Computer Science – Learning
Scientific paper
Jan 2009
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2009aas...21342906l&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #213, #429.06; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 41, p.261
Computer Science
Learning
Scientific paper
Computer simulations are valuable tools for the teaching and learning of introductory astronomy. They enable students to link together small pieces of information into mental models of complex physical systems that are far beyond their everyday experience. They can also be used to authentically test a student's conceptual understanding of a physical system by asking the student to make predictions regarding its behavior. Students receive formative feedback by testing their predictions in simulations.
Think-Pair-Share - the posing of conceptual questions to students and having them vote on the answer before and after discussion with their peers - can benefit considerably from the incorporation of simulations. Simulations can be used for delivering content that precedes Think-Pair-Share, as the prompt the questions is based upon, or as a feedback tool to illustrate the answer to a question.
These techniques are utilized in ClassAction - a collection of materials designed to enhance the metacognitive skills of Astro 101 students by promoting interactive engagement and providing rapid feedback. The main focus is dynamic conceptual questions largely based upon graphics that can be projected in the classroom. Many questions are available in a Flash computer database and instructors have the capability to recast these questions into alternate permutations based on their own preferences and student responses. Outlines, graphics, and simulations are included which instructors can use to provide feedback. This poster provides examples of simulation usage in Think-Pair-Share related to sky motions, lunar phases, and stellar properties. A multi-institutional classroom validation study of ClassAction is currently underway as a Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS) research project. All materials are publicly available at http://astro.unl.edu.
We would like to thank the NSF for funding under Grant Nos. 0404988 and 0715517, a CCLI Phase III Grant for the Collaboration of Astronomy Teaching Scholars (CATS) Program.
CATS
Lee Kevin M.
Prather Edward E.
Siedell C. M.
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