Virtual Mass Spectrometry Laboratory

该项目利用匹兹堡大学和卡耐基梅隆大学的资源来解决中学后科学教育中的几个挑战：(1)增加使用高性能仪器的机会，(2)使用跨学科知识，(3)通过交互式案例研究改善学习。我们的方法，我们知道没有现有的模型，是开发一个灵活的交互式基于互联网的虚拟质谱实验室（VMSL），允许“真正”的问题解决，同时使用虚拟质谱仪。学生使用VMSL通过互联网操作虚拟质谱仪（MS）来解决已知的跨学科科学问题。学生看到“真实的”MS数据显示在一个位置的计算机上，而存储先前收集的MS数据文件的中央互联网VMSL服务器在另一个位置。显示的数据取决于学生操作员在学习正确的实验时与VMSL系统的交互。这种方法利用互联网，使稀缺但重要的资源广泛可用，并展示了一种成本效益高、教学效果好的技术使用方法，不受学科或地理位置的限制，也不受科学仪器费用的限制。我们的项目是为所有理科本科学生开发的，包括但不限于化学、生物学、环境科学、地质学和临床药理学课程的学生。我们希望通过“动手”的虚拟质谱实验室，在全国范围内提高学生的批判性思维能力和解决科学问题的能力。该项目由教育和人力资源局本科教育司资助，数学和物理科学局多学科活动办公室共同资助。

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.