Abstract
The power of robotic telescopes to transform science education has been voiced by multiple sources, since the 1980s. Since then, much technical progress has been made in robotic telescope provision to end users via a variety of different approaches. The educational transformation hoped for by the provision of this technology has, so far, yet to be achieved on a scale matching the technical advancements. In this paper, the history, definition, role and rationale of optical robotic telescopes with a focus on their use in education is provided. The current telescope access providers and educational projects and their broad uses in traditional schooling, undergraduate and outreach are then outlined. From this background, the current challenges to the field, which are numerous, are then presented. This review is concluded with a series of recommendations for current and future projects that are apparent and have emerged from the literature.
Highlights
Observations are the fundamental measurements of astronomy as a science
For most of human history, astronomical observations beyond that which can be seen with the naked eye or with small telescopes or binoculars have been inaccessible except to those involved with scientific research or the relatively few who have the large resources required to run a personal observatory
We have provided the first systematic overview of the role of optical robotic telescopes in education
Summary
Observations are the fundamental measurements of astronomy as a science. These are matched to data and theories produced by laboratory astrophysicists and other physical scientists to test provable predictions. From a keen astronomers’ perspective, this increasingly better access to higher quality data from better telescopes could in itself seem to be a boon for education. To those outside of the field, expenditure on such access, especially when sourced from public funds, needs to be provided with a motivation. We endeavour to provide a relatively concise description of the history of the field and current state of the field and a discussion of the important issues that need to be addressed for the future
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