It is the intent of this project to help prepare scientifically literate citizens by improving the scientific education of non- science majors (with a specific focus on elementary education majors) enrolled in an introductory physics course (Physics 100). A Laboratory/Lecture format for this course is already in place which encourages students to learn physics first by doing experiments and then developing these concepts through lectures and discussions. To address the difficulty that many of these students are not particularly adept at using mathematics, the general pattern recognition required to move from the concrete experiment to the abstract principle is developed through graphing. This approach has been well accepted; however there are two difficulties: 1) graphing significant amounts of data can become tedious, causing students to become weary of the process and the science involved; and 2) gathering sufficient data to gain insight into systems through the use of the scientific method can be extremely time consuming. These two difficulties can be overcome by computerizing the laboratory. Data can be plotted and revised expeditiously using a computer. Using probes interfaced to the computer, significant amounts of data can be collected rapidly. These data can then be easily plotted. Thus, greater emphasis can be placed on the science with less energy expended on technical details. More time can be spent discerning the patterns of nature and exploring their implications.
