Describes a study focusing on student self-assessment and self-grading of examinations that test higher-order cognitive skills. The study supposed that by evaluating their own performance, students could not only enhance academic strengths and reduce weaknesses but also learn material in greater depth and further develop critical thinking skills.…

Nonscience majors in introductory science courses participated in focus groups to discuss their feelings about the courses. First-day issues were chief on their list as a source of science anxiety. Both general studies students and science-related major students asked for a different approach to the first day of class. Offers first-day strategies…

Research universities may pay for their share of research expenditures out of any unrestricted funds accounts including tuition. A subsidy of research by tuition cannot be ruled out and might contribute to the persistently higher tuition of research universities. Arguments for and against this view are offered. (PVD)

The U.S. Naval Academy oceanography major is bucking the nationwide trend toward declining enrollments in science majors study tracks. Nontraditional approaches used include interdisciplinary and applied science, significant instructor experience in applying the major outside academia, hands-on laboratories in all classes, and an oceanography…

Describes the use of simple projects to help freshmen-level chemistry students develop chemical knowledge and an aptitude for the research process. These projects pose a new problem to students without presenting a detailed experimental procedure. Guiding questions help students design their own experiments and stimulate students to think…

Describes an exercise whereby a biology class used a stairway to illustrate how fossiliferous rock strata were deposited, the oldest on the bottom and most recent at the top. Each step represents a dated boundary between adjacent geological ages, and each riser is labeled as a geological unit. Geological time is compressed to 365 days. Offers…

Describes the reform of an introductory biology curriculum to reverse high attrition rates. Objectives include fostering self-directed learning, emphasizing process over content, and offering laboratory experiences that model the way to acquire scientific knowledge. Teaching methods include discussion, group mentoring, laboratory sections, and…

Describes a technique for downloading digital images of a fresh human cadaver from a commercially available CD-ROM and from the Internet. The images can be annotated to illustrate specific anatomic features and display groups of images in a format that is easy to use during lectures and accessible to undergraduate students for study during and…

Describes a writing-intensive ecology course designed to foster the development of writing and critiquing skills early in the semester and immerse students in the peer-review process toward the end of the course. By critiquing other scientific papers, students gain insight into the effectiveness of their own writing while also increasing their…

Le Chbtelier's Principle states that, when a system at equilibrium is subjected to stress, the system will respond in such a way as to minimize the effect of the stress. Describes a lecture demonstration that illustrates shifts in the position of equilibrium caused by a variety of factors. The equilibrium mixture contains iron (III) and…

Discusses the vocabulary of biology and the problem of semantics. Focuses on "dominant", "recessive", and the puzzling role of alleles. Highlights students' conceptions of these terms. (JRH)

Investigates which factors are important in revising chemistry laboratory experiments to enhance student interest and enjoyment of experimental science. Findings indicate the importance of several factors including varied content, real-world connections, items from outside the student's usual range of experience, well-paced experiments, error-free…

Discusses innovating college science education by reforming the traditional lecture through the systematic introduction of storytelling as a way of teaching the core material in college science courses. Highlights different kinds of science stories and molding of individual stories into a coherent course-long lesson plan. Contains 42 references.…

Describes a course that grafts discussion of scientific ideas onto students' natural enthusiasm for public policy issues. Includes a group of topics that afford substantive discussion of important scientific ideas. Helps students explore vivid connections between scientific knowledge and public policy, including building the atomic bomb and public…

Describes a low cost, easily emulated project designed to improve classroom teaching methods. Discusses the benefits of peer evaluation and lists the criteria used for selecting participants. Highlights lessons learned from the project. (JRH)