iStarDB (The Astronomy Education Research Repository)
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Initial Development of a Concept Inventory to Assess Size, Scale, and Structure in Introductory Astronomy
No full textResearch has shown that undergraduates have problems understanding astronomical concepts, especially size, scale, and structure. One way to evaluate understanding is to use concept inventories. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to begin the development of the Size, Scale, and Structure Concept Inventory (S3CI) to assess understanding of these concepts in introductory undergraduate astronomy courses for majors and non-majors. A secondary purpose was to determine the impact of a newly developed WorldWide Telescope (WWT) enhanced lab on parallax, part of a suite of WWT enriched labs for introductory astronomy courses currently under development. We present in this paper preliminary results from the first WWT-enhanced lab on parallax. In Fall 2013, a beta version of the S3CI was piloted in an introductory astronomy course at a small private university. An item analysis was done and estimates of internal consistency reliability were determined using the Kuder-Richardson Formula #20 (KR20). The impact of the newly developed lab was also evaluated using a sub-test of six questions from the S3CI
Patterns in the Sky: Ways to make the most of planetarium field trips for first-grade students
No full textMore Observations in Schools for Promoting Astronomy and Sky Protection
No full textIn astronomy it is important to promote observation and the quality of the sky is essential for a good observation impact. It is important that children have a nice memory of their observations in a non-polluted sky. Using students as agents of change it is possible to promote good practice for sky protection in society
Understanding Elementary Astronomy by Making Drawing-Based Models
No full textModeling is an important approach in the teaching and learning of science. In this study, we attempt to bring modeling within the reach of young children by creating the SimSketch modeling system, which is based on freehand drawings that can be turned into simulations. This system was used by 247 children (ages ranging from 7 to 15) to create a drawing-based model of the solar system. The results show that children in the target age group are capable of creating a drawing-based model of the solar system and can use it to show the situations in which eclipses occur. Structural equation modeling predicting post-test knowledge scores based on learners’ pre-test knowledge scores, the quality of their drawings and motivational aspects yielded some evidence that such drawing contributes to learning. Consequences for using modeling with young children are considered
Understanding and Meeting the Needs of Space Scientists in EPO—Survey Results, Responses, and Strategies
No full textAs science literacy is falling in the United States, our world continues to become more complex. Everyone now requires an understanding of science, technology, and the relationship of interconnected systems in order to successfully navigate the complex issues facing us. Scientists are a critical resource, bringing to the table an understanding of the nature of science as a process, as well as up-to-the-minute scientific content. They can function in a wide range of capacities in education and public outreach (EPO) to meet some of the learning challenges of teachers, students, and the general public. Societies that work directly with scientists, such as the American Astronomical Society (AAS) and the Division for Planetary Sciences (DPS) are interested in understanding how their member scientists view the act of reaching out, how they do it, and how the DPS can continue to support them as they engage with a variety of audiences in an EPO capacity. To this end, we (the NASA Science Mission Directorate Planetary Science Forum and DPS leadership) conducted a series of semi-structured interviews with a subsection of DPS members to learn more about their attitudes and needs, and to begin to pinpoint opportunities and strategies for future consideration.
Presented here are our preliminary results and the ideas generated for further conversations
NASA Astrophysics EPO Community: Serving Groups Historically Underrepresented in STEM Fields
No full textFour Science Education and Public Outreach Forums support and coordinate the NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) education and public outreach (EPO) community. The mission- and grant-based EPO programs of this EPO community are uniquely poised to foster collaboration between scientists with content expertise and educators with pedagogy expertise. The Forums engage underserved audiences through coordinated efforts such as NASAScience4Girls and Their Families, which partners NASA science education programs with public libraries to provide NASA-themed, hands-on education activities for girls and their families, along with training for librarians. We present examples of how the NASA EPO community and Forums serve groups historically underrepresented in STEM fields via the NASAScience4Girls and Their Families initiative, including associated metrics and evaluation findings
The Analysis of the Understanding Levels of Teacher Candidates in Different Departments about Basic Astronomy Concepts
No full textLearners face a variety of concepts during the instructional process they experience. These concepts are mostly introduced by teachers; thus, the competences of teachers in terms of teaching concepts are vitally important. The aim of this study is to detect the understanding levels of teacher candidates about basic astronomy concepts. The method of the study was a survey method. The sample of the study was composed of 293 teacher candidates from early childhood teacher education, primary school teacher education, elementary science education and physics education departments. The data were collected by the achievement test, which included three questions intended to help describe, draw and explain the movement. The data were analysed by using the two different understanding levels in the literature. The data obtained showed that the teacher candidates could not submit proper explanations for the concepts: the Earth, the Sun, the Moon, planets, stars and satellites. This situation can be interpreted as an indicator that teacher candidates did not have enough information about the basic astronomy concepts. When the departments were compared with respect to the understanding levels, it can be said that teacher candidates from elementary science teacher education and physics teacher education departments were at a better level of understanding than their counterparts in early childhood teacher education and elementary teacher education departments. We must ensure that candidates are aware of their deficiencies and for these deficiencies to be eliminated we present various opportunities about astronomy activities like finding the Sun and a star using Stellarium program for the candidates to help develop themselves
An Essay On Interactive Investigations Of The Zeeman Effect In The Interstellar Medium
No full textThe paper presents an interactive module created through the Wolfram Demonstrations Project that visualizes the Zeeman effect for the small magnetic field strengths present in the interstellar medium. The paper provides an overview of spectral lines and a few examples of strong and weak Zeeman splitting before discussing the module in depth. Student discovery is aided with example situations to investigate using the interactive module, which is targeted at the upper undergraduate or early graduate level. This module (http://demonstrations.wolfram.com/ TheZeemanEffectInTheInterstellarMedium), which uses free software, can be used in classroom activities or as a means of introducing students to the Wolfram Demonstrations Project as a learning resource
Exploring science and technology through the Herschel space observatory
No full textBecause modern astronomy associates the quest of our origins and high-tech instruments, communicating and teaching astronomy explore both science and technology. We report here on our work in communicating astronomy to the public throughWeb sites (www.herschel.fr), movies on Dailymotion (www.dailymotion.com/AstrophysiqueTV) and new ITC tools that describe interactively the technological dimension of a space mission for astrophysics
Communicating Astronomy with the Public (Youth) as the Gateway to Development
No full textAstronomy has a unique ability to excite and stimulate the curiosity of children. Because of this, society can use astronomy as a gateway to lead children on a path towards future learning of science and technology, and potentially to careers in these areas