Strengthening Undergraduate Education through Research in Radio Astronomy

（11）教育与科研相结合是国家提高理工科大学生教育水平的重要目标，本项目通过射电天文学为实现这一目标做出了贡献。射电天文学是一个多学科领域，它结合了物理学和工程学，并提供了令人兴奋的物理和化学概念的实际应用，以解释我们银河系中射电发射的观测。这个项目利用了麻省理工学院干草堆天文台的仪器资源，其中包括一个世界级的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。本科生利用干草堆天文台的资源成功地开展和测试了试点项目，展示了利用射电天文学进行探究式观测体验的教育效益。信息技术的进步使该项目能够为所有层次的本科生提供这些资源，从非科学专业到对具有挑战性的独立研究项目感兴趣的高级物理科学专业。该项目也适用于大学预科学生。该项目正在帮助大学教师使用37米望远镜，并在教室和实验室练习以及特殊研究项目中使用它。每年为这项工作分配了多达2000个望远镜小时。此外，该项目还为小型射电望远镜的建造提供设计细节和支持，作为实际工程项目，并作为射电天文学技术和科学的介绍。目前正在编制供各级本科教育使用的项目和教学材料，并正在通过万维网传播。

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.