Some recommendations for the enhancement of educational attainments in astronomy V. Godunova

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Some recommendations for the enhancement of
educational attainments in astronomyV. Godunova

• ICAMER Observatory
• 27 Zabolotnoho Str., 03680 Kyiv, Ukraine
• godunova_at_mao.kiev.ua

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• During the past 10 years, astronomical
  education has been subject to systematic and
  intensive improvement in Ukraine.
• Since 2000, astronomy has been a required
  course in general schools and in lyceums.
  Several planetariums are open to
• the public.
• In terms of the number of institutions and
  personnel engaged in astronomy, Ukraine ranks
  among major nations of Europe
• Population 46,5 million
• 1500 astronomers at 12 astronomical
  institutions
• ! 50 percent are older than 60 an
  urgent need
• 
  for young scientists
• There is a wide variety of scientific fields.
  How can we make astronomy most interesting to
  them?

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• The dire necessity to find new ways to arouse
  young people interest in astronomy.
• How?
• Along with providing the opportunity to use
  web-based information and
• online access to telescopes, two other approaches
  may be considered
• Inclusion of astronomical material in other
  school disciplines
• This will subconsciously spawn new questions in
  children and in search
• for answers they will discover an exciting area
  of astronomic research.

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• Astronomy is often considered as a difficult
  academic subject, thus children try to avoid
  these difficulties. However, we can stimulate
  their interest in astronomy indirectly, through
  learning other school subjects. For example,
  teachers might develop and use some didactic
  material based on interesting facts and events
  related to astronomy. This way they form
  interdisciplinary connections and bring students
  attention to the problems and achievements of the
  science of astronomy.

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• Literature
• Gulliver's Travels (1726), a prose satire by
  Jonathan Swift
• Laputa is a flying island that can be maneuvered
  by its inhabitants in any
• direction using magnetic levitation. The
  population of the island mainly consists
• of educated people, who are fond of mathematics,
  astronomy, music and
• technology.
• They had discovered the two moons of Mars -
  something which would
• not be discovered in reality for another 150
  years!
• A mystery
• In 1726 Swift described some orbital elements
• of these moons (apogee altitudes, rotational
• periods, etc.), which are closed to modern data!
• The satellites were discovered in 1877

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GeographyOn the basis of simple themes like
Mountains, Cavities, Volcanoes,
Landscapes, teacher can introduce children to
astronomy (a comparative study opens everything
up to question)
Credit H.Wolf
Volcanism is probable the most widespread in the
solar system
Voyager 1 took this picture of the P3 Prometheus
volcano on March 4, 1979. The volcanic eruption
can be seen on the limb of Io. (Credit Calvin J.
Hamilton)
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Mars???
Titan???
Earth???
Illustration Credit T.Kostyuk/NASA
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BiologyThe main view on the origin of life on
the Earth is based on the one proposed by
Alexander Oparin.However, the possibility that
life was brought to Earth from outer space
(panspermia) can be mentioned.
Comets also could supply Earth with water and
the seeds of life
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HistoryThe  Maya, as well as the ancient
Egyptians are well known for their precise
calendar and astronomy. In particular, Maya
astronomical skills included the Suns and
planets cycles, Milky Way, and location of stars
in the sky.
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• Inclusion of astronomical material in other
  school disciplines
• The main task to develop didactic materials in
  order to use
• astronomical material in teaching different
  school disciplines
• An associated objective to change and upgrade
  the school curricula
• Scientists involvement in school education
• This approach is important in view of the fact
  that
• Teachers are often afraid of taking a class
  outdoors
• If the mountain does not go to the prophet, the
  prophet should go to the mountain
• ii) The school curriculum is traditionally based
  on well-established science. It is in stark
  contrast to the real science. A professional
  scientist who is able to bring difficult research
  topics to the middle school students level can
  be a valuable source of information and even a
  role-model for young people.
• An instrument financial support and
  career-relevant recognition

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SUMMARY

• Problem
• Young Europeans are opting less and less for
  scientific studies (including astronomy)
• Some ways to solve the problem
• to use astronomical material in teaching
  different school disciplines
• to encourage scientists to give lectures at
  schools
• Tasks
• 1) to develop didactic materials
• 2) to find financial support for scientists
  involved

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Conclusions

• Recommendation 7
• Action Ensure clear career-relevant recognition
  for scientists who become involved in public
  communication. Provide, and encourage scientists
  to utilise, media training courses.
• Recommendation 6
• Action Adequate strategic long-term support must
  be provided for public communication and
• education in Europe. Firstly, it is necessary
  that observatories, laboratories and all facility
  funding
• authorities allocate some fraction of their
  project budgets (typically 1-2) to public
  science
• communication and education. Both the amount of
  this spending and the strategy for its
  utilisation
• should be properly peer-reviewed.
• This approach is too fragmented and offers no
  real guarantee of results.
• We have to integrate in full this field (public
  outreach and recruitment of young people)
• into the European research priorities and to
  initiate a specially funded project (a Network
• of Excellence or an Integrated Project) in the
  framework of the European Structural
• Funds (FP7 ?).
• Such a co-operation is much more profitable
  because in this case the research
• and educational potential available in different
  countries can be exploited and