Project Intro Astro: Transforming Undergraduate Education in Introductory Astronomy

北卡罗来纳大学教堂山分校（UNC-CH）建造了PROMPT，它由智利Cerro Tololo美洲天文台的6个16英寸直径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。在与其他机构的合作下，Skynet已经使PROMPT成长为一个由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现代化UNC-CH的入门天文学课程，利用新的设施，特别是Skynet和PROMPT。该项目将努力扩展为北卡罗来纳大学和威克技术社区学院（WTCC）之间的联合项目。知识价值：UNC-CH-WTCC合作伙伴关系的目标有三个方面：(1)使UNC-CH已经改造的WTCC入门天文学课程的组成部分现代化，特别是其第一个入门天文学实验室课程，ASTR 101L，以及称为射电天文学教育研究（ERIRA）的独特实地考察经验，并为WTCC的天文学教师提供教授ASTR 101L的培训和工具；(2)共同努力完成北卡罗来纳大学第一门入门讲座课程ASTR 101向“翻转式”主动学习体验的转变，共同努力开发第二门入门天文学实验课程ASTR 102L，并在两所院校实施这些课程；(3)从三个方面评估新课程的有效性：(1)传统讲座/实验室vs.翻转讲座/基于天网的实验室，(2)研究型大学vs.社区学院，(3)校园vs.在线。该项目与北卡罗来纳大学- ch卓越教师中心和WTCC机构研究与规划办公室的专业评估人员合作，对新课程进行评估。他们正在衡量学生学习和参与程度的提高。此外，该项目正在跟踪从ASTR 101到ASTR102，从那里到ERIRA或ASTR102L，并在UNC-CH从那里到主修或辅修天体物理学的学生人数。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。目前的项目还在开发一个网站，全面描述和促进项目介绍天文学，其目标是让任何人都能够采取任何四门入门天文学课程，包括两个天网为基础的实验课程，要么(1)自定进度免费（即麻省理工学院的模式），或为他们的文本的成本，或(2)学分/转移学分通过北卡罗来纳大学- CH的星期五中心继续教育的卡罗莱纳在线课程（包括WTCC学生）。扩展后的网站也是正在开发的主动学习材料的存储库（包括访问一个新颖的、扩展的电子投票界面），供其他可能想要采用视频和材料来翻转自己教室的教育工作者使用。

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.