Online reading assignment question: interesting, confusing instructor topics (CAE@astrolrner readers, August 2010)

(Analysis of results reported in "Old Ideas, New Technologies--Harnessing the Power of Web 2.0 Resources for the Weary Instructor" workshop given at the Astronomy Society of the Pacific Cosmos in the Classroom National Symposium on Teaching Astronomy for Non-Science Majors, August 2, 2010, 3:15-4:15 PM, Session A in Eaton 1B80, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO.)

Readers of the Center for Astronomy Education: Improving Astronomy Education CAE@astrolrner listserv were asked to complete a post-workshop assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com).

[Responses have been edited to consolidate common related subjects.]

Write down three words or short phrases (separated by commas) that you think students consider interesting in the sun-stars-galaxies-cosmology portion of an introductory astronomy course.

CAE@astrolrner listserv reader responses
August 2010

age, distance, lookbacktime
blackholes, supernovae, bigbang
aliens, blackholes, planets
blackholes, darkmatter, supernovae
blackholes, supernovae, bigbang
HRdiagram, solarwind, supernovae
bigbang, blackholes, merginggalaxies
universeage, sunsfuture, blackholes
bigbang, darkmatter, starformation
blackholes, exoplanets, spaceweather
fateofEarth, sizeofuniverse, life
blackholes, bigbang, life
moon, blackholes, supernovae
life, hubblepictures, originoftheuniverse

Write down three words or short phrases (separated by commas) that you think students consider confusing in the sun-stars-galaxies-cosmology portion of an introductory astronomy course.

CAE@astrolrner listserv reader responses
August 2010

lookbacktime, cosmicmicrowavebackground, darkenergy
HRdiagrams, darkenergy, neutrinos
stellarlifetimes, size, distance
HRdiagrams, curvedspace, atmospheres
whybigbang, spacetime, lookbacktime
Cepheidvariables, neutronstars, spectralclasses
blackholes, gravity, bigbang
darkenergy, lookbacktime, redgiants
beforebigbang, whybigbang, darkenergy,
HRdiagram, inversesquarelaw, celestialcoordinates
sun, stars, starsburn, solarsystemgalaxy
HRdiagram, spectroscopy, galaxyevolution
stellarevolution, spectroscopy, quantummechanics
bigbang, hubbleslaw

100809 Astrolrner@CAE interesting
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/4899175076/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

Wordle.net tag cloud for interesting sun-stars-galaxies-cosmology topics, generated by responses from CAE@astrolnrner listserv readers (http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/2299017/Untitled).


100809 Astrolrner@CAE confusing
http://www.flickr.com/photos/waiferx/4898603115/
Originally uploaded by Waifer X

Wordle.net tag cloud fpr confusing sun-stars-galaxies-cosmology topics, generated by responses from CAE@astrolnrner listserv readers (http://www.wordle.net/show/wrdl/2299044/Untitled).


Previous posts:

• Presentation: "Old Ideas, New Technologies--Harnessing the Power of Web 2.0 Resources for the Weary Instructor" (Cosmos in the Classroom 2010)
• Online reading assignment question: interesting Midterm 2 astronomy topics (Cuesta College, Spring Semester 2010)
• Online reading assignment question: confusing Midterm 2 astronomy topics (Cuesta College, Spring Semester 2010)