Project Intro Astro: Transforming Undergraduate Education in Introductory Astronomy

University Of North Carolina At Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill NC

Investigators

Abstract

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) has built PROMPT, which consists of six 16-inch diameter fully automated, or robotic, telescopes at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, and Skynet -- telescope control and web-based, dynamic queue scheduling software. In partnership with other institutions, Skynet has enabled PROMPT to grow into a network of 16 small, robotic optical telescopes currently spanning South America, North America, and Europe. Over the past three years, the PI and members of the Skynet team have been spearheading an expansion and modernization of UNC-CH's introductory astronomy curriculum, capitalizing on new facilities, and on Skynet and PROMPT in particular. This project expands the effort into a joint program between UNC-CH and Wake Technical Community College (WTCC). INTELLECTUAL MERIT: The goals of the UNC-CH-WTCC partnership are three-fold: (1) To modernize those components of WTCC's introductory astronomy curriculum that UNC-CH has already transformed, specifically its first introductory astronomy laboratory course, ASTR 101L, and a unique fieldwork experience called Education Research in Radio Astronomy (ERIRA), and to provide WTCC's astronomy faculty with the training and the tools to teach ASTR 101L; (2) To work together to complete the transformation of UNC- CH's first introductory lecture course, ASTR 101, to a "flipped," active-learning experience, to work together to develop a second introductory astronomy laboratory course, ASTR 102L, and to implement these courses at both institutions; and (3) To assess the effectiveness of the new curriculum along three axes: (1) traditional lectures/labs vs. flipped lectures/Skynet-based labs, (2) research university vs. community college, and (3) on campus vs. online. The project is partnering with the professional evaluators at UNC-CH's Center for Faculty Excellence and WTCC's Institutional Research and Planning office to evaluate the new curriculum. They are measuring improvement in student learning and engagement. Additionally, the project is tracking the number of students who progress from ASTR 101 to ASTR 102, from there to ERIRA or ASTR102L, and at UNC-CH from there to a major or minor in astrophysics. BROADER IMPACTS: The PI is uploading his ASTR 101 lectures to a YouTube channel called Project Intro Astro. The current project is also developing a website that fully describes and facilitates Project Intro Astro, the goal of which is for anyone to be able to take any of four introductory astronomy courses, including two Skynet-based laboratory courses, either (1) self-paced for free (i.e., the MIT model), or for the cost of their text, or (2) for credit/transfer credit though UNC- CH's Friday Center for Continuing Education's Carolina Courses Online (including WTCC students). The expanded website is also a repository for the active learning materials that are being developed (including access to a novel, and expanded, e-polling interface), for other educators who might want to adopt the videos and materials to flip their own classrooms.