Computer-Based Laboratory Exercises And Research Experience In Physiology

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9352801 Lindgren Over the next three years the biology department will implement a new curriculum designed to introduce students to the process of science more effectively. Courses will be shifted from content-based teaching to inquiry-based teaching, placing less emphasis on "the facts of biology" and more emphasis on "doing biology." The goal of this project is to increase both the quantity and the quality of laboratory experiences available to students in animal physiology, introductory biology, and advanced research. This will require the purchase of eight (8) physiological workstations. Each workstation will include a Macintosh IIsi computer, MacLab hardware and software, a printer, and miscellaneous physiological transducers and amplifiers. Students in Animal Physiology will use the workstations extensively to study a variety of physiological processes, such as nerve conduction, muscle contraction, and heart function. The workstations will not only increase the pedagogical effectiveness of individual laboratory exercises, but will also make it practical to introduce a significant component of independent research into this course. Students in the introductory course, Structure and Function of Organisms, will use the workstations primarily to study human physiology. As with the animal physiology course, the workstations will allow students to investigate a wide variety of questions through "hands on" experimentation. Finally, the workstations will be used to increase opportunities for students to participate in advanced research projects in neurophysiology. The MacLab system was selected on the basis of my past experience using other data acquisition systems and on the basis of a pilot test of MacLab by a student doing an independent research project at Grinnell this past summer. MacLab is ideal for use in both introductory courses and advanced courses because it is easy to operate but also possesses extensive capabilities for data acquisition, analysis, and presentation. ***y