Using Technology to Transform Teaching and Learning: Data-Driven Inquiry and Collaborative Learning in Introductory Astronomy

天文学（11）该项目扩展了数据驱动的交互式练习和模拟的开发，用于协作学习环境，几乎涵盖了天文学入门中的所有主题领域。其动机是：a)利用天文学自然吸引人的特点，通过将研究与课程相结合，将被动的讲座模式转变为强调科学过程和方法的主动学习系统，以此作为促进科学素养的工具；b)明确地创造一个协作学习环境，让学生团队解决问题和分析数据；c)为科学学习提供更有吸引力的界面，使其成为未来K-12科学教师的有效招聘工具。这些目标可以通过在Web浏览器环境中运行的基于真实天文数据集的健壮软件的开发来实现。该团队之前在这个项目上的工作已经产生了一些这样的学习工具。对这项工作的评估和评价表明，该方法是合理的。新的目标将通过进一步的软件开发和本地课程的beta测试来实现。这将涉及四个不同校区每年约700名学生。这项工作的总体目标是让学生通过参与科学的实际实践来接触科学方法，并培养他们出色的合作技能。这些成果将比传统的死记硬背教学大纲的教学模式更好地服务于学生。

Astronomy (11) This project expands development of data-driven interactive exercises andsimulations for use in a collaborative learning environment to cover virtually all topicareas in introductory Astronomy. The motivation is to a) use the naturally engagingcharacter of Astronomy as a vehicle to promote science literacy by integrating researchinto the curriculum to transform the passive lecture mode into an active learning systemthat emphasizes scientific process and methodology, b) explicitly create a collaborativelearning environment where student teams solve problems and analyze data and c) offer amore engaging interface to science learning so that it becomes an effective recruiting toolfor future K-12 science teachers. These goals can be accomplished by the development ofrobust software, based on real astronomical data sets, that runs in the Web browserenvironment. Previous work by the team on this project has already produced some of these learning tools.Assessment and evaluation of that effort shows that the methodology is sound.New objectives will be accomplished via further software development and beta-testingin local classes. This will involve approximately 700 studentsannually on four different campuses. The overall goals of this effort are for the studentsto be exposed to science methodology by engaging them in the actual practice of scienceand for them to develop excellent collaboration skills. These outcomes will serve thestudents far better than the traditional mode of rote memorization of syllabus-drivenmaterial that currently constitutes the pedagogy.