Virtual Courseware for Science Education

该项目的目标是在国家层面增加以探究为基础的科学学习的机会。该提案是一个“虚拟课件”图书馆的发展计划，这是一种基于网络的交互式软件，可以让学生主动学习重要的科学概念。虚拟课件图书馆将由来自加州州立大学系统和加州社区学院的13名教师设计和实施。将开发15个虚拟课件应用程序：6个用于生物，3个用于化学、地球科学和物理/天文学。每个“虚拟应用程序”将：(1)基于网络且易于访问，(2)适合入门科学课程，(3)强化科学方法论，(4)具有交互性、直观性和探究性，(5)可垂直扩展，以便大学专业和非专业人员都可以使用，(6)模块化和自成一体。两个原型，虚拟飞行实验室和虚拟地震，由主要研究人员开发，已经被全国200多所学院和大学的数千名学生使用。加州州立大学系统认识到虚拟课件范例的潜力，并承诺为该项目提供匹配资金。项目评估将由位于长滩的加州州立大学设计和评估可用性中心进行。将组织一次顶点会议，鼓励在自然科学课程中使用虚拟课件库。由于这个项目是基于网络的，传播将会很广泛，有可能影响到成千上万的学生。该项目的产品将使科学教育更容易获得，促进学习，并为降低教育成本提供可能性。虚拟课件的这三个特点也是美国高校和国家科学基金会的目标。

The goal of this project is to increase the opportunities for the inquiry-based learning of science at the national level. This proposal is a plan for the development of a library of "virtual courseware"--interactive web-based software that engages students in active learning of important scientific concepts. The virtual courseware library will be designed and implemented by a group of 13 faculty from the California State University system and California Community Colleges. Fifteen virtual courseware applications will be developed: six for biology and three each for chemistry, earth science and physics/astronomy. Each "virtual application" will: (I) be Webbased and easily accessible, (2) be appropriate for introductory science courses, (3) reinforce scientific methodology, (4) be interactive, intuitive, and inquiry-based, (5) be vertically scalable so that it can be used by college majors and nonmajors, and (6) be modular and self-contained. Two prototypes, Virtual FlyLab and Virtual Earthquake, developed by the principle investigators are already be used by thousands of students at over 200 of the nation's colleges and universities. The California State University system recognizes the potential of the virtual courseware paradigm and has committed to matching funds to this project. Project evaluation will be conducted by the Center for Usability in Design and Assessment at California State University, Long Beach. A capstone conference will be organized to encourage the use of the virtual courseware library in the natural science curriculum. Because of the web-based nature of the project, dissemination will be widespread, with the potential to affect many thousands of students. The products of this project will make science education more accessible, promote learning, and provide the possibility for reducing the costs of education. Those three features of virtual courseware are also objectives of the nation's colleges and universities and the National Science Foundation .