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December 2011

Volume 10, Issue 1, Articles (01xxxx)

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Astrology Beliefs among Undergraduate Students

Hannah Sugarman, Chris Impey, Sanlyn Buxner, and Jessie Antonellis

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010101, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2010040 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: 14 April 2011

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A survey of the science knowledge and attitudes toward science of nearly 10000 undergraduates at a large public university over a 20-year period included several questions addressing student beliefs in astrology and other forms of pseudoscience. The results from our data reveal that a large majority of students (78%) considered astrology “very” or “sort of” scientific. Only 52% of science majors said that astrology is “not at all” scientific. We find that students’ science literacy, as defined by the National Science Foundation in its surveys of the general public, does not strongly correlate with an understanding that astrology is pseudoscientific, and therefore belief in astrology is likely not a valid indicator of scientific illiteracy.
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01.40.-d Education
01.90.+g Other topics of general interest (restricted to new topics in section 01)
95.90.+v Historical astronomy and archaeoastronomy; and other topics in fundamental astronomy and astrophysics; instrumentation, techniques, and astronomical observations

An Analysis of Papers on Astronomy Education in Proceedings of IAU Meetings from 1988 to 2006

Paulo Sergio Bretones and Jorge Megid Neto

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010102, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2010010

Online Publication Date: 18 April 2011

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The authors analyzed 283 papers dealing with astronomy education published in the IAU proceedings from 1988 to 2006. The analysis was conducted to determine both the characteristics and trends of published research studies in order to determine whether researchers should consider taking new directions. The authors conclude that educational research requires deeper treatments dealing with epistemological questions, as well as teaching and learning processes. The authors hope that this analysis will stimulate the development of scientific investigations more appropriate to the needs of astronomy education.
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01.40.-d Education

Learning about Seasons: A Guide for Teachers and Curriculum Developers

Cary Sneider, Varda Bar, and Claudine Kavanagh

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010103, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2010035

Online Publication Date: 19 April 2011

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The video A Private Universe evokes surprise and dismay among educators and scientists by demonstrating that even the brightest students fail to grasp a seemingly simple and fundamental concept—the reason for seasons. This literature review describes the findings of 41 studies that collectively illustrate why the concept proves difficult to learn, what is lacking in the standard sequence of astronomy education, and what promising methods might be brought to bear. Helping students understand the seasons at a deep level can provide a storyline that cuts across different domains of science, touching on global climate zones, the behavior of light, and connecting the model of Earth as a planet in space with observations that students can make on their own. We include a learning progression, intended to guide the development of instructional materials and assessments as well as questions for further research.
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95.00.00 Fundamental astronomy and astrophysics; instrumentation, techniques, and astronomical observations

Diagrammatic Representational Constraints of Spatial Scale in Earth–Moon System Astronomy Instruction

Roger S. Taylor and Erika D. Grundstrom

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010104, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2009075

Online Publication Date: 28 September 2011

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Given that astronomy heavily relies on visual representations it is especially likely for individuals to assume that instructional materials, such as visual representations of the Earth–Moon system (EMS), would be relatively accurate. However, in our research, we found that images in middle-school textbooks and educational webpages were commonly inaccurate in both: (a) the relative size of the Earth and Moon and (b) the relative distance between the Earth and Moon. More specifically, the students’ estimates, textbook images, and web images of the relative size of the Moon were too large, and of the relative distance were too small. We discuss these findings and provide recommendations to science educators.
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01.50.F- Audio and visual aids
96.20.-n Moon
95.10.-a Fundamental astronomy

Invisible Misconceptions: Student Understanding of Ultraviolet and Infrared Radiation

Julie C. Libarkin, Anila Asghar, C. Crockett, and Philip Sadler

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010105, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2011022

Online Publication Date: 18 November 2011

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The importance of nonvisible wavelengths for the study of astronomy suggests that student understanding of nonvisible light is an important consideration in astronomy classrooms. Questionnaires, interviews, and panel discussions were used to investigate 6–12 student and teacher conceptions of ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR). Alternative conceptions about the characteristics and human sensual perception of visible light, UV and IR, were observed in many students and in a subset of teachers. Instruction involving electromagnetic radiation should first address preexisting alternative conceptions, and conceptual questionnaires such as the one used here can help teachers to identify student ideas prior to instruction.
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01.50.-i Educational aids

A Study of General Education Astronomy Students’ Understandings of Cosmology. Part I. Development and Validation of Four Conceptual Cosmology Surveys

Colin S. Wallace, Edward E. Prather, and Douglas K. Duncan

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010106, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2011029

Online Publication Date: 15 December 2011

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This is the first in a series of five articles describing a national study of general education astronomy students’ conceptual and reasoning difficulties with cosmology. In this paper, we describe the process by which we designed four new surveys to assess general education astronomy students’ conceptual cosmology knowledge. These surveys focused on the expansion and evolution of the universe, the Big Bang, and the evidence for dark matter in spiral galaxies. We also present qualitative evidence for the validity of these surveys.
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01.40.-d Education
98.80.-k Cosmology
26.35.+c Big Bang nucleosynthesis
95.35.+d Dark matter (stellar, interstellar, galactic, and cosmological)

A Study of General Education Astronomy Students’ Understandings of Cosmology. Part II. Evaluating Four Conceptual Cosmology Surveys: A Classical Test Theory Approach

Colin S. Wallace, Edward E. Prather, and Douglas K. Duncan

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010107, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2011030 | Cited 3 times

Online Publication Date: 15 December 2011

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This is the second of five papers detailing our national study of general education astronomy students’ conceptual and reasoning difficulties with cosmology. This article begins our quantitative investigation of the data. We describe how we scored students’ responses to four conceptual cosmology surveys, and we present evidence for the inter-rater reliability of those scores. We devote the bulk of this article to a classical test theory analysis of the data. We calculate difficulties and discriminations for each item, and we compute Cronbach’s α as a measure of the reliability of the surveys. We also discuss the implications this analysis has for the validity of the surveys.
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01.50.Kw Techniques of testing
01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies

Using Smartphone Camera Technology to Explore Stellar Parallax: Method, Results, and Reactions

Michael T. Fitzgerald, David H. McKinnon, Lena Danaia, and Sandra Woodward

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010108, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2011028

Online Publication Date: 22 December 2011

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The use of a smartphone, with both still and video capabilities, to develop the concepts surrounding stellar parallax is described. The hands-on activities generate useful discussion amongst high school students. Reactions of both students and teachers are presented.
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01.40.ek Secondary school
01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies
01.50.Qb Laboratory course design, organization, and evaluation
01.40.-d Education
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Eratosthenes 2009/2010: An Old Experiment in Modern Times

Victoria Bekeris, Flavia Bonomo, Edgardo Bonzi, Beatriz García, Guillermo Mattei, Diego Mazzitelli, Silvina Ponce Dawson, Constanza Sánchez Fernández de la Vega, and Francisco Tamarit

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010201, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2011007 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: 02 June 2011

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We describe the projects “Eratosthenes 2009” and “Eratosthenes 2010 America,” carried out during the International Year of Astronomy (2009) in Argentina and with almost all the countries in North and South America during 2010. More than 15 000 students at more than 200 schools each year determined the radius of the Earth using the method that Eratosthenes employed more than 2000 years ago. The result obtained was 6290 km in 2009 and 6375 km in 2010, in good agreement with tabulated values of 6371 km [McCarthy and Petit, 2004, “IERS Conventions (2003),” IERS Technical Note No. 32, Frankfurt: Bundesamts für Kartographie und Geodäsie]. These projects involve history, mathematics, and astronomy to create an exciting activity with accurate scientific results.
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01.50.Pa Laboratory experiments and apparatus
01.65.+g History of science

The Effect of Animations Within PowerPoint Presentations on Learning Introductory Astronomy

Scott T. Miller and C. Renee James

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010202, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2010041

Online Publication Date: 15 July 2011

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We present results of a two-semester study to determine whether the inclusion of basic animation techniques in PowerPoint presentations provides an additional learning aid, inhibits learning, or has no effect on student learning for students in an introductory astronomy course. We found that (1) students perceive that animated slides are substantially more effective; (2) student understanding as measured via in-class exams is largely unaffected by the use of animated slides, but that end-of-semester diagnostic surveys may indicate that animated presentations aid in long-term retention of the material; and (3) the animation of illustrations may provide a greater impact on learning than simply the animation of text.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
01.40.Di Course design and evaluation

The Lunar Phases Project: A Mental Model-Based Observational Project for Undergraduate Nonscience Majors

Angela Osterman Meyer, Manuel J. Mon, and Susan T. Hibbard

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010203, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2011015

Online Publication Date: 05 December 2011

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We present our Lunar Phases Project, an ongoing effort utilizing students’ actual observations within a mental model building framework to improve student understanding of the causes and process of the lunar phases. We implement this project with a sample of undergraduate, nonscience major students enrolled in a midsized public university located in the southeast part of the United States. To quantitatively assess our activity, we use the Lunar Phases Concept Inventory, a research-validated assessment instrument. We observe significant gains in student understanding of the lunar phases for students who complete the Lunar Phases Project.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
96.20.-n Moon
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Good Reading from Other Sources on Astronomy Education and Outreach (Published in 2010)

Andrew Fraknoi

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010301, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2011013

Online Publication Date: 06 May 2011

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We present our sixth annotated listing of readings about astronomy education and outreach that appeared during the previous calendar year in publications other than Astronomy Education Review. To keep things manageable, we only cover readings directly related to astronomy (even though there are many articles about physics, geology, or chemistry education that could easily be applied to astronomy classrooms.) Only contributions that are in published journals and magazines (as opposed to newsletters or web bulletins) are listed. Suggestions for additions to the list are most welcome.
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01.30.-y Physics literature and publications
95.90.+v Historical astronomy and archaeoastronomy; and other topics in fundamental astronomy and astrophysics; instrumentation, techniques, and astronomical observations

Astronomy Apps for Mobile Devices, A First Catalog

Andrew Fraknoi

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010302, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2011036 | Cited 1 time

Online Publication Date: 21 December 2011

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The explosion in mobile apps in the last few years has meant that many new astronomy applications have become available. This catalog is a first attempt to make a list of those of particular interest to astronomy educators. For each mobile app, we give the title, then the developer (in parentheses), the web address for downloading it, and a brief description. Please note that we do not list the devices (or operating systems) each app is available for, since this is changing very fast as developers catch up with the increasing popularity of a variety of smart phones and tablets. At the end, you can find a selection of astronomy app reviews, to help you distinguish among apps that have similar purposes—although the number of apps is fast outpacing the ability of reviewers to keep up. Suggestions and additions for this catalog are most welcome.
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01.50.-i Educational aids
01.50.H- Computers in education
96.00.00 Solar system; planetology
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Seven Concepts for Effective Teaching

Andrew Fraknoi

2011, AER, 10 (1), 010401, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2011008

Online Publication Date: 14 April 2011

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This essay is addressed to astronomers and astronomy students who will go into a school, college, or other educational setting and want to think more deeply about what happens in the learning process. These are seven key ideas for improving our teaching that those of us working in science education at all levels have found especially useful. These concepts are not original with me but are mostly borrowed from great teachers, educational researchers, and astronomy education pundits. Over the years, I have collected and refined such ideas and thought AER readers might enjoy thinking about them, too. The good news from research into effective astronomy teaching is that we do know how to teach well; but like everything worthwhile, it takes some effort to get good at it.
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95.90.+v Historical astronomy and archaeoastronomy; and other topics in fundamental astronomy and astrophysics; instrumentation, techniques, and astronomical observations
01.40.gb Teaching methods and strategies
01.40.-d Education
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