ERIC Number: EJ836325
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2008
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1539-1515
EISSN: N/A
Development and Implementation of a Lab Course for Introductory Astronomy
McCrady, Nate; Rice, Emily
Astronomy Education Review, v7 n1 p13-22 2008
The typical "Astro 101" lecture-based course is passive, and adding well-designed learner-centered labs allows students to experience science as a pattern of thought. In this article, we present an approach to developing an introductory lab course. Identification of goals and student outcomes, particularly skills, and process and attitudinal goals, is a key step. We apply constructivist principles to the lab course and structure content around core concepts to provide cohesion and facilitate knowledge transfer. We discuss the role of the teaching assistant and assessment in a successful implementation of our approach. (Contains 1 table.)
Descriptors: Constructivism (Learning), Teaching Assistants, Astronomy, Introductory Courses, Science Laboratories, Lecture Method, Educational Objectives, Course Content, Scientific Concepts, Role, Teaching Methods
American Astronomical Society. 2000 Florida Avenue NW Suite 400, Washington, DC 20009. Tel: 800-874-6383; Fax: 516-349-9704; e-mail: help@scitation.org; Web site: http://aer.aip.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education
Audience: Teachers
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A