This study explored the use of social media as a tool in enhancing student's learning experiences, by using online instruction as a supplement to a face-to-face general education course, such as biological sciences. Survey data were collected from 186 students who were enrolled in a Biological Sciences course. The course was taught in a blended…

The purpose of this design-based research case study was to apply a networked learning approach to a seventh grade science class at a public school in the southeastern United States. Students adapted Web applications to construct personal learning environments for in-depth scientific inquiry of poisonous and venomous life forms. API widgets were…

Describes the contribution made to the quality of human life by the study of genetics. Presents a description of the current status of genetics education. Suggests changes in genetics education necessary to keep up with new developments. (39 references) (CW)

This study attempted to determine which combinations of student, teacher, curricular, and task factors characterize effective life science instruction, where effectiveness is defined as the acquisition of scientific literacy. The framework of scientific literacy used includes five teacher behavior components: (1) explaining science content; (2)…

"Straight" lecturing as the only method for information delivery was at one time an efficient means of college teaching. Increased enrollment in the biological sciences, the diversity of preparedness of the students, and the variety of learning preferences of the students require new ways of disseminating information and assessing classroom…

This study examines how academic assertiveness in junior high school students affects conceptual change and the degree to which their assertiveness affects the conceptual change of partners paired with them for a series of activities using a computer simulation of the human cardiovascular system. The sample was a group of 90 eighth-grade students…

This study is an extension of an on-going longitudinal study, the Girls Engagement With/In Science (GEIS) Project. The GEIS Project was designed to understand how girls who are poor, minority or both, engage in science. The two teachers who form the focus for this study are these girls' 7th and 8th grade teachers. Data for this interpretive…

As part of an ongoing study of the content knowledge, instructional beliefs, and instructional practices of middle school, high school, and college science teachers, the hypothesis that there are systematic differences across academic levels in these teachers' conceptual understanding of the same content-specific subjects was studied. Eight middle…

Interdisciplinary study with computer-based multimedia in the classroom is reviewed. The multimedia revolution involves multiple technologies and multiple modes of sensation, but the computer is at the heart of this revolution. Despite the many challenges, interest is strong for multimedia courseware. The predicted market is enormous, and nowhere…