iStarDB (The Astronomy Education Research Repository)
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Inquiry-Based Educational Design for Large-Scale High School Astronomy Projects Using Real Telescopes
No full textIn this paper, we outline the theory behind the
educational design used to implement a large-scale high
school astronomy education project. This design was created in response to the realization of ineffective educational design in the initial early stages of the project. The new design follows an iterative improvement model where the materials and general approach can evolve in response to solicited feedback. The improvement cycle concentrates on avoiding overly positive self-evaluation while addressing relevant external school and community factors while concentrating on backward mapping from clearly set goals. Limiting factors, including time, resources, support and the potential for failure in the classroom, are dealt with as much as possible in the large-scale design allowing teachers the best chance of successful implementation in their real-world classroom. The actual approach adopted following the principles of this design is also outlined, which has seen success in bringing real astronomical data and access to telescopes into the high school classroom
Contemporary Discipline-Based Astronomy Education Research Study Of K-12 Teachers’ Astronomy Knowledge Using The Test Of Astronomy Standards
No full textA conventional constructivist approach to science teacher education calls for teachers and teacher educators to understand the prior knowledge their learners have when entering the learning environment. Teachers in many fields of science have lacked substantive opportunities to have formal college-level coursework in their assigned teaching domains. In the earth sciences, astronomy in particular, teachers have a generally acknowledged deficiency in formal college astronomy coursework. Consequently, teacher educators and professional development providers would benefit greatly from knowing the existing astronomy prior knowledge state of future and in- service teachers. This study uses a widely recognized conceptual assessment inventory to examine the existing knowledge state of teachers tasked with teaching basic astronomy concepts dictated by national science education reform documents. The Test Of Astronomy STandards (TOAST) assessment instrument is a 27 item multiple-choice survey tightly aligned to the consensus learning goals articulated by the American Astronomical Society, Achieve, Inc.’s Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), the American Association for the Advancement of Science’s (AAAS) Project 2061 Benchmarks, and the National Research Council’s National Science Education Standards (NSES). In addition to documenting deficits in teachers’ understanding of astronomy concepts related to sky motions, solar system dynamics, and size and structure of the universe, this study provides a detailed item by item distractor analysis to determine the sensitivity and effectiveness of each item and compares those results to the existing literature on the teaching and learning of astronomy. The results of this study of more than 500 teachers provides a contemporary evaluation of K-12 teachers’ overall understanding of astronomy concepts outlined in modern science education reform and policy documents in the United States
Accuracy of sun localization in the second step of sky-polarimetric Viking navigation for north determination: a planetarium experiment
No full textIt is a widely discussed hypothesis that Viking seafarers might have been able to locate the position of the occluded sun by means of dichroic or birefringent crystals, the mysterious sunstones, with which they could analyze skylight polarization. Although the atmospheric optical prerequisites and certain aspects of the efficiency of this sky-polarimetric Viking navigation have been investigated, the accuracy of the main steps of this method has not been quantitatively examined. To fill in this gap, we present here the results of a planetarium experiment in which we measured the azimuth and elevation errors of localization of the invisible sun. In the planetarium sun locali- zation was performed in two selected celestial points on the basis of the alignments of two small sections of two celestial great circles passing through the sun. In the second step of sky-polarimetric Viking navigation the navigator needed to determine the intersection of two such celestial circles. We found that the position of the sun (solar elevation θS, solar azimuth φS) was estimated with an average error of 0.6° ≤ Δθ ≤ 8.8° and −3.9° ≤ Δφ ≤ 2.0°. We also calculated the compass direction error when the estimated sun position is used for orienting with a Viking sun-compass. The northern direction (ωNorth) was determined with an error of −3.34° ≤ ΔωNorth ≤ 6.29°. The inaccuracy of the second step of this navigation method was high (ΔωNorth −16.3°) when the solar elevation was 5° ≤ θS ≤ 25°, and the two selected celestial points were far from the sun (at angular distances 95° ≤ γ1, γ2 ≤ 115°) and each other (125° ≤ δ ≤ 145°). Considering only this second step, the sky-polarimetric navigation could be more accurate in the mid-summer period (June and July), when in the daytime the sun is high above the horizon for long periods. In the spring (and autumn) equinoctial period, alternative methods (using a twilight board, for example) might be more appropriate. Since Viking navigators surely also committed further errors in the first and third steps, the orientation errors presented here under- estimate the net error of the whole sky-polarimetric navigation
I Am Sure There May Be a Planet There: Student articulation of uncertainty in argumentation tasks
No full textWe investigated how students articulate uncertainty when they are engaged in structured scientific argumentation tasks where they generate, examine, and interpret data to determine the existence of exoplanets. In this study, 302 high school students completed 4 structured scientific arguments that followed a series of computer-model-based curriculum module activities simulating the radial velocity and/or the transit method. Structured scientific argumentation tasks involved claim, explanation, uncertainty rating, and uncertainty rationale. We explored (1) how students are articulating uncertainty within the various elements of the task and (2) the relationship between the way the task is presented and the way students are articulating uncertainty. We found that (1) while the majority of students did not express uncertainty in either explanation or uncertainty rationale, students who did express uncertainty in their explanations did so scientifically without being prompted explicitly, (2) students’ uncertainty ratings and rationales revealed a mix of their personal confidence and uncertainty related to science, and (3) if a task presented noisy data, students were less likely to express uncertainty in their explanations
Understanding The Alternative Conceptions Of Pre-Service Secondary Science Teachers About Tidal Phenomena Based On Toulmin’s Argumentation
No full textConstructing explanations and participating in argumentative discourse are seen as essential practices of scientific inquiry. The objective of this study was to explore the elements and origins of pre-service secondary science teachers’ alternative conceptions of tidal phenomena based on the elements used in Toulmin’s Argument Model through qualitative research. The data were collected from three pre-service secondary school teachers (D.-K. University, Teachers’ Colleges, junior and senior) in the Republic of Korea using a variety of qualitative research methods. We present three pre-service teachers as examples of 20 pre-service teachers for determining each pre-service teacher whether the pattern of his/her responses to all of the questions investigating a given concept can be explained by the consistent use of components of argument. The results of this study showed “the model with the Earth’s center at rest” backing their warrants as an element of Toulmin’s Argument Model. As a result, science educators must explicitly address these presuppositions or implicit beliefs and must help the students form links between their everyday experiences and scientific knowledge. Therefore, educators must be aware of the influence of students’ presuppositions and must use acceptable scientific concepts (the center of mass of the Earth–Moon system) based on argumentation to guide their construction of scientific concepts
Creating a narrated stop-motion animation to explain science: The affordances of “Slowmation” for generating discussion
No full textThis case study investigated the nature of the discussions generated when three preservice primary teachers made a narrated stop-motion animation called “Slowmation” to explain the science concept of moon phases. A discourse analysis of the discussion during construction demonstrated that the preservice teachers posed many questions, propositions and ideas facilitated by four affordances of the process: (i) a need to understand the science in order to explain it; (ii) making models; (iii) stopping to check information; and (iv) sharing personal experiences. Slowmation is a simplified way of making animations that has four affordances to promote discussion resulting in scientific reasoning
The GalileoMobile Program
No full textGalileoMobile is an itinerant science edu- cation program that is bringing astronomy closer to young people around the world since 2009 (http://galileo-mobile.org/). GalileoMobile acts in areas where outreach projects are scarce or non-existent. It is a purely non-profit initiative run by 22 volunteers (astronomers, educators and science communicators) from all over the world. The team seeks to promote cultural interaction among people beyond geographical borders and spread the message that we all live under the same sky
'We put on the glasses and Moon comes closer!’ Urban Second Graders Exploring the Earth, the Sun and Moon Through 3D Technologies in a Science and Literacy Unit
No full textThis qualitative case study describes (a) the ways 3D visualization, coupled with other science and literacy experiences, supported young children's first exploration of the Earth–Sun–Moon system and (b) the perspectives of classroom teachers and children on using 3D visualization. We created three interactive 3D software modules that simulate day and night, Moon phases and seasons. These modules were used in a science and literacy unit for 35 second graders at an urban elementary school in Midwestern USA. Data included pre- and post-interviews, audio-taped lessons and classroom observations. Post-interviews demonstrated that children's knowledge of the shapes and the movements of the Earth and Moon, alternation of day and night, the occurrence of the seasons, and Moon's changing appearance increased. Second graders reported that they enjoyed expanding their knowledge through hands-on experiences; through its reality effect, 3D visualization enabled them to observe the space objects that move in the virtual space. The teachers noted that 3D visualization stimulated children's interest in space and that using 3D visualization in combination with other teaching methods—literacy experiences, videos and photos, simulations, discussions, and presentations—supported student learning. The teachers and the students still experienced challenges using 3D visualization due to technical problems with 3D vision and time constraints. We conclude that 3D visualization offers hands-on experiences for challenging science concepts and may support young children's ability to view phenomena that would typically be observed through direct, long-term observations in outer space. Results imply a reconsideration of assumed capabilities of young children to understand astronomical phenomena
What We Need: The 2012 NASA EPO Forum Survey on Two-Year College STEM Teaching
No full textA survey of community college STEM faculty, administered by the NASA SMD Higher Education Working Group (HEWG), was administered in fall 2012 in an effort to document the demographic make-up and views of community college faculty who teach NASA science-related STEM courses in astronomy, physics, Earth science, and engineering. Nearly half of respondents reported that less than 10% of students in their classroom are “STEMward bound” and indicated the need for STEM resources that can relate science course content and be relevant to the daily life of their students. A number of respondents also noted a new or renewed emphasis on outreach activities within the community served by their institution as part of their job description. The survey suggests specific directions and ways that the NASA SMD EPO forum can support two-year college stakeholders
Reading Strategy Guides to Assist Middle School Educators of Students with Dyslexia
No full textAccording to the 2010 International Dyslexia Association publication, “Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading,” effective instruction is the key to addressing students’ reading difficulties associated with dyslexia, a language-based disorder of learning to read and write. “Informed and effective classroom instruction.
. . can prevent or at least effectively address and limit the severity of reading and writing problems.” The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) mission Education and Public Outreach program recently funded the development of six strategy guides for teachers of middle school students with reading difficulties, especially dyslexia. These guides utilize space science-themed reading materials developed by the Great Exploration
in Math and Science (GEMS), including the IBEX-funded GEMS Space Science Sequence (Grades 6–8). The aforementioned reading strategy guides are now available
on the IBEX mission website