The Mobile Astronomy Laboratory (MAL) is a self-contained astronomical observatory housed within an 8.5-foot by 16-foot trailer. The role of the MAL in a postsecondary physical science education program is examined herein. When used in conjunction with an active learning-based astronomy laboratory curriculum and a comprehensive community outreach program, the MAL project embodies a new approach to increasing undergraduate achievement and public interest in astronomy and related physical sciences. The objective of the MAL project is to complement a postsecondary physical science program in three ways: by supplementing content presented in a lecture course in astronomy with laboratory experiments; by broadening the scope of the physical science curriculum through active learning techniques and methodologies; and by providing astronomy outreach activities as part of a physical science outreach program. The MAL brings the observatory environment to students as well as the community with the goals of increasing student engagement and learning, curriculum development at the postsecondary level, and dissemination of scientific knowledge.
The objective of this paper is to examine the role of the mobile astronomy laboratory (MAL) in a postsecondary science education program.
According to the National Science Foundation (NSF), 18,131 men and women were awarded bachelor’s degrees in 2001 in the field of physical sciences, but the same year only 5,100 men and women were awarded physical science master’s degrees. Women accounted for 36.6 percent of the physical science master’s degrees awarded in 2001, while men were awarded the other 63.4 percent (NSF 2004).
In an effort to inspire and motivate more undergraduates to pursue higher education in the physical sciences, the MAL program aims to transform the astronomy laboratory experience by integrating an active, hands-on element into a curriculum that includes effective classroom teaching methods and using the natural environment to illustrate astronomical concepts and techniques.
Broadening the scope of the postsecondary physical science curriculum to include active learning techniques and methods in astronomy education directly addresses the need to motivate student interest in pursuing further science education. Effective curriculum design and faculty attitudes toward learning can have a positive impact on student achievement.
Researchers at the Indiana University Center for Postsecondary Research recently studied the effect college faculty have on student learning and engagement. Their findings indicate that student engagement and learning were higher at institutions where faculty members employ active learning techniques (Umbach & Wawrzynski 2004). Further investigation into these findings through a program such as the MAL would give added insight into the effectiveness of an active-learning approach to postsecondary education in the physical sciences.
Dissemination of scientific knowledge is also an important objective of any postsecondary physical science program. Community groups and private citizens often look to postsecondary institutions to provide activities that are fun as well as educational. The MAL program addresses this objective with a comprehensive community outreach schedule, which is outlined in Appendix B.
In order to transform the undergraduate astronomy laboratory experience, broaden the scope of the astronomy curriculum, and meet the objectives of a physical science community outreach program, it is necessary to begin with a working definition of the introductory astronomy laboratory course as it is likely to be encountered at a postsecondary institution.
Astronomy laboratory is a physical science course that is typically offered as a supplement to an astronomy lecture course at many universities and community colleges in the U.S. Like most other physical science laboratory courses, astronomy laboratory usually consists of a series of experiments that undergraduate students are expected to complete over the course of a semester.
At some institutions, experiments are set up in a classroom and teaching assistants instruct students in completing each laboratory assignment. Such is the case at San Diego State University (SDSU) in San Diego, California. At SDSU, two astronomy laboratory experiments are conducted each week during fall, spring, and summer semesters to supplement an introductory astronomy lecture course. This state university has a department of astronomy, although many institutions combine astronomy with another physical science such as physics, geology, or earth sciences.
At institutions that combine astronomy with another physical science, astronomy laboratory may or may not be offered, depending on the department’s available resources and observatory access. At Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Illinois, introductory astronomy courses are offered through the Physics Department. Although no corresponding laboratory course is offered at present, honors students undertake an inquiry-based astronomy project at an on-campus observatory.
Observatories can be located on campus or off campus. SDSU, jointly with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, operates an off-campus observatory complex on Mt. Laguna, located 45 miles east of downtown San Diego. Astronomy laboratory students visit the Mt. Laguna complex for a tour as part of the astronomy laboratory course, but most laboratory experiments are conducted inside a classroom. SDSU also has three on-campus observatories, although laboratory instructors decide individually whether or not to offer any inquiry-based laboratory experiments.
These two institutions illustrate some of the differences as well as some of the similarities in astronomy laboratory curriculum offerings at postsecondary institutions. What these institutions have in common is that laboratory courses are offered to supplement most physical science lecture classes (e.g., astronomy, biology, chemistry, geology, and physics).
Astronomy laboratory is especially well suited to natural-environment teaching using active-learning methods. While cells can be observed using a microscope and chemical reactions observed in beakers, observing the sun, moon, stars, planets, and deep sky objects can only be done outside, unless a simulation is used. Telescopes and other equipment have specific temperature, space, and orientation requirements that are easily addressed with the mobile astronomy laboratory.
The MAL model of teaching astronomy laboratory is similar to the models in use at the two postsecondary institutions previously cited. Intended to supplement an introductory astronomy lecture course, the MAL curriculum consists of a series of astronomy experiments that are to be completed by the student during a semester at a postsecondary institution.
The main difference of the MAL curriculum is that the tools necessary to actively investigate the principles and techniques of astronomy are made available to students at the MAL. Instead of using classroom-based simulations, experiments are conducted at the mobile observatory, which is a self-contained observatory that is housed in an 8.5-foot by 16-foot trailer that is located on campus at the postsecondary institution.
What role can the mobile astronomy laboratory play in postsecondary education? The MAL can be integrated into any university physical science program, with its use varying according to the specific needs of a particular institution. Laboratory instruction, curriculum development, and community outreach are three ways in which the MAL can support an existing physical science program and make it robust.
Laboratory instruction using the MAL has several benefits. Hands-on, inquiry-based learning helps students connect course materials to their real-world uses as well as giving students a choice in learning. According to active learning author Michael Dabney, the benefits of using active learning techniques include higher test scores and increased interest in the subject content (Dabney 2003).
In a classroom setting, students are most often passive and listening. Classroom-based astronomy laboratory experiments oftentimes make use of simulations (e.g., a projector simulation of the night sky; a computer simulation of the orbits of Jupiter’s moons; a night sky globe used to simulate constellations). Removing the simulations and the visual cues of the classroom puts the student into an active learning role where he or she must do something (i.e., operate a telescope to see Jupiter’s moons orbiting; operate data acquisition equipment to record or count photons; read a sky map; look up at the night sky and locate constellations). Many students learn successfully using a tactile approach.
Choice in learning is another benefit of the MAL. Several projects can be under way at the same time, with students choosing which project they would like to undertake and which instruments they will use. Choice in learning motivates many students to learn and puts the instructor in a role similar to that of a coach.
MAL-based instruction brings the learning experience to the students. Institutions that have access to an off-campus observatory typically must arrange for a class field trip. Inevitably, a few students will get the time or date wrong, lose the directions, get lost on the way there, or just don’t want to wander around at night looking for the observatory. The MAL offers the convenience and security of being on campus, accommodates those with disabilities, and is also capable of traveling to other locations.
Curriculum development benefits staff members as well as students. Staff members have the opportunity to instruct creatively. Lecturers benefit from an active learning-based laboratory that addresses topics presented in class (e.g., a lecture on telescope types can be reinforced with observations made with the types of telescopes discussed). Students can benefit from laboratory experiments that fit their skill level and interest. Staff members and volunteers who participate in the MAL program will need to undergo training regarding the proper use of equipment and project documentation. Telescope setup and operation, use of data acquisition and other instruments, and documentation methods are three elements of the MAL program that provide opportunities for developing and broadening the physical science curriculum, staff skills, and student engagement.
Community outreach is an important part of any vibrant and successful physical science program. The MAL has obvious uses in this regard. High schools, community groups, and the public can take part in MAL special events, demonstrations, and other outreach activities. Unlike most observatories, the MAL is easily able to accommodate senior citizens and people with disabilities.
A program similar to the MAL exists at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. The Department of Chemistry at Virginia Tech obtained funding from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and others for a mobile chemistry laboratory (MCL) as part of a curriculum development and outreach project. The MCL is a self-contained chemistry laboratory housed in a 75-foot semi-trailer that travels to Virginia high schools to promote hands-on science. This effort resulted in a 25 percent increase in test scores over a period of three years since its inception in 2000 (Long 2005).
Although similar to the Virginia Tech program, the MAL program seeks to extend the activities of such a program by emphasizing undergraduate education using an active-learning-based curriculum as its main objective. See Appendix A for a sample MAL curriculum. Secondary objectives of the MAL program include meeting staff development and community outreach goals by means of a fully developed astronomy curriculum set within the framework of the physical sciences.
Having outlined the scope, methods, and objectives of the MAL program, the topic of how to implement such a program becomes relevant. Two phases of the program are envisioned: start-up phase and active phase.
The start-up phase of the MAL program includes securing funding and institutional support to procure the 8.5-foot by 16-foot trailer, equipment, instrumentation, and trailer modifications necessary to accommodate equipment and instrumentation.
Once funding and support have been secured, procurement becomes the focus of the start-up phase. See Appendix C for a complete MAL program equipment list. Based on previous procurement experience, a reasonable timeframe for procurement is expected to be about six months. Another three to six months would be required to customize the 8-foot by 16-foot trailer to accommodate equipment, adapt equipment and instruments to the trailer, and test equipment and computerized systems. The start-up phase is complete when equipment and systems testing is complete.
Phase two is the activity phase of the MAL program. With the MAL operational, its curriculum can easily be integrated into an existing postsecondary physical science program. See Appendix A for a detailed sample MAL curriculum.
Physical science laboratory courses are linked to lecture courses at many postsecondary institutions, and the MAL course is also intended to be a supplement to a lecture course in astronomy. Undergraduates would enroll in the MAL course in the same manner as they sign up for their other laboratory classes.
The MAL program also includes community outreach activities during its active phase. Demonstrations, events, and visits to schools and community groups are planned in an effort to disseminate scientific knowledge to the public. See Appendix B for a preliminary list of community outreach activities.
Phase two has no definite timeframe associated with it, although a three-year period would allow one year for startup of the MAL program and two years for documentation and evaluation of the program. Once the phase two activities of the MAL program are integrated into a postsecondary physical science program, it is expected they can be maintained indefinitely with minimal institutional support.
In conclusion, the role of the mobile astronomy laboratory in a postsecondary physical science education program is threefold: to supplement a lecture course in astronomy with laboratory experiments that are learning- and inquiry-based; to broaden the scope of the physical science curriculum to include active learning techniques and methodologies; and to provide fun and informative activities to the public as part of a comprehensive physical science community outreach program.
The MAL program brings the observatory environment to students as well as the community with the goals of increasing student engagement and learning, curriculum development at the postsecondary level, and dissemination of scientific knowledge to the public.
The broader impact of the MAL program is that of transforming the astronomy laboratory experience at the postsecondary level such that a greater number of undergraduates are inspired and motivated to choose a career in the physical sciences.
References
Dabney, M. (2003, November). Hands-On Learning Wins Hands-Down. The Brain Store News Service [newsletter]. San Diego, CA: (5)11, 7.
Long, G. L. (2000). Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Principal Investigator. “Chemistry Outreach to Secondary Schools with a Mobile Chemistry Laboratory.” NSF-CHE-0079119.
Long, G. L. (2005). The Mobile Chemistry Laboratory. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Chemistry. Blacksburg, Virginia: Retrieved July 13, 2005. Available: http://van.hep.uiue.edu/van/Showdirectory/MCL.htm
National Science Foundation, Division of Science Resources Statistics, Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science and Engineering (2004). NSF 04-317. Arlington, Virginia: Retrieved June 30, 2005. Available: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/wmpd
Umbach, P. D., & Wawrzynski, M. R. (2004, June). Faculty Do Matter: The Role of College Faculty in Student Learning and Engagement. Paper presented at the Forum of the Association for Institutional Research, Boston, MA: Available: http://www.indiana.edu/~nsse/html/research.htm