Implementation
The PCs will be used in the classroom as part of active learning exercises designed to foster student interaction and facilitate development of online research skills. The mobility of these units will also allow us to take our courses beyond the classroom. Some of the PCs will be linked with GPS units, so students can record the exact position of sampling sites and annotate electronic base maps with field notes and digital images. Wireless communication between units will allow instructors to demonstrate good field note-taking techniques and to conduct field-based lectures, and will facilitate student collaboration and sharing of notes and data.
The PCs can be linked to existing laboratory analytical equipment such as spectrophotometers, pH meters, and conductivity probes so students can quickly and easily collect and analyze water quality data in real time. Each PC will also have ArcGIS so field data can be analyzed for geospatial trends. Familiarizing introductory students with this technology will pay dividends when they are upperclassmen working on capstone and summer research projects.
