To help students acquire mathematics and science knowledge and competencies, educators typically use multiple external representations (MERs). There has been considerable interest in examining ways to present, sequence, and combine MERs. One prominent approach is the concreteness fading sequence, which posits that instruction should start with…

A two-semester second-year introductory organic chemistry sequence featuring one semester of accelerated organic chemistry followed by one semester of bioorganic chemistry is described. Assessment data collected over a six-year period reveal that such a course sequence can facilitate student mastery of fundamental organic chemistry in the first…

Given the evolution of biology, chemistry, and physics over the past 70 years, educators should question the traditional sequencing of high school science courses. Reversing the sequence helps students see the logical progression of modern scientific thought, from forces and the movement of objects to molecular structures and the development of…