Keeping students alert and attentive is one of the most challenging tasks in General Ed. Lab. classes. These students are not interested in science. They come ill-prepared and cannot relate to diverse areas of science. These topics do not touch their daily life. It is no wonder that science laboratory seems even more daunting to a large majority of the Gen. Ed. students who enroll because it is a requirement. Then there are students who do have good backgrounds, and for them these courses are too easy to warrant attention. The problem is accentuated by the fact that these Gem Ed. Science Labs require participation of Graduate Teaching Assistants, who come with varying degrees of background, ability and expertise. Thus they could greatly affect Gen. Ed. students' interest and involvement, if they are not properly trained.

Therefore, it is important for science teachers, strategists and policy makers to devise ways to improve our science education and make it meaningful. To help initiate a dialogue in this important area, I would focus on areas that are pertinent to this discussion.

1. How to improve lectures and make presentations interesting, yet focused.
2. How to challenge students to think and come up with simple answers, or motivate them to design simple experiments which they can do at home. We should point out to the students that many things they are enjoying in life are fruits of scientific endeavor.
3. Try to include topics and experiments which the students can relate to in their daily life.
4. How to overcome many of the cultural hindrances and accept scientific reasoning. it is important not only to appreciate science but to be receptive of diverse thoughts and reasoning.
5. How best to train Graduate teaching assistants so that they all acquire a good teaching method, communication skill, and attitude. The objective is to insure uniformity in all sections of the same lab.