Many students in the general education science and mathematics courses understand little about how science is done or about the major themes and concepts of science and mathematics. This project addresses these problems by developing a hands-on, laboratory-based, integrated mathematics and science general education course. The course is designed for all students who are not majoring in science or mathematics and is especially appropriate for preservice teachers. The course is a team-taught 2-semester sequence that meets 5 hours per week in a workshop format that combines lecture, hands-on activities and exercises, and laboratory. Each semester is 4 credit hours. The objectives of the course are to emphasize relationships among the scientific disciplines, to coordinate mathematics with science, to promote science literacy, and to enhance the understanding of science by teaching it as it is practiced. The course is truly interdisciplinary in nature, examining both unifying themes in the sciences and the contributions of mathematics to our understanding of the natural world. The course also examines science from historical, philosophical, and contemporary social perspectives. Toward these goals, the course engages students as active participants in learning through open-ended investigative laboratory experiences, group projects both in the laboratory and the library, and the presentation of ideas in oral and written form. Students completing the course are expected to have improved their critical thinking skills and be better able to navigate in the scientific and technological world. The course is also expected to prepare the preservice teachers in its audience to convey the nature and content of science and mathematics better in their own classrooms.
