Improving Scientific Literacy of Undergraduate Students through "Hands-On" Multidisciplinary Science Courses

该项目通过设计多学科科学课程来解决科学文盲问题，这些课程将物理科学和生命科学的研究紧密结合在一起，并强调科学探究--观察、提问、联系和推理。总体目标是培养能够阅读和理解当代科学问题的公民。该项目以FIPSE、NEH以及制定学习策略和设计多学科课程的项目为基础，(1)为非理科学生开发两门多学科实验室科学课程；(2)准备材料，使这些课程成为以学生为中心的“主动学习”课程；(3)为教授这些课程的教师做好准备。因此，三年后，这些课程将被纳入拿骚社区学院的课程主流，12名教职员工将准备好教授每门课程，为这些课程准备的课程和材料将提供服务。

This project addresses the problem of scientific illiteracy by designing multidisciplinary science courses which cohesively integrate the study of the physical and life sciences and emphasize scientific inquiry-- observing, questioning, and making connections and inferences. The overall goal is to produce citizens who are capable of reading about and understanding contemporary scientific issues. Building on prior experience with FIPSE, NEH and projects to devise learning strategies and design multidisciplinary courses, the project (1) develops two multidisciplinary laboratory science courses for non-science students; (2) prepares materials so that these will be student-centered "active learning" courses; and (3) prepares faculty to teach these courses. As a result, after three years, the courses are to be mainstreamed into the Nassau Community College curriculum, 12 faculty are to be prepared to teach each course, and the courses and the materials prepared for them are to serve.