Establishment of a Biology Computer Laboratory for a Project-Based Curriculum

Muhlenberg学院生物系在其课程中强调基于探究的学习。学生通过在实地或实验室中设计原创项目，分析和解释他们的数据，并将它们展示给教员和他们的同龄人来学习。基于项目的方法增加了学生对学习的投资。其中一些项目已经导致了学生出版物的出版。新闻部正计划在整个课程中推广以项目为基础的方法，并更加重视定量数据分析。这项建议针对四门中高级课程：扫描电子显微镜、田间植物学和植物生态学、高级分子遗传学和生理调节与适应。所有四门课程都将强调学生项目、量化分析以及在系专题讨论会和海报会议上展示结果。这一倡议要求学生能够接触到复杂的数据分析软件和硬件。为了向学生提供这些技术，该系正在计划建造一个生物学计算机设施。新的计算机实验室将为从事这四门课程的研究项目的学生以及进行独立或荣誉研究项目的学生提供接触最新技术的途径。

The Muhlenberg College Biology Department emphasizes inquiry-based learning in its curriculum. Students learn by designing original projects in the field or laboratory, analyzing and interpreting their data, and presenting them to faculty and their peers. A project-based approach increases student investment in learning. Some of these projects have led to student publications. The Department is planning to expand the project-based approach across the curriculum and increase the emphasis on quantitative data analysis. Four intermediate and advanced level courses are targeted for this proposal: Scanning Electron Microscopy, Field Botany and Plant Ecology, Advanced Molecular Genetics, and Physiological Regulation and Adaptation. All four courses will emphasize student projects, quantitative analysis and presentation of results in a departmental symposium and poster session. This initiative requires that students have access to sophisticated data analysis software and hardware. In order to make these technologies available to students, the Department is planning the construction of a Biology Computer Facility. The new computer laboratory will provide access to current technology for students doing research projects in these four courses as well as students performing independent or honors research projects.