Lighting Up the Next Generation of Technological Problem-Solvers

跨学科（99）正在购买便携式，易于使用的仪器进行实验，重点是电磁辐射及其对自然世界的影响，用于两个大一化学课程和一个大二环境科学课程。 现有的几个实验正在调整和其他开发，以确定：1）入射到地球表面的时间太阳强度和波长分布，2）光辐照度和可见光波长对陆地植物光合作用的影响，以及3）太阳能氢氧燃料电池技术背后的热力学和电化学原理。 所有实验工作都是以实地为基础的，是不限成员名额的调查性质，而不是核查类型的实验室工作。 个别实验在几个星期内进行，而不是孤立的，单一事件的介绍课程中经常遇到的。亚利桑那西部学院是一所两年制学校，由美国教育部指定为西班牙裔服务机构。 超过百分之五十的学生是西班牙裔，他们占少数民族入学人数的百分之七十五。 预计新实验室每年将影响175名学生。

Interdisciplinary (99) Portable, easily used instruments to conduct experiments focusing on electromagnetic radiation and its effects on the natural world are being purchased for use in two freshmen chemistry courses and a sophomore environmental science course. Several existing experiments are being adapted and others developed to determine: 1) the temporal solar intensity and wavelength profiles incident on earth's surface, 2) the influence of light irradiance and visible wavelengths on terrestrial plant photosynthesis, and 3) the thermodynamic and electrochemistry principles behind solar-based hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell technology. All experimental work is field-based and is of an open-ended, investigative character as opposed to verification type laboratory work. Individual experiments are performed over a several weeks in contrast to isolated, single event ones frequently encountered in introductory courses. Arizona Western College is a two-year school designated by the U.S. Department of Education as a Hispanic Serving Institution. Over fifty percent of the student body are Hispanics and they account for seventy-five percent of the minority enrollment. It is expected that the new laboratories will impact 175 students annually.