The goal of this program is to revise and improve the curriculum of the sophomore, junior and senior year physics laboratory courses through the introduction of the microcomputer. The program will address the need perceived by the UMass/Boston Physics Department to provide training to students in the use of a computer in making physical measurements, an essential skill to be mastered by physicists in today's technological society. By integrating computers into the laboratory environment students will receive a hands- on, intuitive feel for the computer as a powerful tool available to supplement their experimental work. The University of Massachusetts at Boston was established with a mission to serve the urban areas of Boston. Our student body has a high percentage of disadvantaged students who do not have access to computers outside the university setting. Implementation of this program will provide them with the laboratory experience in computer use which is required for them to compete successfully upon graduation.
