Improving Scientific Literacy of Undergraduate Students through "Hands-On" Multidisciplinary Science Courses

该项目通过设计多学科科学课程来解决科学文盲问题，这些课程将物理科学和生命科学的学习紧密结合在一起，并强调科学探究-观察、提问、建立联系和推理。总体目标是培养能够阅读和理解当代科学问题的公民。根据先前的经验与FIPSE，NEH和项目制定学习策略和设计多学科课程，该项目（1）开发两个多学科实验室科学课程的非科学的学生;（2）准备材料，使这些将是以学生为中心的“主动学习”课程;（3）准备教师教这些课程。因此，三年后，这些课程将被纳入拿骚社区学院课程的主流，12名教员将准备教授每一门课程，为他们准备的课程和材料将服务于社区学院。

This project addresses the problem of scientific illiteracy by designing multidisciplinary science courses which cohesively integrate the study of the physical and life sciences and emphasize scientific inquiry-- observing, questioning, and making connections and inferences. The overall goal is to produce citizens who are capable of reading about and understanding contemporary scientific issues. Building on prior experience with FIPSE, NEH and projects to devise learning strategies and design multidisciplinary courses, the project (1) develops two multidisciplinary laboratory science courses for non-science students; (2) prepares materials so that these will be student-centered "active learning" courses; and (3) prepares faculty to teach these courses. As a result, after three years, the courses are to be mainstreamed into the Nassau Community College curriculum, 12 faculty are to be prepared to teach each course, and the courses and the materials prepared for them are to serve.