All Journal of College Science Teaching resources

Journal Article

Evolutionary Steps: A Stairway-Created Display of the History of Life—How a Xavier University Biology Class Plots Earth's Major Evolutionary Events

The students at Xavier University's general biology course learn about evolution by ascending a stairway in a science building. Along the stairwell walls students examine fossils and explanatory texts while the ascending stairs represent a climb thro...

Journal Article

Reinvigorating Introductory Biology: A theme-based, Investigative Approach to Teaching Biology Majors—Making Science More Meaningful at an All-Women's College

This theme-based, investigative approach to teaching introductory biology offers faculty a way to emphasize the process of science over content. Students appreciate the freedom to test their own ideas and to become active participants in the learning...

Journal Article

Guest Editorial: Science Literacy and the U.S. Congress—A Call from Capitol Hill for Increased Cooperation in Meetng U.S. Technological Challenges

An opinion piece about the important role Congress plays in shaping our national research and development enterprise. Their actions are critical to the success of advancing fundamental scientific understanding and our ability as a nation to deal with...

Journal Article

Student-Designed Experiments in Scientific Lab Instruction: Students at the University of Puerto Rico Go back to the Basics to Learn Chemistry Concepts

Student-designed experiments emphasize depth of understanding. Revisiting "known" concepts like heat, temperature, uncertainty in measurements, mass, and volume, helps students deepen their understanding. Having to apply them in a new situation makes...

Journal Article

Research and Teaching: Student Self-Assessment of Higher-Order Cognitive Skills in College Science Teaching

A wide consensus exists among researchers that the development of students' abilities to ask questions, reason, problem solve, and think critically—in short, higher-order cognitive skills (HOCS)—should become a central focus of current science ed...

Journal Article

Point of View: Do Academic Research Costs Drive up Undergraduate Tuition?

This column shares reflections or thoughtful opinions on issues of broad interest to the community. This month’s issue focuses on the tuition and fee increases for colleges and universities....

Journal Article

Sharpening the Craft of Scientific Writing: A Peer-Review Strategy to Improve Student Writing

Writing is vital to the success of a scientist. Incorporating peer review into courses is an excellent way to enhance the scientific writing experience. Students find that the process of reviewing the work of peers and being subject to peer review ex...

Journal Article

The Case Study: What is a Case? Bringing to Science Education the Established Teaching Tool of Law and Medicine

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This month’s issue features both medicine and law cases that are real stories....

Journal Article

Favorite Demonstration: Microbe Wars: A Demonstration of Microbial Antagonism—A Vivid Example of Microorganism Interaction

This article describes an exercise ideal for use in an introductory biology or microbiology class. It requires no specialized equipment, little expertise in microbiology, and provides a colorful demonstration of a microbial interaction....

Journal Article

Society for College Science Teaching (SCST): Creating a Learning-Friendly Curriculum—Striving to Assure that our Seeds of Thought are Viable and can Germinate and Grow if Sown in the Right Mental Fields

In this column the President of SCST shares his views with JCST readers. This month’s issue focuses on the importance of teachers making sure that the seeds sown are viable, and that they can germinate and grow if they fall into the right mental fi...

Journal Article

Phytochemistry and Culture: Connecting Science to Students' Experiences

This article focuses on science content that will draw from the lived experiences of culturally diverse students and foster an excitement about the true nature of science. Students begin to participate and bring knowledge from their lives to share op...

Journal Article

Facilitating the Reading/Discussion Connection in the Interactive Classroom: "Discovery Questions" Help Create Independent Learners

If students are to achieve the higher level of learning that occurs as a result of interactive classroom strategies and discussions, teachers must accept the responsibility of helping students develop their ability to extract information from textboo...

Journal Article

Research and Teaching: The Constructivist Learning Environment Survey May Help Halt Student Exodus from College Science Courses—Comparing Students' Preferences and Perceptions of Constructivist-Style Teaching Environments

The Constructivist Learning Environment Survey (CLES) appears to hold promise as a method of assessing college science learning environments. However, college science teachers must begin to appreciate students' preferences in learning environments....

Journal Article

Science at a Distance: Nontraditional Students Realize their Academic Goals Utilizing an Alberta University Distance-Education Program

With the increased availability of new technologies, distance educators have the opportunity to design science courses that provide students with a wider range of learning aids than are available at many traditional institutions, while at the same ti...