Abstract

An increasing amount of formal and informal education is being delivered online. A majority of college students in the U.S. are now taking one or more courses online or flipped (video lectures online, hands-on activities or labs in the classroom). Meanwhile, massive open online classes, or MOOCs, are transforming the landscape of informal science learning. In contrast to university classes, MOOCs have low completion rates and involve “free choice” learners who are typically adults with jobs, rather than full time students. Based on several years of experience of teaching astronomy online, lessons have been learned on how to engage students in the asynchronous and “disembodied” environment. For non-science students taking an introductory astronomy course, flipped models optimize interactions by putting the lectures online and allowing classroom time to be used entirely for labs, discussion, and small group activities. Research has shown that normalized learning gains are greatest in such learner-centered classes. We have enrolled over 110,000 learners from 150 countries in two astronomy MOOCs: a Udemy course called “Astronomy: State of the Art” and a Coursera offering called “Astronomy: Exploring Time and Space.” The core content is a set of video lectures, augmented by quizzes, activities, and peer writing assignments. We have a large amount of research data on learner demographics and motivations, and on the types of engagement that correlate with completing the courses. In a peer writing assignment, the learners comment on recent discoveries in astronomy. A rubric and a model answer are provided, and each person grades writing of three other learners. Learners who complete either the first activity or the first peer writing assignment are highly engaged in online discussions and social media, completing the course at a rate ten times higher than average.

Highlights

  • An important context for teaching astronomy is the public understanding of science

  • The instrument contains a general measurement of science knowledge tethered in NSF surveys of the general public [2], in particular an open-ended response to the question “What does it mean to study something scientifically?” The instrument has a set of statements about science, technology, and society coded using a Likert scale that measures attitudes about scientific issues and levels of belief in pseudoscience (Figure 1)

  • Our analysis reveals little change in students’ basic science knowledge scores over twentyseven years

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Summary

Science literacy

An important context for teaching astronomy is the public understanding of science. In the United States, most of the 22 million college students who are not science majors have to take science as part of a breadth or General Education requirement. Students’ belief levels in pseudoscience and supernatural phenomena are high and appear to be resistant to the college instruction that every non-science major experiences. This is perhaps unsurprising given that most students’ contact to scientific information is on the Internet and takes place outside of class. The NSF surveys of the general public have reported data showing a long term increase in science literacy which has been attributed to college science requirements for non-science majors. Our research reveals a complex relation between knowledge and belief, leading to recommendations on how best to train students for informed participation in a civic society, where science and technology issues are prominent

Active learning
Online learning
Massive open online classes
Findings
A web site for education and outreach
Full Text
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