Recent concerns over problems in American science education have prompted rapid development of new educational methods and technologies. Traditional modes of information sharing, however, haven't been successful in producing widespread educational reform--overcoming the inertia of instructors remains a significant obstacle. To encourage adoption of educational innovations, we intend to widely disseminate "hands-on" materials, i.e., materials that are ready for immediate use in the classroom. The twofold goals of this collaborative project are 1) to actively disseminate information and materials, and 2) to encourage discourse across disciplines and institutions. We intend to exploit recent advances in information technology to establish a World Wide Web server devoted solely to achieving the above goals. To begin with, we will place on-line physics and chemistry materials developed with previous NSF support. These materials, which have proven to be highly effective in enhancing student learning and interest in introductory college physics and chemistry courses, will be available for immediate classroom use. In addition to the active dissemination of these materials, the server will solicit user contributions, enriching the pool of ideas for all users. Initially focused on physics and chemistry, the contents of the server will later be expanded to other disciplines. With input from users and an advisory board we will establish policies for the most effective use of the Web site. By reaching a broad audience this project will encourage the evaluation and adoption of shared material and thus help produce a broad and lasting change.
