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July 2009 |
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Teaching Introductory Astronomy to Non-Science Undergraduate Students
The introductory astronomy course for non-science students is the "bread and butter" course for most university astronomy groups in North America. Much is known about effective teaching and learning in such courses, but little of this information is actually implemented, in part because faculty and teaching assistants receive little or no training in teaching, either before or during their service. Here are a few things which are known, and a few references which provide further information.- Students form new concepts by building on old ones ('constructivism") their minds are not blank slates. If possible, find out what students know (or think they know) before you start teaching.
- In particular, students have a variety of deeply-rooted misconceptions about astronomical topics. Some are conceptual, and are based on even more deeply-rooted misconceptions about gravity, light etc. Students have special difficulties with three-dimensional concepts and with frame-of-reference topics, such as moon phases.
- Concepts must be introduced in logical order, and at the right stage of students' intellectual development. Most first-year students have very weak ability to analyze and synthesize, and to see relationships between different concepts.
- Most non-science students are not like us, in terms of their science and math interests, experiences, and abilities. In the words of the title of Sheila Tobias' book: "they're not dumb, they're different".
- Teachers at all levels overestimate what their students learn (as you will soon find when you give an exam).
- Inquiry-based teaching, including hands-on and minds-on activities, discussion of patterns, possible explanations, and predictions, are much more effective than simple rote learning through lectures and the textbook. And, believe it or not, inquiry-based teaching is possible, even in large lecture classes.
- Resist curriculum overload. Teaching more astronomy should wait on teaching it better.
- Expertise and experience in astronomy does not guarantee expertise in teaching it. Continuing professional development is essential for effective teaching, as it is for effective research.
- All teaching should be subject to research, evaluation, and improvement, again, just as it is in research.
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More links to teaching astronomy in Canada:
Canadian Astronomy
with files from J.R. Percy (2003),
University of Toronto
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