What Can Be Learned From Informal Student Writings in a Science Context?

This exploratory study analyzed four informal science-related writing tasks produced by 374 seventh-grade students (172 boys and 202 girls) from two schools with different socioeconomic populations. The study demonstrates that students' informal writing in science contexts can provide a rich source of information regarding students' cognitive and attitudinal engagement with science. Students' writing reflects the level at which students understand previously learned science-related ideas and gives insight into themes and issues they would be interested in learning. This study further demonstrates how students organize and personalize science knowledge acquired inside as well as outside of school when given novel and unconventional (informal) science-related tasks. The study also demonstrates that informal writing tasks encourage students to express opinions, values, and attitudes associated with science and science learning. Examples are provided of similarities and differences in students' writing preferences and in the quality of writing produced by boys and girls. Suggestions for further studies for teachers and researchers are discussed.     

Pyrrole derivatives for electrochemical coating of metallic medical devices

Electropolymerization of medical devices such as cardiovascular stents may posses advantages including a simple and reproducible process with the ability to control the thickness, adherence, and composition of the coating by the duration and intensity of the applied current, the monomer composition and concentration, the solvent, and the reaction conditions. The properties of the polymer can also be controlled by copolymerization of different monomers, grafting substituents to a functionalized polymer, and by entrapping biomolecules. This article describes the synthesis of a range of pyrrole‐based monomers and their electrocoating onto stainless steel surfaces. N‐substituted pyrrole monomers with C1–C18 alkyl chains and poly (ethylene glycol) chains were synthesized in good yields and purity. Electropolymerization of these monomers provided uniform coatings with different hydrophobicities. Studies now focus on the incorporation of drugs in the coated device for release from the surface. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 1658–1667, 2004