Journal of College Science Teaching articles from May 2007

Journal of College Science Teaching archives from May 2007

Braking brain.(Headline Science)
May 1, 2007... Researchers led by cognitive neuroscientist Adam Aron, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of California, San Diego, have found white matter tracts--bundles of neurons, or "cables," forming direct, high-speed connections...

Biofuels.(Headline Science)(Net Greenhouse Gas Flux of Bioenergy Cropping Systems Using Daycent)
May 1, 2007... As the United States looks to alternate fuel sources, ethanol has become one of the front runners. Farmers have begun planting corn in the hopes that its potential new use will be a new income source. What many don't realize is the potential...

Using a case-study article to effectively introduce mitosis.(The Case Study)
May 1, 2007... Community college students in a non-majors biology class are introduced to mitosis by reading a case-study article that allows them to gauge how many times various parts of their bodies have been regenerated. The case-study article allows...

A professional development teaching course for science graduate students: an innovative course at the University of Hawaii provides future science professors with professional development in effective science teaching.(Report)
May 1, 2007... Although the majority of the teaching faculty at U.S. universities is composed of people who are scientific experts, research has found that most scientists do not have information about effective teaching methods (DeHaan 2005). Traditional...

Integration of field studies and undergraduate research into an interdisciplinary course: Natural History of Tropical Carbonate Ecosystems.
May 1, 2007... Natural History of Tropical Carbonate Ecosystems is an interdisciplinary, student/faculty, research-driven course open to biology, geology, and environmental-studies majors, which integrates a field project that provides the potential for...

Improving advising in the sciences: analysis of the educational environments of science- and math-related majors.
May 1, 2007... Students, faculty, and advisers must have ready access to current, accurate, and useable information about programs and curricula (Commission for Undergraduate Education 1995). College and university publications (e.g., bulletins, catalogs,...

Designing and implementing a hands-on, inquiry-based molecular biology course.
May 1, 2007... Inquiry-based learning was used to enhance an undergraduate molecular biology course at Georgia Southern University, a primarily undergraduate institution in rural southeast Georgia. The goal was to use a long-term, in-class project to...

Is collaborative grouping an effective instructional strategy? Using IMMEX to find new answers to an old question.(Interactive Multi-Media Exercises )
May 1, 2007... While problem solving is a generally accepted goal of most science courses, it has previously been difficult to determine the extent to which students' problem-solving abilities are impacted by these courses. Interactive Multi-Media Exercises...

A simple approach to improving student writing: an example from hydrology.
May 1, 2007... Using the simple approach described in this article, college science instructors can help students become independent thinkers and writers in science. The unique character of this approach is that it shows students how to formulate the...

Meaningful involvement of science undergraduates in K-12 outreach.
May 1, 2007... The authors argue for the involvement of science undergraduates in K-12 outreach to enhance their communication skills, generate enthusiasm for science in today's youth, and extend relationships between institutions of higher learning and...

Creeping passivity.(Editorial)
May 1, 2007... This last year, I observed a sea change in my freshmen. I know that each class tends to develop its own personality and I can't say for certain if this observed shift is just a random fluctuation or a bellwether of things to come. If the latter...

Improving students' perceptions of benefits of science demonstrations and content mastery in a large-enrollment chemistry lecture demonstration course for nonscience majors.(Research AND Teaching)
May 1, 2007... A large enrollment, instructor-centered chemistry course taught with science demonstrations was transformed into one that was more student-centered. Course survey and examination results revealed more positive perceptions of the benefits of...

The nature of color subtraction: a guided inquiry experience.(Favorite Demonstration)
May 1, 2007... Many college students profess to have an understanding of the nature of color. The study of color begins in the early grades, so it makes sense that students should feel confident regarding their knowledge. However, oral questions to probe...

Teach for understanding before the details get in the way.(SCST: Society for College Science Teachers)
May 1, 2007... I sat through a peer evaluation the other day observing a dynamic, young faculty member (fresh out of a post-doc research position) teach his nonmajors biology class. He was discussing material in ecology and preparing students for their second...

Evolution 101 (Science 101).(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Evolution 101 (Science 101) Randy Moore and Janice Moore. 2006. 219pp. $49.95. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT. ISBN: 0313332924. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Seldom is a book so well written and so well researched that it ought to be required...

Winds of Change: Climate, Weather, and the Destruction of Civilizations.(Brief article)(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Winds of Change: Climate, Weather, and the Destruction of Civilizations Eugene Linden. 2006. 302pp. $26. Simon and Schuster, New York. ISBN: 0684863529. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] With climate change in the media and on the minds of...

Productive Learning: Science, Art, and Einstein's Relativity in Educational Reform.(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Productive Learning: Science, Art, and Einstein's Relativity in Educational Reform Stanislaw D. Glazek and Seymour B. Sarason. 2006. $35.95. 280pp. Corwin Press, Thousand Oaks, CA. ISBN: 1412940605. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Education...

Relativity: The Special and General Theory.(Book review)
May 1, 2007... Relativity: The Special and General Theory Albert Einstein. 2006. 288pp. $11. Penguin Books, New York. ISBN: 0452287847. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The notion that time is not an absolute quantity is still counterintuitive to most of us....

Valuing the prerequisite course: do you respect what you require? Or do you send mixed messages to your majors?(Point of View)(Viewpoint essay)
May 1, 2007... Every science major has prerequisites: algebra, calculus, general chemistry, or introductory physics. As faculty, we understand the importance of these foundation courses. After all, we establish these prerequisites or, at least, review their...