A Project to Improve Thinking Skills Instruction in Undergraduate Laboratories

9451554斯特鲁普这个项目将提高弗朗西斯马里恩大学科学和非科学专业的学生通过发展他们的高阶思维技能来分析和解决新问题的能力。该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，计算机辅助教学（C.A.T.）技术，以及最近出版的分析问题和案例研究的程序，以提高学生的口头和书面交流。我们建议通过结合微视频教学技术和C.A.T.来促进思维技能的发展。演习在两个试点研究项目中，这些多媒体演示已被证明可以显着提高识别的思维能力时，与所要求的设备结合使用。新的实验室练习和模拟将提高我们学生的内容掌握和过程技能，并促进对生物科学的兴趣增加。拟议的项目将直接影响到每年约一千名学生就读于生物学，将提供其他FMU部门的模式，并将通过作者的NSF赞助的肖托夸短期课程，全国生物教师协会（NABT）专题系列和NABT赞助的录像带在全国范围内推广。 高等教育的南卡罗来纳州委员会竞争性资助我们的试点研究项目，部分装备我们的四个介绍生物实验室中的两个。这个NSF提案的目的是要求资金购买微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。如果没有所要求的教学设备，在我们所有的入门生物实验室中成功实施我们的教学策略将是不可能的。

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.