The Department of Biology is enhancing the teaching of data acquisition, analysis, and presentation in its curriculum. These goals are being achieved by the introduction of digital instrumentation into student laboratories and the availability of these technologies for student independent research projects. The department currently emphasizes hands-on, investigative laboratory experiences in introductory and advanced laboratories. Digital instrumentation and computers are modernizing data acquisition and analysis and creating greater opportunities for interactions between students and instructors. A networked laboratory of 16 Pentium computers with associated hardware is being established. Students are using the laboratory for data analysis and manipulation as well as presentation preparation. New instrumentation includes analytical sensors and probes interfaced with older generation computers with upgrades. This equipment is being used in introductory-level laboratories to introduce students to techniques for continuous data logging and basic statistical and graphing software, and by upper-level students needing to log pH, conductivity, temperature, or other parameters. Other digital instrumentation is being purchased for use in upper-level courses and student independent research projects. Students are learning the modern methodologies of ultraviolet/visible spectrophotometry, densitometry, and photomicroscopy using a digital camera and image analysis software. Application of digital instrumentation can result in enhancements to laboratory investigations of photosynthesis, yeast respiration, rat tissue histology, plant tissue culture, electrophoresis and immunoblotting, metabolite analysis, and ecological microcosm construction. Overall, the project is strengthening the pedagogy of the scientific process and greatly expanding opportunities for student undergraduate research. *
