New Trends in Astronomy Teaching

Cover......Page 1
Introduction......Page 2
Title......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
DEDICATION......Page 6
Contents
......Page 8
Preface......Page 12
Participants......Page 14
A welcome from the Chairman......Page 18
1. Why is Astronomy Education Important?......Page 19
3. The Problems of Astronomy Education......Page 20
5. The Needs of the Developing Countries......Page 21
7. How Can Astronomers and Educators Support and Improve Education?......Page 22
REFERENCES......Page 23
2. Understanding the hour lines - a model helps......Page 24
3. Dials in London......Page 26
SECTION ONE University Education......Page 28
1. The Present......Page 29
2. Influence of the Present on the Future......Page 30
3. Conclusion......Page 31
2. Project-oriented courses......Page 33
3. Comments......Page 34
4. Drawbacks......Page 35
REFERENCES......Page 36
1. The Edinburgh Teaching Packages.......Page 37
2. The use of enlarged reproductions......Page 38
3. New Trends.......Page 39
REFERENCES......Page 42
New trends in university education in Russia: teaching Natural History for humanities......Page 43
2. The International Schools for Young Astronomers (ISYA)......Page 44
2.1. What do the participants get out of it?......Page 45
2.2. What does the host institution get out of it?......Page 46
3. Visiting Lecturer Programs (VLP)......Page 47
5. Does WWW eliminate scientific isolation?......Page 48
3. Public Awareness......Page 49
5. The Total Solar Eclipse 1995......Page 50
7. Conclusion......Page 51
2. Main Problems......Page 52
3. Present and future astronomy teaching......Page 53
1. The MicroObservatory Net......Page 54
3. The Schools Programme......Page 55
4. The European dimension......Page 56
5. The future......Page 57
Appendix A. List of EADN Schools and Book Titles.......Page 58
SECTION TWO Distance Learning and Electronic Media in Teaching Astronomy......Page 60
2. What is (successful) distance education?......Page 61
2.1. Advantages and disadvantages of distance education......Page 62
3.1. The \"mega-universities\"in distance education......Page 63
4. Astronomy at The Open University......Page 64
4.1. Practical work in astronomy at-a-distance: how much can be achieved?......Page 67
5. Expansion of distance education and the use of self study materials on campus......Page 69
REFERENCES......Page 70
1. The development of distance education in South Africa: historical background and the University of South Africa......Page 71
2. The astronomy curriculum......Page 72
3. The Unisa Observatory......Page 73
4.2. Students on Line......Page 75
2.3. Who is the course designed for ?......Page 77
2.4. Which scientific content?......Page 78
2.6.1. Assignments......Page 79
3. Registrations and exam results.......Page 80
4.3. Who are the students?......Page 81
4.4. What is the overall assessment of the students?......Page 82
5. CONCLUSION......Page 83
Use of the World Wide Web in astronomy teaching......Page 85
1.2. Strategic Partnerships......Page 91
2.1. Example 1: Hubble Space Telescope Integrated Releases......Page 92
2.2. Example 2: Remote Sensing Public Access Center (RSPAC)......Page 93
2.3. Example 3: The Science Information Infrastructure (SII)......Page 94
2.4. Summary......Page 95
1. The Dilemma of the Introductory Astronomy Laboratory......Page 96
2. The Origins of Project CLEA......Page 97
3. Description of the CLEA Exercises......Page 98
4. Prospects for Future Development......Page 102
Acknowledgements......Page 103
REFERENCES......Page 104
Project LINK: A Live and Interactive Network of Knowledge......Page 105
Computer as a tool in astronomy teaching......Page 106
2. UK Mathematics Courseware Consortium......Page 110
4. Computer Aided Virtual Experiments (CAVEs)......Page 111
5. Flexible Study Modes......Page 112
6. Evaluation: First Aid or Lemonade ?......Page 113
7. Further Developments......Page 114
REFERENCES......Page 115
2. S103: Discovering Science......Page 117
3. Course Components......Page 118
5. A Virtual Telescope......Page 119
5.2. Spectrometer......Page 120
5.4. Results......Page 121
6. Conclusions......Page 122
2.1. Planetary models from Ole Romer.......Page 123
3. Cyberspace and virtual reality in a digitized culture.......Page 124
SECTION THREE The Student Learning Process......Page 126
What to Cover and When......Page 127
2. Previous Studies......Page 128
4. Results from the questionnaire......Page 129
5. Conceptions of our Solar System......Page 131
6- Further study......Page 133
REFERENCES......Page 134
1.2. Media Minimalism......Page 135
1.6. Erroneous Personal Cosmology......Page 136
1.10. Inaccurate or Incomplete Observation......Page 137
1.12.3. Permanence......Page 138
2.3. Teach students the origins of misconceptions......Page 139
REFERENCES......Page 140
3. Introduction to the Survey......Page 141
5. Discussion......Page 143
REFERENCES......Page 144
2. The Bradford Robot Telescope......Page 145
3. The Use of the Telescope for Education......Page 147
4. The Future Plans......Page 148
REFERENCES......Page 149
2. Research Methods......Page 150
2.1. Children\'s Initial Conceptions of the Sun......Page 151
2.1.2. Activities designed to interact with conceptions, encourage their evolution and avoid certain teaching obstacles......Page 152
3. Training courses for teachers......Page 153
3.1. Primary and fundamental elements......Page 154
REFERENCES......Page 155
2. Results of the Survey......Page 156
2.3. Phases of the Moon......Page 157
2.4. The Seasons......Page 158
REFERENCES......Page 163
2. The Croatian Experience......Page 164
REFERENCES......Page 166
2. Why the JPR System is a Challenging one?......Page 167
REFERENCES......Page 168
SECTION FOUR Planetarium Education and Training......Page 169
The Current Role of Planetariums in Astronomy Education......Page 170
4. Geocentric Corrections......Page 174
6. History of Nautical Astronomy......Page 175
7. Conclusion......Page 176
REFERENCES......Page 177
3. Public Education......Page 178
5. Undergraduate Projects......Page 179
7. Conclusion......Page 180
The Planetarium-a place to learn......Page 182
2. Background......Page 185
3. Th e 1991 national curriculum......Page 186
3.2. Teaching the curriculum......Page 188
5. A-level Astronomy......Page 190
References......Page 191
SECTION FIVE Public Education in Astronomy......Page 192
3. The Professional\'s Apprehension About Public Education......Page 193
5. How to Make Contact......Page 194
6. Strategies for Implementation......Page 195
7. Final Remarks......Page 196
2. Science Centres......Page 197
2.2. The Travelling Museum......Page 198
2.8. Shops......Page 199
3.2. Starting a Science Center......Page 200
REFERENCES......Page 201
2. The Star Centre in Context......Page 202
3.2. Star Nights......Page 203
3.6. Stardome......Page 204
4. Usage of the Centre......Page 205
5.1. Schools......Page 206
6. Summary......Page 207
2. The Process......Page 208
4. References......Page 213
2. The General Directive of the Campaign......Page 214
3. The Communication Campaign in Parana State......Page 215
4. Results......Page 217
REFERENCES......Page 218
Solar Eclipses and Public Education......Page 219
REFERENCES......Page 221
1. What Is An Amateur Astronomer?......Page 222
3. The Contributions of Amateur Astronomers to Astronomical Research......Page 223
5. Amateur Astronomers And Public Education......Page 224
6. Amateur Astronomers and Formal Education......Page 225
10. Summary......Page 226
REFERENCES......Page 227
2. New recommendations of governmental consulting committee for education......Page 228
3. Proposed change for science course.......Page 229
4. Conclusion.......Page 230
2. The Visitor Center......Page 231
3. Carter Observatory Publications......Page 232
4. Other Public Program Initiatives......Page 234
REFERENCES......Page 235
2. Secondary school......Page 237
4. Public education......Page 239
REFERENCES......Page 240
2.1. Open Nights......Page 241
2.2. Camp-ins for Children......Page 242
3.1. Light pollution......Page 243
3.2. Telescopes......Page 244
4.2. By the Light of the Southern Stars: Planned for 1997......Page 245
REFERENCES......Page 246
1. Introduction......Page 247
2.2. Programs for K-12 Students and Teachers......Page 248
3. Conclusion......Page 251
Literature for Amateur Astronomers......Page 252
1. The Astronomy Option......Page 254
5. Faster, Cheaper, Better......Page 255
7. Education for Space......Page 256
REFERENCES......Page 257
SECTION SIX Teaching Astronomy in the Schools......Page 258
1.1. Geographical disparity......Page 259
3.1. The goals......Page 260
3.2. Steering Committees......Page 261
3.4. Computer Nodes......Page 262
4.9. Newspaper......Page 263
6. Follow-Up Activities......Page 264
REFERENCES......Page 265
2. Background — The Astronomical Society of the Pacific......Page 266
5. Selection and Matching Process......Page 267
8. Implementation......Page 268
9. Results......Page 269
12. National Expansion......Page 270
Acknowledgments......Page 271
REFERENCES......Page 272
1.2. The Training of Teachers......Page 273
2. Present European situation......Page 274
3. Examples of Activities Developed in Europe......Page 275
APPENDIX 1: THE POINT OF VIEW OF A FRENCH MATHEMATICS  SCHOOL TEACHER (Josee Sert)......Page 276
New Trends in Astronomy Teaching......Page 278
REFERENCES......Page 283
2. Schools Program......Page 284
2.2. The Resource Centre......Page 285
3.3. Astro-camp Booklets......Page 286
3.4. Training......Page 287
REFERENCES......Page 288
1. Recent history of science education reform in the USA......Page 290
3. Why does it appear that astronomy has been overlooked in the NRC document?......Page 291
REFERENCES......Page 292
2. Synthetic Description of the Project......Page 294
3. State of Evolution of Plaza Del Cielo Complex......Page 297
CREDITS OF PLAZA DEL CIELO COMPLEX......Page 298
1. A brief survey about the teaching of astronomy in France at Primary and Secondary School level......Page 300
2. What is the common ground between Primary and Secondary Schools......Page 301
2. Relative Motions.......Page 303
3. Properties of Light......Page 305
4. Aspects of Curricula and Publications.......Page 306
REFERENCES......Page 308
2.1. Orientation: Celestial Sphere......Page 309
2.4. Refracting Telescopes......Page 310
4. Basic Skills......Page 311
REFERENCES......Page 312
3. Variation in solar time......Page 313
4. Procedure for the classroom......Page 314
A Program Incorporating Physics, Astronomy and Environment......Page 319
REFERENCES......Page 322
2.1. Materials For Each Student......Page 323
2.4. Analysis......Page 325
4. Summary......Page 327
5. Appendix......Page 328
2. The Importance of Developing Collaborative Efforts in Astronomy Education......Page 329
4.1. Satellite Mission Class for Teachers......Page 330
4.3. Science Information Infrastructure (SII) Project......Page 331
7. Results and Conclusions......Page 332
REFERENCES......Page 333
2. The curriculum......Page 334
4. Different forms of knowledge checking......Page 335
5. Conclusion......Page 336
1.1. Astrophysics within A-level physics......Page 337
1.3. The TRUMP Astrophysics project......Page 338
2.2. Student activities in the TRUMP resource package......Page 339
2.2.1. Broadband spectra......Page 340
2.2.3. HR diagrams......Page 341
REFERENCES......Page 342
1. Introduction......Page 343
2. The Project......Page 344
4. Testing and Evaluation......Page 345
6. Curriculum Product: The Life in the Universe Series......Page 346
8. Conclusion......Page 347
REFERENCES......Page 348
The Astronomy Village: Investigating the Universe......Page 349
SECTION SEVEN Posters......Page 356
Poster Review......Page 357
SECTION EIGHT Final Address......Page 360
1. Astronomy and Young People......Page 361
2. Public Perceptions of Science Generally......Page 362
3. The Media......Page 363
5. A Sociological Note......Page 365
6. Conclusion......Page 366
Authors......Page 367