Computer Science – Learning
Scientific paper
Jan 2010
adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2010aas...21544503g&link_type=abstract
American Astronomical Society, AAS Meeting #215, #445.03; Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, Vol. 42, p.410
Computer Science
Learning
Scientific paper
It is our conjecture that images of "the telescope” have become so ubiquitous in our culture that the majority of the general populace will exhibit the cognitive phenomenon known as "illusion of explanatory depth.” Our research builds upon the work by Keil and Wilson (2000) who demonstrated that individuals regularly over-estimate their understanding of common physical artifacts, such as how a toaster or car engine works.
We have embarked on an exploratory project measuring the general public's perception of telescopes - of both their form and function. Participants in several astronomy outreach events were asked to produce accurate technical drawings of a telescope, such as "one that a scientist might make.” Some individuals were also asked to trace how light would traverse through the telescope in the diagram they produced. Entire families often attended these events, which allowed us to sample individuals across a wide age range.
We identified several interesting patterns during the initial phase of this project, two of which we'll briefly discuss here. First, the vast majority of participants, regardless of age, chose to draw refracting telescopes situated on a tripod. This provides us with a baseline measure or "prototypical exemplar” of what members of the public envision when they encounter stories about astronomy.
Second, tracing the pathway of light traveling through a telescope was surprisingly difficult. A task analysis of the problem revealed several features that make this aspect of astronomy education particularly challenging. We are currently testing alternative instructional intervention to help overcome this obstacle.
This work is supported in part by grants from the Vanderbilt University Learning Sciences Institute (LSI) and the Institute of Educational Sciences (IES).
Grundstrom Erika
Taylor Stephen R.
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