Ithaca College science faculty are developing laboratory courses for non-science majors, each of which will emphasize a theme or topic of wide interest such as the environment or physiological bases of fitness. Each set of laboratory experiences will be an integral component in a sequence of courses for the non-major. In each laboratory course advanced undergraduate majors will function as "experts" to guide student teams in their investigations. Active learning will be increased by requiring students to carry out informal writing assignments in each lecture-laboratory sequence. Students who complete the sequences will have limited but genuine hands-on experimental experience, and confidence sufficient to allow them to pursue scientific learning at a lay citizen's level.
