Registrants of college chemistry (Chem 103) whose permanent address indicated they lived in Maryland, Washington, D.C., or northern Virginia, were invited by letter to participate in a pre-course refresher consisting of listening to as many as seven audiotutorial tapes on the basic concepts and calculations of chemistry. Sixty-nine percent of…

Meta-analysis techniques were used to analyze the effects of different types of aids to learning science concepts from textual materials. The studies analyzed dealt with aids for selecting the important information contained in written materials and aids for building internal connections among the parts of printed materials. Studies pertaining to…

Surveyed 170 English schools (for 13- to 16-year-olds) to determine the extent to which industrially relevent materials were adopted in science classes and attitudes of science teachers toward these materials in science syllabi. Indicates that although teachers believe the industrial materials should be emphasized, traditional science courses…

Presented is a study designed to determine the best approaches for developing environmental education and teacher training materials for schools in Honduras. Results dispute the value of materials produced in the United States for use in developing nations. (CW)

Discussed are methods which can be used to stimulate creative thinking in geology students by focusing on what is not known about sandstone petrology. The impact of recent advances on graduate geology teaching are highlighted. (CW)

Stressed is the interrelationship among the three major groups of sedimentary rocks and the potential benefits in understanding of sedimentary processes to be gained by a petrosynthesis. Listed are 59 references. (CW)

This study evaluated the effectiveness of instructional aids designed to improve the test scores of field-dependent students enrolled in an introductory, community college-level, geology course for non-science majors. Prior to beginning course instruction, 36 students were classified as field-dependent on the basic scores from the Witkin Embedded…

Describes a simple method to teach molecular geometry using styrofoam balls and velcro strips. Discusses the construction and a procedure for using the model for teaching. (CW)

Reported are the results of a study of organic chemistry courses at 33 different undergraduate colleges and universities. Details of the site visits including lecture and laboratory components of the courses are provided. (CW)

This review of the findings of recent cognitive science research pertaining to learning and teaching focuses on how science and mathematics are being taught, analyzes how the presence of the computer demonstrates a need for radical rethinking of both the theory and the practice of learning, and points out that if educators fail to consider the…

To the casual observer, it seems improbable that human beings could produce a global environmental change. However, collective human activities have taxed the Earth's recuperative powers to their limit. The conflict of a global economy and the ecological support system make it difficult to change current conditions. Students should be made aware…

Describes a demonstration procedure using controlled reduction potentials to predict observed color changes which are then experimentally verified. Demonstrates the usefulness of this procedure in helping students understand LeChatelier's principle and the solubilit rule "like dissolves like." (CW)

Contains three policy statements involving the use of animals for proper teaching of students, research, and the utilization of pound animals. Discusses the benefits to society of using animals in the biomedical sciences. (CW)

Proposed is a more didactic version of the electronic periodic table than is being used. The background and use of the numeric system is detailed and illustrated. (CW)

Reviewed are 15 methods for fast slide production. Methods are classified as in-hand methods and farmed-out methods of slide production. Slides are compared to transparencies as another fast presentation aid. (CW)