Virtual Courseware for Science Education

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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 .