The overall project goals address a number of the MSEIP General Purpose and Objectives:

(1) To access and train under-represented, under-served and first generation students in leading-edge scientific technologies as a means to attract more students into science-related careers and to reduce attrition from science programs;
(2) To improve scientific literacy for teaching and instructional delivery systems in biological sciences;
(3) To advance and update scientific instruments into existing and planned laboratory courses
at DMC;
(4) Dissemination of project results and;
(5) Improve the existing capacity of the

DMC Natural Sciences to compete for additional funding sources.

DMC Objective 1:
Comprehensively Improve the Instrumentation in Teaching Laboratories
To establish the course on the DMC campus, fully integrating scientific instrumentation and technology as an integral "hands-on" component of the course methodology. Improvement of Teaching Equipment: At DMC, major pieces of instrumentation are requested in this proposal, mobile wireless computer lab, digital USB microscopes and Vernier LabPro biology kits. These will be incorporated into existing courses in the biological sciences.

DMC Objective 2:
Long-Range Improvement of the Curriculum in Teaching Laboratories
To successfully implement and update biological sciences and improve technology of the curriculum, by utilizing “active learning” and classroom technology as an approach for natural sciences classes. To provide students' classroom opportunities to utilize interactive or inquirybased laboratory exercises from the use of modern scientific instrumentation, computer and communication technology. To design and develop an interactive computer exercises complete with various multimedia workstations that are custom designed to accurately reflect the educational objectives of the course. For example, experimental exercises in respiration and photosynthesis will be computer integrated and allow student collection and analysis of data. To allow DMC students “real world” experience of how to more effectively utilizes today's technology and computer programming for training and expertise to allow for transitions in careers such as research and biological science fields.

DMC/TAMU-CC Objective 3:
Funded summer experiential learning experiences
A DMC faculty selection committee will identify high achieving second-year students with specific interests in pursuing careers in science. Second year students expressing interest in science related careers will be encouraged to participate in a funded experiential learning experience in the summers of project years 2 and 3. Participants will receive a stipend ($ 3,000 per summer), which reasonably can be expected to eliminate the need for outside employment. In return for the stipend, the student will conduct the equivalent of 6 weeks of fulltime student contact in a consultant's lab at TAMU-CC. A modest research supply allowance ($500 per student per summer) will also be provided to students to cover their materials at TAMU-CC. The project team has contacted the TAMU-CC collaborators and they have agreed to support the experiential student projects. DMC students supported by stipends will serve as role models for other DMC students, heightening awareness of exciting lab research opportunities in sciences at TAMU-CC. Word of mouth is a powerful recruiting tool for these programs. Having students currently working in TAMU-CC laboratories presenting short introductions of their research to DMC students can also generate recruitment and "buzz".

DMC Objective 4:
Develop Computer Resources to Improve the Instructional Delivery While Considering Differences in Student Learning Style The expanding technology for personal computers has created innovative applications for problem based teaching exercises that can be applied to biology. This project will use modern multimedia and computer- assisted instructional techniques to expand the teaching/seminar presentation opportunities available to students on both campuses, and to foster active student participation to enhance learning. The concept of “inquiry based instruction and active learning” will be emphasized throughout the instructional program. The project will combine the existing visual components of the Biological Concepts I and II classes and the interactive advantages of using multimedia technology in a lecture and laboratory setting.

DMC Objective 5:
Dissemination of Project Material
Web-cam-based videoconferencing will be used to access material produced by DMC and to disseminate advanced topic lectures and guest presentations conducted at Texas A&M University, Corpus Christi (TAMU-CC) another minority institution. The guest lectures will also help to stimulate further interactions between TAMU-CC and DMC faculty members. There is already a successful collaboration between Mr. McKinney, Drs. Halcomb, Hatherill and Cammarata of TAMU-CC that has resulted in a guest seminar on genomics. Other types of collaborations will naturally result from this project. Another way to enhance interactions between TAMU-CC and DMC is through guest lectures. The lectures will describe, at an introductory level, the types of research that the faculty member and students are conducting. This will expose DMC students to a variety of scientists and biotechnology topics, and serve as an excellent recruiting method for DMC’s undergraduate program in biology