Project Intro Astro: Transforming Undergraduate Education in Introductory Astronomy

北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校(UNC-CH)已经建立了Prompt，它由智利Cerro Tololo泛美天文台的六个直径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队列调度软件组成。通过与其他机构的合作，天网已经使Prompt发展成为一个由16个小型机器人光学望远镜组成的网络，目前横跨南美、北美和欧洲。在过去的三年里，PI和天网团队的成员一直在带头扩大和更新北卡罗来纳大学-CH的天文学入门课程，利用新的设施，特别是在天网和Prompt上。该项目将这一努力扩展为北卡罗来纳大学和维克技术社区学院(WTCC)之间的联合计划。学术价值：UNC-CH-WTCC伙伴关系的目标有三个：(1)使WTCC天文学入门课程的那些组成部分现代化，特别是其第一门天文学入门实验室课程ASTR101L，以及称为射电天文学教育研究(ERIRA)的独特实地工作经验，并为WTCC的天文学教员提供教授ASTR101L的培训和工具；(2)共同努力完成北卡罗来纳大学-CH分校的第一门入门课程ASTR101向“翻转的”主动学习体验的转变，共同开发第二门天文学入门实验室课程ASTR102L，并在两所院校实施这些课程；以及(3)沿着三个轴线评估新课程的有效性：(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；以及(3)在校园与在线。该项目正在与北卡罗来纳州大学教师卓越中心和WTCC机构研究和规划办公室的专业评估员合作，对新课程进行评估。他们正在衡量学生学习和参与度的改善。此外，该项目正在跟踪从ASTR101到ASTR102，从那里到ERIRA或ASTR102L，以及从那里到天文物理学主修或辅修的北卡罗来纳大学的学生人数。更广泛的影响：PI正在将他的ASTR101讲座上传到YouTube频道，名为Project Intro Astro。目前的项目还在开发一个网站，全面描述和促进天文学项目，其目标是任何人都可以参加四门天文学入门课程中的任何一门，包括两门基于天网的实验室课程，或者(1)免费自定进度(即MIT模式)，或支付课本费用，或(2)通过北卡罗来纳大学周五继续教育中心的卡罗莱纳课程在线(包括WTCC学生)获得学分/转学学分。扩大后的网站也是正在开发的积极学习材料的储存库(包括访问一个新颖的和扩展的电子投票界面)，供其他教育工作者使用这些视频和材料来翻转他们自己的教室。

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.