Classroom Experiment Research Articles

Cream Skimming and Technological Innovations in Automobile Insurance Market

Abstract This study examines the effect of telematics devices on the automobile insurance market. Automobile insurance using these devices is marketed as pay-how-you-drive (PHYD) automobile insurance. Insurers can directly monitor the insured’s vehicle for risky driving behaviors such as speeding. Some of insureds receive discounts on their premiums for driving more cautiously. On the other hand, accumulating the insured’s driving skills, insurers may be able to only sign up insureds with low accident rates, widely known as cream skimming. By applying Hodgson (2014. “Adverse Selection in Health Insurance Markets: A Classroom Experiment.” The Journal of Economic Education 45 (2): 90–100), we tested whether PHYD programs makes it easier for insurers to contract with low-risk drivers. Repeated cream skimming suggests that only high-risk drivers remain in the market and a residual market cannot be established, which could lead to adverse selection and market failure in the absence of any regulations. However, the experiment revealed that low-risk but highly risk-averse subjects tend to dislike the fluctuation in premiums by enrolling in PHYD programs. The results could be effective in future regulatory construction.

Teaching Reform and Practice Based on Four Dimensions and One Penetration for Sensing and Detection Technology

Sensing and Detection Technology is a core course in engineering specialties. Traditional sensor teaching methods have obvious deficiencies in cultivating students’ ability. To better foster students’ comprehensive qualities, this study explored a 4D1P (Four Dimensions and One Penetration) teaching mode. We independently developed an industrial sensor teaching platform with intellectual property rights, integrating classroom and sensor experiments to address the disconnection between traditional sensor teaching and practical application. This mode combined the teaching platform with SPOC (small private online courses) and Rain Classroom teaching software, enriching classroom teaching and stimulating students’ interest. By applying industry-academia-research integration to sensor teaching, students’ horizons were broadened and their creative thinking enriched. The mode set up discussion-based learning in the classroom, making the class atmosphere lively. Throughout the teaching process, data-driven learning and teaching evaluation were consistently applied, allowing teachers to promptly understand students’ learning situations. Data shows that under the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic, students’ grades improved and they were satisfied with this teaching mode. This mode solves most current problems in university classroom teaching and significantly enhances students’ practical abilities. It also has certain significance for education in other disciplines.

Tracking the terminal velocity and energy of a parachutist: A video analysis for Physics classroom experiment

Abstract This study primarily focuses on tracking a parachutist’s terminal velocity and energy during a free fall using video analysis. Also, this study looks into related literature about the implications of this experiment for classroom practice. High-quality and slow-motion videos of free-falling slotted masses acting as parachutists were captured, and the terminal velocities and energies were analyzed through software tracker video analysis and modeling. The data from the software revealed that, indeed, the terminal velocity is directly proportional to the square root of the masses. The 200g parachutist reaches terminal velocity first, then the less massive parachutist. The generated kinetic energy, gravitational potential energy, and total mechanical energy graphs were similar to the literature. The tracker video analysis can indeed track a parachutist’s terminal velocity and energy. However, the acceleration due to gravitational needed to be measured correctly due to some errors in the experiment. Furthermore, the literature has cited positive and negative implications for classroom practice. This study can say that the positive outweighs the negative. The positive repercussions were about enhanced engagement, accuracy, and data precision, while the negative ones were about the school’s technological divide.

Exploring the Efficacy of a ChatGPT-Based Application in Enhancing Oral English Proficiency for Chinese ESL Students

This research explores the impact of Chat GPT AI Characters on ESL learning, comparing them to traditional peer practice in language education. It investigates AI's influence on language proficiency, engagement, and response quality, drawing from literature on ESL challenges. Using mixed methods—pre- and post-test questionnaires, classroom experiments—the study evaluates two groups' language fluency, response speed, and answer quality. Thematic analysis uncovers student perspectives, while statistical methods like t-tests and correlation studies highlight group differences. Ethical considerations prioritize privacy and consent. Anticipated outcomes include improved language skills and engagement. Acknowledging limitations in sample size and cultural biases, this study illuminates AI's role in ESL education, informing future teaching practices.

Research on the Construction of Entrepreneurship Education Curriculum Group in Agriculture and Forestry Colleges––Taking Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University as an Example

Although the curriculum construction of innovation and entrepreneurship in colleges and universities has made great achievements in recent years, the problems in the practice process are also more prominent. This study adheres to the principle of combining theory and practice and adopts the interview method in the specific practice process to interview the staff and researchers involved in the design and research of the construction of innovation and entrepreneurship education course groups, to understand and master the real situation of the construction of entrepreneurship education course group. Thus, a college student entrepreneurship education course group integrating classroom teaching, experiment teaching, practice teaching and entrepreneurial competition resources was constructed.

Neurocognitive Approach to Successful Learning and Speaking of English Language among Day Secondary Schools in Nyagatare District, Rwanda

Learning a foreign language, particularly English, poses challenges for Rwandan teenagers already introduced to other science subjects like mathematics, physics, and other different courses of action that have occupied their attention, or, on the other hand, disturbs their mind and hinders their learning spirit. This study aimed to investigate how the neurocognitive underpinnings of brain activation methods and integration multisensory work to activate those teenagers’ brain attention to English language learning and develop speaking skills and enable learners to overcome the neurocognitive challenges like lack of motivation, emotions, stress, and anxiety that hinder English language learning and speaking. This study was built around the multisensory theory and brain-based learning theory. Using a semi-longitudinal approach, data was collected from 40 senior two students to explore difficulties in learning English from one school in Nyagatare district. These were selected purposefully from the population of 340 students. A six-week classroom experiment from April 15 to May 23, 2024, gathered both quantitative and qualitative data on how brain activation methods enable English learning speaking. Single-group experiments and observations were used to collect data. In the experiment, the procedure of pretest-treatment-posttest was implemented. SPSS software was used to analyze the data, with results showing improved post-test scores after targeted interventions. In the pre-test, the mean score ranges between 1 and 2.5 with a standard deviation that swings between 0.405 and 0.802 for all questions, while the mean score in the post-test aligns between 3.5 and 5 with a standard deviation that wheels between 0.267 and 0.813, which significantly indicates high scores after the treatment. Therefore, the study highlights the significant impact of brain activation methods accompanied by multisensory integration as the neurocognitive approach to English language learning and speaking. The research suggests that education stakeholders and policymakers should consider this approach for successful English language learning to avoid overloading teenagers’ brains with heavy programs.

Improving SMAN 1 Pangkalan Kuras Students’ Reading Comprehension of Narrative Text Bypeer Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS)

This action research aimed to improve reading comprehension among second-grade students at SMAN 1 Pangkalan Kuras by implementing the Peer-Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS). The study combined professional development with experimental classroom research. Each cycle involved planning, action, observation, and reflection. Data were collected through tests, observation, field notes, and interviews. Quantitative analysis of test scores showed improvements in reading comprehension. Qualitative analysis of observation and interview data highlighted increased student engagement and motivation. The findings from classroom action research conducted at SMAN 1 Pangkalan Kuras demonstrate the effectiveness of implementing the Peer Assisted Learning Strategy (PALS) in enhancing senior high school students' reading comprehension skills. Through PALS, students engaged actively in collaborative learning, which led to deeper understanding of texts and increased motivation to participate in learning activities. The study revealed significant improvements in student participation and academic achievement in narrative comprehension, highlighting the potential of PALS to enhance English language learning outcomes in high school settings.

Research on the Advancement and Application of the Experimental Evaluation Scale Within the Primary School Science Classroom

This paper develops an evaluation scale specifically for science experiments in primary schools based on research and practice. Its goals are to measure students real performance in the experiments, bridge the gaps in related domains, and exert an effective influence on the teaching and learning of classroom experiments. During the development of the scale, the evaluation scale is constantly updated and refined through practical research to attain the anticipated evaluation outcome. The scale centers on the six aspects of students experimental purpose: equipment selection, practical operation, observation record, equipment arrangement, and attitude responsibility, and conducts a comprehensive evaluation of students experimental literacy in the forms of self-evaluation, group evaluation, and teacher evaluation.

From scriptor to promptor: an evaluation of the status of authorship, authenticity, and creativity in light of the use of artificial intelligence in screenwriting

Even though the immense disruptive potential of the introduction of generative artificial intelligence into creative fields is clear, the specific ways in which this will happen is still uncertain. One significant worry is that the problematic distinction between the original and the fake is going to become further blurred. The status of language becomes particularly problematic in the age of artificial intelligence. In this study, we draw on a number of philosophical theories on the nature of language to set up a conceptual framework within which one can analyze the status of authorship and originality in the case of the operation of generative AI. We argue that two conceptual orientations, namely deconstruction and genealogy, converge on the claim that authorship should be seen as always already a co-authorship. We then use this conceptual framework to interpret the results of a classroom experimentation with the use of generative AI in the production of screenplay loglines and synopses. A key finding of our study is that we must improve the critical skills of the students that will enable them to develop responsible ways of self-expression in creative production.

Social Enterprise Intention of Non-STEM University Students: Experimental Evidence

The concept of social enterprise is an imperative facet of modern entrepreneurship that emphasizes the potential for businesses to generate profits while promoting societal well-being. However, this dual objective presents a significant challenge for entrepreneurs as it demands a strong commitment to social responsibility. Our study aimed to investigate the emerging trend of anti-social decisions made by young people in response to complex socio-economic constraints. The inquiry involved a series of classroom experiment conducted on 240 undergraduates in a hypothetical environment. The experiments presented the participants with opportunities to make prosocial or anti-social decisions regarding their occupational choices under four different socio-economic conditions and also in a structured coordination game. The results suggest that prospective employees may be more likely to make choices that benefit themselves, rather than others, when faced with difficult social and economic situations. However, those who opt to be self-employed expressed the highest prosocial motivation, indicating a strong desire to contribute to society. It is important to take these findings into account when creating educational policies and adjusting economic policies, such as tax policies. We need to encourage and educate young people in Sri Lanka to develop and express their desire to create positive social change, by promoting pro-social values and behaviors.

Comparative experiment using free fall and projectile motions in determining the acceleration due to gravitational force

Classroom experiments using modern experimental tools like smartphones are in growing popularity. Hence, this study conducted a comparative experiment to determine the acceleration values due to gravitational force in free fall and projectile motions using simple materials and the sound sensor. In this experiment, the relationship between the height and the time squared of the fall in both free fall and projectile motions is represented in regression model. Notably, experimental values for g for free fall and projectile motions are close to the accepted acceleration value due to gravitational force.

Modelling and measurements of heat transfer coefficient in classroom experiments

Thermal insulation of buildings is important because it has both ecological and social impacts. Most often, it is characterized by the so-called U-value. Heat transfer through walls includes conduction, convection, and thermal radiation. This leads to complex measurements and calculations for assessing the effectiveness of different insulating materials, and the usual methods are not suitable for classroom experiments. We propose a simple method for measuring the U-values of varied materials used in everyday life that can be performed in the classroom. It is based on measuring the temperature inside and outside a box, and the power, released by a resistance coil inside the box.

The mixed classroom: a pedagogical experiment with students and policymakers

The societal inability to respond accurately to the ecological crisis also requires a reflection on how universities can improve the impact of their practices. This paper reports on a prize-winning experiment aiming to strengthen the interaction of the university with the world of policymaking: a mixed classroom with students and policymakers. This classroom provides an environment in which policymakers and students co-produce insights, while giving policymakers direct access to academic knowledge and helping students to reflect on the dynamics of real-world contexts. The main goal of this study is to illuminate how learning in and through a mixed classroom experiment take places, for participants, teachers and organisational actors. To do so, we reflect on the continuous dialogue between our efforts as teachers and the experience of participants and others involved. To make sense of our teaching and institutional roles in this experiment, we suggest using the concept of ‘tinkering’. Further, to conceptualise the learning dynamics in a mixed classroom, we deploy the concept of ‘boundary crossing’, which turns out to be helpful in elucidating both individual learning (‘reflection’) and organisational learning (‘transformation’). Our study indicates that the notion of boundary crossing helps to effectively capture the learning situation we created and, as such, helps to redefine more generally how the science-policy interface can be understood and acted upon. For other educators interested in deploying mixed classroom-like approaches, we suggest that a tinkering approach can only work if there is sufficient room for experimentation, including failure and reflection, as well as ample time and funding. We also suggest critically looking at the constraints of the institutional logics and dynamics of higher education (e.g. the structure of semesters) and how their connection to the institutional logics and temporal dynamics of real-world contexts may be improved.

Pengaruh Model Pembelajaran TGT (Team Game Tournament) terhadap Aktivitas Pembelajaran Peserta didik di Sekolah Dasar

This research aims to analyze the influence of the Team Games Tournament (TGT) learning model on students' learning activities in elementary schools. The method used in this research is Systematic Literature Review (SLR). This research is a generalization of Classroom Action Research (PTK) and experiments that have been carried out previously. Based on the results of the article analysis, it can be concluded that the TGT (Team Game Tournament) learning model has an influence on students' learning activities in elementary schools, such as increasing students' cooperation and activeness. This is because in this model students are required to interact with each other, collaborate and discuss to achieve common goals. These various activities will motivate students to participate actively in groups. As well as deepening understanding of the material, by working together in groups students can deepen their understanding of the learning material.

A classroom market experiment: Data and reflections

In this article, the authors analyze data accumulated over 10+ years of teaching market interaction using a simple classroom experiment. The experiment is designed to teach first-year undergraduate students the basics of supply and demand and market efficiency. In total, they analyze data from 85 teaching sessions and 243 individual markets. They find that traded prices typically (90% of the time) move in accordance with market equilibrium comparative statics. They also find that average traded prices are rarely (5% of the time) consistent with market equilibrium but typically (70% of the time) “close” to the equilibrium. The traded quantity is often (60% of the time) more than equilibrium, which results in a loss of efficiency. The law of one price is strongly rejected.

Compatibility of eugenol anesthesia with classroom physiology experiments on nerve and muscle of frogs

Frogs serve as valuable model organisms for studying physiological responses of nerve, skeletal muscle and the heart in undergraduate biology labs. Heretofore, induced hypothermia has been the preferred technique for pain and stress reduction prior to euthanasia by pithing. However, AVMA guidelines discourage hypothermia for restraint or euthanasia of amphibians and advocate anesthetic overdose as preferable to pithing alone. Unfortunately, the primary anesthetic used in fish and other aquatic invertebrates, MS-222, blocks normal nerve and muscle function in leopard frogs and renders them useless for classroom physiology experiments, as demonstrated by Medler (2019). Eugenol is a safe and affordable anesthetic that is effective in amphibians. We sought to test the hypothesis that eugenol anesthesia is compatible with classroom nerve and muscle experiments on frogs. Bullfrogs and leopard frogs were immersed in a bath of eugenol suspended in tap water at 275 to 350 mg/L. At various time points, a four step reflex test was performed including tests of righting response, superficial pain reflex, deep pain reflex, and corneal blink reflex. Once all reflexes were absent, the frog was euthanized by pithing and the gastrocnemius muscle was prepared for force recordings. The sciatic nerve was stimulated with a bipolar stimulating electrode while gastrocnemius force was measured using an isometric force transducer. The threshold voltage eliciting a muscle contraction and the peak isometric twitch force were recorded at 15 minute intervals for 2 hours. Control frogs were sedated by immersion in ice water for 20 to 30 minutes, pithed when reflexes were substantially weakened, and then subjected to the same stimulation protocol and force measurements. At these doses, eugenol reliably induces loss of reflexes in 20 to 35 minutes and neuromuscular preparations maintain the ability to respond to electrical stimulation. Preliminary results suggest that eugenol may produce a modest elevation of threshold voltage and a modest reduction in maximum twitch force compared to control frogs euthanized without chemical anesthesia. Eugenol may be an effective anesthetic to prepare bullfrogs and leopard frogs for classroom experiments on nerve and muscle. Funding was provided by the Bill and Linda Frost Fund. This is the full abstract presented at the American Physiology Summit 2024 meeting and is only available in HTML format. There are no additional versions or additional content available for this abstract. Physiology was not involved in the peer review process.

Learning with multiple external representations in physics: Concreteness fading versus simultaneous presentation

AbstractMultiple external representations (MERs) are useful for teaching complex content in science education. An open question is whether there is an especially effective way to sequence MERs. On the one hand, the so‐called concreteness fading approach suggests starting instruction with more concrete representations and proceeding stepwise to more idealized representations. The effectiveness of this fading approach is, however, supported mainly by studies in mathematics education, while the results in physics are equivocal. On the other hand, presenting different representations simultaneously may support linking, that is, the comparison and contrast of representations, which may benefit learning. In an experimental classroom study (N = 187), we compared concreteness fading and simultaneous presentation of MERs for learning a challenging physics content in high school, namely, Faraday's law. We found no significant differences between conditions in posttest performance, and an equivalence test with bounds d = −0.5 to 0.5 showed that both approaches performed equally. The results align with previous findings questioning the superiority of concreteness fading over other ways of sequencing MERs. Therefore, facilitating students' understanding of a complex physics content may involve more than determining the optimal order of presenting MERs. We discuss limitations of the present study and implications for future research and practice.

Artificial Intelligence Helps Primary School Teachers to Plan and Execute Physics Classroom Experiments

The research claims that artificial intelligence technologies can help and direct primary school teachers in organising classroom experiments for physics instruction. Educators now have the potential to construct experimental projects that are entertaining and efficient, all while catering to their students’ many learning styles and capabilities. This is made possible by the availability of artificial intelligence technologies. The incorporation of artificial intelligence into educational settings may result in an improvement in the overall quality of teaching as well as an improvement in the scientific performance of students. The chance to improve the learning experience for both students and teachers is available to educators who do an in-depth study on artificial intelligence-driven teaching solutions. The research highlights how artificial intelligence can transform teaching approaches in elementary school, notably in the field of physics education within the context of primary school settings.

Feasibility analysis of inactivating influenza A(H1N1) virus using UVC robot in classroom environment

BackgroundStarting from 2009, H1N1 has been one of the respiratory diseases that afflict the global population. Concurrently, due to the influence of COVID-19, it has become widely accepted that preventing the virus's spread necessitates personal protection measures and disinfection in public spaces. ExperimentsThis study conducted two experiments. In the classroom experiment, six UVC dose test points were calibrated to test whether the UVC dose at each testing point met the standards for inactivating IAVs and the time required to meet the standards. In the simulated classroom experiment, seven square slides made of IAVs were placed. After 10 min of robot movement, irradiated sterile square slides were made into suspension and injected into chicken embryos. Cultivate chicken embryos and conduct IAVs testing. ResultsClassroom experiment has shown that 5 testing points can meet the standards for inactivating IAVs(3 mJ/cm2), with a required time of 80 min, 40 min, 15 min, 5 min and 10 min. The UVC dose for testing points that do not meet the standards in 80 min is only 0.5 mJ/cm2. The simulation classroom experiment outcomes revealed that 99.99 % of IAVs were deactivated. Furthermore, this study established both a desktop control group and a chair arm control group, both of which yielded identical results, indicating an inactivation logarithm of IAVs≥4log. ConclusionThe study presented that IAVs on the surface of an object can be effectively and rapidly deactivated at an irradiation density of 1.8 mW/cm2. Meanwhile, the study provides evidence of the feasibility of using the GXU robot to inactivate IAVs in a classroom environment.

Removing Bias and Incentivizing Precision in Peer-grading

Most peer-evaluation practices rely on the evaluator’s goodwill and model them as potentially noisy evaluators. But what if graders are competitive, i.e., enjoy higher utility when their peers get lower scores? We model the setting as a multi-agent incentive design problem and propose a new mechanism, PEQA, that incentivizes these agents (peer-graders) through a score-assignment rule and a grading performance score. PEQA is designed in such a way that it makes grader-bias irrelevant and ensures grader-utility to be monotonically increasing with the grading-precision, despite competitiveness. When grading is costly and costs are private information of the individual graders, a modified version of PEQA implements the socially optimal grading-choices in equilibrium. Data from our classroom experiments is consistent with our theoretical assumptions and show that PEQA outperforms the popular median mechanism, which is used in several massive open online courses (MOOCs).