Strengthening Undergraduate Education through Research in Radio Astronomy

（11）将教育与研究联系起来是改善科学、数学、工程和技术本科生教育的一个重要国家目标，本项目通过射电天文学为实现这一目标作出了贡献。射电天文学是一个多学科领域，将物理学与工程学相结合，并提供物理和化学概念在解释银河系射电发射观测中令人兴奋的实际应用。该计划利用麻省理工学院Haystack天文台的仪器资源，其中包括世界一流的37米射电望远镜，小型射电望远镜套件和一套基于网络的教学材料。试点项目，进行了成功的本科生使用Haystack天文台的资源测试，已经证明了基于调查的，使用射电天文学观测经验的教育效益。信息技术的进步使该项目能够为所有级别的本科生提供这些资源，从非科学专业到有兴趣挑战独立研究项目的高级物理科学专业。该方案也适用于大学预科学生。该项目正在协助大学教师使用37米望远镜，并将其用于课堂和实验室练习以及特殊研究项目。每年为这项工作分配多达2000个望远镜小时。此外，该项目还为建造小型射电望远镜提供设计细节和支助，作为实践工程项目，并作为射电天文学技术和科学的入门。还在制订供各级本科教育使用的项目和教学材料，并通过万维网传播。

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.