Rebuilding the Astronomy Curriculum around Robotic Telescope Observations and Active Learning Exercises

这所大学正在修订其天文学课程。这些变化是由最近的物理教育研究结果，强调互动和动手的学习策略，以更好地服务于克雷顿和其他两个当地大学（大都会社区学院和内布拉斯加大学奥马哈分校），地区中学和大都市奥马哈社区的教育需求为指导。这些变化是通过购买、安装和操作一台能够进行远程观测的机器人望远镜实现的，该望远镜正在向当地和区域机构的学生和教职员工以及该区域的中学生提供。智力优点：利用这一设施，该项目正在将其他机构设计和成功使用的以观测为基础的练习纳入天文学入门课程，以便与远程望远镜一起使用。这些练习是为非科学的天文学入门学生设计的，但也可以很容易地用于高中和高中学生。修订的其他组成部分包括在天文学入门讲座中引入物理学和天文学教育研究战略，包括更多地使用教程和基于问题/研究的学习。一个单独的高级实验室部分正在提供感兴趣的天文学入门学生和新生谁可能正在考虑一个物理专业，以及一个上层司观测天文学课程的科学专业。两者都在实施基于项目的学习，重点是先进的观测天文学技术和仪器，包括图像，测光和使用机器人望远镜的光谱分析。目前正在进行一项全面评价，以衡量学习成果方面的进展情况和实现项目目标的总体成功情况。更广泛的影响：该项目使大约500名在Creighton注册天文学入门课程的学生受益，并使1000名在大都会社区学院和内布拉斯加大学奥马哈分校注册课程的学生受益。此外，该项目还为奥马哈大都会地区和内布拉斯加州的数千名中学生提供了基于项目的天文学学习机会。该项目在目前天文学教育和推广服务不足的地理区域具有广泛的影响力。

The university is revising its Astronomy curriculum. The changes are guided by recent physics education research findings that emphasize interactive and hands-on learning strategies in order to better serve the educational needs of Creighton and two other local universities (Metropolitan Community College and the University of Nebraska at Omaha), area middle and secondary schools, and the greater metropolitan Omaha community. The changes are made possible by the purchase, installation, and operation of a robotic telescope capable of remote observations that is being made available to students and faculty at local and regional institutions as well as middle and secondary students in the region. Intellectual merit: Using this facility, the project is adapting observationally-based exercises that have been designed and used successfully at other institutions for use with remote telescopes into the introductory astronomy curriculum. The exercises are designed for non-science, introductory astronomy students but can readily be used with high school and mid-high students. Other components of the revision involve the introduction of physics and astronomy education research strategies in the introductory astronomy lecture, including increased use of tutorials and problem/research based learning. A separate advanced lab section is being offered for interested introductory astronomy students and freshmen who may be considering a physics major, as well as an upper division observational astronomy course for science majors. Both are implementing project-based learning with emphasis on advanced observational astronomy techniques and instrumentation, including imagery, photometry, and spectral analysis using the robotic telescope. A comprehensive evaluation is being undertaken to gauge progress in learning outcomes and overall success in achieving project goals. Broader Impact: The project benefits approximately 500 students who enroll in introductory astronomy at Creighton, and 1000 students who enroll in courses offered at Metropolitan Community College and the University of Nebraska at Omaha. In addition, the project provides project-based learning opportunities in astronomy for thousands of middle/secondary students in the Omaha metro region and state of Nebraska. The project has a broad reach in a geographical area that is currently underserved in astronomy education and outreach.