This project addresses the acquisition of equipment for project-oriented open-schedule laboratories and learning support facilities for interdisciplinary science courses. The institution now offers three interdisciplinary science courses for education majors and an interdisciplinary core science sequence of two courses that is being developed under a current National Science Foundation grant. The new equipment is being used in conjunction with these five courses. Experience gained in these laboratories can ultimately be used as a basis for the development of laboratories and learning support facilities that will be used by all education majors and by all students taking core science courses. This project deals with a number of common problems in undergraduate laboratory science, including the efficient use of space, equipment, and personnel; the difficulties of applying active learning techniques under the constraints imposed by large class sizes; and the need to improve science literacy and process skills to national levels.
