Strengthening Undergraduate Education through Research in Radio Astronomy

天文学(11)将教育和研究联系起来是改进科学、数学、工程和技术本科生教育的一项重要国家目标，该项目有助于通过射电天文学实现这一目标。射电天文学是一个多学科领域，它结合了物理学和工程学，在解释我们银河系的射电辐射观测中提供了令人兴奋的物理和化学概念的实际应用。该计划利用麻省理工学院干草堆天文台的仪器资源，包括一个世界级的37米射电望远镜，一个小型射电望远镜套件，以及一套基于网络的教学材料。由本科生利用干草堆天文台资源进行并成功测试的试点项目，已经证明了利用射电天文学进行基于探究的观测体验的教育益处。信息技术的进步使该项目能够向所有级别的本科生提供这些资源，从非理科专业的本科生到对挑战独立研究项目感兴趣的高级物理科学专业的本科生。这项计划也适用于大学预科学生。该项目正在帮助大学的教职员工使用这台37米长的望远镜，并在他们的教室和实验室练习中使用它，以及进行特殊的研究项目。每年分配给这项工作的望远镜小时数高达2000小时。此外，该项目正在为建造小型射电望远镜提供设计细节和支助，作为实际工程项目，并作为射电天文技术和科学的入门。还在制定供各级本科教育使用的项目和教材，并通过万维网进行传播。

Astronomy (11) Linking education and research is an important national goal for the improvement of undergraduate student education in science, mathematics, engineering and technology, and this project contributes to the implementation of that goal through radio astronomy. Radio astronomy is a multidisciplinary field that combines physics with engineering, and offers exciting practical applications of concepts in physics and chemistry in the interpretation of observations of radio emission in our galaxy. This program utilizes the instrumentation resources of the MIT Haystack Observatory, which include a world-class 37-m radio telescope, a small radio telescope kit, and a web-based set of instructional materials.Pilot projects, conducted and tested successfully by undergraduates using the Haystack Observatory resources, have demonstrated the educational benefits of inquiry-based, observational experiences using radio astronomy. Advances in information technology have allowed the project to offer these resources to undergraduates at all levels from non-science majors to senior physical science majors interested in challenging independent research projects. This program is also being applied to pre-college students. The project is assisting faculty at colleges to access the 37-m telescope, and use it in their classrooms and laboratory exercises as well as for special research projects. Up to 2000 telescope hours are being allocated annually to this effort. In addition, the project is providing design details and support for the construction of small radio telescopes as hands-on engineering projects, and as an introduction to radio astronomy techniques and science. Also being develop are projects and instructional materials for use at all levels of undergraduate education, and which are being disseminate through the world wide web.