A pedagogic intervention, in the form of an inquiry-based peer-assisted learning project (as a practical student-led bioinformatics module), was assessed for its ability to increase students' engagement, practical bioinformatic skills and process-specific knowledge. Elements assessed were process-specific knowledge following module completion,…

Advances in science education research have the potential to improve the way students learn to perform scientific interpretations and understand science concepts. We developed active, collaborative activities to teach skills in manipulating flow cytometry data using FlowJo software. Undergraduate students were given compensated clinical flow…

At the dawn of the new millennium, American higher education faced a crisis. Dogmatic philosophies of multiculturalism, postmodernism, and statism were sweeping away thousands of years of Western thought. The academy was being scrubbed of free market economics, traditional attitudes toward Western civilization, time-tested methods of scholarship,…

At the centennial annual meeting of the "Association of American Colleges & Universities" (AAC&U) in January 2015, there was an announcement to participants of the release of the "LEAP Challenge." The key concept at the center of the LEAP Challenge is that all college students need to prepare to contribute in a world…

In daily life, students are allowed to use words such as "more," "some," or "increase-decrease" to describe the relationship between two events. In science, concise description is necessary, which requires the contribution of math. In the summer component of the Science Research Institute program, students integrated…

This article describes how to use protein extraction, quantification, and analysis in the undergraduate teaching laboratory to engage students in inquiry-based, discovery-driven learning. Detailed instructions for obtaining proteins from animal tissues, using BCA assay to quantify the proteins, and data analysis are provided. The experimental…

Engineering Students Understanding Mathematics (ESUM) is a developmental research project at a UK university. The motivating aim is that engineering students should develop a more conceptual understanding of mathematics through their participation in an innovation in teaching. A small research team has both studied and contributed to innovation,…

A research group at the University of Alberta is attempting to apply the Community of Inquiry framework to all components of courses, rather than only the online discussion component.

To explore the relationship between inquiry and composing, a study interviewed 14 faculty members from several disciplines at the University of California at Santa Barbara, inquiring about the natural history of their research projects; where their ideas originated; what they did with those ideas; where their research took them; and what was the…

The current, conventional approach to research does little to strengthen scholars' participation in civic life. However, models of research that promote more democratic inquiry methods, more reciprocal relationships between researchers and their subjects, and new collaborations between research institutions and communities are emerging and being…

The Association of American Medical Colleges' statement defines misconduct in research, discusses its prevention, and outlines suggested processes and policy for handling allegations of misconduct, appeal and final review, and disciplinary action. (MSE)

Gives an overview of the intellectual and social structure of science in the United States since the mid-1960s. Discusses some factors responsible for establishing new research directions. Describes the change of the meaning of "inquiry," circumstances, and research style. (Author/YP)

Two papers are presented--a summary and a lengthier description of an interdisciplinary college-level liberal arts course. Both papers are intended for use by humanities and social science teachers as they develop and implement interdisciplinary and competency-based curricula. Five areas of academic competency serve as course objectives. These are…