Astronomy Research Seminar Expansion and Building a Community-of-Practice (original) (raw)
Related papers
Robotic Telescopes, Student Research and Education Proceedings, Vol 1, No 1, 2018
In an effort to give undergraduate and high school students an experience of the processes of scientific research as close to what they might expect in the field, the Astronomy Research Seminar has been taught out of Cuesta Community College in San Luis Obispo, CA, for over a decade, and for the past 3 years as a distance education course. The hope is that in providing early exposure to scientific research in a way that as closely as possible resembles the scientific endeavor outside of the classroom, more students will be given the tools to continue to pursue science in their education and careers, specifically the perseverance in the challenge of writing a scientific paper for publication. Here we present an analysis of an initial evaluation of the seminar by looking at students' self-reported feelings about how the seminar has inspired them, and helped them learn to manage projects, write scientific papers and take charge of their own learning. Astronomy Research Seminar-The Impact on Students from their Perspective. Preliminary results from one spring seminar.-292 Astronomy Research Seminar-The Impact on Students from their Perspective. Preliminary results from one spring seminar.-293 leadership roles for their team, as a focus of the seminar is learning how to work as a collaborative and independent team to the extent possible. Astronomy Research Seminar-The Impact on Students from their Perspective. Preliminary results from one spring seminar.-299
Evaluation of the Astronomy Research Seminar
2019
The need for a scientifically literate populace is clear now more than ever in recent human history as evidenced by global climate change and current political discourse and opining around it. Several decades of research and practice in science education still appear to leave much to be desired in terms of student understanding about the nature of science, scientific research and communication, and the need for scientific literacy. While there are potentially many avenues for students to pursue science in education and career paths, the Astronomy Research Seminar seems to have tapped into an intrinsic value in participating within and contributing to a Community-of-Practice as a way of learning. Based on an initial evaluation of students’ experience and educational and career choices, the seminar has a meaningful impact on students. Furthermore, for many individuals it transforms their identities as scientists or at least budding-scientists and gives them a glimpse into the idea tha...
Primarily Undergraduate Institutions and the Astronomy Community
2019
This White Paper highlights the role Primarily Undergraduate Institutions (PUIs) play within the astronomy profession, addressing issues related to employment, resources and support, research opportunities and productivity, and educational and societal impacts, among others. Astronomers working at PUIs are passionate about teaching and mentoring undergraduate students through substantive astronomy experiences, all while working to continue research programs that contribute to the advancement of the professional field of astronomy. PUIs are where the majority of undergraduate students pursue post-secondary education, and as such, understanding the unique challenges and opportunities associated with PUIs is critical to fostering an inclusive astronomy community throughout the next decade. We provide a view of the profession as lived and experienced by faculty and students of PUIs, while highlighting the unique opportunities, challenges, and obstacles routinely faced. A variety of reco...
2009
With this issue of Spark, we debut our feature section on community building-a topic very near and dear to my heart. It is through community building that we decrease our sense of isolation, broaden our impact, deepen our bonds, increase our infrastructure, and expand our capabilities. Though I am sure we all feel like we belong to a personal community-our neighborhood, our family, a club-we may not realize the professional communities we belong to that make our work-efforts stronger and more enriched. The American Astronomical Society (AAS), itself, is such a community, and one that I am proud we are all members of. But other communities that we belong to, that we may not have thought of in this light, could be a national network of people working on the same project, a listserv that allows us to communicate with people of similar interests who we may have never met, an online discussion forum for people at similar points in their careers.
A Review of High School Level Astronomy Student Research Projects Over the Last Two Decades
Since the early 1990s with the arrival of a variety of new technologies, the capacity for authentic astronomical research at the high school level has skyrocketed. This potential, however, has not realised the bright-eyed hopes and dreams of the early pioneers who expected to revolutionise science education through the use of telescopes and other astronomical instrumentation in the classroom. In this paper, a general history and analysis of these attempts is presented. We define what we classify as an Astronomy Research in the Classroom (ARiC) project and note the major dimensions on which these projects differ before describing the 22 major student research projects active since the early 1990s. This is followed by a discussion of the major issues identified that affected the success of these projects and provide suggestions for similar attempts in the future. Keywords: astronomy education – astronomy public outreach – history and philosophy of astronomy
The Student as Scientist: Secondary Student Research Projects in Astronomy
Publications of The Astronomical Society of Australia, 2000
Student research projects are becoming either integral or optional components of Science curricula in several countries. They provide a valuable opportunity for high school students to experience many of the joys and frustrations that make up the intellectual challenge of Science. Astronomy is one branch of Science that lends itself to student projects. Student Research Projects (SRPs) can be individual, group or collaborative between groups in other schools or countries and may involve professional mentors. Use of the Internet and remote access telescopes allow students to undertake challenging research and make worthwhile contributions to professional programs. This paper presents case studies of student projects in optical and radio astronomy from Australian and overseas schools and details both the benefits and problems faced in conducting such projects. Student responses to involvement in projects are discussed. Potential areas for future collaboration and development are highlighted together with the need for more research as to the most effective ways to implement projects and develop student skills.
The Roles of Astronomers in the Astronomy Education Ecosystem: A Research-Based Perspective
2020
Astronomers have played many roles in their engagement with the larger astronomy education ecosystem. Their activities have served both the formal and informal education communities worldwide, with levels of involvement from the occasional participant to the full-time professional. We discuss these many diverse roles, giving background, context, and perspective on their value in encouraging and improving astronomy education. This review covers the large amounts of new research on best practices for diverse learning environments. For the formal education learning environment, we cover pre-university roles and engagement activities. This evidence-based perspective can support astronomers in contributing to the broad astronomy education ecosystem in more productive and efficient ways and in identifying new niches and approaches for developing the science capital necessary for a science literate society and for greater involvement of underrepresented groups in the science enterprise.