Adapt the paper-based stellar populations inquiry to large Astronomy 101 classes and test learning with and without the inquiry¶

Strategy · All strategies
Evidence · no claims cited

Description¶

Because all materials are printed on paper, the authors propose scaling the inquiry up and evaluating it. They write: "This inquiry could be easily modified to work in a large Astronomy 101 class, especially in a classroom that uses active teaching methods." They recommend testing students with and without the inquiry, testing long-term retention of information, and, since the main goal is process skills, testing development and retention of those skills as well.

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

• A classroom that uses active teaching methods
• Assessment instruments covering both content and process skills

Constraints¶

• The proposed large-classroom modification and testing had not been carried out at the time of writing

Target Learners¶

• students in large introductory Astronomy 101 classes

Target Learning Goals¶

• stellar populations content
• process skills
• long-term retention

Related Strategies¶

• Use a burning-fuel analogy thinking tool to bridge data trends to stellar lifetimes and mass-to-energy conversion
• Keep an extra unassigned spectrum (a red giant) in reserve to challenge students who finish early or reach an incorrect answer

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

• Rafelski, M., Foley, M., Graves, G. J., Kretke, K. A., Mills, E., Nassir, M., & Patel, S. (2010). Teaching Astronomy with an Inquiry Activity on Stellar Populations. ASP Conference Series. https://arxiv.org/abs/1009.5404. doi:10.48550/arxiv.1009.5404