Collaborative Research: Molecules of Life -- A Partnership to Enhance Undergraduate Science Education for Non-Science Majors

来自纽约大学（NYU）和南佛罗里达大学（USF）的合作者，以及来自七个不同合作机构的教师团队，正在为一门名为“生命的分子”的非专业科学课程改编和进一步开发创新教材。“这门新课程通过研究生物分子科学的基础课题和前沿发展来探索化学和生物学之间的界面，这种方法使非科学专业的学生能够体验科学进步并评估其对社会的影响。 该课程整合了交互式的生物学、基于网络的分子建模练习和基于探究的实验室实验。来自七个不同合作机构的教师团队（选择他们的地理变化，不同的学生群体，以及改革非专业本科科学教育的机构承诺）正在参加纽约大学的夏季研讨会，以了解当前的“分子”先在自己的学校上课。 随后的研讨会允许教师根据课堂经验修改和改进材料。 每个教师团队都为“教师资源指南”做出贡献，并开发了一个顶点案例研究。由于“分子”课程在每所学校至少教授两次，因此在资助期间至少有1500名学生受到影响。更广泛的影响：该项目接触到合作机构的大量少数民族学生（非洲裔美国人、西班牙裔和太平洋岛民），并成为合作课程设计、生产性教师发展和有效传播创新的典范。 USF领导的项目评估审查了传播和学生学习。 计划通过与麦格劳-希尔高等教育签订的教科书合同，向教育界广泛提供这些教材，出版日期为2008年1月。 该项目最后在佐治亚州亚特兰大举行了一次全国传播会议，可容纳100名对实施“分子”课程材料和教学方法感兴趣的教育工作者。 这一活动大大扩大了项目的范围，超出了七所合作学校。 本摘要涉及纽约大学（#0443014，PI：Kallenbach; coPI：Jordan）和南佛罗里达大学（#0443026，PI：刘易斯）的一个合作项目。 作为七个不同的伙伴机构，其他实质性参与该项目的机构有：查米纳德大学、芝加哥州立大学、费尔菲尔德大学、拿骚县社区学院、斯佩尔曼学院、波多黎各大学里奥皮德拉斯分校和泽维尔大学。

Collaborators from New York University (NYU) and the University of South Florida (USF), and faculty teams from seven diverse partner institutions, are adapting and further developing innovative educational materials for a non-majors science course called "The Molecules of Life." This new curriculum explores the interface between chemistry and biology by examining foundational topics and cutting-edge developments in biomolecular science, an approach that allows non-science majors to experience scientific advances and to evaluate their impact on society. The curriculum integrates interactive pedagogies, web-based molecular modeling exercises and inquiry-based laboratory experiments.Intellectual Merit: Teams of faculty members from seven diverse partner institutions (selected for their geographical variation, diverse student populations, and institutional commitment to reforming undergraduate science education for non-majors) are participating in a summer workshop at NYU to learn about the current "Molecules" course prior to teaching it at their home institutions. Later workshops allow faculty to revise and improve the materials based on their classroom experience. Each faculty team contributes to an "Instructor's Resource Guide" and develops a capstone case study. Since the "Molecules" course is taught at least twice at each school, at least 1500 students during the funding period are impacted.Broader Impacts: This project reaches a large number of minority students (African-American, Hispanic, and Pacific Islander) at the partner institutions, and serves as a model for collaborative curriculum design, productive faculty development, and effective dissemination of innovations. The USF-led evaluation of the project examines both dissemination and student learning. The course materials are planned to be widely accessible to the educational community through an already-established textbook contract with McGraw-Hill Higher Education, with a publication date of January 2008. The project concludes with a national Dissemination Conference in Atlanta, GA, that can accommodate 100 educators who are interested in implementing the "Molecules" course materials and pedagogical approaches. This event significantly broadens the scope of the project beyond the seven partner schools. This Abstract addresses a collaborative project involving New York University (#0443014, PI: Kallenbach; coPI: Jordan) and the University of South Florida (#0443026, PI: Lewis). Other institutions substantively involved in the project as the seven diverse partner institutions are Chaminade University, Chicago State University, Fairfield University, Nassau County Community College, Spelman College, the University of Puerto Rico-Rio Piedras and Xavier University.