Despite the large body of evidence that indicates activity-based instruction is more effective than lecture-only instruction, for the purpose of workload calculation, many community colleges assign less value to the time spent in science lab than in lecture. This discrepancy is inconsistent with goals of science excellence set by the National…

This study describes the efficacy of a novel tool, mini-lecture movies, in teaching Web based general chemistry. The analysis shows a marked improvement in student learning, as evidenced by a corresponding increase in homework and final exam scores. Students with access to mini-lecture movies scored 11.2% (p = 0.016) higher than students who did…

The experiences of a chemistry professor and a physics professor at a regional branch campus of Penn State University are described. In both instances, the faculty members had previously served as teaching assistants at a research intensive institution, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The unique pedagogical struggles involved in…