Physics (13) This project expands the knowledge base of educational materials, experiments and techniques in atmospheric laser radar (lidar), as well as identifies technical approaches and instructional methodologies that facilitate collaboration and resource sharing across institutions and remotely controlled experimentation. The project installs a lidar facility at Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) as well as computer resources for data analysis and project dissemination at Southern Connecticut State University (SCSU). Together these two labs form a "collaboratory". A collaboratory is a collaboration between two institutions to provide and share facilities and expertise that enhance the learning for students from both institutions. The project develops a progressive series of modules for integration into physics, computer science, geoscience, and chemistry courses. Two new senior-level courses are being developed in which physics students from CCSU work together with computer science students from SCSU in teams to conduct lidar-based atmospheric science experiments. The project is an adaptation of recent curriculum developments (e.g., Project INTER-MATH, DUE-9455980) as well as a previously supported NSF equipment project, ATM-0116039. The PIs are working with faculty who teach courses from both institutions to integrate the lidar system and its capabilities into the curriculum. The project has an evaluation component and the PIs are publishing the results of this work at conferences, web pages and in peer reviewed journals. This project serves as a national model for cross-institution multidisciplinary team education based on institutional resource sharing.
