Effect of Night Laboratories on Learning Objectives for a Nonmajor Astronomy Class

Jacobi, Ian C.; Newberg, Heidi Jo; Broder, Darren; Finn, Rose A.; Milano, Anthony J.; Newberg, Lee A.; Weatherwax, Allan T.; Whittet, Douglas C. B.

doi:doi:10.3847/AER2008021

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Astronomy Education Review / Volume 7 / Issue 2 / RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS

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2008, AER, 7 (2), 66, doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2008021

Effect of Night Laboratories on Learning Objectives for a Nonmajor Astronomy Class

Published 16 December 2008

Ian C. Jacobi, Heidi Jo Newberg, Anthony J. Milano, and Douglas C. B. Whittet

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Darren Broder, Rose A. Finn, and Allan T. Weatherwax

Siena College

Lee A. Newberg

Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and Wadsworth Center, New York State

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Abstract

References (6)

Citing Articles (1)

Related Content

We tested the effectiveness of hands-on nighttime laboratories that challenged student misconceptions, using a new assessment exam to measure learning in a nonmajor introductory astronomy class at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. We were able to increase learning at the 8.0 sigma level on one of the Moon phase objectives that was addressed in a cloudy night activity. There is weak evidence of some improvement on a broader range of learning objectives. We show evidence that the overall achievement levels of the four sections of the class are correlated with how much clear weather the sections had for observing even though the learning objectives were addressed primarily in activities that did not require clear skies. We describe our first attempt to cycle the students through different activity stations in an effort to handle 18 students at a time in the laboratories, and the lessons we learned from this.

KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

Assessment, General (applies to all topics), Hands-on activities, Research into teaching∕learning

PACS

01.40.G-

Curricula and evaluation
01.40.-d

Education
01.50.Pa

Laboratory experiments and apparatus
01.40.Fk

Research in physics education

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

1539-1515 (online)

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef

Ian C. Jacobi. Copyright assigned to the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy, Inc.

ARTICLE DATA

History

Received 05 August 2008
Published online 16 December 2008

Digital Object Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.3847/AER2008021

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References

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Hemenway, M. K., Straits, W. J., Wilke, R. R., & Hufnagel, B. 2002, “Educational Research in an Introductory Astronomy Course,” Innovative Higher Education, 26(4), 271.
McCrady, N., & Rice, E. 2008, “Development and Implementation of a Lab Course for Introductory Astronomy,” Astronomy Education Review, 7(1), 13AERSCZ000007000001000013000001.
Slater, T. 2008, “The First Big Wave of Astronomy Education Research Dissertations and Some Directions for Future Research Efforts,” Astronomy Education Review, 7(1), 1AERSCZ000007000001000001000001.
Straits, W. J., & Wilke, R. R. 2003, “Activities-Based Astronomy: An Evaluation of an Instructor's First Attempt and Its Impact on Student Characteristics,” Astronomy Education Review, 2(1), 46AERSCZ000002000001000046000001.