The impact of teaching computational astronomy on the development of students' computer skills

Afrodita L Boldea,S Deustua,K Eastwood,I.L Ten Kate

doi:10.1051/epjconf/201920002001

Abstract

Some blended methods of teaching-learning were successfully used in teaching the astronomy and astrometry of asteroids to students in Computer Sciences at the University of Craiova, using real astronomical data about celestial objects from our Solar System, obtained from the Astronomical Observatory Isaac Newton (La Palma, Spain). The students were asked to develop some small scripts in order to facilitate the detection and the analysis of data for new discovered asteroids, a request that improved their capacities to understand and apply various modern concepts of Computer Graphics, Data Base and Web design. This approach to learning brings new challenges for the students, new opportunities for the process of professional training in Computer Sciences and provided good result in very short term, the students acquiring very fast the necessary skills to approach both the professional level of Web programming and the modern research area of Computational Astronomy.

Highlights

Astronomy today is undoubtedly one of the sciences which has exceptional public interest, promoted and boosted by the popular science broadcasts and the latest discoveries in the field
It can be said that Astronomy has influenced the perception of humans and their environment for millennia and is an excellent example of the interaction between science, technology and culture, in all its historical and contemporary issues
Teaching Astronomy can contribute to the understanding of physical laws, both on the human scale and cosmic scale, but it offers a wealth of pedagogical examples of what the scientific approach means

Summary

Introduction

Astronomy today is undoubtedly one of the sciences which has exceptional public interest, promoted and boosted by the popular science broadcasts and the latest discoveries in the field. It can be said that Astronomy has influenced the perception of humans and their environment for millennia and is an excellent example of the interaction between science, technology and culture, in all its historical and contemporary issues. Astronomy is a science in itself, with its own methods (remote observations, photometry, spectroscopy), and uses other scientific fields as instruments for understanding and modeling the Universe. Teaching Astronomy can contribute to the understanding of physical laws, both on the human scale and cosmic scale, but it offers a wealth of pedagogical examples of what the scientific approach means.

Teaching Astronomy through Computer Sciences in the same class

Conclusions