iStarDB (The Astronomy Education Research Repository)
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Rubric Sorting Astronomy Essays
No full textStudent essays on introductory astronomy exams can be consistently and efficiently graded by a single instructor, or by multiple graders for a large class. This is done by constructing a robust outcome rubric while sorting exams into separate stacks, then checking each stack for consistency. Certain online resources readily provide primary source prompts for writing astronomy exam essay questions
NASA’s Role in Addressing Misconceptions: Scale of Our Solar System and Other Planetary Systems
No full textOur Solar System is no longer unique. As of early September 2013, there were over 940 known planets orbiting other stars. Planetary systems are fairly common, and astronomers are now finding Earth-sized planets in the “Goldilocks Zone,” implying that there may be many habitable planets. The Next Generation Science Standards includes the Disciplinary Core Idea: Earth’s Place in the Universe and Crosscutting Concepts: Patterns; Scale, Portion, and Quantity; and Systems and System Models. While we are learning more about the nature of our Solar System and its planets by studying other planetary systems, our discoveries are heavily biased by the techniques used to detect these systems: primarily radial velocity, transits, and direct observations
Student-Created Content in WorldWide Telescope
No full textUsing WorldWide Telescope (WWT), the California Academy of Sciences used tour presentations created by Bay Area high school students. These students wrote, programmed, and presented their own fulldome shows utilizing WWT with the support of Academy staff. This allowed the students to create programs that were meaningful and interesting and to help determine the kinds of shows and content for future programs at the Academy. We present here our experiences and our goals for future programs
What and How Are We Evaluating? Meta-Evaluation of Climate Education Projects Funded by NASA
No full textNASA Innovations in Climate Education (NICE) at Langley Research Center has funded 71 climate education initiatives over four years, each evaluated separately by external evaluators. NICE has undertaken a systematic meta-evaluation, seeking to understand the range of evaluations, approaches, and methods represented in this
portfolio. When NASA asks for evaluation of funded projects, what happens? Which questions are asked and answered, using which tools? To what extent do the evaluations meet the needs of projects and program officers? How do they contribute to best practices in (climate) science education? These questions are important to ask about general STEM education work; the NICE portfolio provides a broad test case for thinking
strategically, critically, and progressively about evaluation in our community. Our findings can inform the NASA, ASP, and STEM EPO communities and prompt us to
consider a broad range of informative evaluation options
The Hubble Education and Public Outreach Program: Two Decades of Discovery
No full textTwo decades ago, the Space Telescope Science Institute (STScI) posed for itself this question: how could a small group of scientists and educators best transform the breathtaking discoveries from the Hubble Space Telescope into a meaningful and measurable education program that is national in scope? Achieving this goal required developing a new model for education and public outreach. First, the program had to be based upon effective collaborations between forefront scientists and educators. Second, scientist-educator teams developed relevant, effective, and field-tested educational
resources and materials. Finally, the program had to be continually measured to test its effectiveness in meeting goals and objectives. Therefore, evaluation was built into the program from its inception. This paper highlights examples of effective strategies incorporated into the Hubble EPO program
Summative Evaluation Findings from the Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) Education and Public Outreach Program
No full textThe Interstellar Boundary Explorer mission includes a comprehensive Education and Public Outreach (EPO) program in heliophysics that is overseen and implemented by the Adler Planetarium and evaluated by Technology for Learning Consortium, Inc. Several components of the IBEX EPO program were developed during the prime phase of the mission that were specifically designed for use in informal institutions, especially museums and planetaria. The program included a widely distributed planetarium show with accompanying informal education activities, printed posters, lithographs and other resources, funding for the development of the GEMS Space Science Sequence for Grades 6–8 curriculum materials, development of the IBEX mission website, development of materials for people with special needs, participation in the Heliophysics Educator Ambassador program, and support for the Space Explorers Afterschool Science Club for Chicago Public Schools. In this paper, we present an overview of the IBEX EPO program summative evaluation techniques and results for 2008 through 2012
Albion College Celebrates 130 Years with an Alvan Clark Telescope
No full textIn 2013–2014, Albion College, an undergraduate liberal arts college in Albion, Michigan, will celebrate the 130th anniversary of its 8′′ Alvan Clark refracting telescope and observatory building. Dedicated in 1883 and completed in 1884, the observatory is one of two surviving examples of a nineteenth-century astronomical building in Michigan. Its instruments also include a Fauth and Company sidereal clock and transit telescope. Several times each year the telescope is open to the public and to the campus community for public observing events. Here we describe the history of our Alvan Clark telescope and the events that will take place in 2013–2014
The Development and Evaluation of an Augmented Reality-based Armillary Sphere for Astronomical Observation Instruction
No full textBased on kinesthetic learning style theory and interviews regarding teachers' experiences applying traditional astronomy teaching methods, a mobile digital armillary sphere (MDAS) using augmented reality (AR) was developed for use during astronomical observation instruction. The MDAS enables visual processes and limb movements similar to those that would occur in actual outdoor experiences to be employed in the classroom, thereby overcoming existing instructional limitations. A quasi-experimental design method was adopted, and 200 fifth-grade students were selected as participants. The use of the MDAS in astronomical observation courses affected students' learning effectiveness and interest. The experimental results indicated that using the MDAS system during outdoor observation activities effectively enhanced both the students' learning of astronomical observation content and their performance of astronomical observation skills. In addition, use of the MDAS effectively increased students' interest in astronomical observations and learning, which had a substantial effect on retention
The PIRATE facility: at the crossroads of research and teaching
No full textI describe the Open University-owned 0.43m robotic observatory PIRATE, based in Mallorca. PIRATE is a cost-effective facility contributing to topical astrophysical research and an inspiring platform for distance education students to learn practical science
Perspectives of History and Philosophy on Teaching Astronomy
No full textThe didactics of astronomy is a relatively young field with respect to that of other sciences. Historical issues have most often been part of the teaching of astronomy, although that often does not stem from a specific didactics. The teaching of astronomy is often subsumed under that of physics. One can easily consider that, from an educational standpoint, astronomy requires the same mathematical or physical strategies. This approach may be adequate in many cases but cannot stand as a general principle for the teaching of astronomy. This chapter offers in a first part a brief overview of the status of astronomy education research and of the role of the history and philosophy of science (HPS) in astronomy education. In a second part, it attempts to illustrate possible ways to structure the teaching of astronomy around its historical development so as to pursue a quality education and contextualized learning