iStarDB (The Astronomy Education Research Repository)
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Astronomy: Social representations of students of integrated high school
No full textThe contents related to Astronomy studied in basic education in Brazil are not always adequately worked, as their exposure in the media is often full of sensationalism, however, it is in this environment that students form their opinions about this science. Therefore, in this work we present the possible Social Representations that students of the Integrated High School of the Federal Institute of Alagoas (IFAL) have with the term inductor Astronomy. Additionally, we identify how these Social Representations were elaborated. There is a basic and descriptive research, and the procedures for obtaining the data occurred in the form of a survey, the subjects involved were 653 students from the Integrated High School. The results indicate that the surveyed students have social representations of the object Astronomy, which are based on elements from the formal education space, and also disclosed in the media, in addition, demonstrate that the students have information about Astronomy, and a value position in relation to this science
The impact on education of Astronomical Olympiads and the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics
No full textAstronomical Olympiads and similar competitions for highschool students have been run in some countries for more than half a century, and last year marked the tenth anniversary of the largest such competition with global reach, the International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics. The effect of these has been to reach out to a large number of school students who might not otherwise have considered astronomy as a subject; help maintain a high, guided standard of astronomy education even in countries where astronomy is not (or no longer) on the curriculum; and to encourage those students who participate to strive harder and pursue astronomy further by giving them goals to aim for, rewarding their efforts with medals, recognition and participation in the international events in interesting locations and, above all, showing them that there are many other students just like them both in their own country and around the world. Many of the students go on to careers in astronomy education or research. We believe that Astronomy Olympiads are a very valuable element in the astronomy education framework which can be used to further the common goal of sustaining and growing the astronomical community
Basic astronomy: Common misconceptions and public beliefs according to the audience survey at Kyiv Planetarium
No full textResults of a Kyiv Planetarium audience survey are discussed. Kyiv Planetarium has a "Big Zeiss 4" projector, a fulldome projection system, a dome 23 meters across, and 300 seats. Having presented a program to up to 300 visitors at once, it is not easy to examine the general public understanding of basic astronomy, to get feedback on the program, and to estimate the educational impact on the public. Strategically designed questionnaires were used to find out what are visitors’ personal experiences and previous knowledge. Questions in the questionnaire can be conditionally divided into several groups: - a) personal data (age, education); - b) astronomical knowledge and observational experience (attendance of astronomy lessons at school, observation of interesting astronomical phenomena such as eclipses, comets, meteors, experience of watching the sky through a telescope, age of the Earth and the Universe, reasons for seasonal changes and Moon phases, the brightest star, constellations that the visitor knows, number of planets in the Solar system, the biggest planet in the Solar system, how often do visitors read about space related topics); - c) visitors’ personal beliefs like their attitude towards horoscopes and extra-terrestrial life; and - d) visitors’ attitude towards planetarium itself, likes and dislikes, topics for future programs, expectations, sources of information about Planetarium, and number of their visits to planetarium. I discuss the results from 147 questionnaires that were gathered back, the most common misconceptions and public beliefs are revealed
4-year Astrobiology Teaching Experience in an Astronomy Department
No full textAstrobiology is a multidisciplinary field related to the sciences of Astronomy, Chemistry, Biology and Geology. An optional Astrobiology course has been taught in the Astronomy department of Ege University (Turkey) since 2013. The main objectives of this introductory course are to introduce and familiarize the astronomy students to the fundamentals of astrobiology. In this study, 4-year teaching experience of Astrobiology course has been examined. Course objectives, teaching methods, learning activities and evaluation methods were discussed. To evaluate the students’ learning experiences and knowledge gains anonymous surveys and knowledge assessments were used. Furthermore, additional surveys were made to understand the interests and tendencies of the students in choosing this optional course
A teaching-learning module on stellar structure and evolution
No full textWe present a teaching module focused on stellar structure, functioning and evolution. Drawing from literature in astronomy education, we identified three key ideas which are fundamental in understanding stars’ functioning: spectral analysis, mechanical and thermal equilibrium, energy and nuclear reactions. The module is divided into four phases, in which the above key ideas and the physical mechanisms involved in stars’ functioning are gradually introduced. The activities combine previously learned laws in mechanics, thermodynamics, and electromagnetism, in order to get a complete picture of processes occurring in stars. The module was piloted with two intact classes of secondary school students (N = 59 students, 17–18 years old) and its efficacy in addressing students’ misconceptions and wrong ideas was tested using a ten-question multiple choice questionnaire. Results support the effectiveness of the proposed activities. Implications for the teaching of advanced physics topics using stars as a fruitful context are briefly discussed
Celestial calendar-paintings and culture-based digital storytelling: cross-cultural, interdisciplinary, STEM/STEAM resources for authentic astronomy education engagement
No full textIn D(L)akota star knowledge, the Sun is known as Wi and the Moon is Han-Wi. They have an important relationship, husband and wife. The pattern of their ever-changing relationship is mirrored in the motions of Sun and Moon as seen from our backyards, also called the lunar phases. The framework of the cultural teaching is storytelling and relationships. Cultural perspectives in astronomy such as this remind us of how indigenous ways of knowing are rooted in inclusion, engagement, and relevancy. Designed by A. Lee in 2007, the Native Skywatchers initiative seeks to remember and revitalize indigenous star and earth knowledge, promoting the native voice as the lead voice. The overarching goal of Native Skywatchers is to communicate the knowledge that indigenous people traditionally practiced a sustainable way of living and sustainable engineering through a living and participatory relationship with the above and below, sky and earth. In 2012 two indigenous star maps were created: the Ojibwe Giizhig Anung Masinaaigan-Ojibwe Sky Star Map (A. Lee, W. Wilson, C. Gawboy), and the D(L)akota star map, Makoce Wicanhpi Wowapi (A. Lee, J. Rock). In 2016, a collaboration with W. Buck of the Manitoba First Nations Resource Centre (MFNRC), produced a third star map: Ininew Achakos Masinikan- Cree Star Map Book. We aim to improve current inequities in education for native young people especially through STEM engagement, to inspire increased cultural pride, and promote community wellness. Presented here will be recently created resources such as: astronomical calendar-paintings and short videos that exist at the intersection of art-science-culture. As we look for sustainable ways to widen participation in STEM, particularly in astronomy education, part of the conversation needs to consider the place for art and culture in STEM
Evolving from xSonify: a new digital platform for sonorization
No full textIn general, Space Sciences data exploration is thought to be suitable for people who do not have Neurological Disorders (ND) that may impair reading (RI), and are not blind or visually impaired (BVI). Data exploration methods used in these fields are generally visual, and do not provide the accessibility to allow full participation of blind and visually impaired individuals in the field. This has been the case even after evidence that sound increases the sensitivity to events in data that would otherwise be undetected. A set of tools that guarantees a thorough data inspection, and assures the access to the same amount and quality of information to all, is useful for everyone.
The present project, devoted to design a new user centered software to produce audio-visual outputs from astrophysical data, integrates multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary astronomers, engineers, computer specialists, software designers, educators, disability specialists, bioengineers, neurobiologists, and sociologists, both blind and sighted, and addresses the topics of accessibility to astronomical data, The possibility of exploring the bibliographic databases (ADSABS, among others), creation of a new multimodal access prototype, creation of an accessible, user-centered (from back end to front end), human-computer interface suitable for collection, sonification and analysis of astrophysical data, and the efficiency, utility and effectiveness of the resource in different cultural environments and at different levels of expertise. In this contribution, we present the first results related to the creation and application of the techniques and tools proposed, taking into account that the focus of this research is on the knowledge in the field of physics and astrophysics, but can be scalable to other areas of human activity so that people with other learning styles can have "equal opportunities". Finally, this project is based on the premises of addressing the technical challenges in basic research to achieve the promised benefits of Big Data, which is of world-wide interest
"How Can I Build a Model if I Don’t Know the Answer to the Question?": Developing Student and Teacher Sky Scientist Ontologies Through Making
No full textMakerspaces provide a viable option for constructing and sharing knowledge in schools. Inherent in the designing, tinkering, and playing that learners engage in through making are competencies, such as the ability to create, problem solve, and innovate, decreed as critical by education policymakers. This paper summarizes results from a study in a Canadian elementary school in which a researcher and a sixth grade teacher worked collaboratively to co-design, enact, and reflect on a makerspace project focused on sky science. Results with students showed higher engagement, deeper learning, and a way of being that extended beyond the study of one science topic. Results with the teacher demonstrated changes in pedagogical thinking about learning designs to enhance students’ abilities to develop their own questions, to build models in attempts to answer those questions, and to embody the ontology of a scientist
Eight years after IYA2009: a successful project of Outreach and Astronomy Education on selected countryside towns in Mexico
No full textWe present the main results of a multidisciplinary project on education and outreach in Guanajuato (Mexico). This collaboration was initiated in the International Year of Astronomy (IYA09, IAU-UNESCO, 2009) and is led by a team including astronomers, sociologists and environment biologists. The Astronomy activities had their origin at the Public Observatory of Universidad de Guanajuato, where an outreach program was dedicated to young students, teachers and the general public. Thanks to the many activities linked to IYA09, the astronomers joined with a group of sociologists working on the development of rural zones of the Mexican State of Guanajuato. This region undergoes a high rate of migration towards the USA. Working together, our goals were enlarged, having important results on different aspects like social development, environment recovering and education. Astronomy plays a central role within this project, mainly through activities like stargazing, science games for young public, Astronomy courses for teachers, and talks for a wide audience
A sustainable culture of tardigrades (Hypsibius dujardini) for astrobiological laboratory activities
No full textTardigrades are microscopic organisms that have gained importance in astrobiology in recent years. They have extreme survival ability and can enter into a state of latency for several years called cryptobiosis. Due to our interest in conducting experiments with tardigrades to complement the laboratory exercises with students in the course of astrobiology, we bought samples of tardigrades in the cryptobiotic state. A sample of these were cultured at room temperature (18oC) with an oxygenation system, and fed with Spirulina algae every week. We found that in a few weeks tardigrades were producing eggs normally. This species, H. dujardini, has been cultured before and it is a good sample for culture as we saw. This species provides a good sustainable culture and is inexpensive and easy to produce tardigrades for didactic purposes