Criticizes the way organic chemistry teaching laboratory experiments are approached from the viewpoint of physical chemistry. Compares these experiments to cooking. Stresses that what matters is not the practice of the finger skills of organic chemistry but practice in the style of thinking of organic chemists. (CW)

Describes use of computer simulation which generates bird songs so that students can analyze song motifs and sequences as an introduction to descriptive analysis of behavior in an animal behavior course. Advantages of the simulation are discussed together with computer hardware/software needed and data presentation, analysis, and generation…

Discusses the problem of serious dangers in current and backlist chemistry experiment books. Discarding of older books and careful evaluation of the dangers inherent in newer books are recommended. Safe alternatives are suggested, including some criteria for evaluating dangers, and a safer approach used by a current author. (EM)

Factors that influence the efficiency of laboratory experiences include: size of laboratory group, length of session, discussion, special tools, and applications of knowledge learned. It is suggested that these variables may be altered to insure that students gain from their time spent in the laboratory. (BH)

Discusses the future of chemical research in the 1980s and the important improvements that will probably occur, particularly in the chemical industry. (SA)

Earlier generations of developmental psychologists, seeking to make their discipline a normative science, stressed experimental study of children, method over subject matter, and fundamental laws underlying behavior. By contrast, the generation of psychologists after 1970 is inclusive in its research methodology, concerned with the connection…

Describes the transformation of PHY 101-02, an introductory physics course taught at Northern Virginia Community College, Annandale Campus, into a distance learning course by putting the lecture component on video tape and transforming the laboratory component into "at-home" labs. Course requirements may be completed on students' own…

Microcomputers can perform two distinct functions in high school science classes, providing computer-assisted instruction and serving as tools in experimentation. This report describes a project based on three premises: that science is primarily the process of examining, modeling, and understanding nature; that the best way to learn science is by…

This paper argues for extending the definition of "technology" in education to include much more than just computers, and for recognizing the dangers of using technology for its entertainment purposes. Two conceptions of the proper use of technology in science classrooms are offered: (1) technology as tool; and (2) technology as topic. Specific…

Presents history, nature of evidence evaluated, and philosophical questions to justify the view that experiments on parity nonconservation were "crucial" experiments in the sense that they decided unambiguously and within a short period of time for the appropriate scientific community, between two or more competing theories or classes of theories.…

Many of the curricular reforms of the last decades merit continuation, it is argued, even if formal evaluations are difficult to establish. Self-regulation through internal audits and consultant review are seen as safeguards for the quality of innovative programs. (Author/MLW)

The traditional experimental-control group method for evaluating delinquency prevention programs is questioned. It is contended that the method harms the intervention and exacerbates the deliquency problem. (JKS)

Summarizes the report on undergraduate education in biology published by the National Science Foundation. Discusses the problems and recommended solutions for each of three areas: laboratories and course development; enhancing the quality of teaching; and recruitment and retention of students. (YP)

Conducted classroom observations to determine students' understanding of the nature of science and the intentionality of experiments. Topics discussed include: does science seek to explain, using models, proving that the theoretical explanation is correct, and discussions of different interpretations. Concludes that most students in the 14-16 age…

Approaches used to evaluate student progress depend on the educational philosophy involved, because each philosophy determines what learners should learn. Approaches reviewed include (1) the testing movement; (2) self-evaluation by students; (3) idealism and the evaluation process; (4) experimentation and evaluation; and (5) perennialism and…