Systemic Reform in Introductory Astronomy: Meetings for Department Chairs

American Astronomical Society, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

Astronomy (11) The Education Office of the American Astronomical Society is conducting an ongoing program for stimulating systemic reform in a widely taught science course: introductory astronomy for non-science majors. This course serves a great number of undergraduates, including many future teachers, and has great potential for improving their science skills and influencing their understanding of and appreciation for science. However, as now taught, this course often fails to live up to its potential (see, e.g., Zeilik, 1999 or Tobias, 1992). This project partially supports two meeting of the chairs of astronomy departments to be held in widely separated geographic locations to make travel easier. In these meetings, chairs will (A) discuss issues pertaining to the teaching of these courses, (B) work with education experts, (C) identify common goals and valid measures of success, and (D) adopt formal resolutions, to be presented to the American Astronomical Society and to funding agencies, and then widely disseminated. The meetings form one part of a two-part initiative seeking reform of introductory astronomy courses nationwide. The second phase is a series of workshops for new faculty, which will address the training of new college faculty.