Teaching Laboratories in Mathematics and Astronomy

霍夫斯特拉大学建议通过为数学系和物理系(包括天文学)建立专门的教学实验室来加强对非专业学生，特别是未来的K-12教师的科学教育。该实验室每年将为820名选修“数学远足”和“数学探索”(数学12和16)的学生、625名选修“太阳系”和“恒星和星系”(ASTR11和12)的学生以及预计120名选修“模型和算法”(数学13，暂定题目)的新课程的学生提供服务。这项建议的主旨是让学生积极学习数学和天文学的主要概念和方法：观察、发现、描述(作为规则或算法)和验证的过程。有些科目将同时学习数学和天文学；在这种情况下，每门课程的处理将是独立的，但也将探索学科之间的联系。拟议的教学实验室将包括18台联网的高端个人计算机，以及一个教员站、投影仪和打印机，以满足所有受影响课程的教学需求，以及将安装在现有望远镜上的基于个人计算机的电荷耦合相机，以便于收集数据，供以后在天文学11和12中进行分析。拟议的教学实验室将补充霍夫斯特拉校区内现有的几个开放式实验室。该项目预计将改善地方和全国的教学，后者通过专业会议和期刊传播课堂材料和结果，以及在霍夫斯特拉大学的万维网上发布课程软件。

Hofstra University proposes to enhance the science education of non-majors, and especially prospective K-12 teachers by constructing a dedicated Teaching Laboratory for the Departments of Mathematics and Physics (which includes Astronomy). The laboratory will serve 820 students enrolled annually in the courses "Mathematical Excursions" and "Explorations in Mathematics" (MATH 12 and 16), 625 students enrolled annually in the courses "The Solar System" and "Stars and Galaxies" (ASTR 11 and 12) and an anticipated 120 students enrolled annually in a new course "Models and Algorithms" (MATH 13, provisional title) to be developed with support from this project. The major thrust of this proposal is to involve students actively in learning major concepts and methodologies of both mathematics and astronomy: the processes of observation, discovery, description (as rules or algorithms) and verification. Some topics will be studied in both mathematics and astronomy; in which case the treatment in each course will be self-contained, but connections between the disciplines will also be explored. The proposed Teaching Laboratory will include 18 networked high-end PC's together with an instructor station, projector and printers serving instructional needs in all of the affected courses and PC-based CCD cameras to be attached to existing telescopes to facilitate gathering data for later analysis in Astronomy 11 and 12. The proposed Teaching Laboratory will complement several existing open-access laboratories located throughout Hofstra's campus. This project is expected to improve instruction both locally and nationally, the latter through dissemination of class materials and results via professional meetings and journals, as well as courseware on Hofstra University's world wide web site.