The author makes a case for fieldwork as having a strong capacity for increasing both science and nonscience majors' abilities to learn complex concepts, with the added benefit of actively engaging minority and female students in science.

Eric Ribbens is a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois. In this piece, he writes of his observations about the first day of school. After the summer quiet is replaced with noise, motion, smells, and anticipation, students shuffle through the halls again, and all over the building…

While circulating the room during a classroom activity where preservice teachers are required to teach a mini-lesson to their classmates, Jane Metty's ear was drawn to one particular group where a student asked, "What color is blood?"--and heard the student teacher confidently answer, "Blue." She then began to wonder where…

In this article, the author reflects on chemistry teaching in the next century. He questions--Was anything he taught in his fundamental chemistry course of value? And, how will our current understanding of the molecular world change during his students' lifetimes? It reminded him of a pseudo-quote he remembered from his own university…

The online writing software Calibrated Peer Review (CPR) is a useful tool for assigning writing assignments in large college classes. In this system, students submit essays online and are guided in how to rate essays using criteria written by the instructor. The instructor does not have to grade the essays, and CPR has educational benefits that…

"Think outside the box" is a very common phrase, routinely used to convey the idea of finding creative and unconventional solutions to problems. Although widely used as a cliche in the business world, this phrase is significantly applicable to people who do science for a living, because scientists are constantly developing and testing new ideas.…

Within the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education community there are repeated calls for the reform of undergraduate teaching. Resulting change efforts often focus on developing and disseminating specific instructional ideas and practices to individual faculty. However, in this paper, the authors argue that these efforts…

We've all gotten them--the student emails that make you question your decision to get into this profession. The title of this column says it all. If we want students to meet our expectations, we must give them instruction on what we expect. Technology should be used to help us meet our academic goals, not just to cater to students' love of…

One of the major concerns in higher education is the need for more accountability on the part of institutions so that members of the public know what they are getting for their tax or tuition dollars. There has been increased call for institutions of higher education to improve their efficiency if they are to remain affordable. In this article,…

The authors argue for the involvement of science undergraduates in K-12 outreach to enhance their communication skills, generate enthusiasm for science in today's youth, and extend relationships between institutions of higher learning and surrounding communities. Here we present three opportunities created at Oregon State University for engaging…

Evaluation of teaching remains an inaccurate undertaking. Many believe that taking into factor the numbers of classes taught, students taught, graduate students supervised, honors contacts made, and undergraduates mentored are the best quantifiable measures for teaching. However, this author argues that such measures do little to provide a useful…

One effective method to improve the learning of science is through case study teaching. Teachers use realistic or true narratives to provide opportunities for students to integrate multiple sources of information in an authentic context, and may engage students with ethical and societal problems related to their discipline. However, little…

Many scientists are concerned about efforts to place disclaimers in textbooks concerning the controversial nature of certain theories. The issues raised in such disclaimers are that a particular explanation for a set of observations may not be correct, has limitations, needs further study, and is "just a theory," may be shown, eventually, to be…

Although science is very successful at its business of explaining phenomena, it is not successful at explaining the nature of its own phenomenon: scientific inquiry. Absent understanding, myths, and misconceptions rush in. The author takes a closer look at the process of scientific inquiry, and presents a review of how scientists describe what…

At present, students and nonscientists still believe that a "theory" is just a mere hunch or a guess and that science is absolute. In this article, the author discusses that it is now time for teachers to correct these misconceptions. Teachers must explain to their students that the facts printed in science textbooks just happen to be the best…