This project would result in completion of development of a three-course series earning the entire 16 unit science general education requirement for 1,350 students per year from 30 majors in 4 non-science Colleges at the host campus, and likely replication to 22 other campuses in the CSU system. The major objective of the courseware would be that non-science students achieve a deep understanding of the most important theories and mechanisms of seven sciences (Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Geology, Biology, Computer Science, and Mathematics) presented, not by discipline, but rather by common features across the disciplines as advocated by a recent AAAS report. Several years of intensive, interdisciplinary pre-integration of the subject matter by faculty from the seven sciences would be captured in 60 multimedia modules of 180 hours average study time distributed on a Library of Integrated Science General Education CD-ROMs. The year of multimedia focuses on 15 systems processes as Integrative Themes presenting >100 detailed case studies, each demonstrating how the Integrative Process is similar in key processes of each science and across the sciences. The multimedia portion would also include >15 hours of study on 12 topics of the Scientific Method as compared across the sciences. Course methods would be as integrative and interdisciplinary as the pre-integrated content by balancing the student-centered, active-learning, flexible-time, personal tutoring of the multimedia modules with three scheduled face-to-face, cooperative, collaborative learning sessions. Each week of the 30 week series students would further explore the same topics learned in the technological portions with a one-hour small-group discussion session, a one-hour skill-training session, and one-hour of interdisciplinary lab protocols. In this way the best strengths of computer managed instruction and problem-centered group learning are utilized to learn and extend the same integrative subject matter while overcoming the s hortcomings of each method by their combination in a "hybrid" interdisciplinary methodology. The project would result in five products that are easily replicated and could be widely disseminated, namely: an Integrated Science Library of multimedia CD- ROM's to deliver the pre-integrated, interdisciplinary content; a student Handbook of Study Guides to accompany the multimedia lessons; a Workbook of Integrated Science Small-Group and Skill-Training Exercises; a unique Labbook of Interdisciplinary Protocols; and a series of Workbooks on Dissemination.
