Journal of College Science Teaching articles from November 2007

Journal of College Science Teaching archives from November 2007

In defense of the lecture.(POINT OF VIEW)(Viewpoint essay)
November 1, 2007... Science education research has produced empirical data supporting good teaching techniques. An awareness of this body of knowledge can be helpful in deciding what to do with your 50 minutes to increase the effectiveness of your lecture. Some...

Revisiting the cone of learning: is it a reliable way to link instruction method with knowledge recall?(SCST: SOCIETY FOR COLLEGE SCIENCE TEACHERS)
November 1, 2007... Recently, I happened upon a research report (Cross and Angelo 1988) that reaffirmed a half-century old study that ranked the successful retention of learning based on the instructional method (Dale 1969). In his article, Dale had constructed a...

Linking general education and science teacher preparation.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This educational project involves prospective science teachers in implementing a natural science course for nonscience majors. Our model creates a space for nonscience majors to experience learner-centered teaching...

Investigative labs in biology: the importance of attending to team dynamics.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The use of investigative labs is quite common these days--and rightfully so. As early as 1969 the Commission on Undergraduate Education in the Biological Sciences claimed that "the best use of the laboratory in...

Science and the nonscience major: addressing the fear factor in the chemical arena using forensic science.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This article describes an approach to minimizing the "fear factor" in a chemistry course for the nonscience major, and also addresses relevant applications to other science courses, including biology, geology, and...

Engaging general biology students with learning contracts.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Students in a general biology class used a learning contract where they selected chapter-relevant activities they could complete through several formats: oral, written, or artistic. The majority of students felt they...

Brain awareness day: a service-learning experience in Neuroscience.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Introduction and significance Service learning is a method of teaching and learning that connects the classroom experience with meaningful community service (Eyler et al. 2001; Reed et al. 2005; Zlotkowski 2005;...

Developing an interdisciplinary curriculum framework for aquatic-ecosystem modeling.
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] The science and management of aquatic ecosystems are inherently interdisciplinary, involving geochemistry, atmospheric science, hydrology, water quality, ecology, economics, and sociology, among other disciplines....

Location, location, location does seat location affect performance in large classes?(RESEARCH AND TEACHING)
November 1, 2007... This study found no evidence that seat location affects student achievement even when students sit a considerable distance from the instructor in very large classes. In these days of tightening budgets, increasing enrollments, and greater...

At a glance.(EDITORIAL)
November 1, 2007... At the start of this school year, I had a visit from one of my favorite students. Zach is a senior, and he stopped by my office to chat about plans after college. Along the way, he told me about some frustrating visits to graduate schools. Zach...

Why I like clicker personal response systems.(CASE STUDY)(Case study)
November 1, 2007... [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] I agreed to use clickers as part of my interest in case study teaching when I joined an investigation into the use of clicker personal response systems to teach cases in large introductory biology courses. For those...

Demonstrating inquiry-based teaching competencies in the life sciences: Part 2.(FAVORITE DEMONSTRATION)
November 1, 2007... This set of botany demonstrations is a continuation of the inquiry-based lecture activities that provide realistic connections to the history and nature of science and employ technology in data collection (see the September/ October issue of...

Handbook of College Science Teaching.(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2007... Handbook of College Science Teaching Joel J. Mintzes and William H. Leonard. 2006. 416pp. $39.36. NSTA Press, Arlington, VA. ISBN: 9780873552608. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Information swamps us today--and often there is more than the...

Understanding New, Resurgent, and Resistant Diseases.(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2007... Understanding New, Resurgent, and Resistant Diseases Kurt Link, M.D. 2007. 179pp. $44.95. Greenwood Press, Westport, CT. ISBN: 9780275991265. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] This book places new and emerging diseases into a historical...

Start With A Story: The Case Study Method of Teaching College Science--An NSTA Press Journals Collection.(Brief article)(Book review)
November 1, 2007... Start With A Story: The Case Study Method of Teaching College Science--An NSTA Press Journals Collection Clyde Freeman Herreid. 2006. 466pp. $27.96. NSTA Press, Arlington, VA. ISBN: 9781933531069. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] Good...

Genes and Cloning.(Brief article)(Video recording review)
November 1, 2007... Genes and Cloning Video Education America. 2006. $89.95. White Plains, NY. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] In this excellent overview of the science of genetics past and pr e s ent , students learn that the science of genetics did not start...

Hair and DNA.(HEADLINE SCIENCE)(Brief article)
November 1, 2007... A rapid technique for isolating DNA in hair has yielded a mass of new information about woolly mammoths. An international research team says the process should work on other extinct animals, allowing their genetics to be studied in detail for...

Cockroach intelligence.(HEADLINE SCIENCE)
November 1, 2007... In its ability to learn, the cockroach is a moron in the morning and a genius in the evening. Dramatic daily variations in the cockroach's learning ability were discovered by a new study performed by Vanderbilt University biologists. "This...