Observing Snow and Wind: Using the Environment to Engage Students in Science and Engineering

大气科学(41)该项目正在为一门大气科学入门课程的学生增加体验式学习机会，方法是建立一个集成先进设备并为学生的研究做好准备的环境仪器实验室，创建基于仪器的体验式学习，并扩大对教师如何采用创新教学方法的理解。该项目正在提高学生对与环境仪器相关的基本原理和不确定性来源的熟练程度，并增强学生使用技术观察环境和解决现实世界问题的信心。大气科学、生物和机械工程系经验丰富的教职员工和卓越教学中心的工作人员正在共同努力，重新设计一门以雪和风为重点的入门课程。该课程吸引了对冬季雪上活动感兴趣的学生，并为他们提供了积极的学习机会，这些机会依赖于最先进的实时获取天气信息。这门课程还涉及风能，环境科学和工程专业的学生受益于与风能行业相关的各种仪器技术的改进经验。许多非专业、STEM专业和大气科学专业的学生都在使用该项目正在开发的可持续实验室设施。一家大型环境仪器公司的设备和培训承诺正在促进实验室设施的发展，并正在帮助维持该实验室设施。该项目正在整合基本的协作和主动学习原则，这些原则使学生能够单独、以小组形式并通过点对点教学吸引学生，从而使他们能够从基于课堂和基于实验室的教学无缝过渡到户外独立探究。该项目是大气科学系本科课程彻底重新设计的一部分，有可能在全国范围内产生变革。该项目正在确定改进后的课程是否正在改善学生的学习结果，改善专业和非专业对科学和科学研究的看法，并提高大气科学课程的入学率。该项目开发的教育单元正在通过在线资源、网络研讨会和参加教育和科学会议向其他学院和大学传播。

Atmospheric Sciences (41)This project is enhancing experiential learning opportunities for students enrolled in an introductory atmospheric science course by constructing an environmental instrumentation laboratory that is integrating advanced equipment and preparing students for research, creating instrument-based experiential learning, and expanding understanding of how faculty adopt innovative instructional approaches. The project is increasing student proficiency related to the underlying principles and sources of uncertainty associated with environmental instrumentation, and enhancing student confidence to use technologies to observe the environment and solve real-world problems. Experienced faculty in the Departments of Atmospheric Sciences, Biology, and Mechanical Engineering , and staff from the Center for Teaching and Learning Excellence, are working together to redesign an introductory course focusing on snow and wind. The course is attracting students interested in winter snow activities, and is providing them with active learning opportunities that rely on state-of-the-art real-time access to weather information. The course is also addressing wind energy, and environmental science and engineering students are benefiting from improved experiences with various instrument technologies that are pertinent to the wind energy industry. A wide range of non-majors, STEM majors, and atmospheric sciences majors are using the sustainable laboratory facility that is being developed by the project. Commitment of equipment and training from a major environmental instrumentation company is facilitating the development of and is helping to sustain the laboratory facility. The project is integrating fundamental collaborative and active learning principles that are engaging students individually, in small teams, and via peer-to-peer instruction thus enabling them to transition seamlessly from lecture-based and laboratory-based instruction to independent inquiry outdoors. The project is part of a complete redesign of the undergraduate curriculum in the Department of Atmospheric Sciences that has the potential to be transformative on a national scale. The project is determining whether an improved curriculum incorporating an integrated instrumentation facility for experiential projects is improving student learning outcomes, improving the perception of science and scientific research by majors and non-majors, and improving enrollment in atmospheric science courses. Educational modules developed by the project are being disseminated to other colleges and universities through on-line resources, webinars, and participation in educational and scientific conferences.