Workshop Interdisciplinary Mathematics and Science Course

许多学生在通识教育科学和数学课程不了解科学是如何做的或有关的主要主题和概念的科学和数学。该项目通过开发一个实践性的、以实验室为基础的综合数学和科学通识教育课程来解决这些问题。该课程是专为所有学生谁不是主修科学或数学，特别是适合兼职教师。 该课程是一个团队授课的2学期序列，满足每周5小时的研讨会形式，结合讲座，动手活动和练习，和实验室。每学期为4学分。本课程的目标是强调科学学科之间的关系，协调数学与科学，促进科学素养，并通过实践教学来增强对科学的理解。该课程是真正的跨学科性质，研究在科学和数学的贡献，我们对自然世界的理解统一的主题。该课程还从历史，哲学和当代社会的角度审视科学。 为了实现这些目标，该课程通过开放式的调查实验室经验，实验室和图书馆的小组项目以及口头和书面形式的想法演示，让学生积极参与学习。 完成课程的学生有望提高他们的批判性思维能力，并能够更好地在科学和技术世界中导航。该课程还预计将准备在其观众中的业余教师传达科学和数学的性质和内容更好地在自己的教室。

Many students in the general education science and mathematics courses understand little about how science is done or about the major themes and concepts of science and mathematics. This project addresses these problems by developing a hands-on, laboratory-based, integrated mathematics and science general education course. The course is designed for all students who are not majoring in science or mathematics and is especially appropriate for preservice teachers. The course is a team-taught 2-semester sequence that meets 5 hours per week in a workshop format that combines lecture, hands-on activities and exercises, and laboratory. Each semester is 4 credit hours. The objectives of the course are to emphasize relationships among the scientific disciplines, to coordinate mathematics with science, to promote science literacy, and to enhance the understanding of science by teaching it as it is practiced. The course is truly interdisciplinary in nature, examining both unifying themes in the sciences and the contributions of mathematics to our understanding of the natural world. The course also examines science from historical, philosophical, and contemporary social perspectives. Toward these goals, the course engages students as active participants in learning through open-ended investigative laboratory experiences, group projects both in the laboratory and the library, and the presentation of ideas in oral and written form. Students completing the course are expected to have improved their critical thinking skills and be better able to navigate in the scientific and technological world. The course is also expected to prepare the preservice teachers in its audience to convey the nature and content of science and mathematics better in their own classrooms.