1999

Throughout our discussion of the learning process from cognitive and socio-constructivist perspectives, we will refer to what practitioners and scholars have had to say about the teaching process. Thus, course participants should come away with a better understanding of their students and of how to teach them more effectively.

For college teachers of: all disciplines. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Schallert is Professor of Educational Psychology at The University of Texas at Austin where she teaches a course on learning, cognition, and motivation in the undergraduate teacher preparation program, and graduate courses in learning and cognition, psycholinguistics, models of comprehension, and theories of writing. Her most recent research interests have been focused on how affect intersects the thought-language transaction in learners, readers, and writers.

Course: 5

Improving College Teaching Using an Interactive, Compensatory Model of Learning

GREGORY J. SCHRAW and DAVID W. BROOKS, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

March 1-April 23, 1999

Apply: PITT

This course introduces participants to an interactive, compensatory model of learning (ICML) that emphasizes the role of four separate components: human abilities, the knowledge base, strategies and motivation. Human abilities refer to differences in information processing speed and capacity. The knowledge base refers to organized declarative and metacognitive knowledge in long term memory. Strategies refer to procedures that enable learners to solve specific problems. Motivation refers to beliefs about one’s ability to successfully perform a task, as well as one’s goals for performing a task.

The purpose of this course is to improve college teaching by better understanding each of the ICML’s four components, and using this model to guide instructional practice. Participants will read a paper prepared for this course that describes each component in detail. This paper discusses the relative importance of each component relative to the three remaining components, and summarizes current research that addresses the extent to which each component contributes to classroom learning. The paper also discusses ways in which learners compensate for deficits in one component (e.g., ability) by using other components (e.g., strategies).

The course format will be: (1) participants read a paper summarizing the ICML; (2) they discuss this paper with other students in a limited-access electronic discussion group; (3) they offer examples from their own teaching that illustrate typical college teaching problems; (4) they share strategies based on the ICML to reduce or eliminate these problems.

For college teachers of: all science, mathematics, and engineering discipiines. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Schraw is Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he specializes in motivation and learning. He is the former director of undergraduate education in the educational psychology program at UNL. Dr. D. Brooks is Professor of Chemistry Education at the University of Nebraska/Lincoln. He has created numerous multimedia instructional materials and authored the book, Web-Teaching.

Course: 6

Enhancing Student Success Through a Model “Introduction to Engineering” Course

RAYMOND B. LANDIS, California State University, Los Angeles and EDWARD N. PRATHER, University of Cincinnati

March 11-13, 1999 in Los Angeles, CA ... Apply: PITT

May 17-19, 1999 in Pittsburgh, PA ... Apply: PITT

Note: This course will be offered at California State University, Los Angeles in March and the University of Pittsburgh in May.

“Sink or Swim.” For decades that policy has determined the success or failure of America’s freshman engineering students. The general paradigm has been to put up a difficult challenge and “weed out” those that don’t measure up. Fortunately, engineering education in the United States is undergoing a revolution. We are in the process of a shift from the “sink or swim” paradigm to one of “student development.” Engineering colleges all across the nation are revising their freshman year curricula with the primary goal of enhancing student success.

The short course will discuss the results of a National Science Foundation Course and Curriculum Development grant in which faculty from thirteen universities worked collaboratively to develop and document an Introduction to Engineering course designed to enhance student success by addressing five primary themes: community building; professional development; academic success strategies; personal development; and orientation to the university and the engineering program. Participants will learn the content and pedagogy for accomplishing important objectives under each of these five themes.

The format of the course will be strongly interactive. Emphasis will be placed on group problem solving and on experiential learning.

For college teachers of: engineering faculty, minority engineering program staff, and engineering student services staff who are working to enhance engineering student success through summer orientations, formal academic year courses, or formal and informal advising and mentoring. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Landis is Dean of Engineering and Technology at California State University, Los Angeles. He is a nationally recognized expert on engineering student retention. He recently authored a text for freshman engineering students titled Studying Engineering: A Road Map to a Rewarding Career. Dr. Prather is Assistant Dean of Engineering and Director of the Emerging Engineers Program at the University of Cincinnati. He teaches an innovative course for engineering freshman titled Achievement, Motivation, and Success Behavior.

Updated: Jan 31, 1999

Course: 7

Providing First Year Engineering Students with a Successful Introduction Course in Design

THOMAS M. REGAN and JAMES W. DALLY, University of Maryland, College Park

June 24-26, 1999 in Memphis, TN .. Apply: CBU

The curriculum in the first year of a typical engineering program consists of courses in Calculus, English, Computer Science, Physics and usually a Chemistry course or two. An introduction to engineering course is often included in the first semester, but it is usually more involved with graphics or computer skills than introducing the study of engineering. Student evaluations of this curriculum as well as their performances in this first year are often unsatisfactory and attrition in the first year is a major problem for both the students and the colleges. The time required to complete this program is in many cases extended to five years with a significant escalation in the total cost of the program.

As part of the ECSEL Coalition, a team of faculty members at the University of Maryland has developed a new approach for the first course in engineering. This course combines engineering design, the design and documentation process, student teamwork, communication skills, ethics and diversity. We begin the semester by establishing student teams and assigning a project to develop a product prototype on the first day of class. The project is significant in scope, requires the entire semester, and involvement of all of the team members for its completion. The student teams design, document, manufacture, assemble and evaluate a product. The course introduces the student teams to the product realization process.

Since 1990, 5,000 students have been introduced to engineering design as their first experience in the College of Engineering. Student evaluations of the course have been outstanding. External reviews by professional evaluators have been excellent. Faculty involved in teaching a project driven course where they serve as coach, moderator, consultant, counselor, etc., but not as a lecturer has often changed their approach to teaching in other more advanced classes.

We will conduct this course as a workshop and anticipate participation from all of those in attendance. We will share the successes and identify some of the pitfalls encountered in offering engineering design to first-year, first-semester students. Topics that will be discussed include: (1) Cooperative learning methods; (2) Defining engineering design; (3) Effect of class size on methods used to teach design; (4) ABET 2000—course outcomes and testing for course outcomes; (5) Student teams—selection of members and handling problems; (6) College facilities required; (8) Using senior undergraduates in the classroom and studio; (9) Design in outreach programs; (10) Assessment of this offering.

A complete textbook for a sample design project titled Introduction to Engineering Design, Book 3 Postal Scales, will be distributed to all participants. The book will be used to provide a framework to describe the content included as a parallel component to the design project. The six part book provides material describing the design project, graphics, software applications (Excel, Power Point and Pro/ENGINEER), design processes, teamwork, communication and engineering and society including ethics. A booklet briefly describing many different projects piloted by one or more of the seven ECSEL colleges will also be distributed.

Throughout the workshop interactive team exercises will be demonstrated along with cooperative learning techniques. Syllabus preparation and a discussion of computer and shop facilities that enhance an introduction to engineering design course for first-year first-semester students will be described.

For college teachers of: engineering faculty and administrators. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Regan is Director of the ECSEL coalition and Associate Dean of Engineering. He has received the Chester F. Carlson Award for Innovation in Engineering Education. Dr. Dally is a Glenn L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering and a member of the National Academy of Engineering. Together they have developed the Introduction to Engineering Design course at the University of Maryland. Drs. Regan and Dally have each been recognized by their peers with the outstanding Senior Teaching Award at Maryland and have been honored jointly on the Maryland team receiving the 1996 Outstanding Engineering Award sponsored by the Boeing Company.

Course: 8

Introduction to Analog Monolithic-Circuit Design

JOSE PINEDA de GYVEZ and EDGAR SANCHEZ-SINENCIO, Texas A&M University

June 3-5, 1999 in College Station, TX .. Apply: TXA

Note: This course will be presented at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas.

The fast growing changes in electronics and its importance in a host of applications in low voltage portable equipment, instrumentation, smart electronics and control require engineers to update their knowledge of electronics. A three day program offering a modern view of analog microelectronics is developed for college professors. This course provides the fundamental and modern concepts of Analog Microelectronics with emphasis on the analysis and design of monolithic analog integrated circuits using NMOS and CMOS technologies. The coverage of this course is the following: a) MOS Transistor Models-Basic equations of transistor models and their different levels are provided. A brief discussion of the SPICE transistor models is given. b) Fundamental Transistor Stages -Simple single transistor amplifiers, source and emitter followers, inverting and cascade stages, current mirrors and differential pairs are presented. c) Operational Amplifier Design - Behavioral Modeling of Op Amps and Op Transconductance Amplifiers (OTAs), as well as the design at transistor level using real CMOS technology are provided. SPICE Op Amp Design and OTA examples are discussed in detail.

For college teachers of: science, engineering and technology. Prerequisites: participants should be familiar with the operation of bipolar and MOS transistors. Basic knowledge of small signal analysis, frequency analysis and multistage amplifiers is desirable.

Jose Pineda de Gyvez is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He is a former Associate Editor of IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems Part I and of IEEE Transactions on Semiconductor Manufacturing, and was listed in Who is Who among America’s teachers in 1996. Dr. Sanchez-Sinencio is a Professor of Electrical Engineering at Texas A&M University. He is a fellow of IEEE and currently is the Editor-in-Chief of IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems, Part II. He has been a member of the Board of Governore, and Vice-President of publications in IEEEs Circuits and Systems Society. He is the co-author of the first book on Switched Capacitor Circuits and has published more than 200 papers in the area of analog signal processing, receiving the Darlington best paper award in 1997 for his contributions on current-mode filters.

Course: 9

Retaining Minority Students in the Engineering, Mathematical and Natural Sciences Educational Pipeline: Pre-College Through Graduate Degrees

MELVIN R. WEBB, Clark Atlanta University

May 19-21, 1999 in Atlanta,GA .. Apply: CBU

Note: This course will be offered at the Clark Atlanta University Chautauqua Satellite. Applications should be sent to the CBU Field Center and reduced hotel rates may be arranged before a designated cut off date through CBU.

The course will present a model that has a documented track record in addressing the under-representation of minorities and females in the engineering, mathematical, and natural sciences. The course will highlight proven strategies for identifying, recruiting, and retaining minority and female students in the engineering, mathematical and natural sciences educational pipeline from pre-college through graduate degree programs. Focusing on programs developed and operated at Clark Atlanta University since the 1970’s, the course will provide opportunities to explore the curriculum and instructional strategies of the Saturday Science Academy, an enrichment program for students in grades 3-8; the Junior High School Summer Science Program; and the Summer Science, Engineering and Mathematics Institute for high school students. The course will also feature our highly successful Pre-Freshman Summer Bridge Program for the Mathematical and Natural Sciences.

Using a highly interactive format, participants will be exposed to techniques used to assist students to become more successful learners of mathematics and science through activities to promote the development of student-managed academic support systems. Participants will also learn how to become effective teachers, advisors and mentors of their students and how to organize and run effective pre-college academic enrichment programs in mathematics and the sciences. Time will be provided to discuss sources of funding for pre-college programs and the development of successful proposal applications.

For college teachers of: engineering, mathematics, and natural sciences, directors of minority programs and faculty who run pre-college programs or who have an interest in starting pre-college programs for minorities and other students. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Webb is the Director of the Atlanta Comprehensive Regional Center for Minorities; the Office of Naval Research Program and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute Program at Clark Atlanta University.

Course: 10

Technology Solutions for the Multicultural Classroom

NANCY J. ALLEN and PAUL RESTA, Univ. of Texas, Austin

February 12-14, 1999 in Austin, TX .. Apply: TXA

This course examines the role of culture in teaching and learning. In recent years the American student population has become increasingly diverse, and cross-cultural teaching is often the norm. Even when teachers share the ethnicity of the students, socioeconomic factors often produce dissimiliar experiences, and thus different cultures, in student and teacher. To successfully address student needs and to maximize the effectiveness of teaching and learning, it is imperative that instructors have an understanding of the ways in which culture effects the learning process.

he purpose of this course is not only to examine the origin, nature, and pedagogical effects of culture, but to also provide models and strategies proven effective in multicultural classrooms, especially those strategies supported by technology. Topics will include identifying and mitigating world view conflicts, supporting the linguistically different student, supporting the culturally different student, preserving course rigor, planning for long-term student success and using technology effectively in teaching and learning. Participants will be invited to evaluate the content, structure, and strategies of current classes and to consider alternative methods. The course will consist of mini lectures, discussions, demonstrations, and hands-on computer experience, individually and in small groups. Participants will have opportunities to investigate instructional applications of technologies such as standard computer programs (word processing and databases), the Internet, collaborative learning environments, digital photography, and QuickTime Virtual Reality(Tm). Participants will be provided with print-based and online resources.

For college teachers of: all disciplines. Prerequisites: basic knowledge of microcomputing.

Dr. Allen teaches an online graduate level course in Curriculum Development in Thematic Instruction and Technology for the University of Texas at Austin and serves as curriculum specialist for the Four Directions Challenge in Technology Grant, a consortium of four universities and nineteen Native American schools. She serves as an instructional designer, science specialist, and curriculum specialist on the SALUT Project, a collaboration among Texas Learning Technology Group and twenty-nine Texas school districts for the production of CD-ROM based science instruction for limited English proficient students. Dr. Resta is a Professor of Instructional Technology and Director of the Learning Technology Center at The University of Texas at Austin. His work has focused on the development of knowledge-building communities, network-based environments for collaborative learning, and the use of new multimedia technologies to support community-based curriculum. He is the founder of ENAN, the Educational Native American Network, a national computer-based telecommunications system for students and teachers in Indian schools in 28 states.

Course: 11

Increasing the Retention of Under-Represented Groups—And the Learning of All Groups—In Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology Courses

CRAIG E. NELSON, Indiana University

April 28-30, 1999 in Dayton, OH .. Apply: DAY

This course will make your semester. If you are one of the minuscule minority of science, mathematics, engineering and technology (SMET) professors whose classrooms are really free of discrimination, you will go away feeling deeply affirmed (and will have been a resource of immense help to the rest of us). If not, you will go away with clearer ideas as to how bias is unintentionally built into (virtually) every SMET professor’s classroom practices and content (yes, even into the content). More importantly, you will have some strategies to make your classes fairer without sacrificing learning. Indeed, several of the procedures radically increase learning.

Specifically, we will explore, first, opportunity and bias in the classroom practices we adopt. Key questions and examples will include: How has calculus been taught so as to eliminate Fs without sacrificing content? How have D and F rates for African-Americans been reduced from 60% to 4% in some SMET courses, again without sacrificing content? What changes in pedagogy are most important in radically increasing learning? How can the development of more sophisticated modes of thinking be used to make our address to diversity more effective? And: How do assessment and grading practices often unfairly bias SMET courses? As time allows, we will experiment with some additional questions and examples that may help us learn to see both opportunity and bias in aspects of content such as word-choice, metaphors, questions asked and not asked, and definitions of the appropriate scope. Brief development of these ideas and examples will help the participants to: provide additional examples, discuss the applicability of each major aspect to their own teaching and, then, design and discuss ways to implement the more pertinent ones in their own courses.

For college teachers of: all disciplines. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Nelson is a Professor of Biology at Indiana University. He has received several major teaching awards there as well as nationally competitive awards from Vanderbilt and Northwestern universities. He has been invited to present workshops on dealing with diversity at major meetings on college teaching both in the US and in the United Kingdom. His 1996 article from the American Behavioral Scientist (“Student Diversity Requires Different Approaches To College Teaching, Even In Math And Science”) will be distributed in the course.

Course: 12

Women and Minorities in the Sciences: A History of the Past and Strategies for the Future

INA ROSCHER, American University and CATHERINE DIDION, Assoc. for Women in Science

June 3-5, 1999 in Washington, D.C. .. Apply: SUSB

Note: Prominent women scientists from a variety of disciplines will attend portions of the course to facilitate class discussions. This course will be held in Washington, D. C. at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Building.

After examining from an historical perspective the contributions of women and persons of color to scientific fields, this course will offer and discuss strategies for encouraging and retaining women and minorities in science. Not only will we study the lives and work of women and minority scientists (i.e. Rachel Carson, Donna Shirley, Benjamin Carson), but we will also explore why the research of these women and minority scientists has gone unnoticed, and why there exist so few women and minority scientists. Our focus will be on evaluating current methods and devising new programs to increase the numbers of women and minorities in the sciences. Readings will include accounts by women and minority scientists. The course will include feminist and minority critiques of some scientific research. Other readings will include resources for science educators on encouraging underrepresented populations to participate in the sciences. We will explore the fields of science, engineering, and medicine, and discuss to what extent the climate of these fields allows women and persons of color to participate. In addition, we will analyze issues of science education and representation of women and persons of color in scientific academia.

Possible readings include: Journey of Women in Science and Engineering: No Universal Constants, 1997. A Hand Up: Women Mentoring Women in Science, 1995. Love, Power, and Knowledge: Towards a Feminist Transformation of the Sciences, 1986. Women Scientists from Antiquity to the Present: An Index, 1986. Minorities ‘93: Trying to Change the Face of Science, 1993. Sage: A Scholarly Journal on Black Women, 1989.

For college teachers of: all disciplines. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Roscher is Professor and Chair of the Chemistry Department at the American University in Washington, D.C. Her research interests are in physical organic chemistry. She teaches graduate courses in advanced organic chemistry and undergraduate courses for non-science students. In 1987 she was named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and in 1997 she was also named a Fellow of the Association for Women in Science. Dr. Didion has been Executive Director of the Association for Women in Science since 1990. She is a frequent speaker on issues important to women in science and writes the bimonthly column Women in Science for the Journal of College Science Teaching. Currently she is chair of the Environment and Science Task Forces for the Coalition for Women’s Appointments. As one of the official representatives for AWIS to the U. N., she headed the delegation to the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing, and she co-chaired the first science and technology caucus at a U.N. women’s conference.

Course: 13

Teaching Data Interpretation Using Spreadsheets and the Internet

DEBORAH HUGHES HALLETT, University of Arizona and ERIC CONNALLY, Wellesley College

May 8-10, 1999 in Tucson, AZ .. Apply: PITT

Note: This course is cosponsored by and will be offered at the University of Arizona.

This course will introduce the use of the Internet and spreadsheets to teach mathematics and quantitative reasoning. Participants will identify and download data from the Web and use a spreadsheet to analyze it. Examples will be drawn from the natural and social sciences, and will be on materials designed for Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and Wellesley College. The mathematics involved is at the level of precalculus and beginning calculus. The course will discuss the resources available on the Web, how to locate them, and how to evaluate them. The use of spreadsheets will be introduced, with particular emphasis on how to download data from the Web into a spreadsheet. There will be a discussion of the kinds of mathematics and quantitative reasoning that can successfully be taught in this way, and of some of the pitfalls to be avoided. Participants will have the opportunity to design a teaching unit which uses these tools for one of their own courses.

For college teachers of: mathematics, science, or social science. Prerequisites: none. In particular, familiarity with the Internet and spreadsheets is not assumed.

Dr. Hughes Hallett is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Arizona and Co-PI (with Andrew Gleason of Harvard University) of the Calculus Consortium based at Harvard. She is author of several textbooks on calculus and precalculus. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a member of the National Academy of Science subcommittee on Information Technology in Undergraduate Education, and the 1998 Winner of the Louise Hay Award for Contributions to Mathematics Education. Dr. Connally is the Quantitative Reasoning Specialist at Wellesley College. He has published a precalculus text (with Deborah Hughes Hallett) and taught workshops for faculty on the use of spreadsheets to teach quantitative reasoning. His Internet and spreadsheet materials won the 1998 prize from the Internatinoal Conference on Technology in Collegiate Mathematics.

Course: 14

Problem Solving Through Recreational Mathematics

ORIN N. CHEIN, Temple University

March 8-10, 1999 in Philadelphia, PA .. Apply: TUCC

Problem solving is one of the most important skills a person can acquire. This seminar is devoted to methods of problem solving which can be introduced into the college curriculum, for students of all disciplines. Our approach is based on problems from recreational mathematics and on strategies for strictly determined games. The format will be part lecture and part workshop problem solving sessions.

Text: Mathematics: Problem Solving Through Recreational Mathematics by B. Averbach and O. Chein. Copies will be distributed to participants.

For college teachers of: mathematics and high school mathematics teachers in gifted student programs. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Chein, a Professor of Mathematics at Temple University, is a recipient of the 1995 Temple University Great Teachers Award. He has served terms as Chairman of the Mathematics Department, a Director of the College of Arts and Sciences Teaching Improvement Center and as Program Director of the Temple University Teaching Fellows Programs. He has also been a participant in the American Association of Higher Education Peer Review of Teaching project and a member of the project’s Course Portfolio Working Group. He has written journal articles and book chapters on recreational mathematics, as well as numerous articles in the field of combinatorial group theory and in the theory of loops. He is co-editor of Theory and Applications of Quasigroups and Loops, a research level tome on the field.

Course: 15

A Modeling Approach to Precalculus

DEBORAH HUGHES HALLETT, KATE MCGIVNEY, and JOSEPH WATKINS, University of Arizona

April 9-11, 1999 in Tucson, AZ .. Apply: PITT

Note: This course is cosponsored by and will be offered at the University of Arizona.

This course will enable participants to explore the use of mathematical modeling to teach precalculus. Changes in technology now enable students at any mathematical level to analyze data. In this course, participants will discuss ways of integrating data analysis into introductory math courses using data-driven labs. Participants will have the opportunity to work through homework problems and to carry out several labs. One example will be a mathematical model on honeybee population dynamics (see http://gears.tucson.ars.ag.gov). We will consider the kind of critical thinking that can be supported by introducing data analysis and suggest some of the pitfalls. Spreadsheets, graphing calculators, and the Internet will be introduced where appropriate.

For college teachers of: mathematics. Prerequisites: an interest in teaching precalculus, calculus, or quantitative reasoning.

Dr. Hughes Hallett is Professor of Mathematics at the University of Arizona and Co-PI (with Andrew Gleason of Harvard University) of the Calculus Consortium based at Harvard. She is author of several textbooks on calculus and precalculus. She is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a member of the National Academy of Science subcommittee on Information Technology in Undergraduate Education, and the 1998 Winner of the Louise Hay Award for Contributions to Mathematics Education. Dr. McGivney is Lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Arizona, where she is redesigning the lab component of the statistics sequence. She is the author of the precalculus labs. Dr. Watkins is Associate Professor of Mathematics at the University of Arizona. He is mathematics coordinator for the Native American Summer Institute. Professor Watkins’ research training is in probability theory and stochastic processes. He applies this training to stochastic models of biological phenomena.

Course: 16

Making Calculus Meaningful to Students in Life Sciences, Business and Economics

PATTI FRAZER LOCK, St. Lawrence University

June 3-5, 1999 in Memphis, TN .. Apply: CBU

The ideas presented in this course will be helpful in either a calculus or an applied calculus course. The course will provide participants with practical, easy-to-use ways to give the concepts of calculus meaning for the students.  Applications will be drawn from the life sciences, environmental sciences, economics, and business. We will begin with a discussion of how to make the basic topics (functions, lines, exponential functions,...) more meaningful and understandable to the students, and we will progress through the topics in a one-year calculus course.  The emphasis will be on presenting interesting applications and on encouraging student interpretation and explanation.  Your students should never again have to ask “But what is this good for anyway?”

Participants will have the opportunity to work through homework problems in class and to participate in classroom simulations.  The workshop will also include discussion of pedagogical issues (group work, projects, student writing), effective use of technology in the classroom, and current educational issues.

For college teachers of: mathematics. Prerequisites:  None.

Dr. Lock is Professor of Mathematics at St. Lawrence University and is a member of the Calculus Consortium based at Harvard University. She is a co-author of the CCH Calculus text and co-Project Director (with Deborah Hughes Hallett) of the CCH Applied Calculus and Brief Calculus texts.  She has led many workshops on the teaching of calculus. Meeting and working with the participants in these workshops is one of her favorite activities.

Course: 17

Multivariable Calculus: A Science and Engineering Approach

WILLIAM G. McCALLUM and STEVEN L. DVORAK, University of Arizona

April 16-18, 1999 in Tucson, AZ .. Apply: PITT

Note: This course is cosponsored by and will be offered at the University of Arizona.

Multivariable calculus, or third semester calculus, develops the mathematical tools necessary for some of the great applications of calculus, such as Newton’s explanation of Kepler’s Laws, or the theory of electric and magnetic fields. It is also in this course that some of the most beautiful theorems of mathematics are developed: the  basic integral theorems, such as Stokes’ theorem and the divergence theorem, that generalize the Fundamental Theorem of Calculus. This workshop will show how examples from engineering and science can be used to promote conceptual understanding of basic mathematical ideas, such as gradient, curl, divergence, flux integrals, line integrals, the divergence theorem, and Stokes’ Theorem. It will also show how examples that connect calculus with later coursework can motivate students to master the necessary analytical techniques for working with these ideas.

The workshop will be team-taught by a mathematician and an electrical engineer from the University of Arizona. It will include the following topics: engineering examples that can be used in the teaching of multivariable calculus; computer exploration of engineering problems using mathematical software; physical demonstrations; pedagogical issues (group work, projects, and student writing); and forming and sustaining collaborations between mathematics and engineering instructors.

For college teachers of: mathematics, science, and engineering. Prerequisites: Calculus I and II.

Dr. McCallum is Professor and Associate Head for Undergraduate Programs in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Arizona. His research interests are in the areas of number theory and arithmetic algebraic geometry. He is also a member of the Calculus Consortium based at Harvard University, an NSF funded organization that has developed renewed calculus and precalculus courses over the last 10 years. Dr. Dvorak is an Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Arizona. He teaches both theoretial and experimental courses in electromagnetics. His research interests are in the areas of computational electromagnetics, optics, geophysics and applied mathematics.

Course: 18
CLOSED

Statistics: An Indispensable Tool for Decision Making in the Modern World

RICHARD L. SCHEAFFER, University of Florida, Gainesville

June 10-12, 1999 in Memphis, TN .. Apply: CBU

We live in a world of data. From the food we eat to the TV we watch, the quality and quantity of what is available is determined by surveys or experiments. Surveys determine the unemployment rate and the consumer price index, which drive many economic programs of our country. Experiments help engineers develop manufactured products of higher quality and medical scientists improve treatments for disease. Those not directly involved in conducting research must still understand something of how data is collected and analyzed if they are to make intelligent decisions on such questions as nutritional value of food, fuel efficiency in cars, or which medicine to take for an illness. Quantitative reasoning skills are essential if one is to be an informed citizen or productive worker. Almost all disciplines see a need for quantitative reasoning, and statistics enrollments in colleges and universities are the most rapidly increasing among the mathematical sciences. How then can we make the seemingly dull subject of statistics interesting to modern students, who have grown accustomed to rapid-fire TV commercials and video games? One way is to get the students actively involved in their own learning through hands-on activities that engage their attention and interest. This workshop is built around a set of activities designed to involve the student in learning fundamental concepts of statistics through experience, rather than through listening to lectures. Concepts covered include the basics of univariate and bivariate data exploration, designing sample surveys and experiments, sampling distributions for summary statistics, confidence intervals and tests of significance, in short, those concepts found in most introductory statistics courses. Many of the activities come from the NSF-Funded Activity Based Statistics project and there will be time for participants to share their own favorite activities with the group. Computers will be used on occasion for the analysis of data, but the workshop is not intended to provide an in-depth look at statistical software.

For college teachers of: mathematics and statistics. Prerequisites: some knowledge of elementary statistics and use of computers, interest in teaching statistics.

Dr. Scheaffer is a Professor of Statistics at The University of Florida and was Chairman of the Department of Statistics for 12 years. His research interests are in the areas of sampling and applied probability, especially with regard to applications of both in industrial processes. He has published over 40 papers in the statistical literature and is co-author of four textbooks covering aspects of sampling, probability and mathematical statistics. In recent years, much of his effort has been directed toward statistics education throughout the school and college curriculum. He was one of the developers of the Quantitative Literacy Project in the United States that formed the basis of the data analysis emphasis in the mathematics curriculum standards recommended by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. He continues to work on educational projects at the elementary, secondary and college levels, and was the Chief Faculty Consultant for the Advanced Placement Statistics Program from 1994 through 1998. Dr. Scheaffer is a Fellow of the American Statistical Association, from whom he has received a Founder’s Award.

Course: 19

Computer-Intensive Simulation: Bootstrapping and Approximate Randomization in the Elementary Statistics Course

PAUL ALPER, ROBERT L. RAYMOND, University of St. Thomas, and PETER C. BRUCE, University of Maryland

May 24-26, 1999 in St. Paul, MN .. Apply: NIU

As computers have become more available to support and invigorate college courses, statistics teachers have embraced them enthusiastically. They are used nearly everywhere to remove the drudgery from calculations and to make interesting new procedures accessible. In many courses, the instructor and/or the students use computers for simulation, gaining direct experience with concepts underlying statistical procedures. This course will show statistics instructors another way to use computers to enrich their courses.

Participants will be introduced to the computer-intensive methods of bootstrapping and approximate randomization. These simulation methods differ from Monte Carlo simulation in that they start with data, rather than with a theoretical model of a population. These computer simulations make statistics livelier and more engaging to students, and help convince them of the usefulness of statistics in the “real world”. Hands-on experience with Resampling Stats software and the simulation capabilities of Minitab will help participants develop new teaching strategies as well as write their own programs and macros. Participants will solve, via simulation, (1) typical statistical inference problems, (2) statistical inference problems that can be solved analytically only if doubtful assumptions must be made, and (3) statistical inference problems for which no analytic formula is available. Resampling Stats is specialized for these uses; Minitab, a widely used general-purpose statistics package, offers the possibility of incorporating the results of a technique into its other functions, such as presentation graphics. Each participant will receive the Resampling Stats software and a set of Minitab macros on diskette.

For college teachers of: statistics in the physical, natural, social and mathematical sciences. Prerequisites: knowledge of elementary statistics.

Dr. Alper and Dr. Raymond are Associate Professors of Quantitative Methods and Computer Science at the University of St. Thomas. Each has had over two decades of experience teaching elementary statistics. Peter Bruce is the Director of the Resampling Project and has given many workshops on the use of computer- intensive methods.

Course: 20

Teaching Dynamical Systems Across the Curriculum

ROBERT L. DEVANEY, Boston University

June 7-9, 1999 in Boston, MA .. Apply: PITT

Note: This course will be offered at Boston University.

This course will focus on methods by which ideas from dynamical systems theory may be included in various parts of the undergraduate curriculum. These topics provide an ideal opportunity to give students (particularly lower division students) a glimpse of modern ideas in mathematics in a setting that is germane to the course at hand. Specific topics to be addressed during the course include:

1. Putting chaos in calculus: a modern treatment of Newton's method;
2. Fractals in the Linear Algebra course: the geometry of linear transformations and iterated funcation systems;
3. An overview of the Boston University Differential Equations Project: a reform ODE course for sophomores;
4. Dynamical Systems in precalculus courses or in courses for liberal arts majors;
5. The mathematics behind the Tom Stopard play Arcadia: chaos and fractals for the humanities student;
6. Topics for a sophomore/junior level course in dynamical systems theory;
7. Using web based tools and animations in the dynamics classroom.
   Each topic will be accompanied by computer laboratory investigations.

For college teachers of: mathematics. Prerequisites: participants must have a background in calculus and some real analysis. Some familiarity with the use of the Macintosh computer would be helpful. Participants will use the Macintosh to perform experiments during the course.

Dr. Devaney is Professor of Mathematics at Boston University. His research interests are in dynamical systems and include work in complex dynamics, Hamiltonian systems, and computer experiments in mathematics. He is author of An Introduction to Chaotic Dynamical Systems (1985); Chaos, Fractals, and Dynamics: Computer Experiments in Mathematics (1990); and A First Course in Chaotic Dynamical Systems: Theory and Experiment (1992), all published by Addison-Wesley. The course will be based on material in this last book.

Course: 21

The Mathematics of Cryptology

ROBERT EDWARD LEWAND, Goucher College

July 11-13, 1999 in Baltimore, MD .. Apply: CBU

Note: The course will be held at Goucher College and will include both a guest lecture by a mathematician on the staff of the National Security Agency and a tour of the National Cryptologic Museum at Fort Meade, Maryland.

Widespread participation on the Internet has brought forth renewed interest in issues of security and confidentiality. From the earliest days of writing, there have been occasions when individuals have desired to limit their information to a restricted group of people. They had secrets they wanted to keep. To this end, such individuals developed ideas by means of which their communications could be made unintelligible to those who had not been provided with the special information needed for decipherment. The general techniques used to accomplish such a purpose, i.e., the hiding of the meaning of messages, constitute the study known as cryptology.

Cryptology provides both a fascinating venue to its underlying mathematical subjects (including number theory, matrix algebra, probability and statistics) as well as an opportunity to implement the theory by means of computer programs. This course will demonstrate how cryptology can be incorporated into a mathematics or computer science course at either an elementary or advanced level, thereby providing additional motivation for learning these topics.

Specifically, we will consider such issues as monoalphabetic and polyalphabetic substitution ciphers, public key cryptography, security, authentication and anonymity.

For college teachers of: mathematics and computer science. Prerequisites: A familiarity with modular arithmetic and elementary properties of prime numbers. A basic knowledge of a programming language would be helpful but not required.

Dr. Robert Lewand is a Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science at Goucher College where his work has been recognized with awards for both outstanding teaching and research. Co-author of several books on Artificial Intelligence, he has published and delivered papers on topics as diverse as algorithmic music and recursion theory. In 1998 he chaired a special session on the topic of “Mathematics and Sports” at the annual joint meeting of the Mathematical Association of America and the American Mathematical Society.

Course: 22

Teaching College Science Using Multimedia and Mathematics

ROBERT G. FULLER, STEVEN R. DUNBAR and VICKI PLANO CLARK, University of Nebraska, Lincoln

March 18-20, 1999 in Lincoln, NB .. Apply: PITT

Note: This course is cosponsored by and offered at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln. Additional information.

The emphasis of this course is on helping faculty develop ways to incorporate powerful multimedia and mathematics learning activities into their college science courses.

This course will use cooperative learning groups among the participants to introduce them to several multimedia techniques that can be used interactively to teach college science courses with mathematics. The participants will perform a variety of interactive digital video, computer data collection and analysis and computer algebra activities. They will work in small groups to prepare multimedia lessons to use with the other participants on the last half day of the workshop. While many of the specific examples will be drawn from general physics, their applicability to all sciences will be discussed.

The participants will be able to export their lessons electronically to their home institutions.

For college teachers of: all science, mathematics, and engineering disciplines. Prerequisites: none

Dr. Fuller is Professor of Physics and Director of the Research in Physics Education Group at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He has received the Millikan medal by the American Association of Physics Teachers for his notable and creative contributions to the teaching of physics. Dr. Dunbar is Professor of Mathematics and the founding Director of the J. R. Edwards Honors Program for Computer Science and Management and a specialist in the use of computer algebra systems for teaching mathematics and science. Vicki Plano Clark is a research associate in the Research in Physics Education Group who specializes in the use of interactive technologies in general physics laboratories.

Course: 23

The Studio Approach to Student-Centered Science, Mathematics and Engineering Instruction

KAREN CUMMINGS, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

May 20-22, 1999 in Troy, NY .. Apply: PITT

Note: This course is cosponsored by and held at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

In 1993, Jack Wilson introduced the "studio" approach to student-centered instruction at Rensselear Polytechnic Institute. Since that time, the studio model has developed and been refined. It is now used at several large research institutions across the country and in many different types of courses at Rensselaer. The subjects currently taught using the studio model include courses in engineering, mathematics, humanities and the sciences. The defining characteristics of the studio approach to intereactive instruction are an integrated lecture/laboratory format, a reduced amount of time allotted to lecture, class sizes ranging from 30-75 students, extensive use of technology in the classroom, collaborative group work and a high level of faculty - student interaction.

The main focus of this workshop will be the Studio Physics courses at Rensselaer. However, participants will gain exposure to other studio courses on campus including those in mathematics, engineering and other sciences. The use of information technology is an important part of maintaining the efficiency of these courses, and so will be a significant aspect of this workshop. Specific issues which will be addressed include:

• Use of WWW for improved instruction
• Effective use of computers in science classrooms
• Procedures fro grouping students to maximize the effectiveness of collaborative classroom
• Cost related issues in the start-up and continuance of interactive courses
• Proven techniques for effective collaborative learning
• Assessment of studentn learning as a guide to curriculum development

• Preparing PowerPoint lecture presentations
• Data acquisition via computers
• Using HTML editors and composers to develop simple web pages
• Web-based homework submission and grading systems
• Use of the web to facilitate student learning
• Using Java-based simulations in science and engineering courses

For college teachers of: all disciplines. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Cummings is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Physics at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and Hamilton Faculty Fellow for Innovation in Undergraduate Education. In this position, she works to successfully adapt effective pedagogical approaches and curricular material to the studio classroom. She had done extensive assessment of student learning in the Studio Physics courses at Rensselaer and is actively involved in the teaching and development of these courses. She is an experimental condensed matter physicist whose interests include ion beam analysis of materials applied to glass science related issues and electronic materials.

Course: 24

Simulation and Visualization: Cross-Disciplinary Uses

CRAIG HENRIQUEZ, Duke University

May 20-22, 1999 in Durham, NC .. Apply: TUCC

Note: This course is cosponsored by and offered at Duke University. Applications should be sent to the TUCC Field Center.

Simulation and visualization have always been integral components of scientific inquiry. The recent trend in the areas of Physics, Engineering, Biology, and Medicine is to analyze phenomena and systems in multidimensions. The information of interest may reside in discrete, acquired data sets obtained from advanced imaging instrumentation, or created through mathematical models or symbolic representations. There are a number of challenges in finding the best ways to interact with and render the data to glean the most information about the system of interest. Simulation and visualization can also enhance learning in the classroom. With proper tools, students can be actively engaged both in creating the simulation programs and in exploring a concept through parameter variation.

This course will explore simulation and visualization from the desktop to the supercomputer. Approaches for designing integrated environments for both research and eduational purposes will be presented. Participants will engage in a number of hands-on activities using the commercially available packages MATLAB and AVS to create and to visualize two and three-dimensional data, using various volume and surface rendering techniques. Example data sets will be provided from the areas of medical imaging, cardiac electrophysiology, non-linear dynamics and neurobiology.

For college teachers of: all sciences. Prerequisites: experience using Windows (3.1 or higher) operating system. Knowledge of mathematics through ordinary differential equations is useful. Past experience with Mathematica or Maple is useful but not required.

Dr. Henriquez is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Duke University. His research focuses on large-scale modeling of the electrical dynamics in the heart and brain. Dr. Henriquez teaches upper-level classes in electrophysiology and numerical methods for engineers and offers a freshman class in Biomedical System Design. He was a charter member of the UCES (Undergraduate Computational Engineering and Science) project developed by the Department of Energy to create computational teaching modules for undergraduates.

Course: 25

Teaching Science, Engineering, and Mathematics in a Distributed Multimedia Learning Environment

JACK M. WILSON, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

May 24-25, 1999 in Pittsburgh, PA, Troy, NY .. Apply: PITT

Note: This course will be offered simultaneously at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the University of Pittsburgh. This course will be a live, interactive distance learning environment as described below. Applications should be sent to the PITT Field Center. Also note that the number of days has been shortened to two.

What happens when the new multimedia distance learning materials, such as the CUPLE Physics Course, the Electronics and Instrumentation Studio, or other materials are combined with desktop video conferencing, and the new distance learning tools that would allow remote students to participate in the class? A distributed multimedia learning environment is created. In this course, participants will be introduced to the creation and use of multimedia environments and to the new tools and technologies for distance learning. The course will be offered at the three sites using network delivery of video, audio and control information. This will be an experimental workshop that will extend the technology as far as we are able at the time of the course. The visual and auditory communication is enabled by multipoint video conferencing using Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) facilities. The two-way video communication is integrated into the desktop computer environment via a video window on the computer screen. Instructors and students may control MS Windows-based applications on the other participants’ workstations. The shared applications may include instructional applications, text and graphics screens, animation, video clips and audio clips to enhance learning and collaboration.

We will focus on the creation of stand-alone and network capable multimedia materials for introductory courses in science, mathematics, and engineering. Examples will be shown in each area.

For college teachers of: science and engineering. Prerequisites: some experience with Windows 95.

Dr. Wilson is Dean of Undergraduate and Continuing Education at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute where he also serves as a Professor of Physics. He is also the Director of the CUPLE project, and served as the Executive Director of the American Association of Physics Teachers from 1982-90. His work at Rensselaer has been recognized by the 1995 Theodore Hesburgh Award from TIAA/CREF, the 1995 Boeing Prize, and the 1996 Pew Prize. All of these national awards cite the creation of new learning materials and new learning environments as a breakthrough in undergraduate education.

Updated: Feb 26, 1999

Course: 26

Science in Cinema: Teaching Science Fact Through Science Fiction Films

LEROY W. DUBECK, Temple University and SUZANNE E. MOSHIER, University of Nebraska at Omaha

March 11-13, 1999 in Philadelphia, PA .. Apply: TUCC

The course will describe the use of science fiction films to teach science. The popularity of science fiction films, such as Star Wars, Terminator 2, Contact, Independence Day, Deep Impact, Armageddon, and the Star Trek television series and films, is widespread. The belief in pseudo science among college students is well documented. Drs. Dubeck and Moshier have used the great attraction that one form of pseudo science, namely science fiction films, has for young people to build interest in and awareness of real science. They have demonstrated that the use of science fiction films has a strong positive effect on the attitude of students towards science and on their understanding of science as a discovery process. In addition, using science fiction films has helped students to better understand scientific principles by having them identify both illustrations and violations of scientific principles depicted in these films. Films may be screened in class or at home by participants or only segments may be screened in class.

The course will consist of screening and analyzing segments from many science fiction films and television shows which are suitable for use in physics, astronomy, biology and environment science courses. Each participant will receive a copy of Learning Science Through Science Fiction Films by L. W. Dubeck, S.E. Moshier, and J. E. Boss (published by Springer Verlag).

For college teachers of: all science disciplines. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Dubeck is a Professor of Physics at Temple University. For over 20 years he has taught an introductory level college physics course: Science and Science Fiction in Film, which uses science fiction films extensively. Last Fall he taught this course entirely via the Internet. He has also used science fiction films in his “standard” introductory level physic course. He is also the co-author of an environmental textbook. His work has been supported by a number of National Science Foundation’s grants. Dr. Moshier is a Professor of Biology at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Drs. Dubeck and Moshier have collaborated on the writing of two text books and numerous articles describing the use of science fiction films to teach science at both the college and pre-college levels.

Course: 27

Promoting Active Learning in Introductory Physics Courses: I and II

PRISCILLA W. LAWS, Dickinson College, DAVID R. SOKOLOFF, Univ. of Oregon, and RONALD K. THORNTON, Tufts University

June 3-5, 1999 (I) in Carlisle, PA .. Apply: TUCC CLOSED
June 17-19, 1999 (II) in Eugene, OR .. Apply: PITT

Note: Course I will be held at Dickinson College in Carlisle, PA and Course II will be held at University of Oregon in Eugene, OR.

Widespread physics education research has shown that a majority of students have difficulty learning essential physical concepts in the best of traditional courses. These Chautauqua courses are designed for those interested in making major changes in introductory physics courses or in other introductory science courses. The focus will be on giving participants direct experience with methods for promoting active involvement of students in the learning process through activity-based physics strategies.

Participants will explore activities from several successful curriculum development projects, which share common goals and techniques, all of which are based on the outcomes of physics education research and the comprehensive use of microcomputers. (The microcomputer-based tools used are available for Macintosh, Windows and MS-DOS computers.) Samples of curricula will be given out. We will discuss adaptation of curricular materials to a range of institutional settings including small colleges and large universities.

While the emphasis will be on activity-based learning in laboratory or workshop environments, strategies for better integration of lecture and laboratory sessions by means of interactive lecture demonstrations will also be discussed. We will also explore effective methods for evaluation of learning of physics concepts. Studies have demonstrated substantial and persistent learning by students who have used these materials.

Course I will focus on first semester topics: mechanics, heat and thermodynamics. Use of computers will include data collection and analysis with microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) tools, basic mathematical modeling using MBL software and spreadsheets, and basic interactive video analysis.

Course II will focus on second semester topics: electricity and magnetism, waves and optics. In addition to use of computers for data collection and analysis (using MBL tools) this course will explore more advanced mathematical modeling and more advanced video analysis including recording of digitized physics movies.

For college teachers of: introductory physics and other introductory science and mathematics disciplines. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Laws is a Professor of Physics at Dickinson College where she and her colleagues have developed a workshop method for teaching physics without lectures. Students in Workshop Physics courses use several related computer applications including spreadsheets linked dynamically to graphs for modeling, microcomputer interfacing for real-time data collection, and video analysis software. Workshop Physics has been published by John Wiley and Sons. Dr. Sokoloff is Professor of Physics at the University of Oregon where he integrates classroom testing on research-based curricula with the assessment of conceptual learning in introductory courses with large enrollments. He is the principal author (along with Ronald Thornton and Priscilla Laws) of Real-Time Physics--computer-supported active learning laboratories for use in traditional university settings. (Just published by John Wiley and Sons.) He is also co developer (along with Ronald hornton) of microcomputer-based Interactive Lecture Demonstrations which create an active learning environment in lecture classes. Dr. Thornton is the director of the Center for Science and Mathematics Teaching of the Physics and Education Department at Tufts University where he directs the development of software for microcomputer-based laboratory (MBL) tools for real-time collection and analysis of data, for modeling and for vector visualization, and curricula designed to be used with these. The center conducts research on student learning in physics. The MBL software has won awards from EDUCOM, Computers in Physics, and the Dana Foundation.

Course: 28

Widely Applied Physics

JOHN M. DOYLE, Harvard University

June 12-13, 1999 in Cambridge, MA .. Apply: HAR

Widely Applied Physics applies elementary physics to real things and practical situations. Emphasis is on developing physical intuition and the ability to do order-of-magnitude calculations. This course will give instructors the opportunity to learn how to connect with students by using physics in an “informal” way, getting quantitative answers without worrying about factors of 2, pi, etc. Such an approach breaks down the barriers between understanding physics and students’ understanding of the world around them. Examples used include flight, communications, nuclear reactors and materials.

For college teachers of: physics and physical science. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Doyle is the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences in the Department of Physics at Harvard University. His research centers on trapping neutral particles to perform low energy fundamental physics experiments for studies of quantum gases, spectroscopy and searches for time-reversal violatio, and is currently working to realize new techniques to trap ultra-cold neurons, molecules, and atoms below 1° Kelvin.

Course: 29

Physics Demonstrations Using Simple Apparatus

D. RAE CARPENTER, JR. and RICHARD B. MINNIX, Virginia Military Institute

July 12-14, 1999 in Lexington, VA .. Apply: DAY

Note: This course is offered at the Virginia Military Institute. Applications should be sent to the DAY Field Center. [This course has a participant fee of $30 (in addition to the application fee) which covers enhanced course material and other course-related expenses.]

Effective demonstrations give students added insight into physical principles and excite their interest. This course will provide an opportunity for a group of college and university faculty to learn new demonstrations and techniques, to interact with one another, and to share their favorite demonstrations with the group.

Using a large number of demonstrations and ideas assembled at VMI as a basis, a series of demonstrations, covering all fields of physics, will be presented each morning and a portion of the afternoons, emphasizing simple apparatus available in variety and building supply stores. Time will be allocated for discussion and for participants to share their own demonstrations and techniques. A notebook containing 660 demonstrations with 710 photographs, including construction hints and 760 references to theory and other demonstrations in The Physics Teacher and the American Journal of Physics, will be provided.

For college teachers of: physics and physical science. Prerequisites: none.

Drs. Carpenter and Minnix are Professors Emeritus at Virginia Military Institute with a combined undergraduate college teaching experience of over 90 years. This award-winning duo is recognized nationally for their presentations before groups ranging from research physicists to kindergarten students. They are joint recipients of Distinguished Service Citations of the American Association of Physics Teachers, of the Pegram Medal of the Southeastern Section of the American Physical Society, and of the Foreman Award of Vanderbilt University. Over the past quarter century, they have jointly operated over 20 summer workshops on physics demonstrations, about half with National Science Foundation support, for college and high school teachers and science museum demonstrators. They are authors of The Dick and Rae Physics Demo Notebook, published in 1993, and now in use on every continent except Antarctica. This will serve as the text for the course.

Course: 30

Teaching Introductory Astronomy

GARETH WYNN-WILLIAMS, University of Hawaii

June 1-3, 1999 in Green Bank, WV .. Apply: DAY

Note: This course is offered at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. Applications should be sent to the DAY Field Center. Limited on-site lodging will be available to early applicants. Also see following course description.

College faculty are frequently called upon to teach undergraduate astronomy courses even when their own field of specialization is in another science. This course is designed to assist in organizing such a course, and starts from the premise that astronomy is an ideal tool for communicating a broad range of scientific ideas to liberal-arts students.

In this workshop we will examine various approaches to teaching elementary astronomy lecture classes. Among the topics to be covered are:

• Overview of the Universe and its contents
• Designing a syllabus
• Including or avoiding mathematics
• Linking astronomy with other sciences
• Making astronomy relevant to students
• Using astronomy to teach the scientific method
• Visual aids and other teaching tools
• Choosing a text

Participants will tour the Green Bank facility, including the new Green Bank Telescope currently under construction. It will be the world’s largest fully steerable single dish radio telescope. Also, a 40-ft. diameter radio telescope will be provided for the use of those taking the course.

For college teachers of: all disciplines. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Wynn-Williams is a Professor of Astronomy and Chair of the Astronomy Graduate Program at the University of Hawaii. In his research he uses infrared and radio telescopes to study the formation of new stars in interstellar gas clouds and in the nuclei of distant galaxies.

Course: 31
CLOSED

A Radio View of the Universe and the New Green Bank Telescope

FELIX J. LOCKMAN and STAFF, National Radio Astronomy Observatory

June 4-6, 1999 in Green Bank, WV .. Apply: DAY

Note: This course is cosponsored by and offered at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Green Bank, West Virginia. Applications should be sent to the DAY Field Center. Limited on-site lodging will be available to early applicants. See note on following course relative to both courses.

For millennia our understanding of the universe was based only on the information carried to us by visible light. Today human vision is enriched by the knowledge provided by the full complement of electromagnetic radiation. Radio astronomers provided the initial breakthrough and their study of cosmic radio waves has revealed unsuspected components of the universe.

• Quasars. Powerhouses at immense distances whose energy content equals that of thousands of galaxies but whose dimensions are on the scale of the solar system.
• Pulsars. Spinning, magnetized, dead cores of exploded stars whose radio signature is repetitive, periodic pulses.
• Interstellar Molecules. More than 100 molecules, some complex and organic, have been identified by the narrowband signals they radiate.
• Cosmic Background Radiation. The echo of the primordial fireball. Remnant radiation left over from the big bang origin of the universe.

These constituents will all be discussed. In addition, since the course will be held at the telescope site, the instruments used to study them will be described and inspected, including the new Green Bank Telescope currently under construction. It will be the world’s largest fully steerable single dish radio telescope. Also, a 40-ft. diameter radio telescope will be provided for the use of those taking the course.

For college teachers of: all disciplines. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Lockman is Assistant Director of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in charge of its Green Bank Operations. His research interests are the structure of the Milky Way and interstellar matter. The staff includes other scientists, electronics engineers and programmers.

Course: 32

Interferometry in Radio Astronomy, the VLA and the VLBA

MILLER GOSS and STAFF, National Radio Astronomy Observatory

August 4-6, 1999 in and near Socorro, NM .. Apply: DAY

Note: This course is cosponsored by and offered at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro, New Mexico. Applications should be sent to the DAY Field Center. This course, along with the previous course, Radio View of the Universe and the New Green Bank Telescope, form a two-session pair. Applications from individuals applying for both and received by the end of February will receive priority consideration. Single course applications are also welcome.

Multiple radio telescopes used in concert can form a synthetic antenna providing the resolving power of a much larger dish. These techniques of interferometry are the focus of this course. Twenty-seven identical reflector antennas operating together on the Plains of St. Agustin in New Mexico form the Very Large Array (VLA). They are interconnected, and each can be moved to different observing stations over an area of about 20 by 20 miles. The 25 meter (82-foot) antennas are precise, yet strong enough to stand the snow and wind at the 7000-foot elevation of the site. They are moved every few months to different locations in the Y-shaped layout. They are controlled by a central observing station to which they return data. The VLA is an extremely versatile research instrument and a valuable tool for investigations ranging from planetary and other solar-system observations, to studies of stellar life cycles, galactic structure and evolution, and cosmological studies of the far-distant universe.

The Very Long Baseline Array (VLBA) is composed of ten identical 25-meter reflector antennas located at independent sites geographically distributed across the United States, from Hawaii to the Virgin Islands. Each antenna independently records data, which is then synthesized into output with the resolution of an 8000-kilometer (5000 miles) single radio telescope. The VLBA’s extremely high resolution makes it a premier tool for researchers studying the details of stars and other objects within the Milky Way, as well as distant galaxies, quasars and gravitational-lens systems. In addition, the VLBA provides important data on Earth’s plate-tectonic movements.

The course will be held at the NRAO Array Operations Center in Socorro, NM. During the course, techniques for radio astronomy interferometry will be described. Participants will tour control rooms and central computer processing facilities at the Operations Center. On the second day of the course, participants will tour the VLA. Current and future observing programs for the arrays will be discussed, along with observations using antennas in space.

For college teachers of: all disciplines. Prerequisites: the Chautauqua course, Radio View of the Universe and the New Green Bank Telescope, or equivalent elementary knowledge of radio astronomy.

Dr. Goss is Assistant Director of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in charge of VLA/VLBA Operations. His research interests include spectral-line studies of the Milky Way; pulsars; and nearby galaxies. The staff includes other scientists, electronics engineers and programmers.

Course: 33
CLOSED

Cosmology at the Millennium!

MICHAEL S. TURNER, RANDALL H. LANDSBERG, STEPHAN S. MEYER, and JOHN E. CARLSTROM, University of Chicago

June 14-16, 1999 in Chicago, IL .. Apply: PITT

Note: This course will be offered at the University of Chicago

Cosmology is in the midst of a golden age. The confluence of powerful ideas and a flood of data made possible by new instruments and observatories (e.g., HST, Keck 10 m telescopes, COBE Satellite, Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Tevatron at Fermilab) are leading to great advances in our understanding of the origin and evolution of the Universe. Through the hot big-bang cosmological model we can confidently trace the history of the Universe from the quark soup that existed a fraction of a second after the beginning to the highly structured Universe we see today with galaxies, clusters of galaxies, superclusters, voids and great walls of galaxies (and maybe even larger things). The Universe is held together by dark matter, known only by its gravitational effects and thought to be elementary particles left over from the earliest moments of creation. It is believed that all the structure in the Universe originated from quantum mechanical fluctuations arising during a rapid period of expansion called inflation. Recent observations indicate that the Universe today may be speeding up rather than slowing down.

In this course, we will develop in detail the standard hot big-bang model, discussing the Hubble expansion, the cosmic microwave background radiation, big-bang nucleosynthesis, the age of the Universe, the quantity and composition of matter in the Universe, and the origin of large-scale structure through the attractive action of gravity. We will present the powerful ideas based upon the deep connections between elementary particle physics and cosmology (e.g., inflation, cold dark matter, baryogenesis, cosmological phase transitions, and Einstein’s cosmological constant) and discuss the myriad of observations and experiments that are testing them (Sloan Digital Sky Survey, precision measurements of the cosmic microwave background, Keck and HST studies of the origin and evolution of galaxies, ....).

Through lectures, discussion sessions and hands-on experiences with telescopes, cryogenic detectors, and computers the participants will learn about the hot big bang model and exciting forefront developments in cosmology. The instructors will be University of Chicago faculty and research scientists as well as scientists from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory, all of whom are actively involved in cosmological research. Field trips to Fermilab and the newly opened Pritzker Cosmology exhibit at the Adler Planetarium are planned.

For college teachers of: the physical sciences. Prerequisites: none

Dr. Turner is the Rauner Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at The University of Chicago and Staff Scientist at Fermilab. He is a theoretical cosmologist whose research is concerned with the earliest moments of the Universe and has made important contributions to our understanding of dark matter, inflationary cosmology, the cosmic microwave background, and the formation of structure in the Universe. Among his awards are the Quantrell Prize for Undergraduate teaching and the Lilienfeld Prize of the APS for research contributions and exceptional skill in their presentation to diverse audiences. Dr. Landsberg is the Director of Education and Outreach for the Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica (CARA). His work in science education focuses on hands-on laboratory experiences, and has involved a wide variety of formal and informal programs including displays for the Museum of Science and Industry, Science Vans, teacher enhancement institutes, short courses on diverse topics such as microscale chemistry and forensics, and IAEA training courses. Dr. Meyer is a Professor of Astronomy and Astrophyiscs at the University of Chicago. His research is centered on measurements of the anisotropy and spectrum of the cosmic microwave background radiation with satellite and balloon-borne instruments. He is a member of the Microwave Ansotropy Probe (MAP) satellite science team and is director of the Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica (CARA). Dr. Carlstrom is an Associate Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of Chicago, and the Associate Director of the Center for Astrophysical Research in Antarctica (CARA). His current research concerns interferometric studies of the cosmic microwave background, and measurements of the S-Z effect. He is a Packard Fellow and a MacArthur Fellow.

Course: 34

Archaeoastronomy in Mayan Belize

R. ROBERT ROBBINS, The University of Texas at Austin

March 17-20, 1999 in Belize .. Apply: TXA

Note: Participants are responsible for making their own arrangements for transportation to and from Belize. The costs of lodging, meals, local transportation, museum entrance fees, bus transportation fees where necessary and other expenses associated with field trips will be paid by the participants. Participants may also want to visit other attractions before and after the Chautauqua program.

This four-day workshop will involve lectures, discussions and archaeoastronomical field trips in Belize and Guatemala. In recognition of the importance of this region in Mayan culture and history, many new archaeological excavations are in progress and very little in the way of archaeoastronomical studies have been undertaken. It is doubly fortunate that we will be visiting at the time of Vernal Equinox (March 20), when the Sun’s station in the sky is more likely to reveal astronomical significance.

The lectures will focus on topics that will facilitate research: we will discuss what celestial phenomena can actually be observed by the naked eye, and what the capabilities and limits of the eye are. We will also examine the various methods that the Maya employed to construct their observatories in stone to aid in seeking astronomical significance in the sites. We will examine the subject of astronomical alignments critically and look at selected studies in the past. The workshop will also demonstrate methods for on-site corrections (such as precession) that must be carried out.

From a central base in San Ignacio on the Guatemala border, we will visit Xunantinich and the great complex at Caracol, second only to Tikal in size and historical significance in the region. Weather and time permitting, we also plan to arrange actual participation at an active dig (to be named later) for part of one day. We will visit the ruin of Cahal Pech, an easy walk from accommodations in Cahal Pech Village, and end our program with a visit to Tikal, spending at least two days exploring this magnificent and huge Late Classic site, one of the architectural wonders of the world. A short round trip to the solar observatory of Uaxactun is also an option at this time.

It should be noted that for most of this visit we will be traveling through one of the most magnificent and exotic tropical rain forests in the world. Consult your favorite guidebook for advice concerning health considerations, such as shots and pills that may be recommended (but not required). Note also that most visitors to Belize will require a passport, even U.S. citizens.

For college teachers of: anthropology, astronomy, archaeology, art history, physical science, history of science, social sciences, philosophy, and other related fields. Prerequisites: The program will be oriented toward participants who already have some knowledge and background in the history and thought of Mayan culture. There will not be time to present Mayan culture “from scratch” especially since transportation will require a portion of our time. Dr. Robbins can recommend reading material to anyone who might be interested in building up their background knowledge of this culture. Participants may wish to continue after the program to other sites, e.g., flying to Palenque, or the famous equinox solar serpent at Chichen Itza in the Yucatan. Feel free to ask Dr. Robbins for advice concerning such trips.

Dr. Robbins is an Associate Professor of Astronomy at The University of Texas at Austin. His astrophysical research interests center on the properties of the rarified gases of the interstellar medium. He has also developed strong interests in the archaeoastronomy of Mesoamerica (especially Monte Alban) and astronomy in the pottery of the Mimbres Indians of the American Southwest. He also has a continuing interest in astronomy education, has written several textbooks, and won a number of teaching awards.

Course: 35

The Geology of Puerto Rico: History of an Island Arc Terrane

JOHANNES H. SCHELLEKENS, University of Puerto Rico

April 27–30, 1999 in Mayagüez, PR .. Apply: TUCC

Note: This course is cosponsored by the Resource Center for Science and Engineering of the University of Puerto Rico and is offered at the Mayagüez campus. Applications from the mainland should be sent to the TUCC Field Center. Applications from Puerto Rico should be sent to the UPR Satellite Center. Participants from the mainland should plan to arrive in San Juan on April 26. Limited space will be available at the UPR-Mayagüez College Hotel (mostly double-occupancy); for reservations and costs contact the UPR-Satellite Center. This course has a participant’s fee of $30 (in addition to the application fee), which covers terrestrial transportation.

A combined lecture and field course dealing with the origin and development of the Puerto Rico island arc terrane. The course will discuss and visit the various components of the volcanic arc terrane, including the ocean floor, originally formed in the Pacific Ocean, the plutonic basement of the arc, the volcanic products from submarine to subaerial, and the associated carbonate rocks; finally, looking at the end as an active volcanic arc and its cover by a carbonate platform.

For college teachers of: geology, earth sciences, geography, and related fields. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Schellekens, a Professor of Geology at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez, did his Ph.D. on the “Geochemical evolution of Volcanic Rocks in Puerto Rico”. He has published on the tectonic history, volcanic geochemistry, mineral deposits, and paleomagnetism of Puerto Rico. He has directed and co-directed many field trips on the island of Puerto Rico.

Course: 36

Tectonics and Seismicity of Santa Catalina Island and Coastal Southern California: Sea and Land Field Studies

DAN FRANCIS, California State University, Long Beach

June 3-5, 1999 at Santa Catalina Island, CA .. Apply: PITT

Note: This course will be held at Santa Catalina Island, California and has a participant fee of $275 (in addition to the application fee), which covers room and board and use of the research vessel.

The Southern California Borderland is a geologically complex offshore area with many active faults, deep basins, and islands. Stretching for 800 km along the southern California and Baja California coasts, the Borderland records the transition from subduction tectonics to transform tectonics that began about 24 million years ago. In the process, the oceanic Farallon plate was broken up into microplates, and the western edge of the continental North America plate was deformed. Mountain ranges were rotated, deep basins opened up, and large areas translated up to several hundred km, resulting in the complicated geography of present day Southern California. Southern California, and the adjoining Borderland, make an excellent laboratory to study interactions of microplates along an evolving continental margin. An important product of such study is a better understanding of active and potentially hazardous faults in the region.

Located in the inner Borerland, Santa Catalina Island features a seemingly upside down sequence of blueschists and other metamorphic rocks that were formed in the ancient subduction zone, and subsequently unroofed as they were transported several hundred km to the north. Younger volcanic and sedimentary rocks on the island record a complex tectonic history, including basin formation, in the last 20 million years.

Participants in the course will learn about the tectonics of the Borderland through shipboard, field, and laboratory studies. On the first day of the course, the offshore Palos Verdes fault and related structures will be imaged using marine digital seismic reflection methods. A field trip on the second day will explore the sequence of metamorphic facies of the Catalina Schist on Santa Catalina Island. Laboratory work will include optical examination of rocks, as well as mapping using seismic reflection data. Participants will be able to use material from this course in their teaching of several subjects, including igneous and metamorphic petrology, marine geology, tectonics, and specific courses on California geology.

Participants will travel on a research vessel from the Southern California Marine Institute, leaving from the Institute’s facility at Terminal Island, and will spend both nights at the Wrigley Institute for Environmental Science, at the Isthmus on Santa Catalina Island. Boat time, lodging, food and transportation on the island are provided as part of the course fee.

For college teachers of: social sciences, environmental sciences, and design and planning, and interested others. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Francis joined the faculty at California State University, Long Beach in 1987 after working as a research and exploration geologist in the petroleum industry. He teaches courses in marine geology, igneous and metamorphic petrology, and physical geology. Dr. Francis is currently carrying out geophysical research on the Southern California Borderland. Research topics include seismic reflection study of the offshore Palos Verdes fault, and acoustical imaging of offshore gas seeps near Santa Barbara.

Course: 37
CLOSED

Hawaiian Volcanoes from Mauna Kea to Loihi

ALEXANDER MALAHOFF, University of Hawaii

July 19-23, 1999 in Honolulu & on the Big Island, HI .. Apply: DAY

Note: This course is offered in Honolulu and Hilo in Hawaii. Applications should be sent to the DAY Field Center. A significant portion of this course will be a comprehensive field trip to volcanic sites on the Island of Hawaii. Participants will be responsible for approximately $150 for round trip interisland airfare. This course has a participant fee of $75 (in addition to the application fee), which covers field trip expenses, and other course-related expenses.

Our understanding of volcanoes has been transformed in the past decade, with a change in research emphasis from descriptions of volcanic rocks to studies of physical mechanisms. Recent history has been marked by several volcanic disasters around the world. The dramatic increase in research effort that has occurred is in response to rapidly expanding populations exposed to volcanic hazards. This course will review the existing state of knowledge about volcanoes but will focus on recent research advances in Hawaii using the Hawaiian volcanoes as a natural outdoor laboratory, and will show how volcanology is firmly based on physical principles. It will also cover the frontiers of mineral formation on the ocean floor, and the exploitation of geothermal energy sources.

Ocean floor metallic deposits, called polymetallic sulfides, promise to be the major new ore reserves of the next century. Active submarine volcanoes of the Pacific Ocean are also sites of mineral formation and hydrothermal vents, where gold may be accumulating in valuable deposits. These frontiers of mineral formation will be explored.

Most of the time in this course will be spent in the field, on the island of Ohau and to a greater extent on the Island of Hawaii (the Big Island). Features expected to be visited include: lava tree molds, older and newer lava fields, lava tubes, active lava flows (if flowing), a geothermal power plant, a deep ocean exploration base where deep water cameras and submersibles are serviced, and (if scheduling permits) The University of Hawaii’s R/V Ka’imikai-o-Kanaloa, PISCES V submersible and ROV facilities.

For college teachers of: any discipline. Prerequisites: none, beyond an interest in the natural sciences.

Dr. Malahoff is Professor of Oceanography at the University of Hawaii in Honolulu. He has conducted extensive studies of submarine volcanoes and their mineral deposits. He discovered the first extensive polymetallic sulfide ore body on the ocean floor and has studied the geology of submarine volcanoes through the use of airplanes with remote sensing, ships, submersibles, and with the eye of robotic devices. He is currently involved with several projects of monitoring the growth of the newest Hawaiian Island, Loihi.

Course: 38
CLOSED

Glaciers in Alaska

KRISTINE J. CROSSEN, University of Alaska Anchorage

July 7-9, 1999 in and near Anchorage, AK .. Apply: DAY

Note: This course is cosponsored by and offered at the University of Alaska Anchorage. Applications should be sent to the DAY Field Center. This course has a participant fee of $210 (in addition to the application fee), which covers boat, train and van travel on field trips, admission to certain sites, and other course-related expenses. Optional reduced rate lodging will be available.

This course is a three-day field study of glaciers in south central Alaska. It includes an introduction to glacial processes and landforms, and a viewing of different types of glaciers including small cirque glaciers, valley glaciers, and glaciers calving into lakes and tidewater. Locations to be visited include Portage Lake, Prince William Sound, and Matanuska Glacier.

Approximately the first half-day will be spent in classroom discussion of glacial processes. The remaining portion of the day will involve a trip along the scenic Turnagain Arm fjord to Portage Lake and a boat tour to the terminus of the iceberg-calving Portage Glacier. The second day will be a trip to Matanuska Glacier. It will include light hiking on good trails. There will be hiking along the terminus of the glacier and onto the ice itself to view ice structures and modern glacial processes. For walking on glaciers, warm clothes, daypacks, and hiking boots are required. The third day will be a full-day boat trip out of Whittier to view fjords and tidewater glaciers in Prince William Sound (College Fjords). This trip includes a combined two hours each way by van and train. Some modification to this schedule may be made at the time of the course.

Those interested in an optional fourth day can take a commercial trip from Anchorage to Resurrection Bay and Kenai Fjords National Park with other members of the course. Details of this trip will be discussed with participants prior to the course.

For college teachers of: any discipline. Prerequisites: none, beyond an interest in the natural sciences.

Dr. Crossen is Chair of the Department of Geology at the University of Alaska Anchorage. She has offered a number of short courses on glaciers. Her current research involves surveys of Alaskan glaciers.

Course: 39

Chemistry for Nonscience Majors: The American Chemical Society’s New Curriculum - Chemistry in Context

WILMER STRATTON, Earlham College, CONRAD STANITSKI, University of Central Arkansas and CATHY MIDDLECAMP, University of Wisconsin-Madison.

June 2-4, 1999 in Pittsburgh, PA .. Apply: PITT

Nonscience majors have long been a neglected population in the teaching of chemistry. Many courses for nonmajors tend to be simpler versions of the major course. Both the chemistry content and approach used for this population has long ignored the special characteristics and wealth of nonscientific knowledge that these students bring to the study of chemistry. Chemistry in Context: Applying Chemistry to Society, the American Chemical Society’s new college chemistry curriculum for nonscience majors attempts to tap this knowledge by imbedding chemistry in a cultural, societal, economic and political context. Here, chemistry is introduced on a “need-to-know” basis that provides students with an informed understanding of critical science-based contemporary issues.

In this workshop, participants will have an opportunity to work with two of the authors of Chemistry in Context. The unique philosophy of the curricular approach along with an overview of the chemistry content, sample activities and evaluation techniques will be presented. Participants will be able to experience several of the laboratory and decision-making activities that characterize Chemistry in Context. Discussions in the workshop will focus on the “nuts and bolts” of implementing the curricula in both large and small classes. Participants will be encouraged to share their own innovations in teaching chemistry to nonscience majors. The workshop leaders are particularly eager to elicit ideas for new kinds of homework assignment, testing strategies, lab and writing assignments and grading practices. Time will be provided for discussion of these topics.

For college teachers of: chemistry. Prerequisites: none.

Drs. Stratton and Stanitski are two of the co-authors of Chemistry in Context. Dr. Stratton, a Professor of Chemistry at Earlham College, is active in environmental chemistry research and teaching. Dr. Stanitski is Professor of Chemistry at the University of Central Arkansas who also has co-authored chemistry textbooks for science and allied health majors. Dr. Middlecamp is the Director of the Chemistry Learning Center at University of Wisconsin-Madison and teaches both general chemistry for liberal arts students and a graduate seminar entitled, The Teaching of Chemistry. Over the past 20 years, she has designed, supervised and taught in a number of programs for students under-represented in the sciences, both collegiate and pre-collegiate. She is co-author of the book, How to Survive and Even Excel in General Chemistry, and has contributed chapters to several books on women in science. In 1998, she was elected a member of the UW-Madison Teaching Academy. Currently she is serving on several national advisory boards, including "Women and Scientific Literacy" at the American Association of Colleges and Universities, the task force for Women and Diversity at Project Kaleidoscope, and Montana's Rural Women and Girls in Science Project. She is the editor of a discovery-based laboratory project on the Web-based in Puerto Rico, and serves as a member of the Program Committee for the ACS Division of Chemical Education, Inc.

Updated: Jan 31, 1999

Course: 40

Workshop Chemistry Project: Peer-Led Team Learning

PRATIBHA VARMA-NELSON, St. Xavier University, DAVID GOSSER, CCNY, JACK KAMPMEIER and VICKI ROTH, Univ. of Rochester, & VICTOR STROZAK, New York City Tech. Coll.

June 10-12, 1999 in Philadelphia, PA .. Apply: TUCC

Engaging a large number of students with introductory course material often proves difficult. The attrition rate typical of most beginning chemistry courses attests to this. Even capable students find learning chemistry to be a challenge, and often do not find it interesting enough to pursue the field beyond the required courses. Furthermore, those who graduate with a degree in the sciences often lack good communication skills and are unable to perform effectively when required to participate in team projects. Contributing to these problems is a common lack of recognition of different learning styles, an impersonal teaching style, and little, if any, mentoring of students during the first two years of college.

The Workshop Chemistry Project has developed a model of peer-led team learning that actively engages students in the learning process by having them solve carefully structured problems in small groups under the direction of a peer leader. Peer-led workshops are an effective way to engage large numbers of students with course material and each other. Improved performance and retention, development of communication and team skills, higher motivation and course satisfaction, and increased interest in pursuing further study in science are among the benefits of the workshop approach.

This course will introduce the theoretical and practical elements of Workshop Chemistry, the development of workshop materials, and the training of peer leaders. Faculty roles and responsibilities as well as issues surrounding the implementation and institutionalization of workshops will be discussed. Participants will be provided a guide for the implementation of workshops, a handbook for workshop leaders, and sample workshop materials. We encourage faculty members to assemble a team which includes a learning specialist and a potential student leader for participation. We also invite faculty from disciplines other than chemistry to attend with the purpose of adapting this approach to their own disciplines.

For college teachers of: physical and biological sciences. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Varma-Nelson is a Professor of Chemistry at St. Xavier University, Chicago. She teaches organic, biochemistry, environmental science, and chemistry for the Allied Health Professions. She has been associated with the Workshop for Chemistry Project since 1995 and has introduced workshops in Organic Chemistry and Principles of Organic and Biological Chemistry for the Allied Health Professional. Dr. Gosser is an Associate Professor of Chemistry at the City College of New York. He teaches general chemistry and graduate level courses in electrochemistry. He developed and introduced workshops in general chemistry several years ago and is the Director of the NSF supported Workshop Chemistry Project. Dr. Kampmeier is Professor of Chemistry at the University of Rochester. He has taught organic chemistry to students at all levels, from first year college students to postdoctoral fellows. He started with the Workshop Project in 1995 and has implemented the ideas in a large sophomore organic course traditionally taken by non-chemistry majors. Vicki Roth is an Assistant Dean and Director of Learning Assistance Services at the University of Rochester. She established a study group program for math and science courses at UR in 1990. In connection with the Workshop Chemistry Project, she teaches two leader training courses: Issues in Group Leadership and Seminar in Group Leadership. Dr Strozak is Professor of Chemistry at New York City Technical College of the City University of New York. He teaches general chemistry in a two years Chemical Technology program and has introduced workshops into both the first and second semester courses. Dr. Strozak has been associated with the Workshop Chemistry Project since 1995 and has co-authored the General Chemistry Workbook.

Course: 41

Synthetic Organic Chemistry - Modern Methods and Strategy

PAUL HELQUIST, Notre Dame University

June 20-22, 1999 in Memphis, TN .. Apply: CBU

This course presents a survey of methods and strategies that are employed in the design of the synthesis of organic compounds. The goal of the instructor is to build upon basic background material to familiarize the class participants with not only the methods that are commonly used in synthetic organic chemistry but also, and perhaps more importantly, with the basic approaches for planning syntheses of complex organic compounds.

After an introductory discussion of the basic concepts of synthesis design and other fundamental considerations including stereoselective synthesis, the course moves on to an in-depth coverage of synthetic methods and their applications. Special emphasis is placed on carbon-carbon bond forming reactions as opposed to functional group modifications such as oxidations and reductions. As a convenient vehicle for presenting these methods and the strategy of synthesis planning, the bulk of the course is centered primarily around the discussion of key types of reactive intermediates and their characteristic carbon-carbon bond forming reactions. Many of these methods are applicable to the synthesis of cyclic systems and are often illustrated in this context. Throughout the course, classical methods of synthesis are presented followed by their most modern counterparts in order to contrast the old with the new. Actual examples of applications of these methods in the total synthesis of natural products will be presented at several points. Modern methods of asymmetric synthesis and organometallic chemistry are interspersed throughout this material. The course closes with a coverage of recent examples of advanced applications of synthesis design.

At frequent intervals throughout the course, study problems will be presented for in-class discussion, and additional problems will be given for working out of class to reinforce the course materials. Use of molecular models is highly recommended in working the various problems and in giving a better perception of complicated stereochemical principles at various points in the course.

For college teachers of: organic chemistry. Prerequisites: courses in organic reactions, mechanisms, and stereochemistry at an intermediate undergraduate level. This course is not intended for individuals who have studied, relatively recently, at the advanced graduate level.

Dr. Helquist is Professor of Chemistry at the University of Notre Dame where he leads a research program encompassing synthesis of new antibiotics and anticancer agents, development of new pharmaceuticals, and design and applications of organometallic reagents and catalysts. He has over 100 publications in these areas. He is also known in the chemical education community through his long service with the American Chemical Society Continuing Education Program and with the Educational Testing Service Graduate Records Examination in Chemistry. He has also pioneered new undergraduate courses fully integrating organic chemistry and introductory biochemistry.

Course: 42

Promoting Active Learning in Introductory Biology Courses

JOHN M. DEARN, University of Canberra, Australia

June 17-19, 1999 in Austin, TX .. Apply: TXA

At the university level, the didactic approach to teaching is a fixture in most introductory science classes despite increasing evidence of its ineffectiveness. Numerous studies have shown that, when this approach is used, students retain little of the information served up to them; more significantly, the way they view the world is not changed. Nor is it clear that the approach fosters an interest in science or promotes the thinking skills science requires.

This course reviews what is known about how students learn and examines some models of teaching and learning. It explores alternative approaches to teaching in which students are encouraged to construct their own knowledge through discussion, collaboration, concept mapping, case studies and laboratory classes. The course shows how introductory biology can be used to present science as a process and as a way of thinking. It also looks at the role of assessment in learning: participants will devise assessment exercises that promote inquiry and facilitate the development of thinking skills. Finally, consideration will be given to obstacles likely to be faced by anyone who wants to change the way introductory biology is taught: the conventional curriculum, the textbook, and class size. Participants will plan changes they could implement at their own institutions.

For college teachers of: introductory biology. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Dearn is an Associate Professor in Biology at the University of Canberra where he teaches introductory biology. He is a fellow of the Centre for the Enhancement of Learning, Teaching and Scholarship and is Director of the Science Resource Centre, a learning center for first year science students. He has a background of research in evolutionary and ecological genetics and was a major writer for the national Australian senior high school biology textbook. He was recently awarded one of two inaugural National Teaching Fellowships by the Australian Government which were established to recognize outstanding contributions to teaching and learning in Australian universities.

Course: 43

Quantitative Life Science Education: Preparing Fearless Biologists

LOUIS J. GROSS, University of Tennessee, Knoxville

June 17-19, 1999 in Memphis, TN .. Apply: CBU

Every area of the modern life sciences has become very quantitative, and applications of basic and advanced mathematical ideas have greatly furthered our understanding of biological systems from the molecular level to that of the planet. Despite this fact, there has been very little change in the types of quantitative training biology undergraduates receive, and typically there is little connection between this training and the biology courses taken. Students readily view these as a separate enterprise from the “real” biology in their life science courses.

This short course will focus on a variety of methods, amenable for use in both math and biology courses, which can help students to become “fearless users” of the new technologies which have allowed us to much more readily carry out quantitative analysis in biology. The emphasis will be on methods to ease the math anxiety often expressed by biology students (and faculty), by directly relating each quantitative concept to biological examples. Rather than isolating quantitative concepts in a few courses, we will discuss methods to integrate quantitative thinking through the undergraduate biology curriculum. Methods to do this include integration with the math courses students take, brief quantitatively-oriented modules within lower division biology courses, an emphasis on quantitative methods associated with laboratories, and the use of a variety of computer packages which allow rapid analysis of virtual simulations of biological systems.

For college teachers of: biological sciences, mathematics, statistics and computer science. Preference for acceptance given to teams of two individuals from a biology and a quantitative sciences department at the same institution. Prerequisites: none.

Dr. Gross is a Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Mathematics and Director of the Institute for Environmental Modeling at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He has been fostering the development of quantitative curricula for life sciences students for many years, with support from the National Science Foundation. In his research in computational ecology, he has encouraged the use of individual-based modeling approaches and has been a leader in the development of computational methods to provide long-term assessments of the biotic impacts of hydrologic planning in the Everglades. He has co-directed numerous Courses and Workshops in Mathematical Ecology, has edited or co-edited four books and is the moderator for the Life Sciences section of the Mathematics archives WWW site. His home page is at http://www.tiem.utk.edu/~gross.

Course: 44

Designing and Running Investigative Laboratories

JOSEPH E. ARMSTRONG, Illinois State University, MARSHALL SUNDBERG, Emporia State Univ., Kansas, & LINDA L. RAMSEY, Louisiana Tech University

March 3-5, 1999 in Río Piedras, Puerto Rico .. Apply: TUCC

Note: This course is cosponsored by the Resource Center for Science and Engineering of the University of Puerto Rico and is offered at the Rio Piedras Campus. Applications from the mainland should be sent to the TUCC Field Center. Applications from Puerto Rico should be sent to the UPR Satellite Center.

Science is about questions and the process that we use to find the answers to these questions. Scientists enjoy the scientific process because it is creative, challenging, and intellectually stimulating. Yet, many laboratory courses for undergraduates require students simply to follow cookbook type directions to verify predetermined results. It is no wonder that so many of our students find science boring! This hands-on, minds-on workshop will focus on designing inexpensive, low-tech laboratory experiences that engage students in the investigative process. Participants will experience investigative laboratories led by experts in the field, explore resources for use in investigative laboratory programs, and share materials they have developed. They will look at ways to convert traditional laboratory exercises into challenging, investigative experiences that allow students to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. A range of laboratory experiences, fr