Journal of College Science Teaching articles from January 2007

Journal of College Science Teaching archives from January 2007

Using Science Fiction Movie Scenes to Support Critical Analysis of Science.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Michael Barnett and Alan Kafka In this paper we discuss pedagogical advantages and challenges of using science-fiction movies and television shows in an introductory science class for elementary teachers. We describe two...

Can Students Learn From Lecture Demonstrations?
January 1, 2007... Byline: Marina Milner-Bolotin, Andrzej Kotlicki, and Georg Rieger In this article we describe a case study of interactive lecture experiments in a large introductory physics course. The impact of this pedagogy on student learning and...

Teaching Anatomy and Physiology Using Computer-Based, Stereoscopic Images.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Jamie Perry, David Kuehn, and Rick Langlois Learning real three-dimensional (3D) anatomy for the first time can be challenging. Two-dimensional drawings and plastic models tend to over-simplify the complexity of anatomy. The...

Combustion and Energy Transfer Experiments.
January 1, 2007... Core concepts can be integrated throughout lower-division science and engineering courses by using a series of related, cross-referenced laboratory experiments. Starting with butane combustion in chemistry, we expanded the underlying core...

The Effect of Seat Location on Exam Grades and Student Perceptions in an Introductory Biology Class.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Steven Kalinowski and Mark L. Taper An experiment shows that sitting in the back of a lecture hall rather than the front does not have a detrimental effect on student performance on exams. The effect of seat location on...

Letters to the Editor.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Eric Brunsell, Seth Baum, and Linda Froschauer I am writing in response to NSTA President Linda Froschauer's editorial in the September 2006 issue of the NSTA journals. In her message, she clearly outlined the precarious position of...

Intimate Debate Technique: Medical Use of Marijuana.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Clyde Freeman Herreid and Kristie DeRei No great advance has ever been made in science, politics, or religion without controversy. -Lyman Beecher, American cleric, 1775-1863 Classroom debates used to be familiar exercises...

E-Concept Mapping.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Brian R. Shmaefsky Not all demonstrations involve using exciting visual displays of one or a series of scientific principles. Demonstrations can be as simple as showing the interrelationship between scientific concepts or...

Questions From the Edge: Using Informal Surveys to Build Rapport With Students.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Eric Hedin Our astronomy textbook, Astronomy: The Solar System and Beyond (Seeds 2003), includes an introductory note to students in which the author opens with these intriguing statements: "Astronomy helps us answer the ultimate...

Small-Group Peer Teaching in an Introductory Biology Classroom.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Jack Tessier Note: Dr. Ann Cutler served as guest editor for this issue's Research and Teaching column. Having nonmajor general biology students teach each other in small groups helped improve student learning when compared to...

Finding Time Through Specialization.
January 1, 2007... Byline: Donald P. French As part of the Early Career Development Program at our Institute of Teaching and Learning Excellence, a colleague and I recently presented a segment entitled Managing My Course. Among our points was that effective...