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We illustrate the use of World Wide Web technologies for the teaching of general science topics to undergraduate non-science majors. The newly developed course, Science for the 21st Century, consists of modules each presenting scientific topics of current interest and broad appeal. Network- and computer-based tools are used by instructors to: 1) present multimedia material in lectures; 2) produce and store Web-based modules; 3) communicate notices about the course. Students use computers to: 1) access and review lecture material; 2) explore information sources (located on our server or elsewhere) for term projects and homework assignments; 3) obtain information about the course and communicate with instructors. We describe our experiences with this course and formulate some general conclusions which might be of interest to others wishing to use network-based resources for teaching.

The study of basic fractal geometry can help build students' enthusiasm for learning early in their undergraduate careers. To most undergraduate students, fractals are new, visually appealing, useful, and mathematically accessible. As a result, fractals can be an effective vehicle for introducing and reinforcing multiple modes of learning, which at many institutions is one of the main goals of general first-year undergraduate education. This article describes how fractals are used in one institution's "Freshman Seminar" program to help accomplish these goals.

Objective: To explore and investigate the awareness rate and the participation rate of first aid in science popularization among undergraduates in a University in China, and analyze the effect of factors such as year, gender, profession on the awareness rate and participation rate.Method: 447 undergraduates in the Shanghai Jiao Tong University were investigated with the systematic sampling principle via a questionnaire application. The survey included the demographic information of the undergraduates, the awareness rate, and the participation rate of first aid knowledge and skills in popularization science activities. Results: There are significant differences in the awareness rate of four first aid skills among different student classes. As to three first aid skills among four, the awareness rates in senior undergraduates was significantly higher than that in junior ones, including acute poisoning (${\chi }^2=16.15$, $p=0.003$), airway infarction (${\chi }^2=9.09$, $p=0.049$), and sudden death (${\chi }^2=12.61$, $p=0.013$). But as to calling 120 correctly (${\chi }^2=24.01$, $p<0.001$), the awareness rate in First Grade is the highest, and then gradually decreases. The awareness rate in Third Grade is the lowest, but it rises again in Fourth and Fifth Grade. The participation rate and willingness to participate in first aid science popularization activities were significantly different depending on the class. The participation rate in first aid science popularization activities (${\chi }^2=28.2$, $p<0.001$), the willingness to spend extra time learning/disseminating in future first aid science popularization activities (${\chi }^2=15.2$, $p=0.049$), and the willingness to volunteer in future activities (${\chi }^2=17.6$, $p=0.001$) were all significantly higher for seniors than those in juniors.Conclusion: Special consideration in designing science popularization activities should be given regarding the differences in the awareness and participation rate of first aid knowledge and skills among undergraduates of different grade levels.