For teachers, a common difficulty when introducing scientific thinking is finding ways to engage the participation of the students. Because most scientific problems require at least some specialized knowledge to formulate and solve, it can be hard to go beyond merely discussing the steps of the scientific method and illustrating them with the…

This article provides a first-person account of a training program in group dynamics. It is deliberately written in the first-person to capture the highly personal nature of group dynamic analysis. Proceeding through an intensive account of six days of T-groups, module facilitation, and facilitator feedback sessions, the author examines painful…

A student evaluation system is described that maximizes characteristics of formative evaluation, uses multiple forms of assessment to evaluate competency, and provides timely and detailed feedback and opportunities for remediation. Student and faculty opinions of the program have been positive. (Author/MSE)

This paper describes the training of first-year students in technical skills by students in the second year of a laboratory course. The authors conclude that peer teaching is a very useful teaching method for reinforcing technical skills and providing better instructor-student ratios in the laboratory. (Author)

Describes the functioning of Murray's Interpersonal Communication Laboratory (first established in 1949) designed to help students internalize the principles of general semantics and apply them to everyday problems in communication. (PD)

The universities and institutions that deal with undergraduate education generally have a traditional organizational structure: their human resources are allocated to departments which are structured on subjects, and the persons are grouped according to their specialization profile. As a result of this, it has been observed that many groups are…

Nanoscience refers to the fundamental study of scientific phenomena, which occur at the nanoscale--nanotechnology to the exploitation of novel properties and functions of materials in the sub-100 nm size range. One of the underlying principles of science is development of models of observed phenomena. In biology, the Hardy-Weinberg principle is a…

The process of a successful undergraduate student-faculty research collaboration involving a student with documented learning disabilities is detailed. As the student developed research skills, she also learned how to develop her own learning strategies. At the same time, the faculty member learned strategies adaptable to all student-faculty…

We report on a study of a laboratory teaching apprenticeship program designed to improve graduate teaching assistant (GTA) performance. To catalyze GTAs as laboratory teachers we constructed learning goals, synthesized previous literature into a design model and a developmental path, and built two instruments to measure 12 strategic pedagogical…

The Impromptu Teaching Model was designed by the University of Central Arkansas for use by preservice teachers in laboratory teaching experiences. Two teaching exercises, microteaching and reflective teaching, form the basis for impromptu teaching. Microteaching provides teachers with the opportunity to master various technical skills of the…

The education of teachers involves three categories of knowledge: particularistic, technical, and liberal. These knowledge areas are explored and their association with field, laboratory and scholarly/scientific learning environments is discussed. (DF)

Describes a model using correctional industries to train inmates for successful existence in the labor force after release. (CH)

Teachers deserve to have appropriate training before they are held accountable for teaching about computer hardware and software, and the responsibility for this training falls to the teacher training institutions. Such a computer literacy program has been instituted at Abilene Christian University (Texas). (DCS)

Traditionally nuclear chemistry appears in the last few chapters of chemistry textbooks and is not normally considered a mainstream topic. In addition, some science teachers lack the training or equipment to teach nuclear chemistry. Yet nuclear chemistry is a very important topic that should be taught in all chemistry classrooms. Learning about…

The authors present the case for improvement in the teaching of oral communication skills to business students. They describe a successful model laboratory approach to teaching these skills. (CH)