Cross-disciplinary molecular science education in introductory science courses

This paper discusses a digital library designed to help undergraduate students draw connections across disciplines, beginning with introductory discipline-specific science courses (including chemistry, materials science, and biophysics). The collection serves as the basis for a design experiment for interdisciplinary educational libraries and is discussed in terms of the three models proposed by Sumner and Marlino. As a cognitive tool, the library is organized around recurring patterns in molecular science, with one such pattern being developed for this initial design experiment. As a component repository, the library resources support learning of these patterns and how they appear in different disciplines. As a knowledge network, the library integrates design with use and assessment.