fortnightly worksheets and, across the semester, exam performance were compared. The results show that while the intervention appeared to increase academic performance in students on one campus (2013) compared to the other two, this difference was not sustained into 2014 when a bigger cohort was examined. Despite significant subjective student satisfaction and enthusiasm about these learning and teaching interventions, the data does not support the capacity of these activities to enhance student academic performance. Tertiary entrance scores, being a non-native English speakers and socio-economic status all had a bigger impact on student performance than engagement with fun anatomy and physiology activities. Crown Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Utilization of hands-on and simulation activities for teaching middle school lunar concepts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roseman, Reni B.; Jones, Dyan L.

2013-01-01

A great deal of literature exists surrounding the misconceptions that students have regarding the moon, specifically how the moon phases and eclipses occur. These studies provide teachers with information regarding what misconceptions their students may come to the classroom with as well as some ideas as to how to approach and correct them. However, these methods are not always validated with classroom-based research, and much of the research that has been done is in the high school and college setting. As such, we have undertaken a study to investigate what a group of middle school students know about the moon pre-instruction, and how hands-on activities and computer simulations affect student learning and understanding of these topics. The results of this project show that neither supplementation was distinguishably more effective in improving student test scores, as measured by normalized gains; this may be an artifact of high pre-test scores, as described herein.

Measuring Marbles: Demonstrating the Basic Tenets of Measurement Theory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wininger, Steven R.

2007-01-01

A hands-on activity is described in which students attempt to measure something that they cannot see. In small groups, students estimate the number of marbles in sealed boxes. Next, students' estimates are compared with the actual numbers. Last, values from both the students' estimates and actual numbers are used to explain measurement theory and…

Earthtech, Dig-Texas and Upward Bound: Outreach to At-Risk Students with Interdisciplinary STEM Activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olgin, J. G.; Güereque, M.; Pennington, D. D.; Everett, A.; Dixon, J. G.; Reyes, A.; Houser, P. I. Q.; Baker, J. A.; Stocks, E.; Ellins, K.

2015-12-01

The Geological Sciences department at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) hosted the EarthTech outreach program - a one-week intensive summer camp for low-income, at-risk high school students. The EarthTech program engaged students in STEM activities from geological and environmental sciences. Developed and led by university student-mentors with guidance from a supervising faculty member, the course engaged Upward Bound students with lectures, interactive projects, and excursions to local ecological preserves and geological sites around El Paso, Texas. Topics covered plant and animal distribution and diversity, water and soil dynamics, evolution and paleontology, geohazards, and planetary science. Field trips were combined with hands-on activities, including activities from DIG Texas teaching modules. The NSF-funded DIG Texas Instructional Blueprints project is organizing vetted, high quality online educational resources and learning activities into teaching modules. The modules follow a storyline and demonstrate congruency with the Next Generation Science Standards. Selected DIG Texas resources were included in the daily curriculum to complement the field trip and other hands-on activities. EarthTech students created ESRI Online GIS story maps in which they showed the locations of the field trips, incorporated photographs they had taken, and provided written reflections about their camp experiences. The DIG Texas project evaluation collected survey and interview data from the university student mentors throughout the week to ascertain the efficacy of the program. This poster presentation will include an overview of the program, including examples of work and evaluation results.

Using Crickets to Introduce Neurophysiology to Early Undergraduate Students

PubMed Central

Dagda, Ruben K.; Thalhauser, Rachael M.; Dagda, Raul; Marzullo, Timothy C.; Gage, Gregory J.

2013-01-01

Anatomy and physiology instructors often face the daunting task of teaching the principles of neurophysiology as part of a laboratory course with very limited resources. Teaching neurophysiology can be a difficult undertaking as sophisticated electrophysiology and data acquisition equipment is often financially out-of-reach for two-year institutions, and for many preparations, instructors need to be highly skilled in electrophysiology techniques when teaching hands-on laboratories. In the absence of appropriate laboratory tools, many undergraduate students have difficulty understanding concepts related to neurophysiology. The cricket can serve as a reliable invertebrate model to teach the basic concepts of neurophysiology in the educational laboratory. In this manuscript, we describe a series of hands-on, demonstrative, technologically simple, and affordable laboratory activities that will help undergraduate students gain an understanding of the principles of neurophysiology. By using the cerci ganglion and leg preparation, students can quantify extracellular neural activity in response to sensory stimulation, understand the principles of rate coding and somatotopy, perform electrical microstimulation to understand the threshold of sensory stimulation, and do pharmacological manipulation of neuronal activity. We describe the utility of these laboratory activities, provide a convenient protocol for quantifying extracellular recordings, and discuss feedback provided by undergraduate students with regards to the quality of the educational experience after performing the lab activities. PMID:24319394

Project- versus Lecture-Based Courses: Assessing the Role of Course Structure on Perceived Utility, Anxiety, Academic Performance, and Satisfaction in the Undergraduate Research Methods Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubenking, Bridget; Dodd, Melissa

2018-01-01

Previous research suggests that undergraduate research methods students doubt the utility of course content and experience math and research anxiety. Research also suggests involving students in hands-on, applied research activities, although empirical data on the scope and nature of these activities are lacking. This study compared academic…

Web-Based Interactive Video Vignettes Create a Personalized Active Learning Classroom for Introducing Big Ideas in Introductory Biology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, L. Kate; Newman, Dina L.; Cardinale, Jean A.; Teese, Robert

2016-01-01

The typical "flipped classroom" delivers lecture material in video format to students outside of class in order to make space for active learning in class. But why give students passive material at all? We are developing a set of high-quality online educational materials that promote active, hands-on science learning to aid in teaching…

Geometry and Algebra: The Future Flight Equation. A Lesson Guide with Activities in Mathematics, Science, and Technology. NASA CONNECT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Hampton, VA. Langley Research Center.

This activity, part of the NASA CONNECT Series, is designed to help students in grades 6-8 learn how NASA engineers develop experimental aircraft. It consists of an overview of the program, details of the hands-on activity, a series of blackline master student worksheets, teacher materials, and a guide to further resources. (MM)

Acid Rain: A Teaching Focus for the Intermediate Grades.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Renee B.; Adams, Neil D.

1992-01-01

The study of acid rain provides ample opportunities for active, interdisciplinary learning. This article describes 12 hands-on activities designed to expand students' understanding of acid rain. Background information on acid rain is included. (LB)

Nonconventional Methods in Teaching Matter, Atoms, Molecules and the Periodic Table for Nonmajor Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cherif, Abour A.; Adams, Gerald E.; Cannon, Charles E.

1997-01-01

Describes several activities used to teach students from middle school age to college nonmajors about the nature of matter, atoms, molecules and the periodic table. Strategies integrate such approaches as hands-on activities, visualization, writing, demonstrations, role play, and guided inquiry. For example, the periodic table is viewed as a town…

Model PET Scan Activity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strunk, Amber; Gazdovich, Jennifer; Redouté, Oriane; Reverte, Juan Manuel; Shelley, Samantha; Todorova, Vesela

2018-05-01

This paper provides a brief introduction to antimatter and how it, along with other modern physics topics, is utilized in positron emission tomography (PET) scans. It further describes a hands-on activity for students to help them gain an understanding of how PET scans assist in detecting cancer. Modern physics topics provide an exciting way to introduce students to current applications of physics.

Cootie Genetics: Simulating Mendel's Experiments to Understand the Laws of Inheritance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galloway, Katelyn; Anderson, Nadja

2014-01-01

"Cootie Genetics" is a hands-on, inquiry-based activity that enables students to learn the Mendelian laws of inheritance and gain an understanding of genetics principles and terminology. The activity begins with two true-breeding Cooties of the same species that exhibit five observable trait differences. Students observe the retention or…

DEEP: Discover, Explore, and Enjoy Physics & Engineering via High Impact Educational Experiences at Texas A&M and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erukhimova, Tatiana; Fry, Edward

2014-03-01

We will present the first results of an innovative program at Texas A&M University that aims to enhance the learning and research experiences of undergraduate and graduate students through their participation in high-profile outreach activities: principally the Texas A&M Physics and Engineering Festival and the Physics Shows. The goals are to enhance students' knowledge of fundamental physics concepts through collaborative hands-on research and educational activities, to teach them effective communication skills and responsibility, and to enhance their opportunities for interactions with their peers and professors outside the classroom. The program activities include (i) students working side-by-side with their peers and professors on research, concept, design, and fabrication of physics demonstration experiments, (ii) presentation of these exhibits during the Festival and Shows in teams of several students and faculty members, (iii) assessment of students teamwork, and (iv) incorporation of new demonstrations in core curriculum classes. Texas A&M Physics and Engineering Festival is a major annual outreach event at TAMU attracting over 4000 visitors and featuring over 100 interactive exhibits, public lectures by prominent scientists, and various hands-on activities. This program is supported by Tier One Grant from Texas A&M University.

A case study to determine if HOI-STEM courses influenced students' decisions toward continuing their studies in the HOI-STEM areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kling, Richard R.

The purpose of this study is to survey the experiences of the 9-12 grade students who have and have not been enrolled in an HOI-STEM curriculum in order to determine how/if enrollment in such a curriculum influences their choices toward continued study in STEM fields. The study found that indeed the students enrolled in the hands-on type of classes were excited about their education and the classes they enrolled in. The students who had not enrolled in HOI-STEM echoed the same sentiment. They may have been enrolled in art, or music, or social studies but they also reported that being able to interact with the curriculum, to be engaged in non-traditional hands-on activities enabled them to become more immersed in their education. The researcher can then report that the concept of "Hands On Integrated-Science Technology Engineering Math", (HOI-STEM), classes should be expanded and integrated into the curriculum for K-12 classes.

A Career Guidance Curriculum for Ninth Grade Students. Occupational Cluster Learning Activities. Business-Environmental. Part 1 of 2. Ninth Grade Guidance Project. Project Duration: July 16, 1979, to June 30, 1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cape May County Vocational Schools, NJ.

This first of two parts presents learning activities for four occupational clusters of a ninth-grade cluster program. It contains theory and hands-on activities that explore the occupational requirements and working environment of these areas to help students make intelligent decisions of possible career choices based on levels of interest and…

Hands on or hands off? Disgust sensitivity and preference for environmental education activities

Treesearch

Robert D. Bixler; Myron F. Floyd

1999-01-01

Detailed descriptions of barriers to enviromuental education (EE) can provide opportunities for educators to foresee potential problems in programs. High disgust sensitivity is an intrapersonal barrier that constrains preference for learning opportunities involving manipulation of some organic materials. Middle school students in Texas (N = 450)...

Looking inside the Black Box: The Value Added by Career and Technical Student Organizations to Students' High School Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alfeld, Corinne; Stone, James R., III; Aragon, Steven R.; Hansen, David M.; Zirkle, Christopher; Connors, James; Spindler, Matt; Romine, Rebecca Swinburne; Woo, Hui-Jeong

2007-01-01

In addition to hands-on learning in classrooms and work-related activities such as co-op, many CTE programs offer a career-focused student organization, known as a Career and Technical Student Organization, or CTSO. CTSOs have been touted as developing such characteristics as leadership and employability skills in students; however, there is…

Students Soar at DECA's SoNAR Conference

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiscus, Lyn

2007-01-01

Career and Technical Student organizations (CTSOs) are an effective mechanism for achieving the goals of education in the 21st century and No Child Left Behind. Through their hands-on approach to learning, CTSOs provide students with many opportunities to become actively involved in their learning and apply classroom knowledge to real-life…

Engaging Urban Students in a Schoolyard Beautification and Gardening Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramey, Linda

2012-01-01

Community gardening provides many benefits for students like outdoor physical activity, an understanding of plant life cycles, food production and healthy eating (Blair, 2009; Whiren, 1995). Gardening also provides hands-on learning opportunities to draw parallels between what is needed for plants to grow and what students need to be healthy. When…

Enhancing the Student Learning Experience in Software Engineering Project Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marques, Maira; Ochoa, Sergio F.; Bastarrica, Maria Cecilia; Gutierrez, Francisco J.

2018-01-01

Carrying out real-world software projects in their academic studies helps students to understand what they will face in industry, and to experience first-hand the challenges involved when working collaboratively. Most of the instructional strategies used to help students take advantage of these activities focus on supporting agile programming,…

Computer simulations for the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission through NASA's "Project Spectra!"

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christofferson, R.; Wood, E. L.; Euler, G.

2012-12-01

"Project Spectra!" is a standards-based light science and engineering program on solar system exploration that includes both hands-on paper and pencil activities as well as Flash-based computer games that help students solidify understanding of high-level planetary and solar physics. Using computer interactive games where students experience and manipulate the information makes abstract concepts accessible. Visualizing lessons with multi-media tools solidifies understanding and retention of knowledge. Since students can choose what to watch and explore, the interactives accommodate a broad range of learning styles. Students can go back and forth through the interactives if they've missed a concept or wish to view something again. In the end, students are asked critical thinking questions and conduct web-based research. As a part of the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission education programming, we've developed two new "Project Spectra!" interactives that go hand-in-hand with a paper and pencil activity. The MAVEN mission will study volatiles in the upper atmosphere to help piece together Mars' climate history. In the first interactive, students explore black body radiation, albedo, and a simplified greenhouse effect to establish what factors contribute to overall planetary temperature and how they contribute. Students are asked to create a scenario in which a planet they build and design is able to maintain liquid water on the surface. In the second interactive, students are asked to consider Mars and the conditions needed for Mars to support water on the surface, keeping some variables fixed. Ideally, students will walk away with the very basic and critical elements required for climate studies, which has far-reaching implications beyond the study of Mars. These interactives are currently being pilot tested at Arvada High School in Colorado.

Computer simulations for the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission through NASA's 'Project Spectra!'

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wood, E. L.

2013-12-01

'Project Spectra!' is a standards-based light science and engineering program on solar system exploration that includes both hands-on paper and pencil activities as well as Flash-based computer games that help students solidify understanding of high-level planetary and solar physics. Using computer interactive games where students experience and manipulate the information makes abstract concepts accessible. Visualizing lessons with multi-media tools solidifies understanding and retention of knowledge. Since students can choose what to watch and explore, the interactives accommodate a broad range of learning styles. Students can go back and forth through the interactives if they've missed a concept or wish to view something again. In the end, students are asked critical thinking questions and conduct web-based research. As a part of the Mars Atmospheric and Volatile EvolutioN (MAVEN) mission education programming, we've developed two new 'Project Spectra!' interactives that go hand-in-hand with a paper and pencil activity. The MAVEN mission will study volatiles in the upper atmosphere to help piece together Mars' climate history. In the first interactive, students explore black body radiation, albedo, and a simplified greenhouse effect to establish what factors contribute to overall planetary temperature and how they contribute. Students are asked to create a scenario in which a planet they build and design is able to maintain liquid water on the surface. In the second interactive, students are asked to consider Mars and the conditions needed for Mars to support water on the surface, keeping some variables fixed. Ideally, students will walk away with the very basic and critical elements required for climate studies, which has far-reaching implications beyond the study of Mars. These interactives were pilot tested at Arvada High School in Colorado.

Using food as a tool to teach science to 3 grade students in Appalachian Ohio.

PubMed

Duffrin, Melani W; Hovland, Jana; Carraway-Stage, Virginia; McLeod, Sara; Duffrin, Christopher; Phillips, Sharon; Rivera, David; Saum, Diana; Johanson, George; Graham, Annette; Lee, Tammy; Bosse, Michael; Berryman, Darlene

2010-04-01

The Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative is a compilation of programs aimed at using food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. In 2007-2008, a foods curriculum developed by professionals in nutrition and education was implemented in 10 3(rd)-grade classrooms in Appalachian Ohio; teachers in these classrooms implemented 45 hands-on foods activities that covered 10 food topics. Subjects included measurement; food safety; vegetables; fruits; milk and cheese; meat, poultry, and fish; eggs; fats; grains; and meal management. Students in four other classrooms served as the control group. Mainstream 3(rd)-grade students were targeted because of their receptiveness to the subject matter, science standards for upper elementary grades, and testing that the students would undergo in 4(th) grade. Teachers and students alike reported that the hands-on FoodMASTER curriculum experience was worthwhile and enjoyable. Our initial classroom observation indicated that the majority of students, girls and boys included, were very excited about the activities, became increasingly interested in the subject matter of food, and were able to conduct scientific observations.

Access Nature[TM]: 45 Fun, Hands-On Activities for Everyone!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Almeras, Bethe Gilbert; Heath, David

"Access Nature" is an outdoor science curriculum that focuses on habitats. This curriculum targets students ages 6-14 and aims to develop environmental awareness, environmental leadership skills, and outdoor knowledge and skills. Specific adaptations for disabled students are also considered. Contents include: (1) "Introduction to…

Bridging Formal and Informal Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Bradley S.; Larson, Kim; Krehbiel, Michelle

2014-01-01

Out-of-school time programs that provide science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational content are promising approaches to develop skills and abilities in students. These programs may potentially inspire students with engaging hands-on, minds-on activities that encourages their natural curiosity around STEM content areas.…

Sun-Earth Day

NASA Image and Video Library

2007-04-11

Michael Sandras, a member of the Pontchartrain Astronomical Society, explains his solar telescope to students of Second Street in Bay St. Louis, Hancock County and Nicholson elementary schools in StenniSphere's Millennium Hall on April 10. The students participated in several hands-on activities at Stennis Space Center's Sun-Earth Day celebration.

Sun-Earth Day

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Michael Sandras, a member of the Pontchartrain Astronomical Society, explains his solar telescope to students of Second Street in Bay St. Louis, Hancock County and Nicholson elementary schools in StenniSphere's Millennium Hall on April 10. The students participated in several hands-on activities at Stennis Space Center's Sun-Earth Day celebration.

Limestone or Wax?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sargianis, Kristin; Lachapelle, Cathy P.; Cunningham, Christine M.; Facchiano, Jean; Sanderson, Cheryl; Slater, Patricia

2012-01-01

In this article, the authors focus on an Engineering is Elementary unit that emphasizes students' understanding and application of properties of materials in the context of an engineering design challenge. Students build understanding through a series of hands-on activities, then apply their knowledge to solve a materials engineering problem:…

Connecting the Hands-On to the Minds-On: A Video Case Analysis of South African Physical Sciences Lessons for Student Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramnarain, Umesh

2015-01-01

In South Africa, there is a strong curriculum imperative for South African school science teachers to not only involve learners in practical inquiry activities but also to support students in making a connection between the construction of substantive scientific knowledge to these activities. The research reported in this article investigated the…

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.

In the Footsteps of Galileo

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Veen, W.; Moody, T.; Erickson, J.; White, V.; O'Dea, T.

2008-11-01

Are you tired of teaching that same old scientific method lesson? Are you looking for ideas that bring the process of science to life for your students? Experience hands-on inquiry based activities that allow your students to recreate the excitement of Galileo's historic observations.

Hands-on Science: Does It Matter What Students' Hands Are On?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Triona, Lara M.; Klahr, David

2007-01-01

Hands-on science typically uses physical materials to give students first-hand experience in scientific methodologies, but the recent availability of virtual laboratories raises an important question about whether what students' hands are on matters to their learning. The overall findings of two articles that employed simple comparisons of…

A Hands-On, Interdisciplinary Laboratory Program and Educational Model to Strengthen a Radar Curriculum for Broad Distribution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeary, Mark; Yu, Tian-You; Palmer, Robert; Biggerstaff, Michael; Fink, L. Dee; Ahem, Carolyn; Tarp, Keli Pirtle

2007-01-01

This paper describes the details of a National Science Foundation multi-year educational project at the University of Oklahoma (OU). The goal of this comprehensive active-learning and hands-on laboratory program is to develop an interdisciplinary program, in which engineering, geoscience, and meteorology students participate, which forms a…

Bale to Bolt: Activity Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Massachusetts Univ., Lowell. Tsongas Industrial History Center.

This field trip program consists of a 90-minute interpretive tour and a 90-minute hands-on workshop in which students learn about the process of making cloth both by hand and in a factory. The program focuses on the changing nature of work and the roles of workers. The tour and workshop complement one another by exploring different aspects of the…

Taking Science to Special Needs and At-Risk Youth in the San Francisco Bay Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scherrer, D. K.; Yager, D.; Blair, J.; McCully, D.; Alameda, E.; Crawford, K.

2009-12-01

Youth in Juvenile Detention Facilities do attend (in-house) school, but rarely receive any instruction in science. We report on a new program to bring science to students at the Santa Clara County Juvenile Detention Facilitirs. Working in partnership with the Knock Out Dog Fighting campaign put together by Kris Crawford of For Pits Sake, Inc., our program provides alternatives to inappropriate behavior so often seen in inner city environments by introducing students to hands-on, inquiry based science activities. Likewise, we report on using similar materials to provide hands-on science activities to special needs students in Santa Clara and Santa Cruz Counties through “Take Flight for Kids” events organized by Dean McCully of Cisco Systems. Through “Take Flight for Kids”, amateur pilots offer special needs students rides in light aircraft and invite them to explore science and other activities through a community fair hosted by hundreds of local organizations. The fair highlights science opportunities and is supported and attended by a wide variety of NASA, NSF, and other science-related organizations. Our poster will focus on techniques and materials we use to excite special young people about science and opportunities for them in STEM fields.

The Importance of a Laboratory Section on Student Learning Outcomes in a University Introductory Earth Science Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forcino, Frank L.

2013-01-01

Laboratory sections of university Earth science courses provide hands-on, inquiry-based activities for students in support of lecture and discussion. Here, I compare student conceptual knowledge outcomes of laboratory sections by administering an independent concept inventory at the beginning and end of two courses: one that had a lecture and a…

Examining the Effects of Science Manipulatives on Achievement, Attitudes, and Journal Writing of Elementary Science Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frederick, Lynda R.; Shaw, Edward L., Jr.

This study examined several aspects of elementary science students' achievement, attitudes, and journal writing in conjunction with an Alabama Hands-on Activity Science Program (HASP) grant utilizing the Full Option Science System (FOSS) kit. The sample of 56 fourth grade students in two classes was administered a 15-item pretest and post-test.…

Acid Rain. Teacher's Guide. LHS GEMS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hocking, Colin; Barber, Jacqueline; Coonrod, Jan

This teacher's guide presents a unit on acid rain and introduces hands-on activities for sixth through eighth grade students. In each unit, students act as real scientists and gather evidence by using science process skills such as observing, measuring and recording data, classifying, role playing, problem solving, critical thinking, synthesizing…

Dig That Site: Exploring Archaeology, History, and Civilization on the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garfield, Gary M.; McDonough, Suzanne

This book combines the excitement of the Internet with conventional learning resources to explore early civilizations and cultures. This approach encourages independent student research, problem solving, and decision making while bringing together the fascination of archaeology with the Internet and hands-on learning activities. Students learn the…

Project Haystack: The Search for Life in the Galaxy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Inst., Mountain View, CA.

Produced by the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI), Project Haystack presents scenarios that depict various aspects of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. Students conduct hands-on and minds-on activities while exploring what it means to send and receive a message across interstellar distances. Students explore and map vast…

A Framework for Supporting Scientific Language in Primary Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Honig, Sheryl L.

2010-01-01

In this article, the author reports on findings of second and third graders' science writing about Jupiter in order to describe their expressive fluency with scientific discourse. The students' artifacts were created within a setting of integrated science/literacy instruction in which students participated in hands-on science activities, engaged…

Sink or Swim: Learning by Doing in a Supply Chain Integration Activity*

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harnowo, Akhadian S.; Calhoun, Mikelle A.; Monteiro, Heather

2016-01-01

Studies show that supply chain integration (SCI) is important to organizations. This article describes an activity that places students in the middle of an SCI scenario. The highly interactive hands-on simulation requires only 50 to 60 minutes of classroom time, may be used with 18 to about 36 students, and involves minimal instructor preparation.…

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…

Keyboarding and Computer Application. Technology Learning Activity. Teacher Edition. Technology Education Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Vocational and Technical Education, Stillwater. Curriculum and Instructional Materials Center.

This curriculum guide is designed to prepare students in grades 6-10 to work in the world of the future. The 8-day course provides exploratory, hands-on learning activities and information that can enhance the education of students of all types in an integrated curriculum that provides practical applications of academic skills. The guide contains…

A Career Guidance Curriculum for Ninth Grade Students. Occupational Cluster Learning Activities. Health-Technical. Part 2 of 2. Ninth Grade Career Guidance Project. Project Duration: July 16, 1979, to June 30, 1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cape May County Vocational Schools, NJ.

This second of two parts presents learning activities for four occupational clusters of a ninth-grade cluster program. It contains theory and hands-on activities that explore the occupational requirements and working environment of these areas to help students make intelligent decisions of possible career choices based on levels of interest and…

Aspects of science engagement, student background, and school characteristics: Impacts on science achievement of U.S. students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grabau, Larry J.

Science achievement of U.S. students has lagged significantly behind other nations; educational reformers have suggested science engagement may enhance this critical measure. The 2006 Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) was science-focused and measured science achievement along with nine aspects of science engagement: science self-efficacy, science self-concept, enjoyment of science, general interest in learning science, instrumental motivation for science, future-oriented science motivation, general value of science, personal value of science, and science-related activities. I used multilevel modeling techniques to address both aspects of science engagement and science achievement as outcome variables in the context of student background and school characteristics. Treating aspects of science engagement as outcome variables provided tests for approaches for their enhancement; meanwhile, treating science achievement as the outcome variable provided tests for the influence of the aspects of science engagement on science achievement under appropriate controls. When aspects of science engagement were treated as outcome variables, gender and father's SES had frequent (significant) influences, as did science teaching strategies which focused on applications or models and hands-on activities over-and-above influences of student background and other school characteristics. When science achievement was treated as the outcome variable, each aspect of science engagement was significant, and eight had medium or large effect sizes (future-oriented science motivation was the exception). The science teaching strategy which involved hands-on activities frequently enhanced science achievement over-and-above influences of student background and other school characteristics. Policy recommendations for U.S. science educators included enhancing eight aspects of science engagement and implementing two specific science teaching strategies (focus on applications or models and hands-on activities). Focused implementation of these research findings could enhance both science engagement and science achievement of U.S. students. I identified five keylimitations of my research project: the age of the dataset, the lack of racial/ethnic identifiers, the low proportion of student-level variance accounted for by multilevel models with aspects of science engagement as outcome variables, the lack of class-level measures, and the lack of inclusion of students' epistemological and fixed/flexible beliefs. These limitations provide opportunities for further investigations into these critical issues in science education.

Finite Element Learning Modules as Active Learning Tools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Ashland O.; Jensen, Daniel; Rencis, Joseph; Wood, Kristin; Wood, John; White, Christina; Raaberg, Kristen Kaufman; Coffman, Josh

2012-01-01

The purpose of active learning is to solicit participation by students beyond the passive mode of traditional classroom lectures. Reading, writing, participating in discussions, hands-on activities, engaging in active problem solving, and collaborative learning can all be involved. The skills acquired during active learning tend to go above and…

Plant Development & the Fern Life Cycle: Using "Ceratopteris richardii."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renzaglia, Karen S.; And Others

1995-01-01

Presents laboratory activities focusing on the development of sexually mature gametophytes from single-celled spores. Includes techniques for culture and manipulation of gametophyte development from spores that are applicable for hands-on activities for students at all levels. (MKR)

Pop-It Beads to Introduce Catalysis of Reaction Rate and Substrate Depletion Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gehret, Austin U.

2017-01-01

A kinesthetic classroom activity was designed to help students understand enzyme activity and catalysis of reaction rate. Students served the role of enzymes by manipulating Pop-It Beads as the catalytic event. This activity illuminates the relationship between reaction rate and reaction progress by allowing students to experience first-hand the…

Introductory Geological Mapwork--An Active Learning Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drennan, Gillian R.; Evans, Mary Y.

2011-01-01

First year Geology students at the University of the Witwatersrand experience problems with both three-dimensional and "four-dimensional" (or time) visualization when attempting to interpret geological maps. These difficulties have been addressed by the introduction of hands-on modeling exercises, which allow students to construct…

Analyzing Anthropomorphisms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gomez-Zwiep, Susan; Straits, William

2006-01-01

Teachers love to have their students actively engaged with hands-on manipulatives in the pursuit of scientific investigation. However, students cannot develop an understanding of every important concept in science through their own investigation. There are points in their lessons that require outside information, usually through some type of text…

Activities Joining Learning Objectives to Assessments in Introductory Astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palen, Stacy E.; Larson, Ana M.

2015-01-01

In recent years, accreditation boards and other governing bodies have been pushing hard for explicit learning goals and quantitative measures of assessment for general education courses such as Astronomy 101. This added assessment burden can be problematic, especially for harried adjuncts teaching multiple courses at multiple institutions. It would be helpful to have a field-tested set of combined hands-on activities and assessment tools that help instructors meet these assessment requirements. The authors have produced just such a set. We have been using hands-on activities in our classrooms for more than 15 years. These activities require no special equipment or preparation and can be completed within an hour by most students working in groups of two or three. The sections of each activity are arranged in steps, guiding the students from initial knowledge-level questions or practice to a final evaluation or synthesis of what they have just accomplished. Students thus get practice thinking at higher cognitive levels. A recent addition to these activities is the inclusion of formalized learning objectives and accompanying pre- and post-activity questions. The pre-activity questions address common misconceptions, relate familiar analogous terrestrial examples to the activity, and act as a brief refresher meta-concepts like scale factors, measurements, and basic mathematics review. The post-activity questions review the most important concepts introduced in the activity. We present a number of examples as well as a summary as to how we have initiated their use in a large lecture setting of 300 students, in smaller classrooms of 15 students, and in a community college online course.

Exemplary Worksite Learning Programs: Preparing Students for the 21st Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Kippy; Souders, Amy

This report provides information on three Exemplary Worksite Learning Award winning programs in which students learn by participating in hands-on classroom activities and by taking part in worksite experiences. Three sections provide a brief description of each winner. The first provides information on the Breithaupt Career and Technical Center…

How Scientists Use Critical-Thinking Skills: Isolating Both Total RNA and Protein Using the Same Small Organ

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porta, Angela R.; Dhawan, Puneet

2006-01-01

Undergraduate biology programs are currently undergoing reform to involve students in biomedical research. Engaging students in more active, hands-on experiments allows students to discover scientific principles for themselves, and to develop techniques of critical thinking and problem solving. This models the world of real scientific research,…

Fostering Innovation through an Active Learning Activity Inspired by the Baghdad Battery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Xu; Anariba, Franklin

2014-01-01

A hands-on activity based on general electrochemistry concepts with the aim at introducing design science elements is presented. The main goals of the activity are to reinforce electrochemical principles while fostering innovation in the students through the assembly and optimization of a voltaic device and subsequent evaluation by powering…

Perceived Barriers by University Students in the Practice of Physical Activities

PubMed Central

Gómez-López, Manuel; Gallegos, Antonio Granero; Extremera, Antonio Baena

2010-01-01

The main goal of this research is to study in detail the main characteristics of university students in order to find out the reasons why they have adopted an inactive lifestyle. In order to do so, a questionnaire on the analysis of sports habits and lifestyle was given to 323 students. They were taken from a representative sample of 1834 students. These 323 students had pointed out at the moment of the fieldwork, not having practiced any sport in their spare time. Our findings point out that there are diverse reasons for this. On one hand, reasons referred to as external barriers such as lack of time, on the other hand, internal barriers such as not liking the physical activity, not seeing its practicality or usefulness, feeling lazy or with apathy, or thinking that they are not competent in this type of activities. Other reasons such as the lack of social support are grouped within the external barriers. Finally, it is important to stress that there are also differences based on gender with respect to motivation. Key points External barriers prevail in university students. The lack of time is among the most highlighted ones. Statistically significant results have been found regarding the gender variable. The results are very important since they are considered to be valuable information for university institutions when guiding and diversifying their offer of physical and sport activities. Also as a guide in the design of support policies and national sport management guidelines. PMID:24149629

Perceived barriers by university students in the practice of physical activities.

PubMed

Gómez-López, Manuel; Gallegos, Antonio Granero; Extremera, Antonio Baena

2010-01-01

The main goal of this research is to study in detail the main characteristics of university students in order to find out the reasons why they have adopted an inactive lifestyle. In order to do so, a questionnaire on the analysis of sports habits and lifestyle was given to 323 students. They were taken from a representative sample of 1834 students. These 323 students had pointed out at the moment of the fieldwork, not having practiced any sport in their spare time. Our findings point out that there are diverse reasons for this. On one hand, reasons referred to as external barriers such as lack of time, on the other hand, internal barriers such as not liking the physical activity, not seeing its practicality or usefulness, feeling lazy or with apathy, or thinking that they are not competent in this type of activities. Other reasons such as the lack of social support are grouped within the external barriers. Finally, it is important to stress that there are also differences based on gender with respect to motivation. Key pointsExternal barriers prevail in university students. The lack of time is among the most highlighted ones.Statistically significant results have been found regarding the gender variable.The results are very important since they are considered to be valuable information for university institutions when guiding and diversifying their offer of physical and sport activities. Also as a guide in the design of support policies and national sport management guidelines.

Increasing Student Understanding of Microscope Optics by Building and Testing the Limits of Simple, Hand-Made Model Microscopes†

PubMed Central

Drace, Kevin; Couch, Brett; Keeling, Patrick J.

2012-01-01

The ability to effectively use a microscope to observe microorganisms is a crucial skill required for many disciplines within biology, especially general microbiology and cell biology. A basic understanding of the optical properties of light microscopes is required for students to use microscopes effectively, but this subject can also be a challenge to make personally interesting to students. To explore basic optical principles of magnification and resolving power in a more engaging and hands-on fashion, students constructed handmade lenses and microscopes based on Antony van Leeuwenhoek’s design using simple materials—paper, staples, glass, and adhesive putty. Students determined the power of their lenses using a green laser pointer to magnify a copper grid of known size, which also allowed students to examine variables affecting the power and resolution of a lens such as diameter, working distance, and wavelength of light. To assess the effectiveness of the laboratory’s learning objectives, four sections of a general microbiology course were given a brief pre-activity assessment quiz to determine their background knowledge on the subject. One week after the laboratory activity, students were given the same quiz (unannounced) under similar conditions. Students showed significant gains in their understanding of microscope optics. PMID:23653781

Learning Science Process Through Data Exploration and Writing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prothero, W. A.

2007-12-01

One of the most effective ways of teaching science process is to have students take part in the same activities that practicing scientists engage in. These activities include studying the current research in the field, discussing ideas with colleagues, formulating a research problem, making a proposal defining the problem and plan of attack, presenting and writing about the results of the study, and critically reviewing the work of others. An inquiry curriculum can use these activities to guide the scaffolding of assignments and learning experiences that help students learn science process. At UCSB, students in a large general education oceanography class use real Earth data to study plate tectonics, the Indian Monsoon, climate change, and the health of the world fisheries. The end product for each subject has been a science paper based on Earth data. Over a period of approximately 15 years, the scaffolding of activities to prepare each student for the written assignments has been modified and improved, in response to student feedback and their success with the assignments. I have found that the following resources and sequence of activities help the oceanography students write good science papers. 1. Lecture: motivation and the opportunity for feedback and questions. 2. Textbook: background information. It is also possible to get the information from the internet, but unless the scope of reading is strictly defined, students don't know when to stop reading and become unhappy. 3. Online assignments: automatically graded assignments that force the student to keep up with reading. 4. Questions of the day: in-class handouts, with diagrams that the students either complete, or answer questions about. They are handed in and tallied, but not graded. They also inform the instructor of misconceptions. 5. Thought questions: student answers are posted on a threaded discussion list, and are due prior to lecture. The answers provide instructor feedback and guide the lecture. Students see their peers' answers only after entering their own. They can then improve their own answer ("Just In Time Teaching"). 6. Laboratory section activities: these introduce students to the course software, especially the data browsers, and the meaning of the data for the next writing assignment. For each meeting, a group inquiry activity results in a short class presentation by each group. This informs the teaching assistant (who teaches the lab section) of student understanding of the material, helps students become comfortable with the software, and supports students helping each other. 7. Written assignments. The assignments each require an approximately 1100-1600 word paper that includes abstract, introduction, data, interpretation, summary, and references. Images are captured from the data browser and included in the paper. The writing technology has evolved from papers handed in and graded by hand, to fully online hand-in and grading, to calibrated peer review, which was incorporated in the 2005 course. Calibrated peer review has the advantage that students see and evaluate their peers' papers. About 20% of the papers are graded by the instructor, resulting in a much lower instructor grading workload. Also, I suspect that a greater number of very short writing assignments in response to thought questions or min- inquiries might be an effective modification. The new "Learning With Data Workshop" will support many of the inquiry activities described here.

See It, Be It, Write It: Using Performing Arts to Improve Writing Skills and Test Scores

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blecher-Sass, Hope Sara; Moffitt, Maryellen

2010-01-01

Improve students' writing skills and boost their assessment scores while adding arts education, creativity, and fun to your writing curriculum. With this vibrant resource, improving writing skills goes hand-in-hand with improving test scores. Students learn how to use acting and visualization as prewriting activities to help them connect writing…

Think Locally, Act Globally! Linking Local and Global Communities through Democracy and Environment. Hands-On! Developing Active Learning Modules on the Human Dimensions of Global Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dowler, Lorraine

Designed so that it can be adapted to a wide range of student abilities and institutional settings, this learning module on the human dimensions of global change seeks to: actively engage students in problem solving, challenge them to think critically, invite them to participate in the process of scientific inquiry, and involve them in cooperative…

Can Accelerators Accelerate Learning?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santos, A. C. F.; Fonseca, P.; Coelho, L. F. S.

2009-03-01

The 'Young Talented' education program developed by the Brazilian State Funding Agency (FAPERJ) [1] makes it possible for high-schools students from public high schools to perform activities in scientific laboratories. In the Atomic and Molecular Physics Laboratory at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), the students are confronted with modern research tools like the 1.7 MV ion accelerator. Being a user-friendly machine, the accelerator is easily manageable by the students, who can perform simple hands-on activities, stimulating interest in physics, and getting the students close to modern laboratory techniques.

Learning the Cell Structures with Three-Dimensional Models: Students' Achievement by Methods, Type of School and Questions' Cognitive Level

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lazarowitz, Reuven; Naim, Raphael

2013-08-01

The cell topic was taught to 9th-grade students in three modes of instruction: (a) students "hands-on," who constructed three-dimensional cell organelles and macromolecules during the learning process; (b) teacher demonstration of the three-dimensional model of the cell structures; and (c) teaching the cell topic with the regular learning material in an expository mode (which use one- or two-dimensional cell structures as are presented in charts, textbooks and microscopic slides). The sample included 669, 9th-grade students from 25 classes who were taught by 22 Biology teachers. Students were randomly assigned to the three modes of instruction, and two tests in content knowledge in Biology were used. Data were treated with multiple analyses of variance. The results indicate that entry behavior in Biology was equal for all the study groups and types of schools. The "hands-on" learning group who build three-dimensional models through the learning process achieved significantly higher on academic achievements and on the high and low cognitive questions' levels than the other two groups. The study indicates the advantages students may have being actively engaged in the learning process through the "hands-on" mode of instruction/learning.

Astronomy: Project Earth Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, P. Sean

This book presents classroom activities and reading materials. The activities use a hands-on approach and address the standards. Each features both a student section and a teacher guide. Eleven activities include: (1) "It's Only a Paper Moon"; (2) "Time Traveler"; (3) "Solar System Scale"; (4) "Hello Out…

Summer Students in Virtual Reality: A Pilot Study on Educational Applications of Virtual Reality Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bricken, Meredith; Byrne, Chris M.

The goal of this study was to take a first step in evaluating the potential of virtual reality (VR) as a learning environment. The context of the study was The Technology Academy, a technology-oriented summer day camp for students ages 5-18, where student activities center around hands-on exploration of new technology (e.g., robotics, MIDI digital…

Reliving Colonial Days in Your Classroom. Curriculum Boosters. Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hennessey, Gail Skroback

1994-01-01

The article presents hands-on classroom projects to teach elementary students about colonial American history. Students make their own natural dyes, cook blueberry slump, and play cup-and-ball the way the colonists did. The activities integrate science, math, history, art, and language arts. (SM)

Let's Go Bananas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Helen; And Others

1995-01-01

Presents a hands-on primary science unit of activities designed to teach students concepts about bananas. Real bananas are used as students investigate and use the process skills of observation, measurement, and communication. Using bananas as a theme, science, mathematics, social studies, music, and writing are integrated into the curriculum of…

Growth Potential

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barry, Dana M.

2004-01-01

Students enjoy carrying out an exciting and challenging research project that combines science with computers and mathematics to investigate how polyacrylate animals change in size over time when placed in water and aqueous salt solutions. The hands-on activity motivates students and provides them with the necessary skills and information to have…

Student perceptions and effectiveness of an innovative learning tool: Anatomy Glove Learning System.

PubMed

Lisk, Kristina; McKee, Pat; Baskwill, Amanda; Agur, Anne M R

2015-01-01

A trend in anatomical education is the development of alternative pedagogical approaches to replace or complement experiences in a cadaver laboratory; however, empirical evidence on their effectiveness is often not reported. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of Anatomy Glove Learning System (AGLS), which enables students to learn the relationship between hand structure and function by drawing the structures onto a worn glove with imprinted bones. Massage therapy students (n = 73) were allocated into two groups and drew muscles onto either: (1) the glove using AGLS instructional videos (3D group); or (2) paper with palmar/dorsal views of hand bones during an instructor-guided activity (2D group). A self-confidence measure and knowledge test were completed before, immediately after, and one-week following the learning conditions. Self-confidence of hand anatomy in the 3D group gradually increased (3.2/10, 4.7/10, and 4.8/10), whereas self-confidence in the 2D group began to decline one-week later (3.2/10, 4.4/10, and 3.9/10). Knowledge of hand anatomy improved in both groups immediately after learning, (P < 0.001). Students' perceptions of AGLS were also assessed using a 10-pt Likert scale evaluation questionnaire (10 = high). Students perceived the AGLS videos (mean = 8.3 ± 2.0) and glove (mean = 8.1 ± 1.8) to be helpful in improving their understanding of hand anatomy and the majority of students preferred AGLS as a learning tool (mean = 8.6 ± 2.2). This study provides evidence demonstrating that AGLS and the traditional 2D learning approach are equally effective in promoting students' self-confidence and knowledge of hand anatomy. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.

Diet and Physical Activity Intervention Strategies for College Students

PubMed Central

Martinez, Yannica Theda S.; Harmon, Brook E.; Bantum, Erin O.; Strayhorn, Shaila

2016-01-01

Objectives To understand perceived barriers of a diverse sample of college students and their suggestions for interventions aimed at healthy eating, cooking, and physical activity. Methods Forty students (33% Asian American, 30% mixed ethnicity) were recruited. Six focus groups were audio-recorded, transcribed, and coded. Coding began with a priori codes, but allowed for additional codes to emerge. Analysis of questionnaires on participants’ dietary and physical activity practices and behaviors provided context for qualitative findings. Results Barriers included time, cost, facility quality, and intimidation. Tailoring towards a college student’s lifestyle, inclusion of hands-on skill building, and online support and resources were suggested strategies. Conclusions Findings provide direction for diet and physical activity interventions and policies aimed at college students. PMID:28480225

Use of Case-Based or Hands-On Laboratory Exercises with Physiology Lectures Improves Knowledge Retention, but Veterinary Medicine Students Prefer Case-Based Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McFee, Renee M.; Cupp, Andrea S.; Wood, Jennifer R.

2018-01-01

Didactic lectures are prevalent in physiology courses within veterinary medicine programs, but more active learning methods have also been utilized. Our goal was to identify the most appropriate learning method to augment the lecture component of our physiology course. We hypothesized that case-based learning would be well received by students and…

Disability Awareness Activity

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-10-28

The hands of Maryland School for the Blind student Andrea Washington and science teacher Colleen Shovestull use their sense of touch on a topographical map of the solar system during a visit to NASA Headquarters in Washington, Thursday, Oct. 29, 2009. Seven students from the Maryland School for the Blind visited NASA and participated in activities to learn about NASA'smission, functions, and careers. Photo Credit: (NASA/Paul E. Alers)

Complete Cycle Experiments Using the Adiabatic Gas Law Apparatus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutzner, Mickey D.; Plantak, Mateja

2014-01-01

The ability of our society to make informed energy-usage decisions in the future depends partly on current science and engineering students retaining a deep understanding of the thermodynamics of heat engines. Teacher imaginations and equipment budgets can both be taxed in the effort to engage students in hands-on heat engine activities. The…

Assessing for Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creghan, Kathleen Adair; Creghan, Casey

2013-01-01

Nothing satisfies a teacher more than seeing a smile of delight on students' faces when they turn over their test paper to reveal a successful score. In today's world of standardized testing, some elementary science teachers may struggle to help students move from active engagement in hands-on science experiences to high levels of…

Tissue Regeneration in the Classroom!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassoun, Lama; Hable, Whitney; Payne-Ferreira, Tracie L.

2008-01-01

Hands-on biological exploration has been shown to have a great impact on learning. When students "do" something, they remember more details than when they sit through a lecture describing the same activity. In this article, the authors present an exercise that has the potential to get all levels of students into the lab for practical experience…

Plate Tectonics: The Way the Earth Works. Teacher's Guide. LHS GEMS.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cuff, Kevin

This teacher guide presents a unit on plate tectonics and introduces hands-on activities for students in grades 6-8. In each unit, students act as real scientists and gather evidence by using science process skills such as observing, graphing, analyzing data, designing and making models, visualizing, communicating, theorizing, and drawing…

Bring the Poles to Your Classroom & Community Through Linked Hands-on Learning & IPY Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turrin, M.; Bell, R. E.; Kastens, K. A.; Pfirman, S. L.

2009-12-01

Two major legacies of the 4th International Polar Year (IPY 2007-9) are a newly galvanized educational community and an immense volume of polar data collected by the global science community. The tremendous new polar datasets represent a unique opportunity to communicate the nature of the changing poles to student and public audiences through this polar savvy educational community if effective approaches to link data and understanding are employed. We have developed a strategy for polar education that leverages the IPY data resources, linked with the polar education hands-on ‘manipulatives’ (materials that students can manipulate in a dynamic manner). This linked approach leverages the fundamental inquiry based learning but recognizes that particularly in the polar sciences the size of the earth, the remoteness of the poles and the scale of its processes make it difficult for students to explore in a hands-on manner. The linking of polar hands-on ‘manipulatives’ with IPY data provides a bridge between the tangible and the global. Alone manipulative activities can be beneficial in their ability to help students visualize a process or behavior, but without a strong link back to the Earth through data or evidence the understanding of the process is not transferred from the classroom model to the full scale Earth. The use of activities or models is beneficial in connecting the learner to the polar process(es), while the IPY data provides a unique opportunity to ground the polar manipulative experiments in real data. This linked strategy emerged from a series of NSF sponsored IPY Polar Fairs at major science museums that reached in excess of 12,000 people. The design of the fairs was that polar scientists developed activities linking low cost hands-on manipulatives to scientific evidence/data that was displayed in posters, images, and video clips. The participating scientists walked the ‘audience’ through the hands-on manipulative, then discussed their evidence while provided the reasoning. Adjusting this linked manipulative/data approach to the community of teachers will provide a very tangible education outcome to this community from IPY. Our linked manipulative-data strategy ensures polar processes are demonstrated, measured then matched with IPY data sets so that when examined in a guided exploration will provide the student the tools to generate the reasoning. This linked strategy is a powerful way to engage students in Earth science, and provide them with an entry to the wealth of professionally collected data sets that are available from both IPY and the broader science community, all while aligning with National Science Standards. We will demonstrate this approach, and show how the linked manipulative-data approach can be effectively used in community and school events to reach a wider audience.

Using Space Science to Excite Hispanic Students in STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reiff, P. H.; Galindo, C.; Garcia, J.; Morris, P. A.; Allen, J. S.

2013-05-01

Over the past ten years, NASA and its cosponsors have held an annual "NASA Space Science Day" at the University of Texas at Brownsville. The event is held over two days, with the Friday evening program featuring a space scientist or astronaut, this year Joe Acaba, giving a public lecture (plus a free planetarium show). The Saturday event starts with a keynote speech from the same speaker. Then the students circulate among six or seven hands-on workshops, plus a scheduled trip to the "Demo room" where NASA missions show their materials, and a planetarium show in the Discovery Dome. The students, 4th through 8th graders, are drawn from schools all across south Texas, and have included students coming as far as Zapata, with a four-hour bus ride each way. Over the ten years of the program, more than 5000 students have been reached. Most of the hands-on activities are led by undergraduate student mentors. The university students (42 in 2013) received science and engineering content and mentor training on the activities at Johnson Space Center before the January event. In addition, an additional 40 local high school students helped with activities and with escorting each group of students from one activity station to the next. The program has been so successful that students have "graduated" from participant, to volunteer, and now to University student mentor. Most of the mentors go on to complete a degree in a STEM discipline, and many have gone on to graduate school. Thus the mentors not only help with the program, they are beneficiaries as well. The program is being expanded to reach other underserved communities around the US, with its first "expansion" event held in Utah in 2011.; Puerto Rican Astronaut Joe Acaba and the Discovery Dome were two of the highlights for the students.

Interprofessional Peer Teaching of Pharmacy and Physical Therapy Students.

PubMed

Sadowski, Cheryl A; Li, Johnson Ching-hong; Pasay, Darren; Jones, C Allyson

2015-12-25

To evaluate an interprofessional peer-teaching activity during which physical therapy students instructed undergraduate pharmacy students on 3 ambulatory devices (canes, crutches, walkers). The pre/post evaluation of 2 pharmacy undergraduate classes included 220 students, 110 per year. After pharmacy students completed a 10-point, knowledge-based pretest, they participated in a hands-on activity with physical therapy students teaching them about sizing, use, and safety of canes, crutches, and walkers. A 10-point posttest was completed immediately afterward. The mean difference of pre/post scores was 3.5 (SD 1.9) for the peer-led teaching, and 3.8 (SD 2.2) for the peer learning group. Students had positive responses regarding the learning exercise and recommended further peer teaching. The peer-learning activity involving physical therapy students teaching pharmacy students was an effective method of improving knowledge and skills regarding basic ambulatory devices.

Interprofessional Peer Teaching of Pharmacy and Physical Therapy Students

PubMed Central

Sadowski, Cheryl A.; Li, Johnson Ching-hong; Pasay, Darren

2015-01-01

Objective. To evaluate an interprofessional peer-teaching activity during which physical therapy students instructed undergraduate pharmacy students on 3 ambulatory devices (canes, crutches, walkers). Design. The pre/post evaluation of 2 pharmacy undergraduate classes included 220 students, 110 per year. After pharmacy students completed a 10-point, knowledge-based pretest, they participated in a hands-on activity with physical therapy students teaching them about sizing, use, and safety of canes, crutches, and walkers. A 10-point posttest was completed immediately afterward. Assessment. The mean difference of pre/post scores was 3.5 (SD 1.9) for the peer-led teaching, and 3.8 (SD 2.2) for the peer learning group. Students had positive responses regarding the learning exercise and recommended further peer teaching. Conclusion. The peer-learning activity involving physical therapy students teaching pharmacy students was an effective method of improving knowledge and skills regarding basic ambulatory devices. PMID:26889067

The blind spot: re-educating ourselves about visual images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farkas, N.; Donnelly, K. M.; Henriksen, P. N.; Ramsier, R. D.

2004-05-01

A simple blind spot activity has been devised to help students discard misconceptions about image formation by lenses. Our hands-on experiment, in which students determine the location and size of their blind spots, is suitable for various age groups at different educational levels. The activity provides an opportunity to teach students how to measure objects indirectly using triangles and encourages them to think about the number of measurements needed to gain confidence in a value. It also gives teachers another interesting experiment in which to discuss the nature of uncertainties and how to deal with them. Student responses to the activity, performed with pre-engineering students and non-science majors, are discussed.

Beyond the Family Geography Challenge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keeler, Christy

1997-01-01

Describes a school-community program based on and extending the efforts of the Michigan Model Family Geography Challenge. The program includes inviting community members to participate in hands-on activities, as well as, shared activities between parents and students followed by dinner and socializing. Discusses materials, assessment, and…

City Geology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Markle, Sandra

1989-01-01

This article provides information on the evolution of the building material, concrete, and suggests hands-on activities that allow students to experience concrete's qualities, test the heat absorbency of various ground surface materials, discover how an area's geology changes, and search for city fossils. A reproducible activity sheet is included.…

Project VISION (Very Intensive Scientific Intercurricular On-Site Education

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roig, Gustavo A.

1999-01-01

Project VISION (Very Intensive Scientific Intercurricular On-Site Education) is a joint effort among NASA/John F. Kennedy Space Center, Florida International University, Universidad del Turabo, Miami-Dade County Public Schools and the Caguas/Gurabo Public Schools in Puerto Rico. The project's main mission is to institutionalize change among the elementary and middle school science and math teachers at participating schools so that their students receive continuously enriched instruction in the principles of science and math through the use of hands-on and minds-on experiments called learning modules. These leaming modules incorporate the national science and math education standards provided by the National Committee on Science Education Standards and Assessments and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, respectively. The use of learning modules that require hands-on and minds-on activities in a classroom setting garners great enthusiasm and motivation on the part of the target students for the understanding of the lesson's underlying math and science principles. With this enthusiasm and motivation, comes acceptance, attention, participation, discipline, acquiescence, and collaboration. Additionally, the use of hands-on activities may also require learning through a gamut of senses. Not only can the student use his/her eyes and ears during these activities, but most times, they can also use their senses of touch, smell, and taste, as well as intuition. Learning is, therefore, achieved using most or all the human senses. The combination of motivation/enthusiasm and the use of multiple senses creates an ideal environment conducive to leaming at a profound level.

Hands-On Science Reform, Science Achievement, and the Elusive Goal of "science for All" in a Diverse Elementary School District

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Echevarria, Marissa

Given the emphasis on "science for all" in national reform documents, this study analyzed student science achievement scores in hands-on reform versus traditional classrooms for 3,667 students in Grades 3 to 6 by gender, ethnicity, free or reduced lunch status, parent education, and level of English proficiency to determine whether these subgroups performed better or worse in reform classrooms. Teachers in reform classrooms used exemplary hands-on science kits and attended 1-day in-service training per kit. Teachers in traditional classrooms used the regular activity-based science curriculum with textbook. Gender differences favoring boys appeared in both types of classrooms, but were larger in the reform classrooms. Boys from lower socioeconomic levels performed better in reform classrooms, but limited-English-proficient boys performed worse. Parent education was significantly related to higher achievement for boys only in reform classrooms. For girls this relation was significant only in traditional classrooms. White girls performed significantly worse in reform classroom, but there were no differences for Asian and Hispanic girls. Implications for adapting hands-on science reform to meet student needs are discussed.

Pressure for Fun: A Course Module for Increasing Chemical Engineering Students' Excitement and Interest in Mechanical Parts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scarbrough, Will J.; Case, Jennifer M.

2006-01-01

A new module in a first year mechanical drawing course was designed with the primary goal of exciting chemical engineering students about mechanical things. Other goals included increasing student ability and confidence to explain how things work. A variety of high intensity, hands-on, facilitated group activities using pumps and valves were…

Career Immersion. School-to-Work Outreach Project 1997 Exemplary Model/Practice/Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota Univ., Minneapolis. Inst. on Community Integration.

The Career Immersion program, which has been conducted since 1989-90 at Silver Spring Elementary School in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, introduces the world of work to students at an early age. The program's primary activities involve hands-on, school-based learning in which all students participate. Students between the ages of 3 and 13 participate in 2…

Enhancing Students' Interest in Science and Technology through Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration and Active Learning Techniques

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Donna M.; Malloy, Alisha D.; Hollowell, Gail P.

2013-01-01

Twenty-nine rising high school 12th grade students participated in a 4-week summer program designed to increase their interest in science and technology. The program was a blend of hands-on biology, chemistry, and technology modules that addressed the global issue of obesity. Student groups developed websites to address obesity in one of five…

Two-Year Community: Time for Action: Vision and Change Implementation in an Online Biology Course at a Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gonzalez, Beatriz

2016-01-01

The author discusses an Introduction to Biology course they created. The course was designed by following the recommendations from the Vision and Change in Undergraduate Biology Education: A Call to Action report, which stresses the need for engaging students through hands-on and student-centered activities. In the course, students perform…

The Storm of the Century! Promoting Student Enthusiasm for Applied Statistics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fawcett, Lee; Newman, Keith

2017-01-01

This article describes a hands-on activity that has been used with students aged 12-18 years to promote the study of Statistics. We believe there is evidence to suggest an increase in student enthusiasm for Statistics at school, within the Mathematics curriculum, but also within other subjects such as Geography. We also believe that the use of…

Popcorn from the Sky.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelin, Daniel A., II

2001-01-01

Describes how one Hawaiian elementary teacher uses drama and folklore to teach students about historic events and human rights, guiding students through an active, hands-on reconstruction of a dramatic historic event (nuclear testing in the Bikini Atoll) and providing just enough information at each step of the story to elicit accurate, emotional…

Living Classrooms: Learning Guide for Famous & Historic Trees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Forest Foundation, Washington, DC.

This guide provides information to create and care for a Famous and Historic Trees Living Classroom in which students learn American history and culture in the context of environmental change. The booklet contains 10 hands-on activities that emphasize observation, critical thinking, and teamwork. Worksheets and illustrations provide students with…

Studying Zooarchaeology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Molly; Wolf, Deborah; Butler, Virginia L.

2012-01-01

Children often associate the study of bones with dinosaurs or crime scenes. This unit introduces students to "zooarchaeology," the study of animal remains from archaeological sites. Students in grades 3-5 engage in hands-on activities examining bones, shells, and other "hard parts" of animals. They use their observations as a starting point for…

Outdoor Adventures: Tracking Eastern Box Turtles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Somers, Ann Berry; Matthews, Catherine E.; Bennett, Kristin R.; Seymour, Sarah; Rucker, John

2003-01-01

A thematic and hands-on approach to learning ensures that students develop a deeper understanding and retain information longer. Bouillion and Gomez (2001) argue that real-world problems and school-community partnerships help engage students to connect with school science. When there is a disconnect between the activities of school science and…

Demystifying Electric Flux and Gauss's Law

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McManus, Jeff

2017-01-01

Many physics students have experienced the difficulty of internalizing concepts in electrostatics. After studying concrete, measurable details in mechanics, they are challenged by abstract ideas such as electric fields, flux, Gauss's law, and electric potential. There are a few well-known hands-on activities that help students get experience with…

Investigations in Marine Chemistry: Salinity II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schlenker, Richard M.

Presented is a science activity in which the student investigates methods of calibration of a simple conductivity meter via a hands-on inquiry technique. Conductivity is mathematically compared to salinity using a point slope formula and graphical techniques. Sample solutions of unknown salinity are provided so that the students can sharpen their…

Turning Origami into the Language of Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cipoletti, Beth; Wilson, Nancy

2004-01-01

The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (1989) proposes using everyday objects, such as paper, to enable students to explore geometric relationships and vocabulary. Paper-folding and other types of hands-on activities have been found to increase students' ability to communicate mathematically and foster their understanding of mathematical…

Math and Mind Mapping: Origami Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sze, Susan

2005-01-01

Students with or without disabilities often experience difficulties with abstract math concepts. This paper is intended to help solve the mystery of math concepts through origami construction, a hands-on activity. Students are involved in constructing and deconstructing concepts by folding and unfolding a piece of paper which eventually leads to a…

How to Read Scientific Research Articles: A Hands-On Classroom Exercise

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bogucka, Roxanne; Wood, Emily

2009-01-01

Undergraduate students are generally unfamiliar with scientific literature. Further, students experience frustration when they read research articles the way they read textbooks, from beginning to end. Using a team-based active learning exercise, an instruction librarian and colleagues at University of Texas at Austin introduce nutritional…

Enlivening Dance History Pedagogy through Archival Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randall, Tresa

2012-01-01

Dance archives can bring students into contact with historical subjects through artifacts of the past. This article advocates the use of archival projects in undergraduate dance history courses, arguing that such hands-on learning activities give students dynamic and interactive experiences of history. The author describes a creative project she…

What Students Learn from Hands-On Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwichow, Martin; Zimmerman, Corinne; Croker, Steve; Härtig, Hendrik

2016-01-01

The ability to design and interpret controlled experiments is an important scientific process skill and a common objective of science standards. Numerous intervention studies have investigated how the control-of-variables-strategy (CVS) can be introduced to students. However, a meta-analysis of 72 intervention studies found that the opportunity to…

Constructing Spatial Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Obara, Samuel

2010-01-01

Activities that enable students to move between two and three dimensions will help them understand solid geometry. This knowledge is critical for teachers, and they need to learn this skill so that they can give their students the opportunity to experience hands-on geometry and benefit from the challenge of creating nets, building models, and…

Groundwater Field Station for Geoscience Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudak, Paul F.

1999-01-01

Details how to create a low-cost groundwater field station for a college hydrogeology course. Discusses how students use the station to collect and interpret data from wells and to study spatial hydraulic-head measurements to comprehend groundwater flow. Explains why hands-on activities are a valuable addition to the course. (DSK)

Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley Elementary Mathematics. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report. Updated

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

What Works Clearinghouse, 2013

2013-01-01

"Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley Elementary Mathematics" is a core mathematics curriculum for students in prekindergarten through grade 6. The program aims to improve students' understanding of key math concepts through problem-solving instruction, hands-on activities, and math problems that involve reading and writing. The curriculum…

Treasures from the Past: Using Archaeology in Upper-Elementary Social Studies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Cynthia C.

1997-01-01

Describes a fourth grade teacher's interdisciplinary efforts at imparting the joys of archaeology to her students. The students read fiction and non-fiction materials about the physical environments and participated in a series of hands-on learning activities. These involved simulated archaeological digs, personal artifacts, and realia. (MJP)

Using food as a tool to teach science to 3rd grade students in Appalachian Ohio

PubMed Central

Duffrin, Melani W.; Hovland, Jana; Carraway-Stage, Virginia; McLeod, Sara; Duffrin, Christopher; Phillips, Sharon; Rivera, David; Saum, Diana; Johanson, George; Graham, Annette; Lee, Tammy; Bosse, Michael; Berryman, Darlene

2010-01-01

The Food, Math, and Science Teaching Enhancement Resource (FoodMASTER) Initiative is a compilation of programs aimed at using food as a tool to teach mathematics and science. In 2007–2008, a foods curriculum developed by professionals in nutrition and education was implemented in 10 3rd-grade classrooms in Appalachian Ohio; teachers in these classrooms implemented 45 hands-on foods activities that covered 10 food topics. Subjects included measurement; food safety; vegetables; fruits; milk and cheese; meat, poultry, and fish; eggs; fats; grains; and meal management. Students in four other classrooms served as the control group. Mainstream 3rd-grade students were targeted because of their receptiveness to the subject matter, science standards for upper elementary grades, and testing that the students would undergo in 4th grade. Teachers and students alike reported that the hands-on FoodMASTER curriculum experience was worthwhile and enjoyable. Our initial classroom observation indicated that the majority of students, girls and boys included, were very excited about the activities, became increasingly interested in the subject matter of food, and were able to conduct scientific observations. PMID:20975982

Atmosphere Kits: Hands-On Learning Activities with a Foundation in NASA Earth Science Missions.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Teige, V.; McCrea, S.; Damadeo, K.; Taylor, J.; Lewis, P. M., Jr.; Chambers, L. H.

2016-12-01

The Science Directorate (SD) at NASA Langley Research Center provides many opportunities to involve students, faculty, researchers, and the citizen science community in real world science. The SD Education Team collaborates with the education community to bring authentic Earth science practices and real-world data into the classroom, provide the public with unique NASA experiences, engaging activities, and advanced technology, and provide products developed and reviewed by science and education experts. Our goals include inspiring the next generation of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) professionals and improving STEM literacy by providing innovative participation pathways for educators, students, and the public. The SD Education Team has developed Atmosphere activity kits featuring cloud and aerosol learning activities with a foundation in NASA Earth Science Missions, the Next Generation Science Standards, and The GLOBE Program's Elementary Storybooks. Through cloud kit activities, students will learn how to make estimates from observations and how to categorize and classify specific cloud properties, including cloud height, cloud cover, and basic cloud types. The purpose of the aerosol kit is to introduce students to aerosols and how they can affect the colors we see in the sky. Students will engage in active observation and reporting, explore properties of light, and model the effects of changing amounts/sizes or aerosols on sky color and visibility. Learning activity extensions include participation in ground data collection of environmental conditions and comparison and analysis to related NASA data sets, including but not limited to CERES, CALIPSO, CloudSat, and SAGE III on ISS. This presentation will provide an overview of multiple K-6 NASA Earth Science hands-on activities and free resources will be available.

The Squeeze is On. Grades 6-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rushton, Erik; Ryan, Emily; Swift, Charles

When asked to list some strong materials, people think of steel, concrete, and wood. In this activity, students learn about the force of compression and how it acts on structural components through a hands-on group problem. Using everyday products such as paper, toothpicks, and tape, students construct a structure that will support the weight of a…

Turning Techno-Savvy into Info-Savvy: Authentically Integrating Information Literacy into the College Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Cecelia; Murphy, Teri J.; Nanny, Mark

2003-01-01

It is no longer effective to provide information literacy instruction that is thought to be "good for" college students, but rather, instruction must focus on the learning styles and preferences of the target population. This case study reports a series of hands-on/minds-on information literacy activities that dissolve student's misconception that…

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Missouri High School Students Get Hands-On

Science.gov Websites

Training With Biodiesel Missouri High School Students Get Hands-On Training With Biodiesel to someone by E-mail Share Alternative Fuels Data Center: Missouri High School Students Get Hands-On Training Hands-On Training With Biodiesel on Twitter Bookmark Alternative Fuels Data Center: Missouri High School

Access to waterless hand sanitizer improves student hand hygiene behavior in primary schools in Nairobi, Kenya.

PubMed

Pickering, Amy J; Davis, Jennifer; Blum, Annalise G; Scalmanini, Jenna; Oyier, Beryl; Okoth, George; Breiman, Robert F; Ram, Pavani K

2013-09-01

Handwashing is difficult in settings with limited resources and water access. In primary schools within urban Kibera, Kenya, we investigated the impact of providing waterless hand sanitizer on student hand hygiene behavior. Two schools received a waterless hand sanitizer intervention, two schools received a handwashing with soap intervention, and two schools received no intervention. Hand cleaning behavior after toilet use was monitored for 2 months using structured observation. Hand cleaning after toileting was 82% at sanitizer schools (N = 2,507 toileting events), 38% at soap schools (N = 3,429), and 37% at control schools (N = 2,797). Students at sanitizer schools were 23% less likely to have observed rhinorrhea than control students (P = 0.02); reductions in student-reported gastrointestinal and respiratory illness symptoms were not statistically significant. Providing waterless hand sanitizer markedly increased student hand cleaning after toilet use, whereas the soap intervention did not. Waterless hand sanitizer may be a promising option to improve student hand cleansing behavior, particularly in schools with limited water access.

A New Approach to Teaching Science to Elementary Education Majors in Response to the NGSS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brevik, C.; Daniels, L.; McCoy, C.

2015-12-01

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) place an equal emphasis on science process skills and science content. The goal is to have K-12 students "doing" science, not just "learning about" science. However, most traditional college science classes for elementary education majors place a much stronger emphasis on science content knowledge with the hands-on portion limited to a once-a-week lab. The two models of instruction are not aligned. The result is that many elementary school teachers are unprepared to offer interactive science with their students. Without additional coaching, many teachers fall back on the format they learned in college - lecture, handouts, homework. If we want teachers to use more hands-on methods in the classroom, these techniques should be taught to elementary education majors when they are in college. Dickinson State University has begun a collaboration between the Teacher Education Department and the Department of Natural Sciences. The physical science course for elementary education majors has been completely redesigned to focus equally on the needed science content and the science process skills emphasized by the NGSS. The format of the course has been adjusted to more closely mirror a traditional K-5 classroom; the course meets for 50 minutes five days a week. A flipped-classroom model has been adopted to ensure no content is lost, and hands-on activities are done almost every day as new concepts are discussed. In order to judge the effectiveness of these changes, a survey tool was administered to determine if there was a shift in the students' perception of science as an active instead of a passive field of study. The survey also measured the students' comfort-level in offering a hands-on learning environment in their future classrooms and their confidence in their ability to effectively teach science concepts to elementary students. Results from the first year of the study will be presented.

Shopping for Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, John; And Others

1992-01-01

Describes inexpensive science materials for doing science activities using the steps in the learning cycle: engage, explore, explain, extend, and evaluate. The hands-on activities help students construct knowledge of dissolving and filtering, chemical reactions, conductivity of metals, heat absorption, motion (frictionless puck), sound production…

The interdisciplinary effect of hands-on science as measured by the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cherry, Elvis H.

This study examined the difference in scale scores from Tennessee's standardized test the Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program (TCAP). Archival data from the years 2002 and 2005 were compared using ANOVA tests at < .01 and < .05 levels. TCAP/NCE Scale Scores for academic subjects of Science, Math, Social Studies and Reading were used. 3922 student test results were divided into groups based on the number of years the student had a trained hands-on science teacher. Trained hands-on science teachers were identified from Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) Science Department inservice records, which gave information on the teacher's participation in The Hands-on Science Initiative, Biology Gateway and Physical Science training. This information included not only that the teacher had be trained but also the dates of training. The study revealed 1600 students who attended MNPS between the years 2002 and 2005; in grades five through seven that never had a hands-on science trained teacher. About 1600 students in those same years had a hands-on science teacher for only one year, and 588 students had a hands-on science teacher for two of the three years. Lastly of the 3922 students in the study there were 44 students who had a hands-on science teacher for all three years. The results of the ANOVA test showed statistically significant gains in science, math and social studies but not in reading for students who had trained hands-on science teachers for at least one year.

PBL, Hands-On/ Digital resources in Geology, (Teaching/ Learning)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soares, Rosa; Santos, Cátia; Carvalho, Sara

2015-04-01

The present study reports the elaboration, application and evaluation of a problem-based learning (PBL) program that aims to evaluate the effectiveness in students learning the Rock Cycle theme. Prior research on both PBL and Rock Cycle was conducted within the context of science education so as to elaborate and construct the intervention program. Findings from these studies indicated both the PBL methodology and Rock Cycle as helpful for teachers and students. PBL methodology has been adopted in this study since it is logically incorporated in a constructivism philosophy application and it was expected that this approach would assist students towards achieving a specific set of competencies. PBL is a student-centered method based on the principle of using problems as the starting point for the acquisition of new knowledge. Problems are based on complex real-world situations. All information needed to solve the problem is initially not given. Students will identify, find, and use appropriate resources to complete the exercise. They work permanently in small groups, developing self-directed activities and increasing participation in discussions. Teacher based guidance allows students to be fully engaged in knowledge building. That way, the learning process is active, integrated, cumulative, and connected. Theme "Rock Cycle" was introduced using a problematic situation, which outlined the geological processes highlighted in "Foz do Douro" the next coastline of the school where the study was developed. The questions proposed by the students were solved, using strategies that involved the use of hands-on activities and virtual labs in Geology. The systematization of the selected theme was performed in a field excursion, implemented according to the organizational model of Nir Orion, to The "Foz do Douro" metamorphic complex. In the evaluation of the learning process, data were obtained on students' development of knowledge and competencies through the application of several instruments such as small questionnaires (Hot Potatoes), Gowin V, scientific report, a grid to evaluate group work and a grid to evaluate the development of competencies. This study intended to evaluate the success of a PBL intervention program when trying to improve students' outcomes. The positive impact obtained allowed us to advance some conclusions and instructional implications regarding teaching Rock Cycle through PBL and different digital and hands-on resources, obtained, especially in the students' questionnaires and Gowin V, allowed us to verify that students did learn about Rock Cycle and developed collaborative work skills.

[Oxidative stress biomarkers determination in urine samples in the group of medical students exposed to tobacco smoke].

PubMed

Szumska, Magdalena; Wielkoszyński, Tomasz; Tyrpień, Krystyna

2010-01-01

Cigarette smoking constitutes one of the main sources of exposure to cancerogenic and procancerogenic xenobiotics in the human population. Smoking is not only a bad habit among adults but also among young people. Despite many anti-tobacco campaigns undertaken by European Union countries still the smoking percentage among young people is high and does not decrease in the recent years. Cigarettes smoking induces formation of reactive oxygen species and increases lipids peroxidation, which ultimately results in the production of MDA (malondialdehyde)--one of the oxidative stress biomarkers. Exposure to oxidative stress and the consequences of its influence can be measured by redox parameters monitoring. One of these methods is determination of total antioxidant activity by means of FRAP test (Ferric Reducing Antioxidant Power) in biological samples. The aim of this work was the evaluation of free radical processes increase related to tobacco smoke exposure by measurement of total antioxidant activity FRAP and MDA concentration in urine samples of medical students. In our study the authors'--designed questionnaire regarding the assessment of exposure to tobacco smoke and chosen xenobiotics was used. The investigated group included 134 students of 1-st and 2-nd year of study at Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry Division in Zabrze, Silesian Medical University. 85 students provided urine samples for further analysis. In the study group 40 students were active smokers and the control group consisted of 45 nonsmokers. The mean MDA concentrations in smoking students group were higher in comparison to the control group of non-smoking students. In the group of students exposed to second-hand smoke MDA concentrations were significantly higher in comparison to the group of students non-exposed to second hand smoke. The values of FRAP parameter were significantly higher for students who smoked in comparison with students non-exposed to tobacco smoke. Students exposed to second hand smoke had slightly higher FRAP values in comparison to smoking students. Exposure to tobacco smoke increased the intensity of free radical processes. Our study confirmed the harmful influence of second hand smoke that resulted in observed higher concentrations of determined biomarkers in the group of passive smoking students.

IF YOU BUILD IT WILL THEY COME? TEACHERS’ ONLINE USE OF STUDENT PERFORMANCE DATA

PubMed Central

Tyler, John H.

2014-01-01

Testing of students and computer systems to store, manage, analyze, and report the resulting test data have grown hand-in-hand. Extant research on teacher use of electronically stored data are largely qualitative and focused on the conditions necessary (but not sufficient) for effective teacher data use. Absent from the research is objective information on how much and in what ways teachers use computer-based student test data, even when supposed precursors of usage are in place. This paper addresses this knowledge gap by analyzing the online activities of teachers in one mid-size urban district. Utilizing Web logs collected between 2008 and 2010, I find low teacher interaction with Web-based pages that contain student test information that could potentially inform practice. I also find no evidence that teacher usage of Web-based student data are related to student achievement gains, but there is reason to believe these estimates are downwardly biased. PMID:25593564

Shifting Gears. Hands-on Activities for Learning Workplace Skills and English as a Second Language. A Teacher's Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

World Education, Inc., New York, NY.

This curriculum handbook uses a hands-on approach to teaching basic skills and language for the U.S. workplace to students who are not familiar with many common tools and procedures. Although designed for Southeast Asian refugees, the curriculum can be adapted for use with other groups, including older adults or young people. The handbook consists…

Biology on a Shoestring.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellamy, Mary Louise Ed.; Frame, Kathy Ed.

This document contains hands-on, open-ended laboratory activities that can be done in the classroom on a shoestring budget. They are aimed at increasing students' excitement and curiosity about science and enabling them to develop a better understanding of the nature of science, take an active role in their own learning process, and develop…

An Experimental Investigation of Productivity Stratification and Knowledge Transfer in an Electronically Mediated Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-23

material at hand: it forces student engagement . As extracted from the works of Bloom (1976) and Hecht (1978) by Kumar (1991:50) in his meta...analysis of instruction-engagement, “if an instructional method [has] an influence on student achievement,” then “ student engagement in a learning task...must mediate the relationship.” An appropriate way to define student engagement is the time a student “actively participates in learning” (Kumar

From Compass to Hard Drive--Integrated Activities for Studying Magnets

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dean, J.; Allwood, D. A.

2014-01-01

We describe a range of practical activities that allows students to investigate the properties and applications of magnets. The activities can be used in isolation or used together to build a rounded understanding of the subject area. The activities include simple demonstrations using common or inexpensive equipment, hands-on experiments for small…

Soaring to New Heights.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schwerin, Alan

1994-01-01

Describes procedures for a hands-on activity for students that involves the construction of radio-controlled model sailplane (or glider) kits, exposure to basic aerodynamic theory and concepts, and some flight school on a midsized field. (ZWH)

Withholding answers during hands-on scientific investigations? Comparing effects on developing students' scientific knowledge, reasoning, and application

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Lin

2018-03-01

As more concerns have been raised about withholding answers during science teaching, this article argues for a need to detach 'withholding answers' from 'hands-on' investigation tasks. The present study examined students' learning of light-related content through three conditions: 'hands-on' + no 'withholding' (hands-on only: HO), 'hands-on' + 'withholding' (hands-on investigation with answers withheld: HOW), and no 'hands-on' + no 'withholding' (direction instruction: DI). Students were assessed in terms of how well they (1) knew the content taught in class; (2) reasoned with the learned content; and (3) applied the learned content to real-life situations. Nine classes of students at 4th and 5th grades, N = 136 in total, were randomly assigned to one of the three conditions. ANCOVA results showed that students in the hands-on only condition reasoned significantly better than those in the other two conditions. Students in this condition also seemed to know the content fairly better although the advance was not significant. Students in all three conditions did not show a statistically significant difference in their ability to apply the learned content to real-life situations. The findings from this study provide important contributions regarding issues relating to withholding answers during guided scientific inquiry.

Get Cracking.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Croll, Doreen A.

1986-01-01

Presents a diversity of concrete experiences that can be used with eggs for young elementary age students. Includes procedures and material list for several activities that are hands-on and interdisciplinary in nature. (ML)

Hands-On Whole Science: A Leaf Sampler.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kepler, Lynne

1991-01-01

Presents two elementary school activities to help students learn about autumn. The activities use autumn leaves to teach that each type of tree has its own distinctive type of leaf. One activity involves tracing, drawing, and writing about leaves; the other involves making a quilt using leaf designs. (SM)

Science Action Labs Part 2: Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shevick, Ed; Shevick, Florence, Ed.

This book contains innovative hands-on science laboratory activities designed to teach 4th- through 9th-graders about the environment. The background materials and instructions included in each activity are written for students to work together in teams. Activities cover subjects such as smog, symbiosis, soil, trees, ecosystems, recycling,…

Connections: Water, Systems, and Resources. Unit Grade 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ney, Catherine R.

Natural Resources for Grade 3 is a "hands-on" environmental activities unit designed for teachers to use with their students. Activities are chosen from natural resource programs such as Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, Aquatic Wild, and Project WET. The activities address natural resource themes and meet the Virginia Standards of…

Connections: Weather, Systems, and Resources. Unit Grade 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ney, Catherine R.; Cross, Pat

Natural Resources for Grade 4 is a "hands-on" environmental activities unit designed for teachers to use with their students. Activities are chosen from natural resource programs such as Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, Aquatic Wild, and Project WET. The activities address natural resource themes and meet the Virginia Standards of…

Planet Chemistry. Hands-on Activities for Kids from All Planets.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kenney, Michael, Ed.

This publication issues a challenge to students to collect data in a nationwide analysis of water hardness. Background information on the chemistry of hard water is presented using a cartoon format, and each of the four activities contains an explanation about the chemistry illustrated in the activity. The effect of hard water on soap, the effect…

The PHOTON explorations: sixteen activities, many uses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donnelly, Judith; Amatrudo, Kathryn; Robinson, Kathleen; Hanes, Fenna

2014-07-01

The PHOTON Explorations were adapted from favorite demonstrations of teacher participants in the PHOTON projects of the New England Board of Higher Education as well as Hands-on-Optics activities and interesting demonstrations found on the web. Since the end of project PHOTON2 in 2006, the sixteen inquiry-based activities have formed the basis for a hands-on "home lab" distance- learning course that has been used for college students, teacher professional development and corporate training. With the support of OSA, they have been brought to life in a series of sixteen short videos aimed at a middle school audience. The Explorations are regularly used as activities in outreach activities for middle and high school students and are introduced yearly to an international audience at an outreach workshop at SPIE's Optics and Photonics meeting. In this paper we will demonstrate the Explorations, trace their origins and explain the content. We will also provide details on the development of the Exploration videos, the online course, and outreach materials and give statistics on their use in each format. Links to online resources will be provided.

The Consequences of Internet Cafe use on Turkish College Students' Social Capital

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koc, Mustafa; Ferneding, Karen Ann

2007-01-01

This paper draws on a part of the doctoral research study that investigates the potential impacts of Internet cafe use on Turkish college students' social capital. In this study, Internet cafe usage was portrayed by the amount of time spent and the frequency of online activities engaged at the cafes. Social capital, on the other hand, was…

Exploring Connections Between Earth Science and Biology - Interdisciplinary Science Activities for Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vd Flier-Keller, E.; Carolsfeld, C.; Bullard, T.

2009-05-01

To increase teaching of Earth science in schools, and to reflect the interdisciplinary nature and interrelatedness of science disciplines in today's world, we are exploring opportunities for linking Earth science and Biology through engaging and innovative hands-on science activities for the classroom. Through the NSERC-funded Pacific CRYSTAL project based at the University of Victoria, scientists, science educators, and teachers at all levels in the school system are collaborating to research ways of enriching the preparation of students in math and science, and improving the quality of science education from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Our primary foci are building authentic, engaging science experiences for students, and fostering teacher leadership through teacher professional development and training. Interdisciplinary science activities represent an important way of making student science experiences real, engaging and relevant, and provide opportunities to highlight Earth science related topics within other disciplines, and to expand the Earth science taught in schools. The Earth science and Biology interdisciplinary project builds on results and experiences of existing Earth science education activities, and the Seaquaria project. We are developing curriculum-linked activities and resource materials, and hosting teacher workshops, around two initial areas; soils, and marine life and the fossil record. An example activity for the latter is the hands-on examination of organisms occupying the nearshore marine environment using a saltwater aquarium and touch tank or beach fieldtrip, and relating this to a suite of marine fossils to facilitate student thinking about representation of life in the fossil record e.g. which life forms are typically preserved, and how are they preserved? Literacy activities such as fossil obituaries encourage exploration of paleoenvironments and life habits of fossil organisms. Activities and resources are being tested with teachers and student teachers through workshops, at teacher conferences, and participating Faculties of Education.

Social media to supplement point-of-care ultrasound courses: the "sandwich e-learning" approach. A randomized trial.

PubMed

Hempel, Dorothea; Haunhorst, Stephanie; Sinnathurai, Sivajini; Seibel, Armin; Recker, Florian; Heringer, Frank; Michels, Guido; Breitkreutz, Raoul

2016-12-01

Point-of-care ultrasound (POC-US) is gaining importance in almost all specialties. E-learning has been used to teach theoretical knowledge and pattern recognition. As social media are universally available, they can be utilized for educational purposes. We wanted to evaluate the utility of the sandwich e-learning approach defined as a pre-course e-learning and a post-course learning activity using Facebook after a one-day point-of-care ultrasound (POC-US) course and its effect on the retention of knowledge. A total of 62 medial students were recruited for this study and randomly assigned to one of four groups. All groups received an identical hands-on training and performed several tests during the study period. The hands-on training was performed in groups of five students per instructor with the students scanning each other. Group 1 had access to pre-course e-learning, but not to post-course e-learning. Instead of a pre-course e-learning, group 2 listened to presentations at the day of the course (classroom teaching) and had access to the post-course learning activity using Facebook. Group 3 had access to both pre- and post-course e-learning (sandwich e-learning) activities, while group 4 listened classroom presentations only (classroom teaching only). Therefore only groups 2 and 3 had access to post-course learning via Facebook by joining a secured group. Posts containing ultrasound pictures and videos were published to this group. The students were asked to "like" the posts to monitor attendance. Knowledge retention was assessed 6 weeks after the course. After 6 weeks, group 3 achieved comparable results when compared to group 2 (82.2 % + -8.2 vs. 84.3 + -8.02) (p = 0.3). Students who participated in the post-course activity were more satisfied with the overall course than students without post-course learning (5.5 vs. 5.3 on a range from 1 to 6). In this study, the sandwich e-learning approach led to equal rates of knowledge retention compared to classroom lectures and post-course learning. Students appreciate new media for learning experiences and are more satisfied with their learning activity. The sandwich e-learning can be used to maximize hands-on training during courses.

Effectiveness of Technological Design on Elementary Student Teachers' Understanding of Air Resistance, Gravity, Terminal Velocity and Acceleration: Model Parachute Race Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aydin, Mirac; Bakirci, Hasan; Artun, Huseyin; Cepni, Salih

2013-01-01

Educational research maintains that, teaching science through designing technology has significant educational potential. Although the literature emphasizes that making technological designs is beneficial for students, it is stressed that studies about technological design generally focus on mental structures rather than hand skills of students…

Technology in Spherical Geometry Investigations: Reflections on Spontaneous Use and Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sinclair, Margaret

2010-01-01

Students in a graduate geometry class used items such as paper, ribbon, plastic spheres, cardboard tubes, and markers to carry out investigations in spherical geometry. The hands-on activities helped students develop a new appreciation of geometry as a study of shape and space; however, the difficulty of subduing wayward elastics and drawing lines…

HOLONET: a network for training holography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pombo, Pedro; Santos, Emanuel

2014-07-01

Holography is an optics technique based on wave physics and lasers with several applications at our day life. The production of holograms involves experimental work based on hands-on activities and creativity. All these elements can contribute to the promotion of experimental teaching of optics and training on holography. The hologram itself acting as a final result from a long process of research and study can enable the engagement of high school students on physics and promote the stimulus on optics learning. Taking these assumptions into account a network of schools working on holography was built involving thirty schools from all country. Holography systems were developed and several hands-on activities were constructed. During last sixteen years students are working on laser optics and holography producing different kinds of holograms. This study presents all holography labs implemented at schools and it will analyzed the holography systems and materials developed for students. Training strategy will be discussed and holograms obtained by students will be presented. Results obtained show us that holography can be implemented as a strategy for promoting the learning of optics and it is a particular way to involve students on experimental work and lab research. Results obtained during this study will be presented in detail and analyzed with focus on students performance. Educational results, teachers training, prizes and other positive outcomes will be discussed and compared.

Discover a Watershed: The Missouri Educators Guide

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Project WET Foundation, 2004

2004-01-01

2005 IPPY Award Winner! Actively engaging students with 36 science-based, multidisciplinary, hands-on activities, this "Guide" is an award-winning learning tool covering the Missouri Basin's hydrology, geology, geography, tribes, settlement, cities, agriculture, industry, recreation, navigation, plant and animal species, issues,…

A Core Curriculum in Geometry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tietze, Martha

1992-01-01

Presents four hands-on activities to teach geometric concepts to both honors and non-college-bound students. The activities are adaptable to various levels and use manipulatives and technology to explore the concepts of enlargement, area, maximum volume, and figure duplication in a cooperative setting. (MDH)

The Use of Hand Tools in Agricultural Mechanics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montana State Univ., Bozeman. Dept. of Agricultural and Industrial Education.

This document contains a unit for teaching the use of hand tools in agricultural mechanics in Montana. It consists of an outline of the unit and seven lesson plans. The unit outline contains the following components: situation, aims and goals, list of lessons, student activities, teacher activities, special equipment needed, and references. The…

Hands-on optics: an informal science education initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Anthony M.; Pompea, Stephen M.; Arthurs, Eugene G.; Walker, Constance E.; Sparks, Robert T.

2007-09-01

The project is collaboration between two scientific societies, the Optical Society of America (OSA) and SPIE - The International Society for Optical Engineering and the National Optical Astronomy Observatory (NOAO). The program is designed to bring science education enrichment to thousands of underrepresented middle school students in more than ten states, including female and minority students, who typically have not been the beneficiaries of science and engineering resources and investments. HOO provides each teacher with up to six activity modules, each containing enough materials for up to 30 students to participate in 6-8 hours of hands-on optics-related activities. Sample activities, developed by education specialists at NOAO, include building kaleidoscopes and telescopes, communicating with a beam of light, and a hit-the-target laser beam challenge. Teachers engage in two days of training and, where possible, are partnered with a local optics professional (drawn from the local rosters of SPIE and OSA members) who volunteers to spend time with the teacher and students as they explore the module activities. Through these activities, students gain experience and understanding of optics principles, as well as learning the basics of inquiry, critical thinking, and problem solving skills involving optics, and how optics interfaces with other disciplines. While the modules were designed for use in informal after- school or weekend sessions, the number of venues has expanded to large and small science centers, Boys and Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts, summer camps, family workshops, and use in the classroom.

Barriers and Solutions to Fieldwork Education in Hand Therapy.

PubMed

Short, Nathan; Sample, Shelby; Murphy, Malachi; Austin, Brittany; Glass, Jillian

2017-08-09

Survey. Fieldwork education is a vital component of training the next generation of CHTs. Barriers and solutions to fieldwork rotations in hand therapy are examined, as well as proposed solutions, including recommendations for student preparation. This descriptive study examined barriers for certified hand therapist clinicians to accept students for clinical rotations and clinicians' preferences for student preparation before a rotation in a hand setting. A survey was developed, peer reviewed, and distributed using the electronic mailing list of the Hand Therapy Certification Commission via SurveyMonkey. Aggregate responses were analyzed to identify trends including barriers to student clinical rotations and recommendations for students to prepare for hand rotations. A total of 2080 participants responded to the survey, representing a 37% response rate. Common logistical barriers were identified for accepting students such as limited clinical time and space. Many clinicians (32% agree and 8% strongly agree) also felt that the students lack the clinical knowledge to be successful. Areas of knowledge, skill set, and experience were surveyed for development before a clinical rotation in a hand setting. Most respondents (74%) reported increased likelihood of accepting a student with the recommended preparation. Novel qualitative responses to improve clinical experiences are presented as well. Student preparation before a clinical rotation in a hand setting appears to be a significant barrier based on the survey results. Areas of recommended knowledge, skill set, and experience may serve to guide both formal and informal methods of student preparation before a hand-specific clinical rotation to facilitate knowledge translation from experienced certified hand therapists to the next generation. Although logistical barriers may be difficult to overcome, hand-specific preparation based on clinician' recommendations may facilitate student acceptance and success in hand specialty clinical rotations. N/A. Copyright © 2017 Hanley & Belfus. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Electrostatic Explorations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallai, Ditta; Stewart, Gay

1998-01-01

Presents a set of hands-on electrostatics experiments in the form of an activity guide and worksheet through which students discover the different types of electric charge, Coulomb's Law, induced charge separation, and grounding. (DDR)

Active Learning and Flipped Classroom, Hand in Hand Approach to Improve Students Learning in Human Anatomy and Physiology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Entezari, Maria; Javdan, Mohammad

2016-01-01

Because Human Anatomy and Physiology (A&P), a gateway course for allied health majors, has high dropout rates nationally, it is challenging to find a successful pedagogical intervention. Reports on the effect of integration of flipped classrooms and whether it improves learning are contradictory for different disciplines. Thus many educators…

Ocean FEST and TECH: Inspiring Hawaii's Students to Pursue Ocean, Earth and Environmental Science Careers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bruno, B. C.; Wren, J. L.; Ayau, J. F.

2013-12-01

Ocean TECH (Technology Expands Career Horizons) is a new initiative funded by NSF/GeoEd to stimulate interest in ocean, earth and environmental science careers - and the college majors that lead to such careers - among Hawaii's underrepresented students in grades 6-14. The Ocean TECH project features hands-on ocean science and technology and interactions with career professionals. Ocean TECH builds upon Ocean FEST (Families Exploring Science Together), a previous NSF/OEDG project aimed at teaching fun hands-on science in culturally and locally relevant ways to Hawaii's elementary school students and their families. Ocean FEST was rigorously evaluated (including cognitive pre-testing developed in partnership with external evaluators) and shown to be successful both in teaching science content and changing attitudes toward ocean, earth and environmental science careers. Over the course of the four-year grant, Ocean FEST reached 20,99 students and adults, including 636 classroom teachers and other volunteers who assisted with program delivery, most of whom were from underrepresented groups. For more info on Ocean FEST: http://oceanfest.soest.hawaii.edu/ Ocean TECH events have various formats, but common themes include: (1) Using technology as a hook to engage students in ocean, earth and environmental science. (2) Bringing middle school through community college students to college campuses, where they engage in hands-on science activities and learn about college majors. (3) Drawing direct links between the students' hands-on science activities and the research currently occurring at the UH Manoa's School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology (SOEST), such as C-MORE and HOT research. (4) Respecting and valuing students' local knowledge and experiences. (5) Explicitly showing, through concrete examples, how becoming an ocean, earth or environmental scientist addresses would beneit Hawaii (6) Having graduate students from diverse backgrounds serve as instructors and undergraduates from diverse backgrounds serve as teaching assistants. Pre-college and community college students can more easily relate to these young role models, which can make pursuing an ocean or earth science career seem more attainable. (7) Organizing career fairs and informal career mixers, to promote one-on-one interactions between students of all ages and diverse career professionals in a range of ocean, earth and environmental science occupations. (8) Forming relationships with minority-serving recruiting organizations and programs to ensure we reach our intended audience. Through such partnerships, we have reached students from underrepresented communities in Hawai';i and throughout the Pacific.

Experiences Obtained with Integration of Student Response Systems for iPod Touch and iPhone into e-Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stav, John; Nielsen, Kjetil; Hansen-Nygard, Gabrielle; Thorseth, Trond

2010-01-01

A new type of Student Response System (SRS) based up on the latest wireless technologies and hand held mobile devices has been developed to enhance active learning methods and assess students' understanding. The key services involve a set of XML technologies, web services and modern mobile devices. A group consisting of engineers, scientists and…

Access to Waterless Hand Sanitizer Improves Student Hand Hygiene Behavior in Primary Schools in Nairobi, Kenya

PubMed Central

Pickering, Amy J.; Davis, Jennifer; Blum, Annalise G.; Scalmanini, Jenna; Oyier, Beryl; Okoth, George; Breiman, Robert F.; Ram, Pavani K.

2013-01-01

Handwashing is difficult in settings with limited resources and water access. In primary schools within urban Kibera, Kenya, we investigated the impact of providing waterless hand sanitizer on student hand hygiene behavior. Two schools received a waterless hand sanitizer intervention, two schools received a handwashing with soap intervention, and two schools received no intervention. Hand cleaning behavior after toilet use was monitored for 2 months using structured observation. Hand cleaning after toileting was 82% at sanitizer schools (N = 2,507 toileting events), 38% at soap schools (N = 3,429), and 37% at control schools (N = 2,797). Students at sanitizer schools were 23% less likely to have observed rhinorrhea than control students (P = 0.02); reductions in student-reported gastrointestinal and respiratory illness symptoms were not statistically significant. Providing waterless hand sanitizer markedly increased student hand cleaning after toilet use, whereas the soap intervention did not. Waterless hand sanitizer may be a promising option to improve student hand cleansing behavior, particularly in schools with limited water access. PMID:23836575

Module for Learning Integral Calculus with Maple: Lecturers' Views

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Awang, Tuan Salwani; Zakaria, Effandi

2012-01-01

Engineering technology students can attain a meaningful mathematics learning if they are allowed to actively participate in hands-on activities. However, the current dissemination of knowledge in the classroom still focuses on teacher-centered paradigm of teaching. A study to explore lecturers' views regarding a newly developed integral calculus…

Urban High School Student Engagement Through CincySTEM iTEST Projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beckett, Gulbahar H.; Hemmings, Annette; Maltbie, Catherine; Wright, Kathy; Sherman, Melissa; Sersion, Brian

2016-12-01

This paper focuses on the notable heightening of underrepresented students' engagement in STEM education through project-based learning CincySTEM iTEST projects. The projects, funded by an iTEST NSF grant, were designed and facilitated by teachers at a new STEM urban public high school serving low-income African-American students. Student engagement conceptualized as a psychological process involving affective and behavioral participation in classroom activities was evaluated through a mixed-methods approach. Findings indicate that affective and behavioral participation was significantly enhanced when project activities utilized digital devices in hands-on investigations of real-world project activities. Explanations for the success of CincySTEM iTEST projects are presented in the conclusion along with challenges for sustainability.

Improving the Laboratory Experience for Introductory Geology Students Using Active Learning and Evidence-Based Reform

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oien, R. P.; Anders, A. M.; Long, A.

2014-12-01

We present the initial results of transitioning laboratory activities in an introductory physical geology course from passive to active learning. Educational research demonstrates that student-driven investigations promote increased engagement and better retention of material. Surveys of students in introductory physical geology helped us identify lab activities which do not engage students. We designed new lab activities to be more collaborative, open-ended and "hands-on". Student feedback was most negative for lab activities which are computer-based. In response, we have removed computers from the lab space and increased the length and number of activities involving physical manipulation of samples and models. These changes required investment in lab equipment and supplies. New lab activities also include student-driven exploration of data with open-ended responses. Student-evaluations of the new lab activities will be compiled during Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 to allow us to measure the impact of the changes on student satisfaction and we will report on our findings to date. Modification of this course has been sponsored by NSF's Widening Implementation & Demonstration of Evidence Based Reforms (WIDER) program through grant #1347722 to the University of Illinois. The overall goal of the grant is to increase retention and satisfaction of STEM students in introductory courses.

Active-learning strategies: the use of a game to reinforce learning in nursing education. A case study.

PubMed

Boctor, Lisa

2013-03-01

The majority of nursing students are kinesthetic learners, preferring a hands-on, active approach to education. Research shows that active-learning strategies can increase student learning and satisfaction. This study looks at the use of one active-learning strategy, a Jeopardy-style game, 'Nursopardy', to reinforce Fundamentals of Nursing material, aiding in students' preparation for a standardized final exam. The game was created keeping students varied learning styles and the NCLEX blueprint in mind. The blueprint was used to create 5 categories, with 26 total questions. Student survey results, using a five-point Likert scale showed that they did find this learning method enjoyable and beneficial to learning. More research is recommended regarding learning outcomes, when using active-learning strategies, such as games. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time on Your Hands: Modeling Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Finson, Kevin; Beaver, John

2007-01-01

Building physical models relative to a concept can be an important activity to help students develop and manipulate abstract ideas and mental models that often prove difficult to grasp. One such concept is "time". A method for helping students understand the cyclical nature of time involves the construction of a Time Zone Calculator through a…

Using, Seeing, Feeling, and Doing Absolute Value for Deeper Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ponce, Gregorio A.

2008-01-01

Using sticky notes and number lines, a hands-on activity is shared that anchors initial student thinking about absolute value. The initial point of reference should help students successfully evaluate numeric problems involving absolute value. They should also be able to solve absolute value equations and inequalities that are typically found in…

What Microbe Are You!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weersing, Kimberley; Padilla-Gamino, Jacqueline; Bruno, Barbara

2010-01-01

Students--and just about everyone else--tend to have a wide range of misconceptions about microbes. This article is aimed at changing how students view microbes by engaging them in two hands-on activities that are fun and creative and align with both the National Science Education Standards (NRC 1996) and the Essential Principles of Ocean Literacy…

Hybrid Course Design: A Different Type of Polymer Blend

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pilcher, Spence C.

2017-01-01

An upper-division undergraduate polymer chemistry course was developed as a blended/hybrid course. The students met face-to-face once a week for 75 min with all other components being available online. Face-to-face meetings were used for class discussions/problem-based lectures, student presentations, hands-on activities, and examinations. Online…

Who Do I Look Like? Diversity in Self, Family, and Others

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mensah, Felicia Moore

2010-01-01

In this introductory, hands-on, multicultural genetics lesson for elementary students, the author describes an activity used to engage learners in understanding diversity in self, family, and others. Students make connections between traits within their family and learn a few basic concepts about inheritance. At the end of the lesson, the author…

Secondary Students' Perceptions of an Interactive Mathematics Review Program: An Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wingard, Crystal Burroughs

2017-01-01

The present action research study describes an Interactive Mathematics Review Program (IMRP) developed by the participant-researcher to enable remedial algebra students to learn in a cooperative classroom with pedagogy that promoted collaboration and hands-on, active learning. Data are comprised of surveys, field notes, semi-structured interviews,…

Probability & Perception: The Representativeness Heuristic in Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Yun; Vasko, Francis J.; Drummond, Trevor J.; Vasko, Lisa E.

2014-01-01

If the prospective students of probability lack a background in mathematical proofs, hands-on classroom activities may work well to help them to learn to analyze problems correctly. For example, students may physically roll a die twice to count and compare the frequency of the sequences. Tools such as graphing calculators or Microsoft Excel®…

Chaos in the Kitchen: A Hands-On Demonstration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roe-Dale, Rachel

2014-01-01

This article outlines a class activity where students prepare croissants to get an intuitive feeling for the nature of a strange attractor. In particular during the preparation of the pastry dough, students investigate the effects of stretching and folding. These physical processes force trajectories (in this case the pastry dough) to remain…

Student Motivation in Computer Networking Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hsin, Wen-Jung

2007-01-01

This paper introduces several hands-on projects that have been used to motivate students in learning various computer networking concepts. These projects are shown to be very useful and applicable to the learners' daily tasks and activities such as emailing, Web browsing, and online shopping and banking, and lead to an unexpected byproduct,…

Exploring Ovulation & Pregnancy Using Over-the-Counter Products: A Novel Guided Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Venditti, Jennifer J.; Surmacz, Cynthia A.

2012-01-01

In this guided inquiry, students explore the complex hormonal regulation of the female reproductive cycle using inexpensive ovulation and pregnancy detection kits that are readily available over the counter. This hands-on activity engages students in the practice of doing science as highlighted by the "National Science Education Standards." The…

Reflections on Transformative Experiences with Mathematical Inquiry: The Case of Christine

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Alfinio; Phelps, Christine M.; Jansen, Amanda

2017-01-01

We present a first-hand, longer-term account of one student's (Christine's) experiences in and after a mathematics inquiry course. In this course, students actively posed problems, conducted their own mathematical explorations, and wrote journal entries about their experiences. During the course, Christine found that inquiry helped her develop…

Assessing Students' Learning of Internal Controls: Closing the Loop

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amer, T. S.; Mohrweis, Lawrence C.

2009-01-01

This study describes the multifaceted components of an assessment process. The paper explains a novel approach in which an advisory council participated in a "fun," hands-on activity to rank-order learning outcomes. The top ranked learning competency, as identified by the advisory council, was the need for students to gain a better…

What Happens When You Flip a Switch?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darling, Gerald

2013-01-01

Although energy is fundamental to our civilization, few high school students have a clear picture of what happens when they use it. To become informed citizens and decision makers, every high school student must understand how we generate electrical energy. Working through the series of inexpensive, hands-on activities presented in this article,…

Crime Scene Investigation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Barbara; Kohlmeier, Kris; Kiel, Robert D.

Casting students in grades 5 through 12 in the roles of reporters, lawyers, and detectives at the scene of a crime, this interdisciplinary activity involves participants in the intrigue and drama of crime investigation. Using a hands-on, step-by-step approach, students work in teams to investigate a crime and solve a mystery. Through role-playing…

Teaching Bioprocess Engineering to Undergraduates: Multidisciplinary Hands-On Training in a One-Week Practical Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henkel, Marius; Zwick, Michaela; Beuker, Janina; Willenbacher, Judit; Baumann, Sandra; Oswald, Florian; Neumann, Anke; Siemann-Herzberg, Martin; Syldatk, Christoph; Hausmann, Rudolf

2015-01-01

Bioprocess engineering is a highly interdisciplinary field of study which is strongly benefited by practical courses where students can actively experience the interconnection between biology, engineering, and physical sciences. This work describes a lab course developed for 2nd year undergraduate students of bioprocess engineering and related…

Learning Why We Buy: An Experiential Project for the Consumer Behavior Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morgan, Felicia N.; McCabe, Deborah Brown

2012-01-01

Marketing educators have long recognized the value of engendering students' deep learning of course content via experiential pedagogies. In this article, the authors describe a semester-long, team-based retail audit project that is structured to elicit active student engagement with consumer behavior course material via concrete, hands-on,…

Android Based Mobile Apps for Information Security Hands-On Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trabelsi, Zouheir; Al Matrooshi, Mohammed; Al Bairaq, Saeed; Ibrahim, Walid; Masud, Mohammad M.

2017-01-01

As mobile devices grow increasingly in popularity within the student community, novel educational activities and tools, as well as learning approaches can be developed to get benefit from this prevalence of mobile devices (e.g. mobility and closeness to students' daily lives). Particularly, information security education should reflect the current…

Summer Enrichment Programs to Foster Interest in STEM Education for Students with Blindness or Low Vision

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Supalo, Cary A.; Hill, April A.; Larrick, Carleigh G.

2014-01-01

Hands-on science enrichment experiences can be limited for students with blindness or low vision (BLV). This manuscript describes recent hands-on summer enrichment programs held for BLV students. Also presented are innovative technologies that were developed to provide spoken quantitative feedback for BLV students engaged in hands-on science…

Graduate Students Gain Hands-On PV Experience from NREL Researchers | News

Science.gov Websites

PV Experience (HOPE) Workshop, learning from top solar scientists at the U.S. Department of Energy's | NREL Graduate Students Gain Hands-On PV Experience from NREL Researchers Graduate Students Gain Hands-On PV Experience from NREL Researchers August 10, 2017 Two students, one standing, one

Performing mathematics activities with non-standard units of measurement using robots controlled via speech-generating devices: three case studies.

PubMed

Adams, Kim D; Cook, Albert M

2017-07-01

Purpose To examine how using a Lego robot controlled via a speech-generating device (SGD) can contribute to how students with physical and communication impairments perform hands-on and communicative mathematics measurement activities. This study was a follow-up to a previous study. Method Three students with cerebral palsy used the robot to measure objects using non-standard units, such as straws, and then compared and ordered the objects using the resulting measurement. Their performance was assessed, and the manipulation and communication events were observed. Teachers and education assistants were interviewed regarding robot use. Results Similar benefits to the previous study were found in this study. Gaps in student procedural knowledge were identified such as knowing to place measurement units tip-to-tip, and students' reporting revealed gaps in conceptual understanding. However, performance improved with repeated practice. Stakeholders identified that some robot tasks took too long or were too difficult to perform. Conclusions Having access to both their SGD and a robot gave the students multiple ways to show their understanding of the measurement concepts. Though they could participate actively in the new mathematics activities, robot use is most appropriate in short tasks requiring reasonable operational skill. Implications for Rehabilitation Lego robots controlled via speech-generating devices (SGDs) can help students to engage in the mathematics pedagogy of performing hands-on activities while communicating about concepts. Students can "show what they know" using the Lego robots, and report and reflect on concepts using the SGD. Level 1 and Level 2 mathematics measurement activities have been adapted to be accomplished by the Lego robot. Other activities can likely be accomplished with similar robot adaptations (e.g., gripper, pen). It is not recommended to use the robot to measure items that are long, or perform measurements that require high operational competence in order to be successful.

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.

Pop-it beads to introduce catalysis of reaction rate and substrate depletion effects.

PubMed

Gehret, Austin U

2017-03-04

A kinesthetic classroom activity was designed to help students understand enzyme activity and catalysis of reaction rate. Students served the role of enzymes by manipulating Pop-It Beads as the catalytic event. This activity illuminates the relationship between reaction rate and reaction progress by allowing students to experience first-hand the effect of substrate depletion on catalyzed reaction rate. Preliminary findings based on survey results and exam performance suggest the activity could prove beneficial to students in the targeted learning outcomes. Unique to previous kinesthetic approaches that model Michaelis-Menten kinetics, this activity models the effects of substrate depletion on catalyzed reaction rate. Therefore, it could prove beneficial for conveying the reasoning behind the initial rate simplification used in Michaelis-Menten kinetics. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 45(2):179-183, 2017. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

ESS/Special Education Teacher's Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ball, Daniel W.

This teacher's guide provides Elementary Science Study (ESS) units that can be used with students in grades 1-12 in special education programs. The ESS units represent an interdisciplinary approach to learning and emphasize "hands-on" activities. Activities include Mirror Cards, Pattern Blocks, Clay Boats, Mapping, Earthworms, and…

Fostering Argumentation Skills: Doing What Real Scientists Really Do

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Llewellyn, Douglas; Rajesh, Hema

2011-01-01

Elementary and middle school teachers often provide students with hands-on activities or even inquiry-based investigations that emphasize science process skills such as observing, classifying, identifying and controlling variables, hypothesizing, experimenting, and collecting and analyzing data. These activities and investigations are frequently…

Earth Day Changes in Attitude.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Betty; And Others

1992-01-01

Describes recycling related activities associated with the Earth Day celebration at the University School of East Tennessee State University. Activities involve tree planting, campus clean-up, student posters, assemblies, a schoolwide rally, and displays of recyclable items. A study examining attitude change revealed that hands-on activities…

Introduction to Studies in Granular Mixing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Llusa, Marcos; Muzzio, Fernando

2008-01-01

This article describes a hands-on educational activity designed to introduce students (or industrial employees) in the pharmaceutical arena to some of the most common problems in the mixing of solids: Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (API) and lubricant (i.e. magnesium stearate) homogenization, characterization of segregation tendencies, and…

UnCommon Knowledge: Projects That Help Middle-School-Age Youth Discover the Science and Mathematics in Everyday Life. Volume One: Hands-On Science Projects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Carolyn S.; Keyes, Marian; Kusimo, Patricia S.; Lunsford, Crystal

This guide contains hands-on science activities to connect middle-school students to the traditional knowledge of their grandparents and elders. Because girls often lose interest in science at the middle-school level, and because women in some communities (especially in rural areas) are seldom involved in work with an obvious science basis, the…

UnCommon Knowledge: Projects That Help Middle-School-Age Youth Discover the Science and Mathematics in Everyday Life. Volume Two: Hands-On Math Projects.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Carolyn S.; Cohen, Sara; Keyes, Marian; Kusimo, Patricia S.; Lunsford, Crystal

This guide contains hands-on mathematics activities to connect middle-school students to the traditional knowledge of their grandparents and elders. Because girls often lose interest in math at the middle-school level, and because women in some communities (especially in rural areas) are seldom involved in work with an obvious math basis, the…

Evaluation of Gastrointestinal Motility in Awake Rats: A Learning Exercise for Undergraduate Biomedical Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Souza, M. A. N.; Souza, M. H. L. P.; Palheta, R. C., Jr.; Cruz, P. R. M.; Medeiros, B. A.; Rola, F. H.; Magalhaes, P. J. C.; Troncon, L. E. A.; Santos, A. A.

2009-01-01

Current medical curricula devote scarce time for practical activities on digestive physiology, despite frequent misconceptions about dyspepsia and dysmotility phenomena. Thus, we designed a hands-on activity followed by a small-group discussion on gut motility. Male awake rats were randomly submitted to insulin, control, or hypertonic protocols.…

Something Spacey for Everyone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonett, D.; Cabana, C.; Thompson, P.; Noel, M.; Johnson, K.

2001-12-01

LPI scientists, education/outreach staff, and library staff participated in Space Day at K.E. Little Elementary in Bacliff, Texas on May 3. The school, which serves 925 students and more than 50 faculty, suspended regular classes for the entire day so that all could participate. Dr. Allan Treiman gave a talk on meteorites; Dr. Joe Hahn gave a talk on comets; Dr. Paul Spudis gave a talk on the Moon; Dr. Carl Allen (JSC) gave a presentation on Mars exploration; and Dr. Paul Schenk presented the solar system in 3D in the computer lab. Sandra Cherry, Delilah Cranford, Mary Ann Hager, Diane Myers, Mary Noel, and Pam Thompson gave presentations to K-5 classes on rocketry and space capsules and guided students in doing a related hands-on activity project. These activities were part of the EXPLORE Fun with Science program. Ms. Thompson also led a hands-on reflectance spectrometry lab with the 5th grade gifted and talented cluster. Space Day 2001 was a full day of hands on interactive space experience for all students pre-kindergarten to fifth grade. With the permission of principal, Mary Ann Cole, the school shut down the normal and went into outer space. Whether making moon cookies out of rice krispies and peanut butter, parachuting an "eggstronaut" from a fire truck, throwing a frisbee across the scaled solar system or listening to a planetary geologist discuss man's discoveries on the moon, Space Day 2001 at KE Little Elementary school wet the appetites of it's students and faculty and had everyone saying, "Lets do this again next year"!

Polymer Basics: Classroom Activities Manipulating Paper Clips to Introduce the Structures and Properties of Polymers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umar, Yunusa

2014-01-01

A simple and effective hands-on classroom activity designed to illustrate basic polymer concepts is presented. In this activity, students build primary structures of homopolymers and different arrangements of monomers in copolymer using paper clips as monomers. The activity supports formation of a basic understanding of polymer structures,…

Hands-On Life Science Activities for Middle Schools. Teacher's Edition. First Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, Barbara; Kramer, Stephanie

This book provides 50 enrichment activities for the science curriculum that provide concrete connections with important world events. Each activity is self-contained and provides everything the student needs to gain a basic understanding of a concept or to work through a project. The activities include innovative and traditional projects for both…

Learning by viewing versus learning by doing: A comparative study of observer and participant experiences during an interprofessional simulation training.

PubMed

Reime, Marit Hegg; Johnsgaard, Tone; Kvam, Fred Ivan; Aarflot, Morten; Engeberg, Janecke Merethe; Breivik, Marit; Brattebø, Guttorm

2017-01-01

Larger student groups and pressure on limited faculty time have raised the question of the learning value of merely observing simulation training in emergency medicine, instead of active team participation. The purpose of this study was to examine observers and hands-on participants' self-reported learning outcomes during simulation-based interprofessional team training regarding non-technical skills. In addition, we compared the learning outcomes for different professions and investigated team performance relative to the number of simulations in which they participated. A concurrent mixed-method design was chosen to evaluate the study, using questionnaires, observations, and focus group interviews. Participants included a total of 262 postgraduate and bachelor nursing students and medical students, organised into 44 interprofessional teams. The quantitative data showed that observers and participants had similar results in three of six predefined learning outcomes. The qualitative data emphasised the importance of participating in different roles, training several times, and training interprofessionally to enhance realism. Observing simulation training can be a valuable learning experience, but the students' preferred hands-on participation and learning by doing. For this reason, one can legitimise the observer role, given the large student groups and limited faculty time, as long as the students are also given some opportunity for hands-on participation in order to become more confident in their professional roles.

An Evaluation of Student Response Systems from the Viewpoint of Instructors and Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gok, Tolga

2011-01-01

Student response systems, often referred to as "clickers" are small hand-held devices which students may remotely respond to questions that are posed during lecture. In this research, the perspectives and lived experiences of both instructors and students who used clickers were examined. Also, the activities used by instructors were…

Insights from a Modular Interdisciplinary Laboratory Course

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bouvier-Brown, N. C.; Carmona, V.

2016-12-01

A laboratory curriculum is naturally oriented towards "hands on" and problem-based learning. An earth science course, like chemical ecology, has the additional advantage of interdisciplinary education. Our Chemical Ecology course at Loyola Marymount University was structured as a small modular workshop. Students first gained hands-on experience with each analytical technique in the laboratory. The class then discussed these first datasets, delved into lecture topics, and tweaked their experimental procedures. Lastly, students were given time to design and execute their own experiments and present their findings. Three-to-four class periods were allotted for each laboratory topic. Detailed information and student reflections will be presented from the Spectroscopy module. Students used the Folin-Ciocalteau reagent method to extract the phenolic content of vegetation and/or soils. Because phenols are produced by plants for defense, this spectroscopic laboratory activity provided insight on allelopathy using analytical chemistry. Students were extremely engaged and learned not only the lab theory and technique, but also its application to our local ecology.

A Hands-On Activity to Introduce the Effects of Transmission by an Invasive Species

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

May, Barbara Jean

2013-01-01

This activity engages students to better understand the impact of transmission by invasive species. Using dice, poker chips, and paper plates, an entire class mimics the spread of an invasive species within a geographic region. The activity can be modified and conducted at the K-16 levels.

Plant Pigment Identification: A Classroom and Outreach Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garber, Kathleen C. A.; Odendaal, Antoinette Y.; Carlson, Erin E.

2013-01-01

Anthocyanins are a class of pigments responsible for the bright colors of many flowers, fruits, and vegetables typically resulting in shades of red, blue, and purple. Students were asked to perform an activity to enable them to identify which anthocyanin was present in one of several possible plant materials through a hands-on activity. Students…

A Sourcebook of Biotechnology Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasmussen, Alison M., Ed.; Matheson, Robert H., III, Ed.

This book contains 22 lessons using hands-on activities designed to present some aspect of biotechnology in a usable form that teachers can adapt for their classrooms. The introductory section serves as a resource that introduces the teacher and student to the history of biotechnology. The activities are divided into five units that group lessons…

Hands-On Environmental Science Activities. Teacher's Edition. First Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kutscher, Eugene

The ability of students to go beyond facts and to think critically, while at the same time enjoying and valuing the learning process, is fundamental to science and environmentalism. This book provides enrichment activities for the science curriculum that provide concrete connections with important world events. Each activity is self-contained and…

The Consequences of Internet Café Use on Turkish College Students' Social Capital

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koç, Mustafa; Ferneding, Karen Ann

2007-01-01

This paper draws on a part of the doctoral research study that investigates the potential impacts of Internet café use on Turkish college students' social capital. In this study, Internet café usage was portrayed by the amount of time spent and the frequency of online activities engaged at the cafés. Social capital, on the other hand, was…

Refining Students' Explanations of an Unfamiliar Physical Phenomenon-Microscopic Friction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corpuz, Edgar De Guzman; Rebello, N. Sanjay

2017-08-01

The first phase of this multiphase study involves modeling of college students' thinking of friction at the microscopic level. Diagnostic interviews were conducted with 11 students with different levels of physics backgrounds. A phenomenographic approach of data analysis was used to generate categories of responses which subsequently were used to generate a model of explanation. Most of the students interviewed consistently used mechanical interactions in explaining microscopic friction. According to these students, friction is due to the interlocking or rubbing of atoms. Our data suggest that students' explanations of microscopic friction are predominantly influenced by their macroscopic experiences. In the second phase of the research, teaching experiment was conducted with 18 college students to investigate how students' explanations of microscopic friction can be refined by a series of model-building activities. Data were analyzed using Redish's two-level transfer framework. Our results show that through sequences of hands-on and minds-on activities, including cognitive dissonance and resolution, it is possible to facilitate the refinement of students' explanations of microscopic friction. The activities seemed to be productive in helping students activate associations that refine their ideas about microscopic friction.

Visual Literacy Skills of Students in College-Level Biology: Learning Outcomes Following Digital or Hand-Drawing Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Justine C.

2014-01-01

To test the claim that digital learning tools enhance the acquisition of visual literacy in this generation of biology students, a learning intervention was carried out with 33 students enrolled in an introductory college biology course. This study compared learning outcomes following two types of learning tools: a traditional drawing activity, or…

Hand-Held Sunphotometers for High School Student Construction and Measuring Aerosol Optical Thickness

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Almonor, Linda; Baldwin, C.; Craig, R.; Johnson, L. P.

2000-01-01

Science education is taking the teaching of science from a traditional (lecture) approach to a multidimensional sense-making approach which allows teachers to support students by providing exploratory experiences. Using projects is one way of providing students with opportunities to observe and participate in sense-making activity. We created a learning environment that fostered inquiry-based learning. Students were engaged in a variety of Inquiry activities that enabled them to work in cooperative planning teams where respect for each other was encouraged and their ability to grasp, transform and transfer information was enhanced. Summer, 1998: An air pollution workshop was conducted for high school students in the Medgar Evers College/Middle College High School Liberty Partnership Summer Program. Students learned the basics of meteorology: structure and composition of the atmosphere and the processes that cause weather. The highlight of this workshop was the building of hand-held sunphotometers, which measure the intensity of the sunlight striking the Earth. Summer, 1999: high school students conducted a research project which measured the mass and size of ambient particulates and enhanced our ability to observe through land based measurements changes in the optical depth of ambient aerosols over Brooklyn. Students used hand held Sunphotometers to collect data over a two week period and entered it into the NASA GISS database by way of the internet.

Hands-On Optics: An Informal Education Program for Exploring Light and Color

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pompea, S. M.; Walker, C. E.; Peruta, C. C.; Kinder, B. A.; Aceituno, J. C.; Pena, M. A.

2005-05-01

Hands-On Optics (HOO) is a collaborative four-year program to create and sustain a unique, national, informal science education program to excite students about science by actively engaging them in optics activities. It will reach underrepresented middle school students in after-school programs and at hands-on science centers nationwide. Project partners with NOAO are SPIE-The International Society for Optical Engineering, the Optical Society of America (OSA), and the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement Program (MESA) of California. This program builds on the 2001 National Science Foundation planning grant (number ESI-0136024), Optics Education - A Blueprint for the 21st Century, undertaken to address the disconnect between the ubiquity of optics in everyday life and the noticeable absence of optics education in K-12 curricula and in informal science education. NOAO - with expertise in teaching optics, developing optics kits, and in science-educator partnerships is designing the HOO instructional materials by adapting well-tested formal education activities on light, color, and optical technology for the informal setting. These hands-on, high-interest, standards-connected activities and materials serve as the basis for 6, three-hour-long optics activity modules that will be used in informal education programs at 23 HOO host sites. NOAO also will train the educators, parents, and optics professionals who will work in teams to lead the HOO activities. A key component of the project will be the optics professionals from the two optical societies who currently are engaged in outreach activities and programs. Optics professionals will serve as resource agents teamed with science center and MESA educators, a model very successfully used by the Astronomical Society of the Pacific's Project ASTRO. The six modules and associated challenges and contests address reflection from one or many mirrors, image formation, colors and polarization, ultraviolet and infrared phenomena, and communication over a beam of light. Challenges and contests have also been created to augment the six modules. The Hands On Optics Project is funded by the National Science Foundation ISE program. NOAO is operated by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA), Inc. under cooperative agreement with the National Science Foundation.

FLASHLIGHT Anatomy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weber, Suzanne

1987-01-01

Explains how a flashlight can be used to introduce a unit on blood, muscles, and bones for elementary science students. Describes activities which focus on anatomical features. Includes a diagram of a paper hand which is used in one of the investigations. (ML)

Reaching the Reluctant Science Teacher.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colburn, Alan; Henriques, Laura

2000-01-01

Discusses a college science course designed for juniors and seniors who are going to be elementary teachers. Focuses on hands-on activities, understanding the nature of science, and conducting scientific research. Explores student misconceptions and conceptual changes on elementary science subjects. (YDS)

Try This: Umbrella--Materials Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preston, Christine

2016-01-01

This article is the second in "Teaching Science's" "Try This" series. These hands-on activities are designed especially for early childhood students to encourage their natural curiosity and promote development of scientific thinking. In this activity, the problem-based learning approach means that the children are engaged in a…

Trash Ecology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lind, Georgia J.

2004-01-01

A hands on activity involving density, frequency and biomass using transects, quadrats and a local good deed by cleaning up the neighborhood while practicing important techniques in ecology is detailed. The activity is designed for KCC-STEP, whose primary goal is to expand the scientific knowledge and research experiences of their students, who…

Alienating Students: Marxist Theory in Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thiele, Megan; Pan, Yung-Yi Dian; Molina, Devin

2016-01-01

Karl Marx's revolutionary call, "Workers of the World Unite," resonates with many in today's society. This article describes and assesses an easily reproducible classroom activity that simulates both alienating, and perhaps more importantly, non-alienating states of production as described by Marx. This hands-on learning activity gives…

Bone, Calcium and Spaceflight: A Living Systems Experiment Relating Animals and Plants the Effects of Calcium on Plant Growth and Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Reiss-Bubenheim, Debra; Navarro, B. J.; Souza, Kenneth A. (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

This educational outreach activity provided students with information about ARC's role in conducting life sciences research in space. Students were introduced to the scientific method while conducting a plant experiment that was correlated to the flight animal experiment. Students made daily observations, collected data and reported on their findings. This classroom experiment providing a hands-on learning opportunity about terrestrial and space biology in which exposed the students to new fields of study for future endeavors.

How Do Learning Outcomes, Assessments and Student Engagement in a Fully Online Geoscience Laboratory Compare to Those Of The Original Hands-on Exercise?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jones, F. M.

2015-12-01

In a third year geoscience elective for BSc majors, we adapted several active f2f learning strategies for an equivalent fully online version of the course. In particular, we converted a hands-on laboratory including analysis and interpretation of hand-specimens, sketching results and peer-to-peer discussion of scientific implications. This study compares learning outcomes in both formats and describes resources that make engaging, effective and efficient learning experiences for large classes in an asynchronous online environment. Our two hypotheses are: 1) a hands-on geology lab exercise can be converted for efficient fully online use without sacrificing feedback and assessment opportunities; 2) students find either the f2f or DE versions equally effective and enjoyable as learning experiences. Key components are an authentic context, interactive resources including sketching, strategies that enable efficient assessment and feedback on solo and group work, and asynchronous yet productive interaction with peers. Students in the f2f class handle real rock and fossil specimens, work with peers in the lab and classroom, and deliver most results including annotated figures on paper. DE students complete identical tasks using interactive high resolution figures and videos of specimens. Solo work is first delivered for automated assessment and feedback, then students engage asynchronously in small groups to improve results and discuss implications. Chronostratigraphy and other interpretations are sketched on prepared template images using a simple open-source sketching app that ensures equal access and consistent results that are efficient to assess by peers and instructors. Learning outcomes based on subsequent quizzes, sketches, and lab results (paper for f2f students and automated data entry for DE students), show that f2f and online students demonstrate knowledge and scientific interpretations of comparable quality. Effective engagement and group work are demonstrated for f2f students using video and survey data, and for DE students using learning management system tracking data and similar survey data. Finally, these initiatives are shown to be scalable to classes of many students by comparing the time required for instructors to run and grade the lab in both settings.

Hand Hygiene Practices Among Indian Medical Undergraduates: A Questionnaire-Based Survey

PubMed Central

Modi, Pranav D; Solanki, Rajavi; Modi, Janhavi; Chandramani, Srinath; Gill, Niharika

2017-01-01

Background and objectives To prevent the spread of infections in all healthcare settings, hand hygiene must be routinely practiced. Appropriate hand hygiene techniques can go a long way in reducing nosocomial infections, cross-transmission of microorganisms and the risk of occupational exposure to infectious diseases. World Health Organisation (WHO) has taken an incredible approach called “My Five Moments for Hand Hygiene" which defines the key moments when health-care workers should perform hand hygiene. We thus carried out a survey to assess knowledge of hand hygiene practices among undergraduate medical students.  Materials and methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 523 Indian medical undergraduates. The questionnaire used was adapted from the WHO hand hygiene knowledge questionnaire for health-care workers and was distributed both, in print and online formats. The response to each question was examined using percentages. Results Nearly 57% (n=298) of medical students who participated in this study did not receive any formal training in hand hygiene. Only 27% (n=141) students knew that the most frequent source of germs responsible for health-care associated infections were the germs already present on or within the patient. Nearly 68.6% (n= 359) students were unaware of the sequence of hand washing and hand rubbing. Although 71.9% (n=376 ) students claimed that they use an alcohol-based hand rub routinely, only 36.1% (n=189 ) students knew the time required for a hand rub to kill the germs on the hands. Overall hand hygiene knowledge was low in 6.9% (n=36), moderate in 80.9% (n=423) and good in 12.2% (n=23) of respondents.  Conclusions The awareness about hand hygiene practices among medical students is low. Nearly 57% (n=298) of the respondents never received any formal training in hand hygiene throughout their course of medical undergraduate study. To prevent the spread of infections in healthcare settings, medical students should be given proper training in hand hygiene practices right from the first year of the medical curriculum. This should be done by running workshops and annual seminars on hand hygiene practices and making it a requisite for clinical skills assessment. PMID:28936375

Dirt Alert--The Chemistry of Cleaning. Hands-on Science Activities for Grades 4-12. Science in Our World, Volume Three.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarquis, Mickey, Ed.

This monograph focuses on the chemistry of cleaning and enables teachers to introduce their students to the concepts and processes of industrial chemistry and relate these concepts to the consumer products students encounter daily. This teacher resource module is organized into sections that provide information on how to use the resource module,…

Science Fare--Chemistry at the Table. Hands-on Science Activities for Grades 4-12. Science in Our World, Volume One.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarquis, Mickey, Ed.

This monograph focuses on chemistry at the table and enables teachers to introduce their students to the concepts and processes of industrial chemistry and relate these concepts to the consumer products students encounter daily. This teacher resource module is organized into sections that provide information on how to use the resource module, how…

Strong Medicine--Chemistry at the Pharmacy. Hands-on Science Activities for Grades 7-12. Science in Our World, Volume Two.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarquis, Mickey, Ed.

This monograph focuses on chemistry at the pharmacy and enables teachers to introduce their students to the concepts and processes of industrial chemistry and relate these concepts to the consumer products students encounter daily. This teacher resource module is organized into sections that provide information on how to use the resource module,…

Chain Gang--The Chemistry of Polymers. Hands-on Science Activities for Grades 4-12. Science in Our World, Volume Five.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarquis, Mickey, Ed.

This monograph focuses on the chemistry of polymers and enables teachers to introduce their students to the concepts and processes of industrial chemistry and relate these concepts to the consumer products students encounter daily. This teacher resource module is organized into sections that provide information on how to use the resource module,…

Fat Chance--The Chemistry of Lipids. Hands-on Science Activities for Grades 4-12. Science in Our World, Volume Four.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarquis, Mickey, Ed.

This monograph focuses on the chemistry of lipids and enables teachers to introduce their students to the concepts and processes of industrial chemistry and relate these concepts to the consumer products students encounter daily. This teacher resource module is organized into sections that provide information on how to use the resource module, how…

Teaching Science to Students with Learning and Other Disabilities: A Review of Topics and Subtopics Appearing in Experimental Research 1991-2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vavougios, Dionisios; Verevi, Alkistis; Papalexopoulos, Panagiotis F.; Verevi, Crystallia-Ioanna; Panagopoulou, Athanasia

2016-01-01

This article reviews 24 years of research focused on science education for students with learning and other disabilities. Our results are based on 53 articles from 2 relevant databases. We hereby present and discuss the results of the most popular topics investigated, which include: constructivism, exploratory learning, hands-on activities,…

Ratio Tables to Promote Proportional Reasonings in the Primary Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dole, Shelley

2008-01-01

There are many classroom activities that can be implemented with primary students that introduce and immerse them in ratio investigations. Some enjoyable tasks include finding the ratio of tongue rollers to non-tongue rollers in the classroom; left-hand dominant to right-hand dominant; right-thumb over left-thumb when clasping the hands to…

Development of Active Learning with Simulations and Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zapalska, Alina; Brozik, Dallas; Rudd, Denis

2012-01-01

Educational games and simulations are excellent active learning tools that offer students hands-on experience. Little research is available on developing games and simulations and how teachers can be assisted in making their own games and simulations. In this context, the paper presents a multi-step process of how to develop games and simulations…

Unit: Genetics, Inspection Set, First Trial Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Australian Science Education Project, Toorak, Victoria.

Most of the activities suggested in this trial version of the Genetics unit produced by the Australian Science Education Project rely on second-hand data, although one of the introductory activities suggested is based on results of a mouse breeding experiment. The unit is, therefore, expected to be suitable only for students who are capable of…

Let's Peel the Onion Together: An Application of Schein's Model of Organizational Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yilmaz, Gamze

2014-01-01

One of the challenges for undergraduate students is to comprehend abstract and theoretical concepts in communication classes. Given today's college students' expectations for in-class interaction (Rocca, 2010), it is important that instructors integrate hands-on activities in their lesson plans while teaching theoretical concepts.…

Student-Centered Learning in an Earth Science, Preservice, Teacher-Education Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Avard, Margaret

2009-01-01

In an effort to get elementary teachers to teach more science in the classroom, a required preservice science education course was designed to promote the use of hands-on teaching techniques. This paper describes course content and activities for an innovative, student-centered, Earth science class. However, any science-content course could be…

Studying How Plants Defend Themselves: A Chemical Weapon Produced by Chilli Fruit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nantawanit, Nantawan; Panijpan, Bhinyo; Ruenwongsa, Pintip

2011-01-01

Students often prefer to study animals rather than plants, because they see plants as passive, less interesting organisms. This paper proposes a simple hands-on laboratory exercise for high-school students (grade 12) to arouse their interest in learning about plants and to demonstrate to them that plants are active organisms capable of defending…

Malthus under a Microscope: Using the Soil Nematode "Coenorhabditis elegans" to Test Darwin's Premises about Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mueller, Melinda M.

2007-01-01

Biological evolution is one of the over-arching concepts recommended for student learning by the "National Science Education Standards." As with all such complex concepts, student understanding of evolution is improved when instruction includes hands-on, inquiry-based activities. However, even authors writing in strong support of teaching…

Development of a Mathematics, Science, and Technology Education Integrated Program for a Maglev

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Park, Hyoung Seo

2006-01-01

The purpose of the study was to develop an MST Integrated Program for making a Maglev hands-on activity for higher elementary school students in Korea. In this MST Integrated Program, students will apply Mathematics, Science, and Technology principles and concepts to the design, construction, and evaluation of a magnetically levitated vehicle. The…

Space Science in Action: Planets and the Solar System [Videotape].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

1999

This videotape recording teaches students about the key characteristics of each planet, the differences between inner and outer planets, and which planets have their own moons. Students look at how remote-control rovers are designed to explore other surfaces in the solar system. A hands-on activity demonstrates how gravity keeps all the members of…

Persistence of Cognitive Constructs Fostered by Hands-On Science Activities in Middle School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Christensen, Rhonda; Knezek, Gerald; Tyler-Wood, Tandra; Gibson, David

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to determine whether the changes that were found to occur pre- to post intervention in students' cognitive structures (Mills, 2013; Knezek, Christensen, Tyler-Wood, & Periathiruvadi, 2013) continued to persist two years later. Major findings were: a) semantic perception of science and STEM as a career became more…

BioBridge Professional Development: Bringing Innovative Science into the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Babendure, Jeremy; Thompson, Loren; Peterman, Karen; Teiper, Leanne; Gastil, Heather; Liwanag, Heather; Glenn-Lee, Shelley

2011-01-01

The BioBridge Professional Development model was created to bring current and relevant science into the high school classroom. The purpose of this intervention was to connect teachers with relevant science and to create innovative, hands-on activities that engage students, with the goal of increasing student interest in STEM careers. To this end,…

PAL(TM) 2.0 Human Anatomy Software Tool Use in Community College Traditional and Online Anatomy Laboratory Classes: Student-Perceived Learning Benefits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuyatt, Brian Lee

2012-01-01

Human anatomy courses, with laboratory, are curricular requirements in graduate medical, undergraduate nursing, and all allied health science programs. Anatomy laboratory courses engage students in hands-on activities, including human cadaver or mammalian dissection, supported by photos from textbooks, detailed plastic models or human anatomical…

Bicentennial Awareness through Social Studies and Related Careers. Publication No. 40.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Carol L.

A curriculum for use with disadvantaged students in grades 5-8 provides a variety of "hands-on" experiences through which students can explore the world of work as it existed during the Colonial period. Activities relate to food, clothing, communication, and tool production. They use a range of skills and abilities and can be performed…

International academic service learning: lessons learned from students' travel experiences of diverse cultural and health care practices in morocco.

PubMed

Kaddoura, Mahmoud; Puri, Aditi; Dominick, Christine A

2014-01-01

Academic service learning (ASL) is an active teaching-learning approach to engage students in meaningful hands-on activities to serve community-based needs. Nine health professions students from a private college and a private university in the northeastern United States volunteered to participate in an ASL trip to Morocco. The participants were interviewed to reflect on their experiences. This article discusses the lessons learned from students' ASL experiences regarding integrating ASL into educational programs. The authors recommend a paradigm shift in nursing and dental hygiene curricula to appreciate diversity and promote cultural competency, multidisciplinary teamwork, and ethics-based education. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

Using Academic Journals to Help Students Learn Subject Matter Content, Develop and Practice Critical Reasoning Skills, and Reflect on Personal Values in Food Science and Human Nutrition Classes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iwaoka, Wayne T.; Crosetti, Lea M.

2008-01-01

It has been reported that students learn best when they use a wide variety of techniques to understand the information of the discipline, be it visual, auditory, discussion with others, metacognition, hands-on activities, or writing about the subject. We report in this article the use of academic journals not only as an aid for students to learn…

Developing hands-on ergonomics lessons for youth

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

Bennett, C; Alexandre, M; Jacobs, K

2006-02-22

By the time students are ready to enter the workforce they have been exposed to up to 20 years of ergonomics risk factors. As technology evolves, it provides more opportunities for intensive repetitive motion and with computers, cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and electronic games. The average student engages in fewer active physical activities, sit stationary in mismatched furniture in schools for hours and carry heavy backpacks. While long-term effects remain to be identified, increasingly ergonomists and others concerned with musculoskeletal health and wellness, see a need for early ergonomics education. This interactive session provides a hands-on approach tomore » introducing ergonomics to students. Although different approaches may effectively introduce ergonomics at even early stages of development, this program was designed for youth at the middle to high school age. Attendees will participate in four activities designed to introduce ergonomics at an experiential level. The modules focus on grip strength, effective breathing, optimizing your chair, and backpack safety. The workshop will include presentation and worksheets designed for use by teachers with minimal ergonomics training. Feedback from the participants will be sought for further refining the usability and safety of the training package.« less

Teaching the mole concept with sub-micro level: Do the students perform better?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Indriyanti, Nurma Yunita; Barke, Hans-Dieter

2017-08-01

The concept of mole is an abstract concept of sub-micro level. The main problem in chemistry that should be encounter by educators is students' inability to transfer understanding between macro level and sub-micro level. Particle-oriented approach is created due to improper expression in the term of mole on books and classroom learning. A mole is the amount of substance of a system, which contains as many elementary entities as there are atoms in 0,012 kg of carbon-12. When the mole is used, the elementary entities must be specified; they may be atoms, molecules, ions, electrons, other particles, or specified groups of such particles. The study presented here focuses on students' activity and response taught by mole triangle implemented in German and Indonesian classroom. Two classes of grade-10 were involved in each country. The way of students perform in the test was analyzed. Hands-on activities were used as an entrance and followed by particle-oriented expression. In worksheets of each hands-on experience, students should write the correct expression of mole concept. The results of the study indicated that there is different level of understanding in representing knowledge in learning the mole. The use of correct expression will ensure that students see meaningful relationships and can easily go back and forth between macro, sub-micro and symbolic level.

Learning through participating on an interprofessional training ward.

PubMed

Lidskog, Marie; Löfmark, Anna; Ahlström, Gerd

2009-09-01

Learning in clinical education can be understood as a process of becoming a legitimate participant in the relevant context. Interprofessional training wards (IPTWs) are designed to give students from educational programmes in health and social care a realistic experience of collaboration for the purpose of developing teamwork skills. IPTWs have been found to be appreciated by the students and to influence students' understanding of each other's professions. The aim of this study was to describe and analyse the students' learning on an interprofessional training ward in care for older persons through focusing on the students' ways of participating in the communities of practice on the ward. A case study design was chosen. Multiple data sources were used. The findings show that the students engaged as active participants in the care. At the same time there was sometimes a discrepancy between on the one hand expectations and goals, on the other hand actual participation. There were difficulties in making the training relevant for all the student groups involved. The findings indicate that in the planning of interprofessional education the choice of setting and learning situations is crucial with regard to the learning that will occur.

The Effectiveness of Hands-on Health Informatics Skills Exercises in the Multidisciplinary Smart Home Healthcare and Health Informatics Training Laboratories.

PubMed

Sapci, A H; Sapci, H A

2017-10-01

This article aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of newly established innovative smart home healthcare and health informatics laboratories, and a novel laboratory course that focuses on experiential health informatics training, and determine students' self-confidence to operate wireless home health monitoring devices before and after the hands-on laboratory course. Two web-based pretraining and posttraining questionnaires were sent to 64 students who received hands-on training with wireless remote patient monitoring devices in smart home healthcare and health informatics laboratories. All 64 students completed the pretraining survey (100% response rate), and 49 students completed the posttraining survey (76% response rate). The quantitative data analysis showed that 95% of students had an interest in taking more hands-on laboratory courses. Sixty-seven percent of students had no prior experience with medical image, physiological data acquisition, storage, and transmission protocols. After the hands-on training session, 75.51% of students expressed improved confidence about training patients to measure blood pressure monitor using wireless devices. Ninety percent of students preferred to use a similar experiential approach in their future learning experience. Additionally, the qualitative data analysis demonstrated that students were expecting to have more courses with hands-on exercises and integration of technology-enabled delivery and patient monitoring concepts into the curriculum. This study demonstrated that the multidisciplinary smart home healthcare and health informatics training laboratories and the hands-on exercises improved students' technology adoption rates and their self-confidence in using wireless patient monitoring devices. Schattauer GmbH Stuttgart.

Musculoskeletal complaints among Italian X-ray technology students: a cross-sectional questionnaire survey

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background There is a high prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among healthcare professional students. Although recent studies show musculoskeletal disorders are a common problem among X-ray technologists, there are no data on these disorders among students of this healthcare profession. We have therefore estimated the prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints among a group of X-ray technology students. Methods The students (n = 109) currently attending the 3-year X-ray technologist school at a large University in the Apulia region of Southern Italy were recruited for the study, with a 100% participation rate. A questionnaire collected data concerning personal characteristics, physical exposure during training activities, and the presence of musculoskeletal symptoms in the neck, shoulders, low back, hand/wrist and legs. Results The prevalence of complaints in any body site over the previous 12 months was 37%. Low back pain was the most frequently reported symptom (27%), followed by neck (16%), shoulder (11%), leg (8%) and hand/wrist (5%) pain. Poor physical activity was associated with the complaints. Conclusions Our study showed prevalence rates of musculoskeletal complaints among X-ray technology students to be somewhat high, representing about half of those found in Italian technologists. The most common musculoskeletal problem was low back pain, which had also been found in research conducted among nursing students. Our research also showed a significant association between poor physical activity and the presence of musculoskeletal disorders in young university students. PMID:20416101

Ice, Ice, Baby: A Program for Sustained, Classroom-Based K-8 Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamilton, C.

2009-12-01

Ice, Ice, Baby is a K-8 science program created by the education team at the Center for the Remote Sensing of Ice Sheets (CReSIS), an NSF-funded science and technology center headquartered at the University of Kansas. The twenty-four hands-on activities, which constitute the Ice, Ice, Baby curriculum, were developed to help students understand the role of polar ice sheets in sea level rise. These activities, presented in classrooms by CReSIS' Educational Outreach Coordinator, demonstrate many of the scientific properties of ice, including displacement and density. Student journals are utilized with each lesson as a strategy for improving students' science process skills. Journals also help the instructor identify misconceptions, assess comprehension, and provide students with a year-long science reference log. Pre- and post- assessments are given to both teachers and students before and after the program, providing data for evaluation and improvement of the Ice, Ice, Baby program. While students are actively engaged in hands-on learning about the unusual topics of ice sheets, glaciers, icebergs and sea ice, the CReSIS' Educational Coordinator is able to model best practices in science education, such as questioning and inquiry-based methods of instruction. In this way, the Ice, Ice, Baby program also serves as ongoing, in-class, professional development for teachers. Teachers are also provided supplemental activities to do with their classes between CReSIS' visits to encourage additional science lessons, reinforce concepts taught in the Ice, Ice, Baby program, and to foster teachers' progression toward more reform-based science instruction.

Space-Based Astronomy: A Teacher's Guide with Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

This curriculum guide uses hands-on activities to help grade 5-8 students and teachers understand the significance of space-based astronomy--astronomical observations made from outside the Earth's atmosphere. The guide begins with a survey of astronomy-related spacecraft that the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has sent into…

Design and Implementation of a Project-Based Active/Cooperative Engineering Design Course for Freshmen

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdulaal, R. M.; Al-Bahi, A. M.; Soliman, A. Y.; Iskanderani, F. I.

2011-01-01

A project-based active/cooperative design course is planned, implemented, assessed and evaluated to achieve several desired engineering outcomes. The course allows freshman-level students to gain professional hands-on engineering design experience through an opportunity to practise teamwork, quality principles, communication skills, life-long…

Ecosystem Jenga!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Umphlett, Natalie; Brosius, Tierney; Laungani, Ramesh; Rousseau, Joe; Leslie-Pelecky, Diandra L.

2009-01-01

To give students a tangible model of an ecosystem and have them experience what could happen if a component of that ecosystem were removed; the authors developed a hands-on, inquiry-based activity that visually demonstrates the concept of a delicately balanced ecosystem through a modification of the popular game Jenga. This activity can be…

Demonstrating Enzyme Activation: Calcium/Calmodulin Activation of Phosphodiesterase

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Porta, Angela R.

2004-01-01

Demonstrating the steps of a signal transduction cascade usually involves radioactive materials and thus precludes its use in undergraduate teaching labs. Developing labs that allow the visual demonstration of these steps without the use of radioactivity is important for allowing students hands-on methods of illustrating each step of a signal…

Science Galls Me: What Is a Niche Anyway?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halverson, Kristy Lynn; Lankford, Deanna Marie

2009-01-01

The authors have developed a lesson to investigate basic principles of ecology, more specifically niche partitioning, while using a jigsaw activity that explores galling insects' interactions with goldenrods. Not only does this lesson capture secondary students' interest and keeps them engaged in hands-on activities, the content addresses two…

Accommodating Students with Disabilities in Soil Science Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langley-Turnbaugh, S. J.; Murphy, Kate; Levin, E.

2004-01-01

Soil science education is lacking in terms of accommodations for persons with disabilities. Individuals with disabilities are often excluded from soil science activities in school, and from soil science careers. GLOBE (Global Learning Observations to Benefit the Environment) is a worldwide, hands-on primary and secondary school-based education and…

The Engineering Process in Construction & Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoner, Melissa A.; Stuby, Kristin T.; Szczepanski, Susan

2013-01-01

Recent research suggests that high-impact activities in science and math classes promote positive attitudinal shifts in students. By implementing high-impact activities, such as designing a school and a skate park, mathematical thinking can be linked to the engineering design process. This hands-on approach, when possible, to demonstrate or…

Try This: Observing Using the Senses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Preston, Christine

2016-01-01

This article is the first in a new series of hands-on activities designed especially for early childhood students to encourage their natural curiosity and promote development of scientific thinking. The activity presented was created to help children learn how to make scientific observations using their senses. Children develop science inquiry…

Overview of the Nasa/science Mission Directorate University Student Instrument Project (usip)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pierce, D. L.

2016-12-01

These are incredible times of space and Earth science discovery related to the Earth system, our Sun, the planets, and the universe. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Science Mission Directorate (SMD) provides authentic student-led hands-on flight research projects as a component part of the NASA's science program. The goal of the Undergraduate Student Instrument Project (USIP) is to enable student-led scientific and technology investigations, while also providing crucial hands-on training opportunities for the Nation's future researchers. SMD, working with NASA's Office of Education (OE), the Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) and its Centers (GSFC/WFF and AFRC), is actively advancing the vision for student flight research using NASA's suborbital and small spacecraft platforms. Recently proposed and selected USIP projects will open up opportunities for undergraduate researchers in conducting science and developing space technologies. The paper will present an overview of USIP, results of USIP-I, and the status of current USIP-II projects that NASA is sponsoring and expects to fly in the near future.

Beads + String = Atoms You Can See.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hermann, Christine K. F.

1998-01-01

Presents hands-on activities that give students a head start in learning the vocabulary and basic theory involved in understanding atomic structure. Uses beads to represent protons, neutrons, and electrons and string to represent orbitals. (DDR)

A Sourcebook of Marine Activities Developed in the Milwaukee Great Lakes Summer Education Program, 1977 and 1978.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haney, Richard E., Ed.

Twenty-seven activities dealing with the marine environment of the Great Lakes are presented. Designed for junior and senior high school students, these activities develop awareness of the biological, physical, social, economical, and aesthetic dimensions of the Great Lakes. Field trips, films, discussion, and hands-on activities are used to teach…

The Geography of Greenhouse Gas Emissions: Hands-On! Developing Active Learning Modules on the Human Dimensions of Global Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liverman, Diana; Solem, Michael

This learning module aims to engage students in problem solving, critical thinking, scientific inquiry, and cooperative learning. The module is appropriate for use in any introductory or intermediate undergraduate course that focuses on human-environment relationships. The module examines the geography of human activities that produce the major…

Discover science: Hands-on science workshops for elementary teachers and summer science camps for elementary students

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

Gotlib, L.; Bibby, E.; Cullen, B.

1994-12-31

Teams of local mentor teachers (assisted by college students in the NC Teaching Fellows Program) run week-long workshops for elementary teachers (at four sites in 1993, six in 1994). Major funding for the camps is provided through The Glaxo Foundation, supplemented with local funds. The workshops focus on hands-on science (using inexpensive materials) and provide familiarity and experience with the new NC science curriculum and assessment program. The use of local resources is stressed (including visiting scientists and readily available store-bought materials). Each camp has its own theme and provides teachers with a variety of resources to be used withmore » students of all abilities. The mentor teachers then run week-long, all expense paid, non-residential science camps for elementary students (open to all students, but with females and minorities as target groups). Students take part in long-and short-term projects, working individually and in groups. Pre and post participation surveys of all participants were conducted and analyzed, with favorable results for both the student and teacher weeks. Additional activities include parent nights, and follow-up workshops. Eighty-nine teachers and 208 students participated in 1993.« less

Marine Technology for Teachers and Students: A Multi-modal Approach to Integrate Technology and Ocean Sciences Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gingras, A.; Knowlton, C. W.; Scowcroft, G. A.; Babb, I.; Coleman, D.; Morin, H.

2016-02-01

The Marine Technology for Teachers and Students (MaTTS) Project implements a year-long continuum of activities beginning with educators reading and reporting on peer-reviewed publications, followed by face-to-face, hands-on weekend workshops and virtual professional development activities. Teams of teacher and student leaders then participate in an intensive, residential Summer Institute (SI) that emphasizes hands-on building of marine related technologies and exposure to career pathways through direct interactions with ocean scientists and engineers. During the school year, teachers integrate ocean science technology and data into their classrooms and participate, along with colleagues and students from their schools, in science cafes and webinars. Student leaders transfer knowledge gained by engaging their district's middle school students in ocean science activities and technologies by serving as hosts for live broadcasts that connect classrooms with ocean scientists and engineers though the Inner Space Center, a national ocean science telecommunications hub. Communication technologies bridge formal and informal learning environments, allowing MaTTS participants to interact with their fellow cohort members, scientists, and engineers both during and outside of school. Evaluation results indicate that for teachers both the weekend workshops and SI were most effective in preparing them to integrate ocean science and technology in STEM curricula and increase their ocean science content knowledge and leadership characteristics. For students the SI and the middle school interactions supported gains in knowledge, awareness, leadership skills and interest in ocean sciences and technologies, and related STEM careers. In particular, the connections made by working directly with scientists have positively impacted both student and teacher leaders. This presentation will provide an overview of the MaTTS model and early evaluation results.

Canisius College Summer Science Camp: Combining Science and Education Experts to Increase Middle School Students' Interest in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan, Phillip M.; Szczepankiewicz, Steven H.; Mekelburg, Christopher R.; Schwabel, Kara M.

2011-01-01

The Canisius College Summer Science Camp is a successful and effective annual outreach program that specifically targets middle school students in an effort to increase their interest in science. Five broadly defined science topics are explored in a camp-like atmosphere filled with hands-on activities. A 2010 module focused on chemistry topics of…

Establishing the SECME model in the District of Columbia. Quarterly report, 1 January 1994--31 March 1994

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

Vikers, R.G.

1994-05-01

During this quarter, many program activities were held to help SECME teachers and counselors implement, improve and strengthen SECME school programs in the District of Columbia. Teachers were actively engaged in enhanced instructional techniques, ideas, processes and resources to help them enrich their students` learning experience. Students are busily participating in hands-on instructional activities and preparing for the SECME competition where they are learning to excel in a competitive environment designed to help them make the most of their school experience.

Relationships between Physical Activity Levels, Self-Identity, Body Dissatisfaction and Motivation among Spanish High School Students.

PubMed

Sánchez-Miguel, Pedro Antonio; Leo, Francisco Miguel; Amado, Diana; Pulido, Juan José; Sánchez-Oliva, David

2017-10-01

The aim of this study was to examine the relationships between gender and the educational grade on the one hand, and physical activity levels, motivation, self-identity, body dissatisfaction, the intention to be physically active and daily sitting time on the other, in a sample of Spanish high school adolescents. The sample consisted of 2087 Spanish students from the 3rd (n = 1141) and 4th grade (n = 946), both male (n = 1046) and female (n = 1041), ranging in age from 15 to 17 years old (M = 15.42; SD = .86). Students completed questionnaires to assess their levels of physical activity, self-identity, motivation, intention to be physically active and daily sitting time. The students' perceptions of their body height and mass were also tested. With the exception of walking MET values, the results showed gender differences in the variables tested. Male participants showed higher intrinsic motivation and lower amotivation than female participants. Furthermore, male students revealed higher levels of physical activity than female students. Finally, the research concluded with the importance of promoting intrinsic reasons for physical activity in order to encourage positive consequences in high school students.

Building on Years of Parent and Student Activism to Place a New Education Agenda at the Center of a Mayoral Election

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernández, María C.; Williams, Ocynthia

2014-01-01

For over a decade, students and parents in New York City have organized in coalitions across boroughs to fight for an equitable, just school system for all public school students. In a time when the Department of Education (DOE) centralized all power in the hands of one mayor and one schools chancellor, the Urban Youth Collaborative (UYC) and the…

Education: DNA replication using microscale natural convection.

PubMed

Priye, Aashish; Hassan, Yassin A; Ugaz, Victor M

2012-12-07

There is a need for innovative educational experiences that unify and reinforce fundamental principles at the interface between the physical, chemical, and life sciences. These experiences empower and excite students by helping them recognize how interdisciplinary knowledge can be applied to develop new products and technologies that benefit society. Microfluidics offers an incredibly versatile tool to address this need. Here we describe our efforts to create innovative hands-on activities that introduce chemical engineering students to molecular biology by challenging them to harness microscale natural convection phenomena to perform DNA replication via the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Experimentally, we have constructed convective PCR stations incorporating a simple design for loading and mounting cylindrical microfluidic reactors between independently controlled thermal plates. A portable motion analysis microscope enables flow patterns inside the convective reactors to be directly visualized using fluorescent bead tracers. We have also developed a hands-on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) exercise based on modeling microscale thermal convection to identify optimal geometries for DNA replication. A cognitive assessment reveals that these activities strongly impact student learning in a positive way.

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.

Active learning of introductory optics: real-time physics labs, interactive lecture demonstrations and magic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sokoloff, David R.

2005-10-01

Widespread physics education research has shown that most introductory physics students have difficulty learning essential optics concepts - even in the best of traditional courses, and that well-designed active learning approaches can remedy this problem. This mini-workshop and the associated poster session will provide direct experience with methods for promoting students' active involvement in the learning process in lecture and laboratory. Participants will have hands-on experience with activities from RealTime Physics labs and Interactive Lecture Demonstrations - a learning strategy for large (and small) lectures, including specially designed Optics Magic Tricks. The poster will provide more details on these highly effective curricula.

Designing instruction to support mechanical reasoning: Three alternatives in the simple machines learning environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKenna, Ann Frances

2001-07-01

Creating a classroom environment that fosters a productive learning experience and engages students in the learning process is a complex endeavor. A classroom environment is dynamic and requires a unique synergy among students, teacher, classroom artifacts and events to achieve robust understanding and knowledge integration. This dissertation addresses this complex issue by developing, implementing, and investigating the simple machines learning environment (SIMALE) to support students' mechanical reasoning and understanding. SIMALE was designed to support reflection, collaborative learning, and to engage students in generative learning through multiple representations of concepts and successive experimentation and design activities. Two key components of SIMALE are an original web-based software tool and hands-on Lego activities. A research study consisting of three treatment groups was created to investigate the benefits of hands-on and web-based computer activities on students' analytic problem solving ability, drawing/modeling ability, and conceptual understanding. The study was conducted with two populations of students that represent a diverse group with respect to gender, ethnicity, academic achievement and social/economic status. One population of students in this dissertation study participated from the Mathematics, Engineering, and Science Achievement (MESA) program that serves minorities and under-represented groups in science and mathematics. The second group was recruited from the Academic Talent Development Program (ATDP) that is an academically competitive outreach program offered through the University of California at Berkeley. Results from this dissertation show success of the SIMALE along several dimensions. First, students in both populations achieved significant gains in analytic problem solving ability, drawing/modeling ability, and conceptual understanding. Second, significant differences that were found on pre-test measures were eliminated on post-test measures. Specifically, female students scored significantly lower than males on the overall pre-tests but scored as well as males on the same post-test measures. MESA students also scored significantly lower than ATDP students on pre-test measures but both populations scored equally well on the post-tests. This dissertation has therefore shown the SIMALE to support a collaborative, reflective, and generative learning environment. Furthermore, the SIMALE clearly contributes to students' mechanical reasoning and understanding of simple machines concepts for a diverse population of students.

Day at Goddard

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wawro, Martha; Van Norden, Wendy

2013-03-01

Day at Goddard is an all day event for high school students that the SDO EPO team has been running for 5 years now. During the event, students are given a tour of the integration and testing facilities, shown science on a sphere, participate in a meet and greet with scientists and engineers and participate in a hands-on lab activity. The purpose of these field trips is to increase the students' interest in STEM subjects, expose them to STEM-related careers and increase their awareness of the research that NASA conducts.

Hand hygiene knowledge and practice among university students: evidence from Private Universities of Bangladesh

PubMed Central

Sultana, Marufa; Mahumud, Rashidul Alam; Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Hossain, Sarder Mahmud

2016-01-01

Hand hygiene has achieved the reputation of being a convenient means of preventing communicable diseases. Although causal links between hand hygiene and rates of infectious disease have also been established earlier, studies focusing on hand hygiene among university-going students are not adequate in number. This study evaluated handwashing knowledge, practice, and other related factors among the selected university students in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 undergraduate students from four selected universities. A pretested, semistructured questionnaire, that included a checklist associated with handwashing practice, was applied to capture all relevant data. The mean (± SD) age of the participants was 20.4 (±1.8) years. The majority of the students washed their hands with water, but only 22.5% washed their hands effectively by maintaining the correct steps and frequency of handwashing with water, and soap or hand sanitizer. The mean (± SD) score of the participants’ hand hygiene practice was 50.81 (±4.79), while the total score with all perfect answers was considered as 66. Regression coefficient demonstrated that age has a negative influence on hand hygiene practice, as older students have lower scores compared to the younger ones (P<0.01). However, the unmarried students were a significant predictor for influencing the incensement of handwashing practice compared to the married ones (P<0.01). Findings of this study designate widespread insufficient hand hygiene practice in the university-going students and indicate a need for an extensive public health education program on this topic. Furthermore, availability of soap and sufficient water supply is needed within the university setting to facilitate handwashing. Therefore, supporting quantity and quality of available campus-based public health education programs along with providing health-washing equipment is suggested. PMID:26929673

Hand hygiene knowledge and practice among university students: evidence from Private Universities of Bangladesh.

PubMed

Sultana, Marufa; Mahumud, Rashidul Alam; Sarker, Abdur Razzaque; Hossain, Sarder Mahmud

2016-01-01

Hand hygiene has achieved the reputation of being a convenient means of preventing communicable diseases. Although causal links between hand hygiene and rates of infectious disease have also been established earlier, studies focusing on hand hygiene among university-going students are not adequate in number. This study evaluated handwashing knowledge, practice, and other related factors among the selected university students in the city of Dhaka, Bangladesh. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 200 undergraduate students from four selected universities. A pretested, semistructured questionnaire, that included a checklist associated with handwashing practice, was applied to capture all relevant data. The mean (± SD) age of the participants was 20.4 (±1.8) years. The majority of the students washed their hands with water, but only 22.5% washed their hands effectively by maintaining the correct steps and frequency of handwashing with water, and soap or hand sanitizer. The mean (± SD) score of the participants' hand hygiene practice was 50.81 (±4.79), while the total score with all perfect answers was considered as 66. Regression coefficient demonstrated that age has a negative influence on hand hygiene practice, as older students have lower scores compared to the younger ones (P<0.01). However, the unmarried students were a significant predictor for influencing the incensement of handwashing practice compared to the married ones (P<0.01). Findings of this study designate widespread insufficient hand hygiene practice in the university-going students and indicate a need for an extensive public health education program on this topic. Furthermore, availability of soap and sufficient water supply is needed within the university setting to facilitate handwashing. Therefore, supporting quantity and quality of available campus-based public health education programs along with providing health-washing equipment is suggested.

A Passion for Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Nancy

2000-01-01

Explains the process of developing the unit "Building an Aquarium" and introduces four hands-on activities which include teaching students how to read a metric ruler, observing and illustrating an aquatic plant, learning fish anatomy, and learning animal behavior. (YDS)

Students on Ice: International Polar Year Expeditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, G.

2006-12-01

The Students on Ice program has been introducing and connecting the next generation of Polar researchers and scientists to the Arctic and Antarctic Regions since 1999. To date, approximately 600 international high school and university students have participated on these powerful and award-winning educational expeditions. Traveling through the Antarctic and Arctic on ice-class vessels, the students connect with an international educational team, consisting of Polar scientists, educators, researchers and lecturers, and gain valuable first hand information through a variety of different educational formats. Students participate in lectures, seminars, group discussions, `hands-on' science experiments, and experience once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to view rare wildlife, and to visit remote locations of historic, cultural, and scientific significance. In celebration of the upcoming International Polar Years (IPY), Students on Ice is launching nine unique IPY youth expeditions between 2007 and 2009. Intended for high school students, university students, and interested educators, these expeditions are officially endorsed by the International Polar Year Joint Committee. The goals of the SOI-IPY youth expeditions, include raising awareness and understanding about Polar and environmental issues, development of Polar curriculum and resources, inspiring the next generation of scientists and researchers, and promoting the IPY to millions of youth around through outreach, media and partnership activities.

Culturally Relevant Inquiry-Based Laboratory Module Implementations in Upper-Division Genetics and Cell Biology Teaching Laboratories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siritunga, Dimuth; Montero-Rojas, Maria; Carrero, Katherine; Toro, Gladys; Velez, Ana; Carrero-Martinez, Franklin A.

2011-01-01

Today, more minority students are entering undergraduate programs than ever before, but they earn only 6% of all science or engineering PhDs awarded in the United States. Many studies suggest that hands-on research activities enhance students' interest in pursuing a research career. In this paper, we present a model for the implementation of…

Summer Camp to Engage Students in Nutritional Chemistry Using Popular Culture and Hands-On Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skluzacek, Joanna M.; Harper, Joshua; Herron, Emily; Bortiatynski, Jacqueline M.

2010-01-01

Action Potential Science Experience (APSE) is a five-day summer camp offering science opportunities for K-8 students. The focus of the APSE curriculum is to teach science concepts and methods while challenging the participants to solve an overarching problem from the popular-culture context. The participants in the APSE entitled Burger 'N Fries…

Uncovering Procedural Knowledge in Craft, Design, and Technology Education: A Case of Hands-On Activities in Electronics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pirttimaa, Matti; Husu, Jukka; Metsärinne, Mika

2017-01-01

Different knowledge types have their own specific features and tasks in the learning process. Procedural knowledge is used in craft and technology education when students solve problems individually and share their working knowledge with others. This study presents a detailed analysis of a one student's learning process in technology education and…

Inquiry-Based Learning Using Everyday Objects: Hands-On Instructional Strategies That Promote Active Learning in Grades 3-8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alvarado, Amy Edmonds; Herr, Patricia R.

This book explores the concept of using everyday objects as a process initiated both by students and teachers, encouraging growth in student observation, inquisitiveness, and reflection in learning. After "Introduction: Welcome to Inquiry-Based Learning using Everyday Objects (Object-Based Inquiry), there are nine chapters in two parts. Part 1,…

MIPS to the "4", Mathematics Improves Promotes Students. A Program of Mathematics for the Elementary Math Laboratory. Limited Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wichita Unified School District 259, KS.

This book is a guide for the reinforcement of the elementary mathematics laboratory program. It uses a hands-on and activity approach with maximum involvement of the students. Reinforcement strategies for the first three phases (concrete, semiconcrete, and semiabstract) of each mathematics concept are suggested. Also included are specific job…

A Seven-Year Longitudinal Study of the Research Outcomes for the CASPER Physics Circus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carmona-Reyes, Jorge; Land-Zandstra, Anna; Stark, Gary; Tarman, Lisa; Menefee, Matt; Wang, Li; Cook, Mike; Schmoke, Jimmy; Matthews, Lorin; Hyde, Truell

2014-10-01

The CASPER Physics Circus was specifically designed to increase student interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) careers where the current generation of scientists and engineers is rapidly approaching retirement age. The Physics Circus followed Waco and LaVega ISD students starting in the sixth grade and ending in the twelfth grade with this cohort group attending the Physics Circus event on the Baylor University campus, interacting with CASPER graduate students and participating in hands-on instructional activities. The event was designed as an informal learning environment intervention and operated under the discovery, project and guided-inquiry base framework wrapped in a learner-center ideology. Participating students were allowed to experiment with hands-on manipulatives while interacting with physicists, science educators and graduate students in both STEM and science education fields. Professional Development was also a part of the Physics Circus for all science teachers within the cohort. This paper presents the results of a seven-year longitudinal study on the Physics Circus and presents future plans to expand the program's effectiveness and impact.

Leisure-time physical activity and physical fitness of male adolescents in Oman.

PubMed

Khoo, Selina; Al-Shamli, Ali Khalifa

2012-01-01

This study investigated the relationship between leisure-time physical activity and physical fitness (cardiovascular fitness, body fat percentage, flexibility, muscle strength, and endurance) of 10th-grade male students in Oman. Data were collected from 330 students. All participants completed a descriptive questionnaire, a 1 mile walk/run test; a skinfold analysis of the chest, abdomen, and thigh; a sit and reach test; a hand grip test; and a 1-minute sit-up test. Students spent an average of 19.20 ± 6.77 hours on sedentary activities, 3.46 ± 2.11 hours on sports activities, and 11.22 ± 9.24 hours working per week. The students had an average body fat percentage of 6.38% ± 4.67%, muscle strength 38.04 ± 7.55 kg, flexibility 38.01 ± 7.41 cm, abdominal muscle endurance 38.85 ± 8.15 times/min, and cardiovascular endurance 8.10 ± 1.65 minutes.

Investigating students' mental models and knowledge construction of microscopic friction. II. Implications for curriculum design and development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corpuz, Edgar D.; Rebello, N. Sanjay

2011-12-01

Our previous research showed that students’ mental models of friction at the atomic level are significantly influenced by their macroscopic ideas. For most students, friction is due to the meshing of bumps and valleys and rubbing of atoms. The aforementioned results motivated us to further investigate how students can be helped to improve their present models of microscopic friction. Teaching interviews were conducted to study the dynamics of their model construction as they interacted with the interviewer, the scaffolding activities, and/or with each other. In this paper, we present the different scaffolding activities and the variation in the ideas that students generated as they did the hands-on and minds-on scaffolding activities. Results imply that through a series of carefully designed scaffolding activities, it is possible to facilitate the refinement of students’ ideas of microscopic friction.

Hands-On English: A Periodical for Teachers and Tutors of Adult English as a Second Language, 2003.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silliman, Anna, Ed.

2003-01-01

These three issues contain educational activities and articles on the following topics: education for the future; learning about learning; readers' responses to requests for suggested article and activity topics; tools and techniques (revisiting the one-question interview, learning students' names, and getting to know one another); multi-level…

Attitudinal Effects of a Student-Centered Active Learning Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliver-Hoyo, Maria T.; Allen, Deedee

2005-06-01

The importance of attitudes toward science has risen from widely accepted assumptions that achievement and attitude are positively interdependent and that affective variables are as important as cognitive variables in molding student learning. This report examines the effect on student attitudes toward learning chemistry in an active learning environment that has incorporated elements believed to positively influence student attitudes toward science including cooperative learning, hands-on activities, real-world applications, and engaging technology. These elements were considered for synergetic effects and not as individual contributors to the overall results. Two different sections of the same general chemistry course participated. The lecture setting was used as the control. Residualized gain scores were used to compare net changes in student attitudes. Data were analyzed for possible differences in gain for different academic majors. Anxiety in chemistry was monitored for the two class settings in three areas, learning in chemistry, chemistry evaluation, and chemical handling. Qualitative student feedback was also collected and is summarized in this report on the attitudinal aspects of instruction.

Teacher and student perspectives on motivation within the high school science classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pickens, Melanie Turnure

The purpose of this study was to investigate teacher and student perspectives on the motivation of high school science students and to explore specific motivational strategies used by teachers as they attempt to enhance student motivation. Four science teachers took part in an initial audio-taped interview, classroom observations with debriefing conversations, and a final audio-taped interview to discuss findings and allow member checking for data triangulation and interpretation. Participating teachers also took part in a final focus group interview. Student participants from each teacher's class were given a Likert style anonymous survey on their views about motivation and learning, motivation in science class, and specific motivational strategies that emerged in their current science class. This study focused on effective teaching strategies for motivation commonly used by the four teachers and on specific teaching strategies used by two of these four teachers in different tracks of science classes. The intent was to determine not only what strategies worked well for all types of science classes, but also what specific motivational approaches were being used in high and low tracked science classes and the similarities and differences between them. This approach provided insight into the differences in motivating tracked students, with the hope that other educators in specific tracks might use such pedagogies to improve motivation in their own science classrooms. Results from this study showed that science teachers effectively motivate their students in the following ways: Questioning students to engage them in the lesson, exhibiting enthusiasm in lesson presentations, promoting a non-threatening environment, incorporating hands-on activities to help learn the lesson concepts, using a variety of activities, believing that students can achieve, and building caring relationships in the classroom. Specific to the higher tracked classroom, effective motivational strategies included: Use of teacher enthusiasm, promoting a non-threatening class atmosphere, and connecting the adolescent world to science. In the lower tracked classroom, specific effective strategies were: Encouraging student-student dialogue, making lessons relevant using practical applications, building student self-confidence, and using hands-on inquiry activities. Teachers who incorporate such strategies into their classrooms regardless of the track will likely increase motivation and also enhance learning for all students.

Lab-on-a-chip workshop activities for secondary school students

PubMed Central

Esfahani, Mohammad M. N.; Tarn, Mark D.; Choudhury, Tahmina A.; Hewitt, Laura C.; Mayo, Ashley J.; Rubin, Theodore A.; Waller, Mathew R.; Christensen, Martin G.; Dawson, Amy; Pamme, Nicole

2016-01-01

The ability to engage and inspire younger generations in novel areas of science is important for bringing new researchers into a burgeoning field, such as lab-on-a-chip. We recently held a lab-on-a-chip workshop for secondary school students, for which we developed a number of hands-on activities that explained various aspects of microfluidic technology, including fabrication (milling and moulding of microfluidic devices, and wax printing of microfluidic paper-based analytical devices, so-called μPADs), flow regimes (gradient formation via diffusive mixing), and applications (tissue analysis and μPADs). Questionnaires completed by the students indicated that they found the workshop both interesting and informative, with all activities proving successful, while providing feedback that could be incorporated into later iterations of the event. PMID:26865902

Medicine and Physiotherapy students: are they physically active? Comparative research on Spanish and German population.

PubMed

Zeńczak-Praga, Krystyna; Pluto-Prondzinska, Joanna; Zgorzalewicz-Stachowiak, Małgorzata

2017-05-23

Despite the fact that regular physical activity is beneficial to human life, there are still more and more overweight and obese people throughout the world today. Healthy habits taken from home or socioeconomic situation are factors which might influence on regular physical activity. People who lead a healthy lifestyle in childhood are also active during adulthood. On the other hand academic life might promote less healthy lifestyle. The aim of the study was to assess and compare the level of physical activity of both German and Spanish students of Medicine and Physiotherapy. The study involved 100 Spanish and 100 German students aged from 19 to 24 years. Based on Eurobarometer 72.3, the respondents were asked a set of questions regarding physical activity. The chi-squared test (χ2) and Mann-Whitney U test were used for the statistical analysis. The vast majority of students presented a normal BMI value, but it was not related to high physical activity. More than one-third of all students seldom practised any sports. The Spanish students usually did some form of physical activity outdoors, whereas the German students exercised in a fitness centre. Lack of time was to the Medicine and Physiotherapy students the most significant factor that did not allow them to be more physically active. Medicine and Physiotherapy students should be more physically active in order to promote a good, healthy lifestyle model to society and there should be more physical activity education to encourage more students to practise sports.

Earthwalk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, E.

2006-12-01

When the weather is nice, I like to take my students on a walk to the center of the earth. Earthwalk is a hands-on and feet-on activity that gets students outdoors, having fun, moving and learning about the structures of the earth. Earthwalk is a lesson to help students visualize our planets size and scale. This activity has students calculate the ratio of a scaled 100m cross-sectional earth, mark the boundaries between major planetary layers, walk from the center of the earth to the surface and draw proportional manmade and natural surface features (mountains, building, mine shafts, etc). This lesson effectively integrates content and pedagogy while touching on skills and topics such as math, measurement, science, writing skills (they have to take notes), reading, listening and group dynamics. This activity fits well into the earth science curriculum by introducing basic seismology; tectonic, geochemistry and heat transfer concepts. Besides showcasing this lesson, a limited number of Earth Anatomy posters will be distributed.

Positive Affect Relevant to Epistemic Curiosity to Reflect Continuance Intention to Join a Hands-On Making Contest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hong, Jon-Chao; Hwang, Ming-Yueh; Szeto, Elson; Tai, Kai-Hsin; Tsai, Chi-Ruei

2016-01-01

Hands-on making (e.g., "Maker") has become prevalent in current educational settings. To understand the role that students' epistemic curiosity plays in hands-on making contests, this study explored its correlation to students' positive affect and continuance intention to participate in a hands-on making contest called…

Access to hands-on mathematics measurement activities using robots controlled via speech generating devices: three case studies.

PubMed

Adams, Kim; Cook, Al

2014-07-01

To examine how using a robot controlled via a speech generating device (SGD) influences the ways students with physical and communication limitations can demonstrate their knowledge in math measurement activities. Three children with severe physical disabilities and complex communication needs used the robot and SGD system to perform four math measurement lessons in comparing, sorting and ordering objects. The performance of the participants was measured and the process of using the system was described in terms of manipulation and communication events. Stakeholder opinions were solicited regarding robot use. Robot use revealed some gaps in the procedural knowledge of the participants. Access to both the robot and SGD was shown to provide several benefits. Stakeholders thought the intervention was important and feasible for a classroom environment. The participants were able to participate actively in the hands-on and communicative measurement activities and thus meet the demands of current math instruction methods. Current mathematics pedagogy encourages doing hands-on activities while communicating about concepts. Adapted Lego robots enabled children with severe physical disabilities to perform hands-on length measurement activities. Controlling the robots from speech generating devices (SGD) enabled the children, who also had complex communication needs, to reflect and report on results during the activities. By using the robots combined with SGDs, children both exhibited their knowledge of and experienced the concepts of mathematical measurements.

1.2 million kids and counting-Mobile science laboratories drive student interest in STEM.

PubMed

Jones, Amanda L; Stapleton, Mary K

2017-05-01

In today's increasingly technological society, a workforce proficient in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills is essential. Research has shown that active engagement by K-12 students in hands-on science activities that use authentic science tools promotes student learning and retention. Mobile laboratory programs provide this type of learning in schools and communities across the United States and internationally. Many programs are members of the Mobile Lab Coalition (MLC), a nonprofit organization of mobile and other laboratory-based education programs built on scientist and educator collaborations. A recent survey of the member programs revealed that they provide an impressive variety of programming and have collectively served over 1.2 million students across the US.

Awareness and understanding of earthquake hazards at school

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saraò, Angela; Peruzza, Laura; Barnaba, Carla; Bragato, Pier Luigi

2014-05-01

Schools have a fundamental role in broadening the understanding of natural hazard and risks and in building the awareness in the community. Recent earthquakes in Italy and worldwide, have clearly demonstrated that the poor perception of seismic hazards diminishes the effectiveness of mitigation countermeasures. Since years the Seismology's department of OGS is involved in education projects and public activities to raise awareness about earthquakes. Working together with teachers we aim at developing age-appropriate curricula to improve the student's knowledge about earthquakes, seismic safety, and seismic risk reduction. Some examples of education activities we performed during the last years are here presented. We show our experience with the primary and intermediate schools where, through hands-on activities, we explain the earthquake phenomenon and its effects to kids, but we illustrate also some teaching interventions for high school students. During the past years we lectured classes, we led laboratory and field activities, and we organized summer stages for selected students. In the current year we are leading a project aimed at training high school students on seismic safety through a multidisciplinary approach that involves seismologists, engineers and experts of safety procedures. To combine the objective of dissemination of earthquake culture, also through the knowledge of the past seismicity, with that of a safety culture, we use innovative educational techniques and multimedia resources. Students and teachers, under the guidance of an expert seismologist, organize a combination of hands-on activities for understanding earthquakes in the lab through cheap tools and instrumentations At selected schools we provided the low cost seismometers of the QuakeCatcher network (http://qcn.stanford.edu) for recording earthquakes, and we trained teachers to use such instruments in the lab and to analyze recorded data. Within the same project we are going to train selected students as communicators so that they can transfer simple educational messages on the seismic risk reduction to other students and/or to the whole community. The experiment is taking place in North East Italy, an area on which OGS detect earthquakes for seismological study and seismic alarm purposes. Teachers and students participating in the project are expected to present their achieved experience during a public event, at University of Udine (Italy).

Idea Swap: The Best Ideas Come from Teachers Like You!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Instructor, 2006

2006-01-01

This article presents several activities and teaching ideas shared by teachers. One teacher shared how an Egyptian mummy-making activity can be a great hands-on learning through time. Another teacher shared how a bowl filled with popcorn kernels has made it easy for her to get the attention of her students.

Thinking with Hands-On Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conover, Patricia Ross

2009-01-01

The goal for library media specialists and teachers is to lead students to use technology to communicate, in a powerful and meaningful way, and to creatively display what they have learned. With these ideas in mind, this article details several projects using Microsoft PowerPoint XP. The activities, with simplified instructions, can be adapted to…

The Math Explorer: Games and Activities for Middle School Youth Groups.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Pat; Lambertson, Lori; Tesler, Pearl

This book offers games and mathematics activities using a hands-on approach for middle school students and features games, puzzles, experiments, and projects. Contents include: (1) "Boxed In!"; (2) "Oddball"; (3) "Pig"; (4) "Madagascar Solitaire"; (5) "Fantastic Four"; (6) "Eratosthenes' Sieve"; (7) "Hopping Hundred"; (8) "Tic-Tac-Toe Times"; (9)…

Space Station Freedom. An Activity Book for Elementary School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Washington, DC.

This booklet was prepared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for use by teachers in the classroom or by parents at home. The descriptions, classroom activities and illustrations are designed for elementary-level school children. On each right-hand page is a simple line drawing that illustrates the narrative and the…

Natural Resource Service Learning to Link Students, Communities, and the Land

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barlow, Rebecca J.

2013-01-01

University-based Extension specialists often face the dilemma of scheduling time for both teaching and outreach activities. Service learning projects that give hands-on experience in the application of classroom activities while giving back to the community can bridge this gap. A demonstration forest and service learning techniques were used to…

Model PET Scan Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strunk, Amber; Gazdovich, Jennifer; Redouté, Oriane; Reverte, Juan Manuel; Shelley, Samantha; Todorova, Vesela

2018-01-01

This paper provides a brief introduction to antimatter and how it, along with other modern physics topics, is utilized in positron emission tomography (PET) scans. It further describes a hands-on activity for students to help them gain an understanding of how PET scans assist in detecting cancer. Modern physics topics provide an exciting way to…

Analysis and implementation of communications systems for small satellite missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammerman, Morgan

STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) is a wave of the future for teaching. It combines multiple topics that promote critical thinking. This study targeted one aspect of the first-grade curriculum, sorting using properties. This unit used STEM teaching methods to test if hands-on, game based methods would enhance learning. The setting used for this study was a first-grade classroom in an upper middle-class suburb. The students took a pre-test before the unit began and a post-test at the end of the unit. These assessments were used to evaluate their progress in sorting and identifying properties of various objects. One major research focus was to look at group dynamics in the classroom. This was done by dividing the students into small groups to promote working collaboratively with their peers. The results of this study showed that hands on activity or game based learning are effective tools when teaching properties. It was inconclusive whether these results were due to game based learning or the hands-on activities. The study also revealed that group work is a successful tool that can be used while teaching properties.

Math Birds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swope, Darcy M.

2008-01-01

Times change in education, and the recent focus on math enrichment has led to the development of new ideas that integrated math with art. This article describes a "hands-on" activity where the concept of fractions is made more "real" to first-grade students. (Contains 1 online resource.)

A case study: using social tagging to engage students in learning Medical Subject Headings*

PubMed Central

Bresnahan, Megan; Flynn, David B.; Harzbecker, Joseph; Blanchard, Mary; Ginn, David

2009-01-01

In exploring new ways of teaching students how to use Medical Subject Headings (MeSH), librarians at Boston University's Alumni Medical Library (AML) integrated social tagging into their instruction. These activities were incorporated into the two-credit graduate course, “GMS MS 640: Introduction to Biomedical Information,” required for all students in the graduate medical science program. Hands-on assignments and in-class exercises enabled librarians to present MeSH and the concept of a controlled vocabulary in a familiar and relevant context for the course's Generation Y student population and provided students the opportunity to actively participate in creating their education. At the conclusion of these activities, students were surveyed regarding the clarity of the presentation of the MeSH vocabulary. Analysis of survey responses indicated that 46% found the concept of MeSH to be the clearest concept presented in the in-class intervention. PMID:19404497