Light Inquiry Through Experiments: Project LITE

Lite项目是一个为期两年的概念验证项目，涉及波士顿大学的材料开发、课程教学和学生学习评估。该项目的目标是开发一套综合教材的原型--独特的带回家的实验室实验、书面指南、基于网络的软件和讲座演示--旨在阐明光、光学、颜色和感知的本质。该项目的主要创新是开发一套“家庭实验室”，并将其引入一系列大学课程。家庭实验室是使用廉价的原始设备和现有的商业和工业光学材料进行的实验。这些基于探究的、量化的实验室体验是为学生在家里或宿舍里使用而设计的。该项目还在开发关于光的个人和课堂使用的易于实施和廉价的演示。正在结合家庭实验室和演示开发书面材料以及基于网络的软件。波士顿大学的两门非主修物理和天文学入门课程正在对教材进行试点测试。家庭实验室和示范课程的基本教育目标都是鼓励个性化的动手(和亲眼看着看)学习。“家庭实验室”的使用还试图缓解许多大型、入门、非主要大学科学课程由于实验室空间、设备和助教的有限而面临的主要资源问题。未来家庭实验室对全国的影响可以通过整合到大专、大学和基于标准的高中科学课程来扩大，如天文学、生物、化学、地球科学、物理和心理学，以及入职前教师的科学课程。这项为期两年的试验项目最终将全面开发一套完整的家庭实验室、讲座演示以及与光和光学有关的基于网络的软件。调查人员正在为扩大材料开发和大规模传播所产生的材料奠定基础。他们还在其他学院和大学寻找潜在的合作伙伴和考点，以及合适的出版商和设备制造商。

Project LITE is a two-year proof-of-concept project involving materials development, course instruction, and student learning assessment at Boston University. The project's goal is to develop a prototype set of integrated educational materials--unique take-home laboratory experiments, written guides, Web-based software, and lecture demonstrations--which aim to clarify the nature of light, optics, color, and perception.The project's major innovation is the development (and introduction into a range of university courses) of a set of "homelabs"--experiments employing inexpensive original devices and existing commercial and industrial optical materials. These inquiry-based, quantitative laboratory experiences are being designed for use by students in their homes or dormitory rooms. The project is also developing easily implementable and inexpensive demonstrations about light for both individual and classroom use. Written materials, as well as Web-based software, are being developed in conjunction with the homelabs and demonstrations. Materials are being pilot-tested in two introductory physics and astronomy courses for non-majors at Boston University.The basic educational goal of both the homelabs and the demonstrations is to encourage individualized hands-on (and eyes-on) learning. The use of "homelabs" also seeks to alleviate a major resource problem faced by many large, introductory, non-major university science courses owing to the limited availability of laboratory space, equipment, and teaching assistants.Future national impact of individual homelabs could be extended by integration into junior college, university, and standards-based high school science courses in astronomy, biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, and psychology, as well as into science courses for pre-service teachers. The two-year pilot project should ultimately lead to the full-scale development of a complete suite of homelabs, lecture demonstrations, and Web-based software concerning light and optics. The investigators are laying the groundwork for expanded development of materials and for the large-scale dissemination of resulting materials. They are also identifying prospective partners and test sites at other colleges and universities, as well as appropriate publishers and equipment manufacturers.