Title : NSF 95-149 DUE NEWS Type : Letter NSF Org: EHR / DUE Date : September 26, 1995 File : nsf95149 DUE NEWS A Publication of the National Science Foundation Fall, 1995 The Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE) is one of six component offices within the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) of the National Science Foundation. Whether preparing students for graduate study, providing advanced training or producing literate citizen-leaders, undergraduate education is the critical link between the Nation's schools and our increasingly technology-based economy, workforce and society. FEATURE: MAJOR INITIATIVES IN UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION * Public Review of the Status of the Nation's Undergraduate Education * Support for Institution-Wide Reform of Undergraduate Education Also in this Issue: Teaching Differential Equations In No Ordinary Way Drexel University's EBE program The CUNY-Queensborough Program Revitalizing Chemistry at U. Wisconsin-Madison Gumbo and Lagniappe with LaCEPT A Message From the DUE Director Nation-wide, exciting things are happening in undergraduate education. Despite budgetary con-straints, many institutions are continuing to adapt extant courses and curricula or design new ones based on ever-changing needs and opportunities. In the broadest and most enduring sense, many of these activities emphasize aspects of "integration of research and education" for the betterment of all students. DUE continues to encourage and support many such efforts that are gaining momentum across all disciplines and throughout two- and four-year institutions. In recent weeks, DUE has contributed to two major announcements from Dr. Luther S. Williams, NSF's Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources, which we hope will contribute further to this momentum. The first announcement, in June, was for a major NSF review of the progress, condition, and needs of undergraduate education - the first initiative of its kind in 10 years. Details of the current effort are described in this issue of DUE News (see article below). Everyone is invited to provide input to help NSF and DUE effectively direct its programming towards ensuring the future health of U.S. undergraduate education. A preliminary report is anticipated by early Winter, 1995, which will contain recommendations not only for NSF's participation, but also for legislative bodies, administrators, faculty, institutions and others concerned with the status of undergraduate education. The second announcement, in August, was for a new NSF pilot program for institution-wide reform in undergraduate education. As a special initiative of DUE's Course and Curriculum Development (CCD) program, its goal is to assist institutions that have begun to revitalize their programs and extend these reforms to better influence the entire institution. By publicly recognizing the significant achievements of these visionary, comprehensive plans, NSF hopes its awards will catalyze modifications in both the institutional culture and infrastructure which are essential to successful systemic reform. In the first year, NSF expects to make 10 to 15 awards across a spectrum of institution types. Eligible proposals must be led by the president of the institution, and must attend to all of the students that the institution serves (details below). Other significant DUE events over the past year have included the first full-scale awards for the Chemistry Initiative and the Mathematics Across the Disciplines Initiative. Major new awards were also made in the NSF Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (CETP) and Advanced Technological Education (ATE) programs. The Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement (ILI), Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement (UFE) and Course and Curriculum Development (CCD) programs continue to provide support for strong, focused projects throughout all scientific disciplines. For 1995, DUE is emphasizing the concept of transitions. Whether from high school to college, two- to four-year academic programs, undergraduate to graduate school, or campus to the workplace, we hope DUE can continue to facilitate and strengthen these essential partnerships and vital transitions. As always, I invite your appraisal of our direction and progress. Robert F. Watson, DUE Division Director Who's Who at DUE Division Director Robert F. Watson Life Sciences Bettye Lawrence, City Colleges of Chicago Herbert Levitan Saundra H. Oyewole, Trinity College Myra O. Smith, Colgate University Terry S. Woodin Chemistry Susan Hixson Herbert H. Richtol, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Nina P. Roscher, American University Frank A. Settle, Virginia Military Institute (Emeritus) Computer Sciences Anita J. LaSalle, American University Michael C. Mulder, University of Southwest Louisiana Engineering Ashok Agrawal, St. Louis Community College, Florissant Valley Daniel B. Hodge, Ohio State University John Rudzki, Oak Ridge Associated Universities Janet C. Rutledge, Northwestern University Chalmers F. Sechrist, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Geosciences Duncan E. McBride David W. Mogk, Montana State University Interdisciplinary Herbert H. Richtol, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Myra O. Smith, Colgate University Mathematics James H. Lightbourne Elizabeth J. Teles Lee L. Zia, University of New Hampshire Physics/Astronomy J. D. Garcia, University of Arizona Duncan E. McBride Social and Behavioral Sciences Myles G. Boylan Myra O. Smith, Colgate University Science and Humanities Herbert Levitan David W. Mogk, Montana State University Permanent staff are listed by name only; others are on leave from the institutions noted in italics. E-mail addresses are the first initial and the first seven letters of the last name, for example: . Exceptions are: James Lightbourne and Myra O. Smith DUE News DUE News is published annually by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Undergraduate Education, 420l Wilson Blvd., Arlington, VA 22230. Tel.: (703) 306-1666. TDD: (703) 306-0090. Staff for this Issue Executive Editor: John Rudzki Assistant Editors: Ashok Agrawal, Tina Straley Editorial Assistants: Anita Broadus, Kelly DuBose, Susan Leupold, James Powlik A Note From the Editor This is the third edition of DUE News and it follows the pattern of previous editions by disseminating program information to those interested in undergraduate education. The first edition, published in the Fall of 1993, covered the role and mandates of DUE. The second edition (Fall, 1994) emphasized partnerships, both between institutions and between NSF and the undergraduate community. Back copies of these editions are available on STIS and through DUE's Information Center, at (703) 306-1666. This issue focuses on how educators throughout the country are re- engineering undergraduate courses - how the courses are taught and what is being taught. Now moving beyond discussion or illustration of the pervasiveness of technology - specifically the use of personal computers in the classroom - investigators are constructing virtual courses and entire uni-versities at work stations and on the World Wide Web, where a wealth of information is now available for access and sharing by students and faculty alike. Featured in this edition of DUE News are the Enhanced Educational Experience Experiment at Drexel University; the superbly integrated teaching environment of Queensborough Community College, the City University of New York and the vibrant Campus Renewal Projects in Louisiana. Look for the new DUE Program Announcement and Guidelines, that will be distributed in late Fall. Information regarding this and other DUE publications can be accessed by calling the DUE Information Center at 703-306- 1666. John Rudzki IN THIS EDITION: * NSF Reviews the State of the Nation's Undergraduate Education by M. Boylan and P. Yankwich * New Undergraduate Science Education Awards Aim Reform Institution-Wide by R. F. Watson7 * Making the Right Connections: Mathematics Throughout the Curriculum by J. Lightbourne * Teacher Collaboratives Expanded by T. Woodin * Bioscience Education Enhances Drexel's Enhanced Educational Experience for Engineers by W. E. Magee, P. Martin and B. Sagik * Ordinary Differential Equations Taught in No Ordinary Way by R. M. Ringen * DUE Sponsored CUNY-Queensborough Project Sails On by B. E. Mohr * Establishing New Traditions: Revitalizing the Chemistry Curriculum by J. W. Moore * Even Teachers Like Gumbo. Sometimes They Also Get ‘Lagniappe' by K. Davidson * Readers' Survey DUE PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE Advanced Technological Education (ATE). Funds improvements in advanced technological education at undergraduate and secondary school levels. Closing Date: June 25, 1996 (preliminary proposals); December 10, 1996 (formal proposals) Tel: (703)306-1668 Fax: (703) 306-0445 Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (CETP). Funds major systemic app-roaches to undergraduate science and mathematics education for future teachers. Closing Date: April 1, 1996 (pre-proposals) ; September 15, 1996 (formal proposals) Tel: (703) 306-1669 Fax: (703) 306-0445 Course and Curriculum Development (CCD). Funds the design and development of new courses, curricula, materials, software and technologies, with an emphasis on introductory and lower- division courses. Closing Date: June 10, 1996 Tel: (703) 306-1681 Fax: (703) 306-0445 Instrumentation and Laboratory Improvement (ILI). Focuses on instrumentation-based instruc-tional projects. Closing Date: November 15, 1995 (for both Instrumentation Projects (ILI-IP) and Leadership in Laboratory Development Projects (ILI-LD)). Tel: (703) 306-1667 Fax: (703) 306-0445 Science and Humanities (CCD-S&H): Integrating Undergraduate Education. Funds development of courses and curricula that integrate the study of science and of the humanities. Note: Formal proposals are submitted to the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), not NSF. Closing Date: February 1, 1996 Tel: (202) 606-8384 Fax: (202) 606-8394 Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement (UFE). UFE supports workshops and short courses to renew and update teaching faculty, including a special emphasis on two-year / four-year college partner-ships. Closing Date: June 10, 1996 Tel: (703) 306-1669 Fax: (703) 306-0445 NSF IS MOVING TO THE INTERNET To expedite communication with its customers and to reduce mailing costs, NSF is moving to the Internet as a primary means of communications. The DUE home page is accessible at (case sensitive) GETTING NSF OR DUE INFORMATION AND PUBLICATIONS The National Science Foundation has electronic or printed copies of NSF directories and abstracts of awards since 1989 as well as several other NSF publications. These materials can be accessed in several ways, as indicated below: Electronic Mail To receive NSF documents electronically, send your request to the Internet address: stisserve@nsf.gov For DUE documents, send requests to undergrad@nsf.gov File Transfer Program FTP to stis.nsf.gov Enter anonymous for the user name and your e-mail address for the password. Retrieve the appropriate file (i.e., filename.ext) Internet Gopher NSF's Science and Technology Information System is available with Gopher client software on port 70 of stis.nsf.gov Non-Internet Access via Modem Dial 703-306-0212, choose 1200, 2400, or 9600 baud, use settings: 7, E-1 and login as public. On-Line Sites Telnet to stis.nsf.gov Login as public and follow the instructions on the screen. Print Publications Request NSF printed material by phone (703-306-1130), fax (703- 644-4278), TTD (703-306-0090) or send an e-mail to pubs@nsf.gov Request DUE printed material by phone (703-306-1666) or fax (703-306-0445). Please include the publication number, number of copies and complete mailing address with your request. NSF Home Page on the World Wide Web If you have a web browser, the NSF user resource locator is http://www.nsf.gov/ Making the Right Connections: Mathematics Throughout the Curriculum The "Mathematical Sciences and Their Applications Throughout the Curriculum" initiative began in FY 1994 and is part of the NSF strategy to stimulate comprehensive approaches to improve undergraduate education. The initiative, which calls for institutional-wide changes to increase student learning in, and ability to use, mathematics is managed by DUE through the Course and Curriculum Development (CCD) program in cooperation with the Division of Mathematical Sciences. Projects require a high level of institutional commitment and strong collaboration among faculty, departments, and disciplines. Projects are also expected to build on the collective progress that has been made to revitalize undergraduate education. The initiative represents the next logical step from course and curriculum reform to comprehensive, institution-wide change. Broad-based efforts are especially needed to reach two of the initiative's fundamental goals: * To increase student appreciation of and ability to use the mathematical sciences throughout the disciplines or in everyday life; and * To benefit all students, not just those majoring in science, mathematics and engineering. One hundred and ninety-one planning grant proposals were received in June, 1994. Fifteen awards of about $50,000 each were made to a diverse set of institutions, with most of the projects involving a coalition of institutions. Sixteen proposals were subsequently received in response to the February, 1995, solicitation for full project proposals, each requesting up to $1 million per year for up to five years. Three awards have been made to consortium projects led by Dartmouth College, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and the University of Pennsylvania. The next set of full project and planning grant proposals - received in June, 1995 - is currently under review. The initial awards will be extremely important in developing materials and serving as national models for institutional change. Comprehensive, large-scale projects were solicited in FY 1995 and FY 1996. For the upcoming June, 1996 (FY 1997) deadline, proposals which address the goals of this initiative on a more modest scale are encouraged. Projects that support the mandate of particular DUE initiatives (for example, those focused on the use of instrumentation or on faculty enhancement) should be submitted to the appropriate DUE program. For further details, see the DUE Program Announcement and Guidelines to be distributed in late fall. James Lightbourne Teacher Collaboratives Expanded Schools in four large cities will soon begin to welcome teachers who have had unique preparation to teach rigorous and exciting science and mathematics classes. As part of its efforts to systemically improve the mathematics, technology and science education of prospective elementary and secondary teachers, the National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded a total of $20 million in grants to NSF Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (CETP) projects in New York City, El Paso, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. Each project will receive a total of $5 million dollars over a period of five years. The Arizona Collaborative for Excellence in the Preparation of Teachers (ACEPT) includes Arizona State University, Maricopa Community College District, and Navajo Community College. One component of this project targets returning students, aides, retired military personnel and engineers who plan a second career as a teacher. The University of Texas, El Paso leads the El Paso Partnership for Excellence in Teacher Preparation, a collaborative which includes El Paso Community College and the three major public school districts in El Paso County. All teacher trainees will receive special training for working in urban schools and communities, with a particular focus on working with parents and community members. Ten institutions which service the Los Angeles area have come together to form the Los Angeles Collaborative for Teacher Education (LACTE): three California State Universities - Fullerton, Dominguez Hills and Los Angeles; two private universities - Loyola Marymount and Occidental; and five community colleges closely allied to these universities - El Camino, Los Angeles, Fullerton, Santa Monica and Glendale. The collaborative will recruit heavily from these diverse communities and will establish policies which ease the burden of transfer between participants. A distinctly urban project, the New York City Science and Mathematics Collaborative includes New York University and five of the City University of New York campuses: Brooklyn College, City College, Hunter College, Lehman College and the College of Staten Island. A series of mathematics and science courses will be revised and taught in a manner reflective of the way students are urged to teach their future classes. In addition to these projects, 53 projects with a teacher preparation focus have been newly awarded funds this year through other DUE programs. This is an 83% increase over the number of projects awarded in FY 1994. Terry Woodin ***** NEED HELP OR INFORMATION? Call the DUE Information Center: (703) 306-1666 ***** Bioscience Education Enhances Drexel's Enhanced Educational Experience for Engineers In 1988, the entire Drexel University campus began to rethink undergraduate education with the beginning of an extensive integration of science, mathematics and humanities, together with new introductory engineering laboratory courses for the engineering curriculum. The Enhanced Bioscience Education (EBE) program started in 1993 with a four-year grant from DUE's program on Course and Curriculum Development. The project involves major changes in the way life sciences are taught to undergraduate majors in biological or environmental sciences and to students interested in becoming biology teachers. The curriculum features: * Hands-on, active learning, beginning in the first term. * Integrative design of the curriculum across disciplines. * Students working in collaborative groups. * Extensive laboratory integration of computers and technology, and a dedicated laboratory for EBE students. * Interaction between students and faculty and effective student support services. Enhanced Bioscience courses include two 50-minute lecture- discussion meetings, one two-hour biology recitation-laboratory and a three-hour laboratory per week. The program continues over five quarters of the freshman and sophomore years. A series of laboratory modules are the heart of the new program with everything else relating to the laboratory experiences. Recitations and laboratories are conducted in a dedicated laboratory equipped with networked computer stations. We expect that students completing both years of EBE will be better equipped to continue in advanced course work, in cooperative work experiences, and with on-campus research projects. They are expected to become "active learners," have a better concept of what it means to investigate a scientific problem and to "think like a scientist." Already we have seen poise and self-confidence in our sophomores going out for their first co-ops that are far beyond what we have previously observed. For further information, contact the senior author. Wayne E. Magee, Presley Martin and Bernard Sagik Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA < mageewe@duvm.ocs.drexel.edu > Phone: (215) 895-6906 Ordinary Differential Equations Taught In No Ordinary Way When Mark Farris, associate professor of mathematics at Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas, saw computers becoming a fixture in the mathematics department, it was clear that teaching his "differential equations course had to change." What kind of projects could his students perform at their computers? What kind of learning could he expect now that students could see graphic images of the solutions to differential equations? What kind of role would Farris now perform as a teacher? Instead of lecturing, Farris gives students examples of equations and their solutions, and then has his students solve similar problems. Rather than listen to him as he supplies them with extensive background information, Farris' students now hunt down the knowledge relevant to the tasks at hand by thumbing through the index of their textbooks. "A lot of things I thought I had to tell students I now find I don't need to say," says Farris. For Farris, inspiration to change his course around, as well as a software package that enabled such transformation, came from a workshop on ordinary differential equations (ODE) he attended at Washington State University. Drawing from institutions in several states, the workshop gave faculty an opportunity to get together to discuss teaching techniques, swap computer experiments and make contacts. The workshop was made possible by the NSF/DUE-funded consortium for Ordinary Differential Equations Experiments (C*ODE*E). Farris' experience is indicative of how C*ODE*E has influenced the teaching of ODE's in colleges and universities. The consortium was created in l992 with a three-year grant of $22l,000 awarded by DUE to Harvey Mudd College. The Principal Investigators are mathematics professors Robert Borrelli and Courtney Coleman. The consortium seeks to enhance the computer- aided instruction of ODEs and to develop ODE computer experiments that can be run on any platform. The consortium is increasing the scope of its activities through yet another NSF grant, "A Computer-Based Introductory Differential Equations Course." Altogether, members will develop 20 self-contained modules for incorporation in an intensive, multimedia CD-ROM run on a PC. These ODE experiments will be designed for their importance in the introductory ODE course, their visual impact, and their suitability for animation. After the modules have been edited and incorporated into an ODE solver software package (developed by Intellipro, Inc.), they will be field tested at the consortium schools. For further information, contact the author. Randy M. Ringen Harvey Mudd College Phone: (714) 621-8360 Feature Article National Science Foundation Reviews the State of the Nation's Undergraduate Education By Myles Boylan and Peter Yankwich The NSF's Directorate of Education and Human Resources (EHR) is undertaking a general review of the present state and future needs of undergraduate education in the United States in the areas of science, mathematics, engineering and technology (SME&T). Over the next year, the review will be conferring widely with students, educators, and employers with the intent of producing a set of recommendations for accelerating the improvement of undergraduate education. There will also be a national dialogue on this subject, which actually began with "From Analysis to Action", the NRC/NSF Convocation on Undergraduate Education held in April, 1995, in Washington, D.C. The current review will be coordinated with this dialogue, drawing from it as well as from other individuals, organizations and interested groups across the country. The Foundation is mounting this review of under-graduate education at a crucial time. National efforts to improve pre- collegiate education in SME&T (including those of NSF) have been extensive, involving innovative efforts to create local improvement as well as larger systemic changes. At the undergraduate level, support of such efforts is more recent and has emphasized single-site improvement projects. The necessity for - and possibility of - larger-scale changes in undergraduate education will be the primary intent of the review. While the Foundation recognizes that it raises this challenge at a time when the Nation's colleges and universities are facing unprecedented financial and curricular constraints, it is expected that the review will reveal ways of increasing the overall effectiveness of these institutions. The provision of superior educational services requires a robust infrastructure whose components include the faculty, curriculum, and capabilities for premier scholarship. The goals of improved undergraduate education in SME&T are: * citizens who are empowered to be full participants in a scientific and technological society; * a technically well-prepared workforce that can both participate and excel in a high performance workplace employing advanced technologies; * teachers who are solidly grounded in both science and pedagogy, and scientists and engineers who are well-prepared for their occupations; and * young people with diverse backgrounds successfully involved in SME&T in numbers that reflect their representation in the population. Consistent with its chartered responsibility to "initiate and support science education programs at all levels...," NSF seeks to ascertain the extent of effective innovation in undergraduate education in SME&T, and to determine what measures should be taken to bring about large-scale improvements. The specific areas of inquiry listed below provide guidelines to how NSF can most effectively utilize and promote the recent investments made in the improvement of undergraduate education: What are the specific innovations, as well as the evidence that their adoption represents a superior practice of education? Demonstration of this will include curricula of all types, faculty maintenance and development, pedagogy, instructional tech-nology, instrumentation and facilities, research opportunities and connections of the program to the workforce. What are the unresolved requirements of those who are already receiving SME&T instruction? What infrastructure needs must be supported for institutions to implement the best instructional practice? NSF plans to address these questions in three distinct phases: Phase I will involve a systematic review of opinion from a broad spectrum of individuals and organizations regarded as the benefactors of programs providing undergraduate education. Phase II will present a summary of these preliminary findings for comment and elaboration to a large number of persons experienced in undergraduate education. Regional hearings will be held, and there will be discussions with faculty and administrators attending key professional society meetings. In Phase III, NSF will seek to encourage implementation of those practices which will achieve improved science and engineering literacy; a technically more capable workforce; better-prepared teachers, scientists, and engineers; and greater participation in SME&T careers by women and minorities. For further information contact DUE at (703) 306-1666 or or fill out the survey on page 12. Feature Article New Undergraduate Science Education Awards Aim Reform Institution-Wide By Robert F. Watson, DUE Division Director The National Science Foundation (NSF) expects to make 10 to 15 awards of up to $200,000 each, to two- and four-year colleges and universities that have demonstrated success in revitalizing undergraduate education on a relatively modest scale and now wish to infuse the entire institution with similar gains. According to Dr. Luther S. Williams, NSF's Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources, NSF seeks to foster enhanced student learning through these grants and provide en-hanced preparation for the professional challenges which exist in an increasingly interdependent global society. Proposals must be sub-mitted by the institution's president. "Students from a variety of backgrounds, preparing for diverse careers, increasingly depend on undergraduate institutions to prepare them to function effectively in a society that is increasingly based on science and technology. All will require proficiency in science and mathematics in order to be competent professionals, knowledgeable consumers and responsible citizens," Williams said. "By publicly recognizing and rewarding visionary plans based on significant previous achievements, NSF hopes to stimulate modernization of the academic culture and infrastructure, and aim for a reexamination of institutional priorities and resource allocations, which are essential for the comprehensive reform of undergraduate education," Williams added. As DUE Director, I anticipate that we will endorse activities that build on those small-scale innovations which have been the basis for fundamental change within a focused area. We wish to encourage the development of instructional modes that optimize the learning of mathematics, science, engineering and technology by all students; the design of programs that transcend disciplinary boun-daries; and the improvement of student-teacher interactions. This emphasis on recognizing and promoting institutional reform of undergraduate edu-cation is an extension of the Course and Curriculum Development program, which seeks to prepare an increasingly diverse undergraduate student body to navigate in the information-, science- and technology-based society of the future. This inherent student diversity and the broader mission of undergraduate instruction in science, mathe-matics, engineering, and technology education require pedagogical approaches that are sensitive to variations in cultural and academic backgrounds, and to different learning styles. Closing date for submissions will be December 4, 1995. A brief letter of intent to submit proposals should be provided by November 3, 1995. Requests for information should be addressed to the Division of Undergraduate Education, Room 835, National Science Foundation, 4201 Wilson Boulevard, Arlington, VA 22230, or call the Information Center at (703) 306-1666; e- mail: The Institution-Wide Reform Initiative: * 10 to 15 awards of up to $200,000 each. * Submitted by the institution President (or equivalent Academic Officer). * Open to two- and four-year institutions; prior funding or development not required. * Deadline for Letters of Intent to Submit: November 3, 1995. * Closing Date for Proposals: December 4, 1995. * For details: Call DUE at (703) 306-1666 or E-mail: WE'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU! Your opinions are valuable to us. DUE program goals, direction and initiatives are all designed to assist our readership, and are in turn determined by your input. Please take the time to fill out the readership survey on Page 12 and return it to us. Your input would be most appreciated. PI Feature Article Project Update: ATE, CCD, ILI Programs DUE Sponsored CUNY Queensborough Project Sails On By Bernard E. Mohr Queensborough Community College The City University of New York The Electrical and Computer Engineering Tech-nology Department at Queensborough Community College/City University of New York, is creating a 21st Century classroom. In the last three years, the college has received DUE funding for projects from CCD, ILI, and ATE grant programs as each project builds upon strategies, activities and experiences of prior projects. Engineering Technology Instruction for the 21st Century This project has been lauded by NSF because of its potential to alter teaching and learning styles and to be replicated in science, mathematics, engineering, and technology curricula. Its activities are creating a comprehensive instructional support system based upon advanced technologies - networking, multi-media, applications software, courseware, and data acquisition systems - to dramatically alter the lab-oratory environments and activities of two pilot courses, Electronics I and Microcomputers. A keystroke makes available faculty authored interactive courseware, on-line laboratory experi-ments, applications software, technical references, and interactive data acquisition technology. Through project activities such as: on- line laboratory manuals; interactive multimedia presentations; data acquisition modules; video and laser disk production; and installation and configuration of LAN resources, students now have access to resources helping them learn the fundamentals of engineering technology and enhance their problem solving abilities. Connectivity Laboratory Strengthens Engineering Technology The NSF-ILI Network/Multimedia Laboratory project provides a model platform to test instructional delivery strategies utilizing courseware and networks. Instruction takes place in a classroom comprised of 16 student stations and one instructor station outfitted with Pentium multimedia computers containing sound cards, CD players, and removable hard drives networked via l0Base-T cabling. The stations are also connected via a video distribution system which is totally independent of the local area network. The system also allows the instructor to control one or multiple station videos for group discussion Central to a dynamic courseware design is the identification of broad-based, technology specific, interdisciplinary skills and concepts. Examples of these include: applications of converging technologies; instrumentation; data acquisition and analysis; interpretation of graphical information; understanding technical documentation; and report writing (communication skills). A modular approach allows using and reusing instructional materials across a number of courses. Placing the courseware on a local area network allows the instructor to spontaneously call-up relevant presentations or allows students to retrieve review material from any location on the network. Future Directions Future directions at Queensborough Community College (QCC) include enhancing instructional capability in the 2lst century through the power of telecommunications. Students and faculty will be able to participate in distance learning by accessing courseware and network resources via dial-in modem, ISDN connections, a World Wide Web server, and the QCC BBS. The ground work for this effort is a pilot project sponsored by NYNEX QUEENS and INTEL. Home bound students will be able to attend classes through ISDN connections in conjunction with INTEL's ProShare software and hardware. Another distance- learning effort under development is that of Minicom Corporation and QCC to extend the interactiveness of distance teaching through enhancements to the Classnet video distribution system. The projects and activities described here have evolved in response to critical instructional issues in science, mathematics, engineering and technology. A logical extension of these projects is one based on telecommunications to accommodate the conver-gence of technology, and to provide greater instructional access and dissemination of project outcomes. PI Feature Article Award Update: Chemistry Initiative Establishing New Traditions: Revitalizing the Chemistry Curriculum By John W. Moore University of Wisconsin - Madison It is time to change the mainstream chemistry curriculum and the pedagogy that supports it. Both have remained nearly the same for several decades, but recently a plethora of small experiments has been done to show that change is needed and can be extremely effective. The goal of our systemic reform effort is to sift and winnow those experiments, consolidating the best of what has been discovered into a new curriculum that will be adaptable to all types of institutions and that will establish the traditions of the future. Our program for change involves five main areas, each spearheaded by a team whose members have already broken new ground. Student-Focused Active Learning, in which students actively participate in the learning process and faculty provide a supportive, cooperative, and more authentic learning environment, infuses all aspects of our project. Guided-Inquiry/Open-Ended Laboratories at all levels of the curriculum involve students in the process of discovery, allow them to develop their own approaches to problems, and serve to introduce concepts (as well as reinforcing or verifying them). Interdisciplinary Course Clusters, which are teams of chemistry faculty with those from two or three other disciplines in learning communities that span specific sections of several courses, helping students to make connections and integrate knowledge and skills across disciplines. A Topic-Oriented Approach collects and creates a two-year package of materials that maintains rigor but structures content around real-world topics involving the latest developments in science in a way that includes all essential chemical concepts and is flexible with regard to level of presentation. Information Technology. Computer tools apply molecular modeling, symbolic mathematics programs, multimedia, the Internet, the World Wide Web, and similar electronic marvels to the tasks of helping students learn and the dissemination of much of what we develop. We view curriculum development as an experimental process and have built into our new traditions a healthy dose of careful evaluation. Innovations that survive this process will be broadly disseminated and will have data to support claims as to their effectiveness. Our efforts are firmly grounded in developments already carried out at the University of Wisconsin-Madison as well as experiments done by other members of our consortium. Much of this preliminary work towards curriculum reform has been supported by NSF, primarily the Division of Undergraduate Education (DUE), and it has been a major force in molding the New Traditions Project into what it has become. As an example of the influence NSF support has had on our systemic program, consider the grants to Arthur Ellis for development of solid-state materials. A team of solid-state chemists from all over the country developed, tested and published materials (Teaching General Chemistry: A Materials Science Companion, ACS Books, 1993). Kits (such as the ICE Solid-State Model Kit, Institute for Chemical Education, 1993) were developed and published in collaboration with UW-Madison faculty. The New Traditions curriculum incorporates much of this prior work, further adapting it to support the kinds of institutions that make up our consortium. To see what we have accomplished to date, look on the World Wide Web at where the New Traditions Project is prominently listed. See you there! University of Wisconsin-Madison Phone: (608) 262-5154 PI Feature Article Project Update: NSF Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation Even Teachers Like Gumbo. Sometimes They Also Get ‘Lagniappe' The Louisiana Collaborative for Excellence in Teacher Preparation (LaCEPT) By Kerry Davidson Gumbo is a delectable Louisiana dish that features a few main staples, leftovers, and whatever can be found at home or borrowed from friends. LaCEPT's gumbo has been its Campus Renewal Projects (CRPs) which are funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Board of Regents (BoR). Guided by evolving national standards in mathematics and science and tailored to local campus needs, CRPs are selected following an independent statewide review. In addition to plan- ned programs, there have also been serendipitous results from statewide and campus perspectives. LaCEPT's fertile environment for reform con-tinually transforms the expected into the surprising, yielding that "something extra" Louisianians call lagniappe. Statewide, 14 campuses have implemented CRPs in one or both of the Collaborative's first two years. The interplay among representatives from these campuses (who serve on the LaCEPT Steering Committee) has led to innovative approaches - lagniappe - in the way LaCEPT is now blending the pathways to reform. Two conclusions have prompted shifts in strategy: First, the reform effort will not achieve its potential unless administrators, faculty and policymakers at all levels understand more clearly the magnitude of the cultural transformation required within the academy. Second, the necessary experimental stage should adopt approaches based upon what emerge as commonly accepted "best practices." To implement this shift, during 1996 the LaCEPT Steering Committee will recommend - and the Board of Regents will consider - principles, models, approaches, and insights which are embraced by the rubric "best practices." LaCEPT is conducting a statewide survey to identify faculty whose instructional approaches include a high degree of classroom interactivity, appropriate uses of technology, and relevance of classroom learning to real-world experiences and needs. Results of this survey, along with national models, will inform recommendations to be presented to the Regents. Involvement of the Regents in a primary advocacy role represents a significant shift in internal strategies for LaCEPT. Leadership by the state's coordinating board for public higher education notwithstanding, the "best practices" will be sufficiently flexible to embrace and extend the rich diversity of campus-based reforms already underway. Gumbo will still be served for dinner. Integrating LaCEPT with other standards-based reform initiatives adds spice to the reform effort in Louisiana. The same faculty are often leaders in both the Louisiana Systemic Initiatives Program (LaSIP) and LaCEPT, and LaCEPT has profited by providing special internships for mathematicians and scientists in LaSIP professional development activities. New Orleans' USI Program is an active participant in the LaCEPT- funded Greater New Orleans Collaborative and the EPSCoR Coordinator is a member of the LaCEPT Science Task Force. Efforts are underway to coordinate LaCEPT with the pre-service initiatives of Goals 2000. If the prospective Tri-State Lower Mississippi Delta RSI is funded, LaCEPT will collaborate in strengthening pre-service activities for targeted counties in Louisiana. Representatives of the Tri-State RSI will be invited to participate in LaCEPT's annual conference, which focuses on reforming under-graduate education in mathematics and the sciences. Teaching Scholars, able students in mathematics and science who are supported through special funds provided by NSF and BoR, are preparing to become teacher-leaders as they matriculate on campuses nourished by CRPs. Louisiana chefs have gained national and international fame for their culinary skills; now LaCEPT invites gourmet learners everywhere to learn more about its operations through a Netscape Home Page: http://regents.state.la.us/serweb/laceptho.htm In the land of gumbo and lagniappe, LaCEPT will retain its cultural identity while availing itself of the opportunities in cyberspace. NEW PUBLICATIONS FROM THE DIVISION OF UNDERGRADUATE EDUCATION Since the last newsletter, there have been a number of new publications produced by DUE. Indicate which materials you would like to receive by checking the items and returning it along with the Readers survey on reverse. Or, call the DUE Information Center at 703-306- 1666 (e-mail to: ) ___ Division of Undergraduate Education - Program Announcement and Guidelines (NSF 94-160) ___ Advanced Technology Education Program: 1994 Awards and Activities (NSF 95-6) ___ Directory of NSF-Supported Undergraduate Faculty Enhancement Projects: Workshops and Short Courses for Undergraduate Faculty - Summer 1995 and Academic Year 1995- 96 (NSF 95-19). ___ Restructuring Engineering Education: A Focus on Change (NSF 95-65) ___ Project Impact: Disseminating Innovation in Undergraduate Education (NSF 95-70) ___ Project Impact: Profiles of Innovative Projects (NSF 95- 71) ___ Teacher Preparation and NSF Collaboratives for Excellence in Teacher Preparation: FY 93 and 94 Awards (NSF 95-73) ___ Activities in Support of Two-Year College Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology Education (NSF 95-74) ___ Institution-wide Reform of Undergraduate Education in Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology (NSF 95-127) ... AND IN CASE YOU MISSED THEM Back issues and reprints of previous NSF and DUE publications are still available. Due to space and availability limitations, not all publications are listed below. Call (703) 306-1666 to reference a specific publication. ___ Gaining the Competitive Advantage: Critical Issues in Science and Engineering Technician Education (NSF 94-32) ___ Third National Conference on Diversity in Scientific and Technical Workforce Conference Proceedings (NSF 95-3) ___ Foundation for the Future (NSF 94-65) ___ Grant Proposal Guide (NSF 95-27) ___ Proposal Form Kits (NSF 95-28) 1995 DUE Readership Survey The Division of Undergraduate Education wants to hear from you. Circle your answers to the survey below, fill in some comments if you'd like, and return mail it to us. It's self addressed and postage paid. Or, you can send us your comments on the World Wide Web. We have our own homepage (case sensitive) where you can tell us the same kind of things. While you're there, have a look around - you might find a lot of other interesting things that will help you improve undergraduate education. Circle your answer for the following: 1. Do you find this publication informative? Yes No 2. Would you like to continue receiving it? Yes No If yes, by Hard copy _____ or Electronically _____ ? 3. What features or information could be added or deleted from the current DUE News format? _________________________________________________________________ 4. Would you like more information on: The Undergraduate Review _____ ? The Institution-Wide Reform Initiative ______ ? Other DUE Publications ______ ? (specify) _________________________________________ To receive these, please provide the contact information below. 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