Project Intro Astro: Transforming Undergraduate Education in Introductory Astronomy

位于查佩尔山的北卡罗来纳州大学（UNC-CH）建造了PROMPT，它由智利Cerro Tololo美洲天文台的六台直径16英寸的全自动或机器人望远镜和Skynet -望远镜控制和基于网络的动态排队调度软件组成。 通过与其他机构的合作，Skynet使PROMPT发展成为一个由16台小型机器人光学望远镜组成的网络，目前遍布南美，北美和欧洲。 在过去三年中，PI和Skynet团队的成员一直在利用新设施，特别是Skynet和PROMPT，带头扩大UNC-CH的天文学入门课程并使其现代化。该项目将努力扩展到UNC-CH和Wake技术社区学院（WTCC）之间的联合计划。知识专长：UNC-CH-WTCC伙伴关系的目标有三个方面：（1）使UNC-CH已经改变的WTCC天文学入门课程的组成部分现代化，特别是其第一个天文学入门实验室课程ASTR 101 L和称为射电天文学教育研究的独特实地工作经验，并向WTCC的天文学教员提供教授ASTR 101 L的培训和工具;（2）共同努力，完成天文学中心的第一个入门讲座课程ASTR 101向“翻转式”主动学习经验的转变，共同努力开发第二个天文学实验室入门课程ASTR 102 L，并在两个机构实施这些课程;以及（3）评估新课程沿着三个方向的有效性：（1）传统讲座/实验室与翻转讲座/基于天网的实验室，（2）研究型大学与社区学院，（3）校园与在线。该项目正在与UNC-CH的教师卓越中心和WTCC的机构研究和规划办公室的专业评估人员合作，以评估新课程。他们正在衡量学生学习和参与的改善。此外，该项目还跟踪了从ASTR 101到ASTR 102，从那里到ERIRA或ASTR 102 L，以及从那里到UNC-CH的天体物理学专业或辅修专业的学生人数。更广泛的影响：PI正在将他的ASTR 101讲座上传到一个名为Project Intro Astro的YouTube频道。目前的项目还正在开发一个网站，充分描述和促进项目介绍天文学，其目标是任何人都能够采取任何四个介绍天文学课程，包括两个基于天网的实验室课程，要么（1）自定进度免费（即，麻省理工学院模式），或为他们的文本的成本，或（2）为信贷/转移信贷，通过美国- CH的星期五中心继续教育的卡罗莱纳课程在线（包括WTCC的学生）。扩展后的网站也是一个正在开发的主动学习材料的存储库（包括访问一个新的，扩展的电子投票界面），为其他教育工作者谁可能想要采用的视频和材料翻转自己的教室。

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) has built PROMPT, which consists of six 16-inch diameter fully automated, or robotic, telescopes at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, and Skynet -- telescope control and web-based, dynamic queue scheduling software. In partnership with other institutions, Skynet has enabled PROMPT to grow into a network of 16 small, robotic optical telescopes currently spanning South America, North America, and Europe. Over the past three years, the PI and members of the Skynet team have been spearheading an expansion and modernization of UNC-CH's introductory astronomy curriculum, capitalizing on new facilities, and on Skynet and PROMPT in particular. This project expands the effort into a joint program between UNC-CH and Wake Technical Community College (WTCC). INTELLECTUAL MERIT: The goals of the UNC-CH-WTCC partnership are three-fold: (1) To modernize those components of WTCC's introductory astronomy curriculum that UNC-CH has already transformed, specifically its first introductory astronomy laboratory course, ASTR 101L, and a unique fieldwork experience called Education Research in Radio Astronomy (ERIRA), and to provide WTCC's astronomy faculty with the training and the tools to teach ASTR 101L; (2) To work together to complete the transformation of UNC- CH's first introductory lecture course, ASTR 101, to a "flipped," active-learning experience, to work together to develop a second introductory astronomy laboratory course, ASTR 102L, and to implement these courses at both institutions; and (3) To assess the effectiveness of the new curriculum along three axes: (1) traditional lectures/labs vs. flipped lectures/Skynet-based labs, (2) research university vs. community college, and (3) on campus vs. online. The project is partnering with the professional evaluators at UNC-CH's Center for Faculty Excellence and WTCC's Institutional Research and Planning office to evaluate the new curriculum. They are measuring improvement in student learning and engagement. Additionally, the project is tracking the number of students who progress from ASTR 101 to ASTR 102, from there to ERIRA or ASTR102L, and at UNC-CH from there to a major or minor in astrophysics. BROADER IMPACTS: The PI is uploading his ASTR 101 lectures to a YouTube channel called Project Intro Astro. The current project is also developing a website that fully describes and facilitates Project Intro Astro, the goal of which is for anyone to be able to take any of four introductory astronomy courses, including two Skynet-based laboratory courses, either (1) self-paced for free (i.e., the MIT model), or for the cost of their text, or (2) for credit/transfer credit though UNC- CH's Friday Center for Continuing Education's Carolina Courses Online (including WTCC students). The expanded website is also a repository for the active learning materials that are being developed (including access to a novel, and expanded, e-polling interface), for other educators who might want to adopt the videos and materials to flip their own classrooms.