This Department is purchasing equipment to enhance the development of data acquisition and analysis skills in undergraduate students -- both majors and non-majors. Computer simulations and interactive videos are creating an environment in which non-major students can collect and evaluate data without being dependent on manual skills. This enables even scientifically naive students to become involved quickly in scientific pursuits and to begin to experience ways in which scientists solve problems. In upper level courses (including research projects) majors have opportunities to work with computer-interfaced instruments to speed data collection and to accomplish calculations that enable the student to interpret and draw conclusions from related groups of facts. The thrust of the project is to spend more time thinking about the implications of data sets than is spent in acquiring the factual information. The grantee institution is matching the NSF award with an equal sum obtained from non-Federal sources.
