A Study On Teaching Models In Astronomy Education Based On WWT Platform

Astronomy is one of the basic science disciplines. It is significant to the understanding of the universe and the development of science and technology. Astronomy education has to take the responsibilities to raise researchers and enhance people’s astronomy literacy. However, the structure of astronomy education in China is inverted. There are also many difficulties caused by the special objects in teaching astronomy, including limited direct experience, few field observations, lecture strategy in most classes which lack of fun and interaction, lack of professional teachers, and scattered e-resources. Astronomy education research has fallen behind other disciplines and missed discussion on teaching model. During the accelerated progress of e-education, integrating information technology (IT) into curriculum has been the new viewpoint in Chinese education reform. This thesis will discuss how to integrate IT into astronomy education and how to construct astronomy teaching models under the guidance of advanced education theories. It breaks the limitation that IT only functions as presentation tool in astronomy education. Meanwhile, astronomy education will transform into instructor-guided teaching, student-centered learning, inquiry and innovation under the support of IT. Specific teaching models have been built to meet multiple targets and conditions in astronomy education. Worldwide Telescope (WWT) is a platform which brings authentic science data from large space-based and ground-based telescopes together to visualize a seamless "virtual reality" digital sky in multi-waveband. Three kinds of teaching models have been built and implemented based on WWT in astronomy educaiton. More detailed contents, methods and conclusions are as follows:(1) The significance of integrating IT into astronomy education has been analyzed from the point of Constructivism, Cognitive Theory of Multimedia Learning, Theory of Multiple Intelligences and the concept of Astronomy Education based on Science-Data (AESD). WWT is a kind of typical IT, and its features are analyzed from the point of technology. This thesis has summarized the methods of integrating WWT into astronomy education including WWT as learning object, presentation tool, tutorial tool, information resource, information processing tool, knowledge construction tool, and research tool. Deeper integrating would be the goal in astronomy education implementation.(2) The main contents in astronomy teaching model are interpreted one by one on key elements: The basis of theories contains Integrating IT into Astronomy Education, and Learning theories which are important to modern education. The goal is making the education into instructor-guided teaching, student-centered learning, inquiry and innovation with the support of IT. It would stimulate interest and develop teaching effects, astronomy information literacy (especially data literacy), etc. The procedure depends on the specific teaching model. The prerequisites should be analyzed and added based on teacher, student, teaching media and content. The evaluation should be more process-oriented and multiple.(3) This thesis preliminary puts forward three methods to construct models. Theory-Deduction method starts with education theories and specific teaching goals, and then deducts the teaching model. Reference-Innovation is the method that takes some efficient teaching models as references, integrates the existed model into new curriculums, and goes to innovation in teaching. It includes migrating and integrating strategies. Experience-Summary method means that teacher finds pattern from education experience, and summarizes new model by its five key elements. These are the methods of building specific astronomy teaching models.(4) Blending Lecture-Inquiry-Creation Model has been constructed and implemented in astronomy education. On the demand of reform on astronomy elective course in university, this blending model is constructed under the guidance of multiple theories via Theory-Deduction method. It is a kind of half-opened teaching model which keeps the superiority of lecture in traditional class and also offers opportunities for students’ inquiry and innovation. After the implementation, this research analyzes the tours. It shows that most students can make tours independently by using multiple ITs to present knowledge and originality. Answers from the questionnaire express students’ acceptance of WWT, curriculum and finals. These evidences have preliminary proved the efficiency of this Blending Model.(5) Project-Based Astronomy Teaching Model has been constructed via Reference-Innovation method. This research points out its prerequisites based on the peculiarity of astronomy discipline. This teaching model not only has many advantages that Project-Based Learning has, but also adapts to the inverted structure of astronomy education at present. Students participated in interviews after they had finished "Explore the Chinese Sky" project. The results show that students have learnt Chinese Sky and the method to inquiry, promoted interest and information literacy. These evidences have proved the efficiency of this model. In this project, visualizing the Chinese sky by WWT is a very innovative work. It is an example of research training in astronomy education. It has great significance of spreading Chinese Sky culture.(6) The model of astronomy tutorial base on interactive tour is built on the "Moon Phases and Eclipse" WWT VizLab education research in American middle schools via Experience-Summary method. This model shows its tutorial function in VizLab education. It has many advantages, such as avoidance of defects from physical models, no limits to space and time, saving teachers’ workload, and achieving adaptive learning. This thesis has put forward the design structure of interactive tour for tutorial purpose. The exercise purpose interactive tour is its ramification.To sum up, this thesis is a study on astronomy teaching model based on WorldWide Telescope in theory and practice dimensions. Taking advantages from information technology (WWT) to astronomy education, this research builds the framwork of astronomy teaching model under the guidance of advanced education theories and the concept of AESD, with the basis of learning theories. This thesis has put forward the main content and the method of building astronomy teaching model. Three specific teaching models constructed by this research could be used widely in astronomy education. These have shown the significance in astronomy education and innovation in educational technology area.