Virtual Mass Spectrometry Laboratory

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This project uses resources at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University to address several challenges in post-secondary science education: (i) to increase the access to high-performance instrumentation, (ii) to use cross-disciplinary knowledge, and (iii) to improve learning using interactive case studies. Our approach, for which we know of no existing model, is to develop a flexible interactive internet-based Virtual Mass Spectrometry Laboratory (VMSL) that allows for "real" problem solving while using a virtual mass spectrometer. Students using the VMSL solve known cross-disciplinary science problems by operating a virtual mass spectrometer (MS) over the Internet. The student sees "real" MS data displayed on the computer at one location while the central internet VMSL server which stores the previously collected MS data files is at another location. The data displayed are dependent on the interaction that the student-operator has with the VMSL system as she/he learns the proper experiments to conduct. This method makes scarce but important resources widely available, utilizing the Internet, and demonstrates a cost-effective and pedagogically powerful use of technology limited neither by discipline or geographic location, nor by the expense of scientific instrumentation. Our project is being developed for all undergraduate science students, including, but not limited to, those enrolled in Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Sciences, Geology, and Clinical Pharmacology courses. We hope to improve a student' s critical thinking ability and scientific problem solving skills nationwide by using a "hands-on" Virtual Mass Spectrometry Laboratory. This project is funded by the Division of Undergraduate Education in the Directorate for Education and Human Resources with co-funding from the Office of Multidisciplinary Activities in the Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences.