9351050 Rhodes This project is designed to address specific curricular deficiencies which exist in the Biology Department at Franklin College. Using a nationally normed exam and a critical review of Senior Seminar performances, we have found that our students frequently lack the ability to carefully design experiments and critically analyze their results. This deficiency is most conspicuous in areas of cellular and organismal physiology where concepts of Chemistry and Physics need to be applied to laboratory data in order to arrive at meaningful interpretations. A developmental program, starting in the Freshman year, was initiated in an attempt to address our concerns. However, in order to continue our program in the Sophomore and Junior level Physiology courses, new instrumentation and data processing equipment is urgently needed. To this end, we intend to install 7 computer workstations in our Physiology lab. In conjunction with physiological transducers, simulation software and data analysis software, these workstations will provide an integrated system for teaching experimental design, data acquisition, and methods of critical data analysis. The new equipment will also provide our students with the means for studying electrophysiology (nerve and muscle tissues) and pursuing more sophisticated research projects in the area of physiology.
