This project relies on computers and molecular biology equipment to reorganize and modernize a large (1300 students/year) entry level Principles of Biology laboratory which serves students in the biology program and several biomedical and health science programs. The number of biology experiments/semester are 50% less than in the past in order to encourage students to pose problems, plan experiments, and analyze and present their quantitative results for student peer review. Laboratory experiments feature comparison of student generated data with that derived from computer simulations. Equipment includes Spectronic 20 spectrophotometers (1/student pair), Macintosh LC computers (1/student pair), and electrophoresis equipment (1/4 students). Video equipment (1/classroom) is used: 1) by students to review senior faculty prepared introductions to laboratory exercises, 2) for training of graduate teaching assistants, 3) by the visually and hearing impaired as an adjunct to classroom materials, and 4) for in- class supplementary demonstrations.
