The
PAIR project will have a significant impact on the upper-level courses
for majors in the departments being supported. New equipment,
new teaching strategies, and new material will be incorporated into
these courses. Lab courses in engineering technology, computer
science, and physics were enhanced starting with the Fall 2000.
New
Seminar Course in Space Science:
The
PAIR project is responsible for the creation of a new, two-semester, 1-credit course entitled “Interdisciplinary
Research Seminar in Space Science” (ETS 468-469), which was approved
by the SCSU Board of Trustees and is now part of the curriculum. This course was first offered in Year 1 with an enrollment of
17 students each semester. Members
of the interdisciplinary student research terms are required to enroll
in the course and continue their research projects which were begun
during the summer prior to the academic year.
New
CCD Camera Lab in Advanced Physics: A new laboratory experiment was developed under CESSR for the
Advanced Physics Laboratory course (P 407), a course which is
required for all physics majors. In this new exercise,
the student learns about the operation of a CCD through reading
assignments, builds a simple CCD camera using an inexpensive computer
“eyeball” camera and then takes astronomical images with the CCD
camera they designed while attached to an 8-inch telescope. The
student concludes their multi-week project by carrying out basic
astronomical image processing of CCD images using PC-based software.
While the telescope and computer hardware were already in-hand, PAIR
funded the purchase of the CCD camera components and the image
processing software.
New
Physical Science Lab Exercises for non-majors:
Several
astronomical lab exercises were developed for the non-MSET majors
course, Space/Earth Science Laboratory (PSC 153).
These exercises included student assignments, which required
accessing NASA web sites (e.g. the JPL images) to answer questions.
Feedback from students indicated that they found the web-based
exercises to be far more stimulating than traditional work.
LabView in Physics &
EET Courses:
Several courses in physics
(P 407) and electrical engineering technology (ET 443, PLC and Virtual
Instrumentation; EET 392, Introduction to PLC and Virtual
Instrumentation; EET 383, Digital and Microprocessor Laboratory) are
now using LabView as part of the coursework, either for the first time
or to a far greater extent than prior to the PAIR-funded training for
students and faculty.
Course
Modification:
The PAIR Co-I in computer science has modified the course CS
411, Database Management System Design, to include a study of how to
store and retrieve non-textual data (images) based on his new PAIR
experience using astrophysical CCD images.
Additionally, he is using the metacognitive Concept Map and
supporting commercial software package (funded by PAIR) to teach
students enrolled in his programming classes how to design and develop
a computer program.
