A Total Science Experience Laboratory for Biology Majors

詹姆斯·B·麦格劳将于9552196财年支付摩根敦大学研究公司37,846美元，WV 26506 ILI-仪器项目：生命科学标题：全面的科学体验实验室对于生物学专业来说，西弗吉尼亚大学的生物学专业完成了严格的学习计划，包括化学、物理、数学、统计学，以及一套相互关联的核心生物学课程，之后至少有五门选修课。这门课程(和大多数理科课程)缺少的是每个本科生专业都有机会体验成为一名科学家的整个过程。这项提议要求设备使这种沉浸在科学过程中成为可能，在生态学和进化论专业的最后必修生物学课程中建立一个全面的科学体验实验室。全面科学体验实验室是一个为期15周的实验室单位，重点研究生物体对全球和区域环境变化的反应。在本单元中，学生：(1)写一份预建议书和助学金建议书(回应建议书的请求)，从而学习(A)如何进行计算机辅助文献回顾，(B)如何表述假设和目标，(C)如何设计有意义的实验来检验这些假设，以及(D)如何制定令人信服的项目计划，(2)撰写其他学生建议书的建议书评论，并接受对助学金建议书的模拟小组审查，其中一些项目的‘资金’被拒绝(邀请重新提交)，(3)执行他们的实验，(4)分析实验数据，通过使用先进的S统计软件的培训，(S)在一个特别的学生研讨会上展示结果(海报和口头演示)，包括先进图形软件的培训，以及(6)向一家“期刊”提交全文手稿，随后进行编辑审查和重新提交。1993年春季学期对这种实验室模式的试验非常鼓舞人心，因为学生们既经历了进行原创研究的兴奋，也经历了挫折。在整个班级实施这个实验室的障碍包括统计和图形的计算能力不足，以及缺乏可控的环境条件来为学生提供实验。该项目将消除这些障碍，并使全面科学体验实验室得以全面实施。

James B. McGraw DUE 9552196 WV Univ Research Corp FY1995 $ 37,846 Morgantown, WV 26506 ILI - Instrumentation Project: Life Sciences Title: A Total Science Experience Laboratory for Biology Majors The Biology major at West Virginia University completes a rigorous program of study, including chemistry, physics, mathematics, statistics, and a linked set of core biology courses followed by at least five electives. Missing from this curriculum (and most science curricula) is the opportunity for every undergraduate major to experience the complete process of being a scientist. This proposal requests equipment to make such immersion in the process of science possible with the development of a Total Science Experience laboratory in the final required Biology course for majors; Ecology and Evolution. The Total Science Experience laboratory is a fifteen week laboratory unit focused on response of organisms to global and regional environmental change. In this unit, students: (1) write a pre-proposal and grant proposal (in response to a Request for Proposals), thereby learning (a) how to conduct a computer-assisted literature review, (b) how to formulate hypotheses and objectives, (c) how to design a meaningful experiment to test these hypotheses, and (d) how to formulate a convincing project plan, (2) write proposal reviews of other students' proposals and receive mock panel reviews of grant proposals, with 'funding' of some projects and others being declined (with invited resubmission), (3) execute their experiments, with full responsibility for carrying each experiment through to completion, (4) analyze experimental data, with training on use of advanced s tatistical software, (S) present results in a special student symposium (posters and oral presentations) including training on advanced graphics software, and (6) submit a full-length manuscript to a 'journal,' followed by editorial review and resubmission. A trial of this laboratory format in Spring semester, 1993 was extremely encouraging, as students experienced both the excitement and frustrations of performing original research. Obstacles to implementing this laboratory for the entire class include insufficient computational power for the statistics and graphics, and lack of controlled environment conditions to offer students for their experiments. This project will remove these obstacles and allow full implementation of the Total Science Experience laboratory.