Well drillers were out at the Clark Farm yesterday to drill the wells Bruce Simonson, professor of geology, will use in his AIRE-funded research.
			NSF AIRE Grant Adds Research to the Classroom By Sue Kropp
			MARCH 8, 2000--In 1998 Oberlin became one of 10 colleges and universities nationwide to receive a $500,000 Award for the Integration of Research and Education (AIRE) from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The effects of the award are being felt on campus. The College has used the grant to develop three areas of discovery-based and collaborative learning: curriculum development, evaluation of teaching and learning, and the creation of academic and public-outreach programs. During the summer of 1999 several recipients of the AIRE award began making changes or adding new material to their courses. Over the next two summers, other recipients will continue developing curriculum and increasing the amount of research experiences available to students. Clayton Koppes, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, appointed the Committee for Integrating Research and Teaching (CIRT) to carry out the project goals and increase the number and quality of opportunities for students--including nonscience majors--to engage in research-like experiences as part of science education, institutionalizing active learning at all curricular levels. "The professors who developed new curriculum have started incorporating the changes into their classes," says CIRT chair Janice Thornton. "We've also spent time assessing the results of the changes, and so far everything seems to be going very well."
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