A Computer Laboratory to Support General Education Oceanography and Earth Science Courses

一个新的麦金塔计算机实验室正在建造中，专门用于我们低年级的地质科学入门课程。本实验室开设海洋学概论（GS-4）和普通地质学（GS-2）两门课程，每季授课300次。他们满足学位的“定量科学”要求。这两门课可能是许多学生在大学生涯中唯一接触到的科学课程。它们也是我们许多专业的学生受到启发开始研究地球科学的地方，这意味着它们对于创造一个知情的选民和保持稳定的未来科学家流至关重要。在NSF和UCSB的资助下，W. Prothero（和其他地质学教授）正在积极开发GS-4和GS-2的计算机辅助材料。我们的目标是通过使用“动手”学习工具，为每个学生提供令人兴奋和充满活力的学习体验。我们正在创建数据丰富的学习模块，鼓励学生探索和学习或重新发现基本原理或思想。在这些课程中，低年级的非专业学生可以使用以前只有研究生才能使用的分析工具和数据。我们期望这些课程能成为大班有效教学的典范。

9451070 Prothero A new Macintosh computer laboratory is being set up specifically for our lower division introductory geological science courses. The two courses this laboratory is serving are Introduction to oceanography (GS-4), serving 3OO/qtr, and General Geology (GS-2), also serving 3OO/qtr. They satisfy a "quantitative science" requirement for the degree. Either of these may be the only science course many students are exposed to in their college career. They are also where many of our majors are inspired to begin the study of the earth sciences, which means they are of vital importance both in creating an informed electorate and in maintaining a steady stream of future scientists. The development of computer assisted material for both GS-4 and GS-2 is being actively pursued by W. Prothero (and other Geology faculty) with both NSF and internal UCSB funding. Our goal is to provide each student with an exciting and dynamic learning experience through the use of "hands-on" learning tools. We are creating data rich learning modules that encourage the student to explore and learn or re-discover fundamental principles or ideas. In these courses, lower division non-majors have access to analysis tools and data that have previously been available only to graduate students. We expect these courses to become models of effective teaching in large class settings.