This proposal requests instrumentation for a hands-on process- oriented laboratory experience in cell biology for intermediate level students at Georgia Southern University. The pedagogical approach involves mastery learning, discovery learning and process learning. A few techniques are presented repeatedly with elaboration at each repetition. This allows students the safety of making mistakes, and it is through that safety that learning takes place. In addition to learning a few transferable skills thoroughly, we use the writing of a scientific paper as a vehicle to teach data analysis, data interpretation, writing skills, hypothesis testing, and protocol development. Our goal is to propel our students into a research experience which culminates in a complete, full, scientific paper and an oral presentation about techniques and equipment available for cell biology. Students are encouraged to keep a journal of their subjective thoughts concerning the lab. This enables students in an unthreatening way to write about science, and to understand the precise and objective communication of scientific information.
