This project seeks to transform the Animal Physiology laboratory at DePauw University from one of outmoded equipment and pedagogical styles into a dynamic, inquiry-based learning environment. As a wholly undergraduate, liberal-arts institution, DePauw falls short of larger, research-intensive programs in its ability to provide access to modern instrumentation. However, small class sizes, a motiviated faculty, and otherwise excellent faculities position the Department of Biological Sciences well for constructive curriculum reform. Recognizing the value of hands-on experiences in making students active participants in their education, the goal of this project is threefold - to encourage students to experience and thus learn the process of "doing" science to provide real-world experiences with modern instrumentation, and to promote independent research. Specifically, the physiology lab will be reorganized around computerized data acquisition and analysis workstations. during the first eight weeks of the semester, students will " learn the ropes" of research through a series of guided inquiries structured in such a way to enable students to ask questions of their own rather than following recipe-like lab protocols. In the process they will gain experience with instruments for measuring gas exchange, metabolic rate, animal responses to temperature, osmotic concentration of body fluids, muscle and electro-physiology, and enzyme kenetics. during the last six weeks they will progress to developing experiments of their own design. Though not specifically targeting women or minority students, it has been suggested that such a small group, hands-on, realistic research experiences maximizes retention of women in science programs. Because Animal Physiology is the most demanded course in the Biological Sciences major and a popular course for non-majors in allied fields, revisions in this course will influence a broad cross-section of students. An on-line lab manual will be developed and linked to a course web page and freely available over the internet. *
