|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
||
Summer 2000 and 20001
David Benzing, Danforth Professor of Biology, is developing a new course that will allow students to explore topics such as wetlands, organic and sustainable agriculture, living machines, restoration of degraded rural landscapes, and green building design through direct experience. The Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies and Clark Farm will give students opportunities to design and implement experiments that focus on ecologically sustainable activities in north central Ohio.
Roger Laushman, associate professor of biology, will use funding from the AIRE grant to develop Global Positioning System equipment and Geographical Information System software for use in a proposed class. The new technology will show students the basic principles of analyzing temporal and spatial patterns, understanding variation in the distribution and abundance of natural populations, and experimental design and data presentation.
Catherine McCormick, professor of biology, will introduce discovery-based activities into Biology 203, Vertebrate Structure and Evolution. The first half of the course will incorporate the old model of laboratory dissection and lecture, but the second half will consist of discussion groups that focus on evolutionary questions.
Janice Thornton, associate professor of neuroscience and biology, will develop methods to introduce discovery-based experiments into introductory and upper-level neuroscience courses.
James A. Walsh, associate professor of mathematics, plans to develop modeling experiences for students in Oberlin's calculus courses, using data about the Adam Joseph Lewis Center for Environmental Studies to incorporate a more interdisciplinary feeling to the math department's courses. Modeling is the process of framing questions about the observable world in a mathematical way, and understanding the behavior of the solutions, often with the help of technology.
Steven Wojtal, professor of geology, and Karla Parsons-Hubbard, assistant professor of geology, will develop new laboratory exercises for students in their Geology 160 and 162 courses, Physical Geology and Environmental Geology. Students will learn how to collect data on stream-flow rates, water quality, and air quality. The information will be used in long-term studies to document changes in the earth's climate.
Please send comments, questions, and suggestions about Oberlin Online news and feature articles to Linda.Grashoff@oberlin.edu.
