Introductory Course to Teach Methods in Environmental Science

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A new course, Environmental Studies (ENS) 110, Methods in Environmental Science, is being offered to freshmen and sophomores of all majors at Alfred University. The primary emphasis of the course is on introducing students to how science is performed by supervising their research as class projects in ozone monitoring, geotechnical evaluation , and evaluation of discharge and pollution of surface and ground waters. Upper level students in Environmental Studies are used as mentors in the class to encourage and prepare them for future teaching careers. A graduate student in education also assists and receives instruction while practicing teaching in science. The course is specifically designed to overcome many contemporary criticisms of science education by assuring that students are introduced to science as a process. Students are required to design, conduct, analyze, and present results of their own experiments and field work. They learn cooperatively by working in groups. Emphasis is also placed on quantitative skills by integrating the use of mathematics and computers into science.