Describes the creation of a community-service option for biology nonmajors as part of the course requirements. The student had to relate the project to some aspect of biology. The goal was to teach students that learning science is an everyday occurrence, and that they can make a difference in their community. Program instructions and student…

Poses some questions and practical answers to help teachers and students use computers effectively in science classes. Sample questions include: Does the increased use of computers in classrooms inhibit any student's progress toward scientific literacy? How do males and females respond differently to computer use in science classrooms? and How can…

Describes a technological approach to teaching the relationships between biological form and function. Computer-assisted image analysis was integrated into a microanatomy course. Students spend less time memorizing and more time observing, measuring, and interpreting, building technical and analytical skills. Appendices list hardware and software…

Describes a course that integrates abstract biological concepts into narrative contexts to make science come alive for apprehensive nonmajors. Simple and creative methods of conveying information--such as humorous, light-hearted analogies to lighten the mood--reduce the abstractness of the material and alone can effectively relieve anxiety and…

As a result of the inefficiency of lectures, the increase in scientific knowledge, and today's cooperative work environment, several written assignments for teams were designed for chemistry students. Assignments consist of fundamental topics and definitions eliminated from lectures. Benefits besides the group experience included better textbook…

Suggests that early in their education students be taught to use basic statistical tests as rigorous methods of comparing experimental results with scientific hypotheses. Stresses that students learn how to use statistical tests in hypothesis-testing by applying them in actual hypothesis-testing situations. To illustrate, uses questions such as…

Describes an outdoor scientific demonstration of metal reduction, a reaction known as the thermit process. Heat from an ignition mixture is required to initiate the reaction, which then becomes self-sustaining. The demonstration provides a dazzling introduction to such fundamental general chemistry topics as oxidation-reduction, metallurgy,…

A research physicist and science educator who became a U.S. congressman explains the goals of a Science Committee review of U.S. policy on science and technology. The challenges faced by the nation in coping with technological advancements are described. Specific reforms needed include giving students a sense of the process of science and focusing…

Lists Web sites containing information on spiders and offers brief descriptions of the information available at those sites. The 11 sites provide information on taxonomy of spiders, anatomy, different ways spiders use silk, Internet mailing lists, folk literature and art, bibliographies, night collection, and spiders commonly found in the state of…

Cases are stories that are meant to educate. Teachers can deliver cases by lecture, through Socratic questioning, through discussion leading, and in small group learning. Some cases are fact driven and deductive, whereas others are context driven. Science appears to demand closed-ended cases with correct answers; however, in frontier science,…

The Association for Women in Science (AWIS), in conjunction with the National Coalition for Women and Girls in Education (NCWGE), published a report card on how women have fared over the past 25 years since the passage of Title IX. The report card gave mathematics and science a C+. Recommends ways of encouraging active participation of women in…

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…