Muhlenberg Biology Dept. Receives National Science Foundation Grant
Dr. Elizabeth McCain, associate professor of biology at Muhlenberg College, has helped to secure a $112,195 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).Tuesday, December 10, 2002 10:01 AM
Dr. Elizabeth McCain, associate professor of biology at Muhlenberg College, has helped to secure a $112,195 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Chrys Cronin, lecturer in biology, and Dr. Bruce Wightman, associate professor of biology, are project co-investigators, with assistance from Dr. Laura Snodgrass, professor of psychology.
The grant will allow the department to expand the use of computer technology and the culture of science to students enrolled in the introductory biology courses. These courses will introduce the students to all elements of scientific inquiry through investigative exercises and independent research. The students will use wireless laptop computers, software and peripherals to record data, do statistics and graphing, place data on the web and use web-based technology to access molecular databases, and present their long-term projects in posters and/or oral presentations.
The computer-based infrastructure will allow the students to make sophisticated connections within and outside the laboratory. By integrating more demanding scientific thinking and critical analysis skills, the students will be prepared to successfully engage in upper-level science courses, independent or honors research, as well as postgraduate schools and their professional lives.
This grant continues the project made possible by a 1998 NSF grant, which allowed the department to improve computer technology for students in upper-level researched-based courses.
