A Project to Improve Thinking Skills Instruction in Undergraduate Laboratories

9451554 Stroup这个项目将提高弗朗西斯马里昂大学理科和非理科专业学生分析和解决新问题的能力，培养他们的高阶思维能力。提案的主要组成部分包括围绕动手实验组织的实验室练习，一系列互动介绍录像带，计算机增强教学（C.A.T.）技术，以及最近发表的分析问题和案例研究计划，以提高学生的口头和书面交流。我们建议将微视频教学技术与计算机辅助教学练习相结合，以加强思维能力的发展。在两个试验性研究项目中，这些多媒体演示与所要求的设备结合使用时，已显示出大大提高已确定的思维技能。新的实验练习和模拟将提高学生对内容的掌握和过程技能，并促进对生物科学的兴趣。该计划每年将直接影响大约1000名生物学专业的学生，将为FMU其他部门提供模型，并将通过作者的国家科学基金会资助的肖托夸短期课程、国家生物教师协会（NABT）专著系列和NABT赞助的录像带在全国范围内推广。南卡罗来纳高等教育委员会竞争性地资助了我们的试点研究项目，该项目部分装备了我们四个入门生物学实验室中的两个。这项NSF提案的目的是申请资金购买微型视频和微型计算机教学系统，以充分装备所有四个新生实验室。如果没有要求的教学设备，我们的教学策略在所有生物学入门实验室的成功实施将是不可能的。

9451554 Stroup This project will improve the ability of Francis Marion University science and nonscience majors to analyze and solve new problems by developing their higher order thinking skills. The major components of the proposal include laboratory exercises organized around hands-on experimentation, a series of interactive introductory videotapes, Computer-Augmented Teaching (C.A.T.) techniques, and a program of recently published analysis problems and case studies to improve student oral and written communication. We propose to enhance the development of thinking skills by a combination of microvideo-instructional techniques and C.A.T. exercises. In two pilot research projects these multimedia presentations have been shown to significantly improve identified thinking skills when used in combination with the requested equipment. New laboratory exercises, and simulations will improve the content mastery and the process skills of our students and promote an increased interest in the biological sciences. The proposed project will impact directly on approximately one thousand students annually enrolled in Biology, will provide models for other FMU Departments, and will be extended nationally through the authors' NSF sponsored Chautauqua Short Course, the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) monograph series and an NABT sponsored videotape. The South Carolina Commission on Higher Education competitively funded our pilot research project, which partially equipped two of our four introductory Biology laboratories. The purpose of this NSF proposal is to request funds to purchase microvideo and microcomputer instructional systems to fully equip all four freshman laboratories. Successful implementation of our instructional strategy in all of our introductory biology laboratories will not be possible without the requested instructional equipment.