Scientific Equipment to Improve Science Education Aboard the Vessel W.G. Jackson

这个项目将实践和调查的方法扩展到科学教育中，这个部门已经成功地将这种方法应用于职前小学教师以及K-12学生和教师。这种成功的科学教育模式现在正被扩展到这所大学的高年级科学教学和本科生研究。新获得的先进设备正在新的65英尺的浮动实验室和教室G. JACKSON上使用。这艘新船正在建造中，并配备了基本的科学和安全设备。它的主要重点是科学教学和研究，为本科理科专业的学生和未来的教师。新设备为这些学生提供了更多的机会，让他们在众多课程中体验研究性的科学方法，并通过教师监督的研究。该设备还提供了几个科学领域的当前技术的介绍，并提高了学生在实验设计，数据收集和分析以及计算机建模方面的更高水平经验的机会。该大学正在将该船及其科学设备库存作为区域科学教育资源。这艘船在密歇根湖周围的各个港口城市提供教育项目。此外，它预计将被其他学院和大学使用，包括霍普学院、西密歇根大学、德保罗大学、基石学院和以下社区学院：西海岸、马斯基根、兰辛和佩托斯基。该项目的影响是更有效地传达科学原理和技术；加强学生对科学数据的收集、处理和应用于环境问题的理解；并通过先进设备的操作，将新的内容引入学生的水产科学体验中。

This project is expanding the hands-on, investigative approach to science education, an approach that this department has successfully used with preservice elementary teachers as well as K-12 students and teachers. This successful model for science education is now being extended to include the upper-division science instruction and undergraduate research at this university. The newly acquired, advanced equipment is being used aboard the new 65-foot floating laboratory and classroom, G. JACKSON. This new vessel is being constructed and equipped with basic science and safety equipment. Its principal focus is science instruction and research for undergraduate science majors and prospective teachers. The new equipment is providing greater opportunities for these students to experience an investigative approach to science in numerous courses as well as through faculty supervised research. This equipment also provides an introduction to current technology in several areas of science and enhances student opportunities for higher level experience in experimental design, data collection and analysis, and computer modeling. The university is making the vessel and its inventory of science equipment available as a regional science education resource. The vessel offers educational programs in various port cities around Lake Michigan. Additionally, it is expected to be used by other colleges and universities including Hope College, Western Michigan University, DePaul University, Cornerstone College, and the following community colleges: West Shore, Muskegon, Lansing, and Petoskey. The impact of the project is to convey scientific principles and techniques with greater effectiveness; enhance student understanding of how scientific data is collected, processed, and applied to environmental questions; and introduce new content into the students' aquatic science experience through working with advanced equipment.