Homestudy Assignments: An Experiment in Promoting Active Learning in Introductory Chemistry—Preparing Students for Today’s Cooperative Work Environment

Journal Article | January 1997

In this article, students are given "Homestudy Assignments." These are written assignments completed by teams of two or three students both inside and outside of class. The assignments had several benefits in addition…

Integrating Introductory Biology and General Chemistry Laboratories: Making the Necessary Connections Between Scientific Disciplines at Boston University

Journal Article | November 1999

This paper discusses how two different laboratory sections can employ nontraditional investigative laboratory modules that integrate concepts from cell biology, molecular genetics, and chemistry. During each module,…

Improving Student Perceptions of Science Through the Use of State-of-the-Art Instrumentation in General Chemistry Laboratory

Journal Article | June 2011

Access to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy early in the college curriculum was provided to undergraduate students in an effort to improve student perceptions of science. Survey results indicated positive…

Chemistry Now, week 8: cheeseburger chemistry: tomato

Blog Post | March 2011

Tomatoes…fiery color and cool completeness How does a tomato go from green, marble-like sphere to juicy red brilliance? Chemistry, that’s how. In the case of tomatoes, the plant bathes the fruit in ethylene molecules…

Chemistry Now, week 7: cheeseburger chemistry, the bun

Blog Post | March 2011

What makes the simple hamburger bun the perfect stage for a juicy hamburger? An airy lightness? The sweet earthy taste and smell of yeasty dough? A hint of shiny brown sugars carmelized onto the surface of the…

Chemistry Now, week 2: cheeseburger chemistry—cheese

Blog Post | January 2011

As we mentioned last week, NSTA and NBC Learn have teamed up with the National Science Foundation (NSF) to launch “Chemistry Now,” a weekly, online, video series that uncovers and explains the science of common,…

Two-Year Community: Tools for Success: A Study of the Resources and Study Habits of General Chemistry I Students at Two Community Colleges

Journal Article | December 2017

Recruitment and retention in the sciences is both difficult and crucial, especially in the community college setting. In this study, the resources used by General Chemistry I students at two different public,…

Research and Teaching: Meaningful Learning in a First-Year Chemistry Laboratory Course: Differences Across Classical, Discovery, and Instrumental Experiments

Journal Article | October 2011

To investigate students' perceptions of learning through three categories of experiments—classical, discovery, and instrumental—six students were interviewed over the course of a semester. Students' descriptions of…

Argument-Driven Inquiry in Undergraduate Chemistry Labs: The Impact on Students' Conceptual Understanding, Argument Skills, and Attitudes Toward Science

Journal Article | February 2012

This article describes a new instructional model called Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI), which is designed to promote student engagement in processes of investigation design and scientific argumentation. The ADI…