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Science and Science Education Go Hand-in-Hand: The Impact of the NASA Science Mission Directorate Education and Public Outreach Program
No full textFor nearly two decades, NASA has embedded education and public outreach (EPO) in its Earth and space science missions and research programs on the principle that science education is most effective when educators and scientists work hand-in-hand. Four Science EPO Forums organize the respective NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Astrophysics, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Planetary Science EPO programs into a coordinated, efficient, and effective nationwide effort. The NASA SMD EPO program evaluates EPO impacts that support NASA’s policy of providing a direct return-on-investment for the American public, advances STEM education and literacy, and enables students and educators to participate in the practice of science as embodied in the 2013 Next Generation Science Standards. Leads of the four NASA SMD Science EPO Forums provided big-picture perspectives on NASA’s effort to incorporate authentic science into the nation’s STEM education and scientific literacy, highlighting examples of program effectiveness and impact. Attendees gained an increased awareness of the depth and breadth of NASA SMD’s EPO programs and
achievements, the magnitude of its impacts through representative examples, and the ways current and future EPO programs can build upon the work being done
Impact Of Collaborative Groups Versus Individuals In Undergraduate Inquiry-Based Astronomy Laboratory Learning Exercises
No full textA mixed-method quasi-experimental study was designed to determine how 130 undergraduates in an introductory astronomy survey course laboratory changed their understanding of scientific inquiry working as individuals in relative isolation compared to working in small, collaborative learning groups when using specially designed astronomy curricula based on a backwards faded scaffolding approach (Slater, Slater, & Lyons, 2010). The results of this two-group comparison study were determined by examining the change in responses from the pretest to the posttest administration of the Views of Scientific Inquiry (VOSI) survey (Schwartz, Lederman, & Lederman, 2008), the increase in scores on laboratory exercises, and analysis of field notes from the instructor. Analysis suggests that all students increased their understanding of scientific inquiry and astronomy when using the specially designed course materials regardless if the students were working in groups or individually in the learning laboratories. However, qualitative analysis yields further insight that there exists a qualitative difference in the complexity of research questions students working in groups elect to pursue over those students working independently
Learning and the Net Generation
No full textMost instructors believe that GPA, ethnicity, native English speaking ability, class year, family income, and whether parents have a college degree are important indicators of student success in Astro 101. Research shows, however, that the single most important factor in student learning is interactivity in the classroom. While new electronic media may have some important uses, research shows that electronic device usage in the classroom by students can negatively impact their course grades by as much five percent
Citizen Science with CosmoQuest: Science and Strategies
No full textCosmoQuest began as a citizen science portal for online users that would recreate virtually the kind of experience one might have at a research center. Through projects that map craters on the Moon and asteroid Vesta, citizen scientists have shown that accurate, authentic science research can be done through crowd-sourcing. We
present comparisons of citizen-analyzed data to those analyzed by planetary scientists and show that there is a high degree of correlation in the results. These projects allow for new science to be done that otherwise could not have been achieved without the help of citizen scientists. These projects are also integrated within a larger virtual environment that provides educational content, media, and community interaction through blogs, forums, online classes, video seminars, teacher resources, and more
Here, There, and Everywhere: A Case Study of Science through Analogy, Near and Far
No full textHere, There, and Everywhere (HTE) is a program that consists of a series of exhibitions, posters, and supporting hands-on activities that utilize analogies in the teaching of science, engineering, and technology to provide multi-generational and family-friendly content in English and Spanish to small community centers, libraries, and under-resourced small science centers. The purpose of the program is to connect crosscutting science content (in earth, atmospheric and planetary sciences, and astrophysics) with everyday phenomena. By using different modes of content delivery (physical exhibits and handouts, interpretive stations, facilitated activities for educators, and online resources), HTE helps to demonstrate the universality of physical laws
and the connection between our everyday world and the universe as a whole to members of the public who may not identify strongly with science. HTE is part of a series
of so-called public science projects created and developed by the Education and Public Outreach (EPO) group at the Chandra X-ray Center (CXC). This paper will outline how HTE fits into the lineage of this particular type of science outreach that aims to engage the greater public in non-traditional venues for science learning and appreciation
Assessment of Communicating Science 2013: A Workshop for Graduate Students
No full textEffective science communication is imperative for the sharing of scientific ideas, continued funding and support from policy makers, and education of the public. Science graduate students are a prime group to target for communication training, as they will be our future scientists, educators, and EPO professionals. To provide such training, we created Communicating Science 2013, a professional development workshop for STEM graduate students. This workshop taught graduate students from around the nation to effectively communicate science to both their peers and to the public. To learn about graduate students’ attitudes toward science communication and establish the workshop’s efficacy, we surveyed the participants both before and after the workshop. This assessment probed topics such as communication preparation the participants have already received, how science communication is perceived in their home department, and what participants hoped to gain from the workshop. We describe the workshop and report a few of the assessment results here
Evaluation of Music And Astronomy Under The Stars: Bringing Science To New Audiences At Music Events
No full textEvaluations were conducted of the 2009–2012 NASA-funded Music and Astronomy Under the Stars (MAUS) program at outdoor concerts (see the separate MAUS poster at this meeting). MAUS promoted lifelong learning by providing opportunities for the public to look through telescopes, participate in hands-on activities, and view posters, banners, and videos at events where large numbers of people are gathered. Surveys were given to 1.6% of the concertgoers at MAUS events with the participants expressing their level of agreement on a four-point scale with the following statements: “The astronomy at this event has been an enjoyable experience;” “It has been easy to comprehend the astronomy at this event;” “This event has helped me learn new things about astronomy;” “This event has made me want to learn more about astronomy;” and “This event has increased my interest in science.” On a scale where 1 = strongly disagree, 2 = disagree, 3 = agree, and 4 = strongly agree, MAUS received high ratings (>3.34/4) on all outcomes. MAUS successfully reached people at different concerts who had little interest in science. MAUS appealed to concert attendees of both genders, all ages, multiple levels of education, and all musical tastes. MAUS positively
influenced the public’s knowledge of and interest in astronomy. The high ratings from virtually all respondents indicate that the gains were not restricted to science enthusiasts.
The data strongly supports the conclusion that MAUS—bringing astronomy to
people at musical events—is effective
Impacts of Chandra X-ray Observatory Education and Public Outreach
No full textThe overarching goal of Chandra’s multifaceted communications and public engagement (EPO) program is to open access for anyone to be a learner and explorer of the Universe. To achieve this goal, the Chandra EPO team develops products and activities that share new discoveries about the Universe with diverse audiences, engages the imaginations of students, teachers, and the general public, and increases learning opportunities. We partner with organizations such as the National Science Olympiad, the 4-H, the NASA Museum Alliance, and the American Library Association to leverage their distribution networks for national impact. We summarize the results of a sample of wide-reaching, synthesized suite of programs—ranging from press, to outreach, to
informal and formal education—that communicate the compelling topics that only the high-energy Universe can reveal
NASA Science4Girls: Engaging Girls in STEM at Their Local Library
No full textThe NASA Science Mission Directorate (SMD) Science Education and Public Outreach Forums coordinate the participation of SMD education and public outreach (EPO) programs inWomen’s HistoryMonth through the NASA Science4Girls and Their Families initiative. The initiative partners NASA science education programs with public libraries to provide NASA-themed hands-on education activities for girls and their families. The initiative has expanded from the successful 2012 Astro4Girls pilot to engage girls in all four NASA science discipline areas, which broadens the impact of the pilot by enabling audiences to experience the full range of NASA science topics and the different career skills each requires. The events focus on engaging underserved and underrepresented audiences in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) via use of research-based best practices, collaborations with libraries, partnerships with local and national organizations, and remote engagement of audiences
Free The Globe
No full textThe parallel globe is an old device, very simple and ingenious that, when systematically employed in astronomy classes, becomes a teaching tool with great potential. Properly oriented according to the local meridian, this instrument allows us to follow the shadows in any region of the Earth that is illuminated by the Sun, as well as offering a clear view of the terminator, the line that divides the day and the night on our planet. With knowledge of the shadows, it is possible to estimate the latitude of a site and to infer local solar time anywhere in the planet's sunlit hemisphere. Furthermore, by using the parallel globe we may understand simply the existence of regions in which objects sometimes do not cast shadows, and also other regions which, on the contrary, sometimes become “long-shadow” countries. In this work, we first review the device and the basics of its assembly and operation. In the second part, we describe in detail some activities targeted to facilitate its use in the classroom, which our research group has been developing during teacher training workshops