Online reading assignment: flipped classroom, motions and cycles (SLO campus)

Astronomy 210, fall semester 2013
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

The following questions were asked on reading textbook chapters and previewing presentations on Earth's rotation/precession/revolution/tilt, the moon's motions and cycles, and watching two video presentations on the flipped class: "What Is the Flipped Class?" and "How the Flipped Classroom Works."

Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe something you found interesting from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally interesting for you.

"Having student responses posted on your blog. I like to know what my fellow peers are thinking and what questions they come up with."

"How the seasons work--I didn't think that astronomy had that much to do with the seasons."

"Zodiac signs and astrology--I wasn't quite sure it was before and now I know it actually is actual science!"

"How astrology is linked to astronomy and how the zodiac signs are evenly spaced around earth. I thought that they were randomly everywhere."

"If sunlight was fainter during the day, we'd be able to see the sun moving eastward relative to the stars in the background."

"The videos on the flipped classroom were extremely interesting, because it is true that everyone has different learning styles, and not one teacher can accommodate to all of those very different ones. It's personally interesting to me, because I am an audio and visual learner so when teachers assign just reading homework or in-class assignments, I don't retain the information as well."

"I enjoyed finding things on the starwheel. It was fun to find out the time of things without using a watch."

"The cycle of seasons was very interesting, because most of the astronomy that I ever learned didn't fully explain it, the book did a good job of explaining to me."

"The moon has always been a mystery to me and it was just cool learning to judge what phase the moon is in by the light that it visibly reflects."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.

"Just as everything is interesting it is also confusing. It is nice that our book has so many diagrams that show what the book is explaining, but it is still hard to visualize it at times."

"Where the zodiac calendar come from, and how was it used to track the motion of the sun."

"The phases of the moon. I understood it most of the time, but then I'd lose it and be completely confused about it. I had a hard time visualizing everything."

"I found the idea of precession somewhat difficult. The example given of the top spinning was confusing only because at a 'normal' speed, a top will stay relatively stable--it is only when it slows down that it starts to wobble."

Match these cycles with their approximate duration. (Only correct responses shown.)

Earth's rotation: 24 hours [97%]
Earth's revolution: one year [78%]
Earth's precession: 26,000 years [97%]
The moon's revolution: one month [82%]

Place these moon phases in chronological order in their cycle (starting with new moon). (Only correct responses shown, in unscrambled order.)

New moon: first [95%]
Waxing crescent: second [75%]
First quarter: third [80%]
Waxing gibbous: fourth [65%]
Full moon: fifth [90%]
Waning gibbous: sixth [65%]
Third quarter: seventh [70%]
Waning crescent: eighth [60%]

Explain what is different about homework in a flipped class.

"Students have a better understanding of the content because they were able to review the lecture before they get to class. This give the instructor the power to teach the concepts through demonstrations and activities. The student leaves the class with a better understanding of the information and is able to apply this to their homework."

"Homework in a flipped class is different because you have already had time to learn the material and ask questions and or ask for help from the teacher. Opposed to learning everything new then going home and having to do homework right away."

"I feel like students are more prepared for homework in a flipped class because they are well informed about the lesson before class. During class they are able to ask questions before returning home, and then realizing they have problems which by then its too late."

Describe where/when most student learning occurs in a flipped class.

"Most of the learning is done before each class, so during the class your knowledge is strengthened instead of learning the basic concepts."

"In class we do most of the learning, while out of class we get the general idea of what we will be learning in class."

"The student does a lot of the learning on his own watching videos but then also in class applies his knowledge... I don't really know the exact answer to the question."

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.

"This assignment wasn't too difficult but still made me think out side of the box."

"Please make this class fun! I have trouble learning as it is."

"Will the flipped class be your method of teaching this semester? Will you explain the text even when questions might not be asked?" (Um, yes, and yes.)

"What are the majority of the questions of the quizzes/test from, the book or the lectures, or is it an equal mix?" (The flashcard question packets.)

"Wow, I love the idea of a flipped classroom! I'd be curious to know how its results compare to traditional teaching methods." (So am I.)

"why can we still see the moon when there is sun light out?" (You can always see the moon when the sun is out (except for the new moon); the moon does reflect enough sunlight to be brighter than the daylight sky.)