Advancing General Science Instruction at Evangel College: A Meteorology/Geology Computing Laboratory

该项目将提供一个最先进的互联网接入实验室，以改进目前在气象学和地质实验室课程中使用的教学方法。气象学和地质学都是普通科学课程的两个核心课程，因此服务于大量和多样化的学生群体。到目前为止，这些课程的实验室部分采用了陈旧的讲课/实验手册教学方法，几乎没有调查内容。该项目旨在通过使用互联网图像和数据产品、地理信息系统软件和模拟产品，将这些班级完全重组为一个充满活力的动手学习环境。该项目允许建立一个万维网主页，其中包含专门为气象学和地质实验室设计的选定数据和培训模块。经过一年的建设、学生运行和学生评估，该主页可以向整个环境研究社区公开。为了有效，科学实验室课程必须反映最新的创新和教学技术。这个项目使理科专业的学生具备有效的计算分析技能，他们可以在自己感兴趣的特定领域使用这些技能。对于非专业的学生来说，接触这项技术可能会鼓励他们追求更高水平的科学和数学课程。这个实验室对未来的中小学教育工作者特别重要，因为这些课程可能是他们接触气象和地质技术的唯一机会。

This project will provide a state-of-the-art Internet access laboratory to advance the teaching methods currently used in the Meteorology and Geology Laboratory courses. Both meteorology and geology represent two of the core offerings of the general science curriculum and thus serve a large and diverse student population. To date, the laboratory sections of these courses have incorporated antiquated lecture/lab manual methodologies of instruction featuring little investigative content. This project seeks to restructure these classes completely into a vibrant, hands-on learning environment through the use of internet image and data products, geographical information system software, and simulation products. This project allows for the construction of a World Wide Web homepage that contains selected data and training modules designed specifically for the meteorology and geology laboratory. Following 1 year of construction, student operation, and student evaluation, the homepage can be made public to the entire environmental studies community. To be effective, the science laboratory curriculum must reflect the latest innovations and instructional technology. This project prepares science majors with effective computational analysis skills that they can use in their own specific area of interest. For nonmajors, exposure to this technology may encourage them to pursue higher-level science and mathematics courses. This laboratory is of particular importance for future primary and secondary educators, as these courses may represent their only exposure to meteorological and geological technology.