In this article, we describe a fully computational laboratory exercise that results in an increase of students' understanding of what quantum chemical geometry optimization calculations are doing to find minimum energy structures. This laboratory exercise was conducted several times over multiple years at a small private undergraduate institution,…

Contemporary research has suggested that for students to compete globally, pedagogy must shift to emphasize the infusion of mathematics into science instruction to strengthen understanding. Innovative professional development programs are necessary to achieve this goal, particularly with respect to teaching graphing skills in the context of…

We present the Electricity and Magnetism Conceptual Assessment (EMCA), a new assessment aligned with second-semester introductory physics courses. Topics covered include electrostatics, electric fields, circuits, magnetism, and induction. We have two motives for writing a new assessment. First, we find other assessments such as the Brief…

We describe the content and organization of a series of day-long field trips to a university for high school students that connect chemistry content to issues of sustainability. The seven laboratory activities are in the areas of environmental degradation, energy production, and green chemistry. The laboratory procedures have been modified from…

This paper discusses the variety of ways in which The Bakken Museum has made use of replicas or simulations of historical instruments and experiments and demonstrations in education programs and exhibits for school children, families with children, and other museum audiences. Early efforts were stimulated in the mid-1980s by a collaboration with…

This is the first in a series of Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) playbooks intended to assist companies, higher education institutions, private philanthropies, membership associations, professional societies, government agencies, and other stakeholders seeking to understand the potential value of investing in coordinated strategic,…

This issue explores the nature of childhood by offering selections that re/imagine the idea of the child as art maker; inquire about the relationships between children and adults when they are making art; and investigate how physical space influences approaches to art instruction. Readers are invited to join a dialogue that questions long-standing…

Alignment between content standards and standardized tests is a significant issue to society, science pedagogy, and test validation. To better understand the issues related to alignment, this study compares the alignment in physics among three education systems: Jiangsu (China), New York State (United States), and Singapore. The same coding…

This paper describes the structure and impact of an NSF-funded ITEST project designed to enrich science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education using educational modules that teach students to construct, program, and test a series of sensors used to monitor water quality. During the two years of the SENSE IT project, over 30…

Listed in this science syllabus are concepts and understandings in eight major areas: (1) forces, motion, and work; (2) introduction to energy; (3) mechanical energy and machines; (4) sound energy; (5) electromagnetic energy and light energy; (6) heat energy; (7) electric and magnetic energy; and (8) nuclear energy. The booklet also includes…

The focus of this article is the development of future science teachers. A research project, involving Cornell University, the Cornell Center for Materials Research, and NASCAR Champion Jeff Gordon is described. All research was conducted in association with faculty and staff at Cornell University and resulted in the development of a science…

Involving two or more academic subjects, interdisciplinary studies aim to blend together broad perspectives, knowledge, skills, and epistemology in an educational setting. By focusing on topics or questions too broad for a single discipline to cover, these studies strive to draw connections between seemingly different fields. Cases on…

A study concurrently identified significant relationships between the attitudes of high school students toward nuclear energy, environmental issues, energy concepts, science concepts, space exploration, and metrication topical areas. Surveys indicated there were significant concurrent attitudinal relationships between specific science-related…

This publication provides single-page outlines of brief ideas for high school student activities in each of the System and Foundation Courses of the New York State technology sequence. The idea outlines are provided as a resource to assist teachers in the development of student learning activities. The six courses for which ideas are presented are…

"Chronicle of Higher Education" presents an abundant source of news and information for college and university faculty members and administrators. This April 2, 2004 issue of "Chronicle for Higher Education" includes the following articles: (1) "Black Colleges and the Politics of Race" (Samuels, Albert L.); (2)…