iStarDB (The Astronomy Education Research Repository)
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The Effects of Simulation-based and Model-based Education on the Transfer of Teaching With Regard to Moon Phases
No full textSeveral researchers have investigated the knowledge of the causes of moon phases and how to promote the scientific understanding of these phases. However, these scholars did not determine whether this learning was transferred to the following education. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of two different types of education on the transfer of learning with regard to astronomy content. No significant change in the understanding of the moon’s phases was observed between the groups, but a significant change in the transfer scores of the groups was observed. This result could indicate that the education increased the participants’ understanding of moon phases and that the participants in the simulation group were able to more adequately transfer their knowledge. The alternative conceptions of the causes of the moon phases were transferred to the context of the earth’s phases. In other words, alternative conceptions are transferred to new learning situations. Therefore, the alternative conceptions that the participants hold should be carefully observed when new learning is transferred
Impact Of Authentic Astronomical Research On Astronomy Club Students
No full textThe Bozeman High School Astronomy Club was used to look at the impacts of conducting authentic astronomical research through participation in several research projects. Students were given opportunities to learn real world science and develop new skills. Students worked with scientists and principal investigators from different NASA missions through different Citizen Science research projects using varied methods. The results indicated that student interest and participation in the astronomy club greatly increased. The students exhibited positive changes in attitudes and motivation towards how science is done both within and outside of the classroom. They also showed an improvements in skills used during the program
Filling in the Gaps: Illuminating (a) Clearing Mechanisms in Transitional Protoplanetary Disks, and (b) Quantitative Illiteracy among Undergraduate Science Students
No full textWhat processes are responsible for the dispersal of protoplanetary disks? In this dissertation, beginning with a brief Introduction to planet detection, disk dispersal and high-contrast imaging in Chapter 1, I will describe how ground-based adaptive optics (AO) imaging can help to inform these processes. Chapter 2 presents Polarized Differential Imaging (PDI) of the transitional disk SR21 at H-band taken as part of the Strategic Exploration of Exoplanets and Disks with Subaru (SEEDS). These observations were the first to show that transition disk cavities can appear markedly different at different wavelengths. The observation that the sub-mm cavity is absent in NIR scattered light is consistent with grain filtration at a planet-induced gap edge. Chapter 3 presents SEEDS data of the transition disk Oph IRS 48. This highly asymmetrical disk is also most consistent with a planet-induced clearing mechanism. In particular, the images reveal both the disk cavity and a spiral arm/divot that had not been imaged previously. This study demonstrates the power of multiwavelength PDI imaging to verify disk structure and to probe azimuthal variation in grain properties. Chapter 4 presents Magellan visible light adaptive optics imaging of the silhouette disk Orion 218-354. In addition to its technical merits, these observations reveal the surprising fact that this very young disk is optically thin at H-alpha. The simplest explanation for this observation is that significant grain growth has occurred in this disk, which may be responsible for the pre-transitional nature of its SED. Chapter 5 presents brief descriptions of several other works-in-progress that build on my previous work. These include the MagAO Giant Accreting Protoplanet Survey (GAPlanetS), which will probe the inner regions of transition disks at unprecedented resolution in search of young planets in the process of formation. Chapters 6-8 represent my educational research in quantitative literacy, beginning with an introduction to the literature and study motivation in Chapter 6. Chapter 7 describes the development and validation of the Quantitative Reasoning for College Science (QuaRCS) Assessment instrument. Chapter 8 briefly describes the next steps for Phase II of the QuaRCS study
The Effect of Planetariums on Teaching Specific Astronomy Concepts
No full textThis study aimed to determine students’ knowledge levels related to specific astronomy concepts and the effect of a planetarium environment on teaching. The study sample included seventh-grade (12–13 years old) students. For this purpose, 240 students of various socioeconomic and cultural levels from six schools (two in the city center, two in the districts and two in the villages) were enrolled in the study. The pretest–posttest control group quasi-experimental design was used in the study. The experimental and control groups were generated by random assignment. The “Solar System and Beyond” unit was selected. In the experimental group, the unit was taught with the use of a planetarium environment, whereas the same unit was taught to the control group students in a classroom environment. A test consisting of 14 multiple-choice questions was used as the pretest and posttest at the beginning and end of the unit. The data obtained were evaluated using the SPSS 20.0 software package program. The study results showed that teaching astronomical concepts in a planetarium environment was more effective than in a classroom environment. The study also revealed that students in the planetarium-assisted group were more successful in comprehending subjects that require 3D thinking, a reference system, changing the time and observation of periodic motion than those in control group
A Proposed Astronomy Learning Progression For Remote Telescope Observation
No full textProviding meaningful telescope observing experiences for students who are deeply urban or distantly rural place-bound—or even daylight time-bound—has consistently presented a formidable challenge for astronomy educators. For nearly 2 decades, the Internet has promised unfettered access for large numbers of students to conduct remote telescope observing, but it has only been in recent years that the technology has become readily available. Now that this once fanciful possibility is becoming a reality, astronomy education researchers need a guiding theory on which to develop learning experiences. As one departure point, we proposea potential learning progression anchored on one end with recognizing that stars visible at night have describable locations and predictable motions, and anchored at the other with distant robotic telescopes can be programmed to record specific astronomical data for later analysis
Fourteen Years of Education and Public Outreach for the Swift Gamma-ray Burst Explorer Mission
No full textThe Sonoma State University (SSU) Education and Public Outreach (E/PO) group leads the Swift Education and Public Outreach program. For Swift, we have previously implemented broad efforts that have contributed to NASA’s Science Mission Directorate E/PO portfolio across many outcome areas. Our current focus is on highly-leveraged and demon-
strably successful activities, including the wide-reaching Astrophysics Educator Ambassador program, and our popular websites: Epo’s Chronicles and the Gamma-ray Burst (GRB) Skymap. We also make major contributions working collaboratively through the Astrophysics Science
Education and Public Outreach Forum (SEPOF) on activities such as the on-line educator professional development course NASA’s Multiwavelength Universe. Past activities have included the development of many successful education units including the GEMS Invisible Universe guide,
the Gamma-ray Burst Educator’s guide, and the Newton’s Laws Poster set; informal activities including support for the International Year of Astronomy, the development of a toolkit about supernovae for the amateur astronomers in the Night Sky Network, and the Swift paper instrument and glider models
Addressing k-5 students’ and pre-service elementary teachers’ conceptions of seasonal change
No full textIn this paper, primary school students’ and pre-service teachers’ ideas of seasonal change are investigated. The research was carried out in nine primary schools in Athens and in the Primary Education Department of the University of Athens. Written reports were used for gathering data while students also had the opportunity to support their answers with drawings. The results
showed the following. (1) Pre-service teachers address notions which involve the movement of the Sun and/or the Earth, while primary school students address human centred, tautological and phenomenological notions as well. (2) Both primary school students and pre-service teachers mainly adopt two schemes of explanation: alterations in the distance between the Sun and the Earth and alterations in the Earth–Sun relative orientation/illumination
Writing and Assessing Student Learning Objectives: Tips, Techniques, and What Our Community Needs
No full textThis is a brief summary of the Cosmos in the Classroom conference discussion of Student Learning Objectives (SLOs), increasingly being required by college and university administrations and accreditation agencies around the country. In many cases, professors and instructors are writing these (and then developing instruments to assess them) with no assistance from anyone and little sharing of information during or after the process. We encouraged participants to bring copies of their own SLOs and tools for measuring how effective they were in achieving them. In both plenary and small group discussions, we examined how each of us grappled with SLOs and how we might coordinate efforts regionally and nationally, including the ongoing suggestions of setting up a national library of Astro 101 SLOs
Noshing on Numbers: Using and Interpreting Data in Activities
No full textStudents must learn how to plot and analyze data as a fundamental science and math skill. Data must also be incorporated into activities in meaningful ways that allow students to build understanding of the concepts being shared. In this workshop, attendees participated in three graphing activities, which served as the basis for discussion of these numerical literacy issues in the science classroom
Debunking the End of the World: It’s not Just for 2012 Anymore
No full textThe December 21, 2012 Mayan Calendar end-of-the-world phenomenon was an exemplary teachable moment in terms of integrating critical thinking into our courses and public outreach. However, the passing of this date without an apocalypse does notmean that we should forget the lessons learned or assume that apocalyptic ideas are less common among our students or the general public. Polls have concluded that one in seven adults worldwide believes the world will end in his or her lifetime. A casual perusal of the cosmophobia.org public forum demonstrates that there is still much work to be done in terms of getting our formal and informal education audiences to apply critical thinking skills to what they see on The History Channel or on the Internet. Misconceptions still abound and leave the general public open to being manipulated
by pseudosciences and frauds. Being forewarned is being forearmed in this battle. This paper examines the recent rash of proposed astronomical doomsday scenarios and explains how we can stay on top of future apocalypse scares