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.
"I found the terms for the moon very interesting. I have only been familiar with terms like full moon and new moon, but getting to know more professional terms such as waxing and waning and etc. was very interesting."
"The way that humans have come to correlate the full rotations and revolutions of the earth and moon with fixed time spans, such as a month or a year."
"I think one thing I found interesting was the graphic demonstrating the orientation of constellations during the day. For some reason, I'd never thought about the obvious reality that even when they're blocked out by our own sun, we would still be directly underneath a set of constellations. Seeing that graphic and reading that concept explained really made me realize how much I really had viewed astronomy through the lens of night time stargazing."
"I thought it was interesting that revolution and rotation are described as two different things. When I thought they meant the same thing, one is actually just the turning of the planet while the other is the motion of the planet around something else."
"I found it extremely interesting that because of precession our earths axis changes every 26,000 years! changing what we see in the sky! and that in about 12,000 years our axis will be facing Vega which is a super bright star!"
"What causes an equinox and a solstice, I have heard people talk about these for along time but never understood what they were until now. It feels nice to leave this lecture knowing something that I am always hearing about but have never quite understood."
"The organizations of zodiac signs, I never realized their importance with relation to their position to the sun."
"I'm weirdly obsessed with the moon, so reading all about the moon and its phases, as well as fun facts like the moon always facing the same side toward Earth, was interesting! I've also always been sort of unclear about moon terminology, so reviewing the slides helped a lot with that."
"Phases of the moon. I have always loved looking up at the moon and learning the proper way to identify the phases was cool to me."
"The sun's paths. I liked the illustration on the first series of slides that showed the path of the sun over a year, and how it changed."
"That the word 'month' came from the word 'moon. due to the phases taking the approximate time that a month is. I found this interesting because I love history and the reasons words are formed. I learned Month and Moon are cognates and cognates are words that have etymological origins meaning they are directly related. I love falling down the rabbit hole of learning!"
"I never really know the reason for the seasons and assumed it had something to do with our proximity to the sun, however I was fascinated to learn that the reason for them was the amount of solar energy the hemisphere receives at points of time."
"For me, one of the most interesting things about the presentation previews was the information provided concerning precession. While reading the descriptions of the Earth’s motion as a 'toplike' in the textbook, I was struck by just how significant the motions and cycles of the Earth really are. In addition, to consider the fact that it takes an approximate 26,000 years to complete one precession cycle is astounding, and it really puts into contexts just how young mankind really is."
"I found it interesting that the 'north star' changes depends on how Earth is tilting. I didn't realize that the north star changes and that it is possible at some point there will be no north star."
Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"Pole wandering. The idea that because of tilt of Earth the placement of constellation change needed prior understanding of basic concepts, and therefore it took me a while to understand that the because of Earth's tilt, the position of north constantly changes and the angle of the constellation changes respect to Earth."
"How the moon rises and sets at different times of day, patterns of the moon."
"I think that the presentation did a much better job explaining the celestial motions than the textbook did, but I still find the lunar cycles a bit confusing. I'm pretty solid on the major phases and the waxing, waning differentiation, but the quarters are really confusing to me still. That, and maybe after looking through the quiz preparation guide, more star chart practice could be really helpful topics to discuss in class."
"Figuring out how exactly the Sun travels in different paths across the sky throughout the year based on the tilt and revolution of Earth is a bit confusing. The graphic in the presentation helped, and I understand the concept of it, it's just hard to picture being on Earth and realizing how the Earth must be tilted at a certain angle because the sun is in a certain path of the sky."
"How the tilt of Earth is what causes the seasons and not how close we are to the sun. I always thought that how close we are to the sun is what caused the seasons, which might be the reason for my confusion. I understand that Earth tilts and is getting more sunlight on one of the hemispheres but does the hemisphere that is getting less sunlight experience winter while the other experiences summer or are the both in summer when the northern hemisphere is exposed to more sunlight."
"I have not read the book or any materials yet. However I did enjoy the material on the first day of class. It kept me engaged and ready to learn about the stars and how to use my star wheel. Although I do need to practice that a bit more..."
"Although very interesting, I found the phases of the moon to be a bit confusing. There seems to be a lot involved and several steps, I look forward to learning more about this."
"I alway get confused with waxing and waning, I have learned it before but it just never sticks. Same with crescent and gibbous."
"I am not confused yet...or I think I get it and just haven't realized that I am confused. This first chunk of information was fairly easy to digest."
"I had a hard time grasping the concept of precession especially that the north star will change and or be non existent. It may be because my mind cannot grasp the 26,000 years it takes the Earth to make a complete precession."
"There seem to be a lot of rotations and revolutions for Earth, the moon, and the sun. I find it hard to visualize what this all looks like."
The constellation Virgo is just above the east horizon, as seen by an observer at 11 PM in San Luis Obispo, CA. What date is this? (Ignore daylight saving time.)
February 20. ************* [13] April 25. ** [2] July 4. [0] August 20. [0] (Unsure/guessing/lost/help!) ******************** [20]
Match these cycles with their approximate duration.
(Only correct responses shown.)
Earth's rotation: 24 hours [97%]I believe astrology is able to make accurate predictions about my future. (This is just an opinion question, there are no right answers.)
Earth's revolution: one year [94%]
Earth's precession: 26,000 years [97%]
The moon's revolution: one month [94%]
Strongly disagree. *********** [11] Disagree. ******* [7] Neutral. *********** [11] Agree. **** [4] Strongly agree. ** [2]
Briefly explain your answer regarding your belief/disbelief in astrology. (This is just an opinion question, there are no right answers.)
"My disbelief in astrology is based on my belief that human beings are unrestricted in their thoughts and actions by any form of fate. In my opinion, to suggest that astrology is capable of making accurate predictions about the future is suggests that there is a fixed or fated future in existence, which contrasts my personal thoughts concerning the free will of all humans to create for themselves their own future. Rather than a legitimate method with which to make predictions about the future, I view astrology as no more than a system of thinking that is more of a pseudoscience than anything else. However, I do believe that if believing in astrology inspires in others a sense of joy or inspiration to live fuller and more productive lives than it can serve a positive purpose."
"I enjoy reading my horoscope every now and then."
"I believe you are not one set zodiac sign, because personally, I relate to almost all of them on some level. But I feel like I connect with one the most, which is Gemini, my zodiac sign (what it says it is). I do feel like the predictions people make can be out there, but most of the time they are oddly right (when I read them after my day, so there is no conformation bias)."
"I do not think that it can make predictions about our future because I believe in free will, that we as people choice our own destiny and it is not laid out for us."
"I do not believe that stars can predict anything. I am Christian, and I think that is a myth."
"I cannot say for certain whether or not astrology has any real value. I have found striking councedences when reading predictions about my sign but this is probably just the placebo effect."
"I don't believe celestial bodies can accurately predict the course of real-life events."
"Basically I don’t look to astrology for predictions of my future, but I have to recognize that sometimes when looking at them they are correct after-the-fact."
"I don't believe that the stars can tell me about my future. I believe that my existence is not important to the stars or their alignments, so why should I think that they know about my future?"
"I personally think its really fun to look at horoscopes and sometimes they are supriseingly accurate on some of my friends personalities but I disagree because there is no proof that it is true."
"I do not believe in astrology because, as the book states, it is based off of nothing but pseudoscience. My sister was really interested in astrology when we were kids but the fact that what the astrology predictions said was not always correct had me in disbelief."
"I don't believe that astrology is that accurate. Anyone can relate to any of the signs at some point or another."
"I think that it may be accurate with some parts of my life but I do not think that it can predict what will happen to me. I believe that I have almost full control over my future."
"I think that the decisions you make today will affect your future."
"It can be accurate, but I think this has more to do with vague guesswork."
"I believe in astrology but not that it can predict my future."
"I am spiritual, but science will always hold a candle above any other beliefs I may have. I do not judge people on their beliefs as long as they are not hurting anyone."
"I do have firm beliefs that astrological signs may explain our future's and past. I'm neutral because im not 100% sure that something like an astrological sign has an impact on a person and their decisions."
"I believe this takes away from the free will God has given us."
"Astrology is just vague, blanket descriptions that could be applied to anyone. Mercury being in retrograde does not cause people to be jerks. Personality does."
"I am a huge astrology buff, I revolve my life around the zodiac signs and reading my horoscope. Not that it necessarily tells my future but can help ease some stress when when wondering why certain events occur in my life."
"Astrology is the poster child of pseudoscience. There is no reason to belief that the coincidences such as birthdays and star placement in the sky affect anything about a person."
"I am a Cancer, and I feel as though my astrological description is very accurate to who I am. Also something I find fascinating is that (for the most part) a lot of my closest friends and people who I connect with more are either Geminis or Leos!"
"It is not a real science. I can see where its value over history has grown and created comfort to those who longed to understand. However it is still not proven to be effective."
Place these moon phases in chronological order in their cycle (starting with new moon).
(Only correct responses shown, in unscrambled order.)
New moon: first [91%]
Waxing crescent: second [86%]
First quarter: third [91%]
Waxing gibbous: fourth [80%]
Full moon: fifth [80%]
Waning gibbous: sixth [80%]
Third quarter: seventh [86%]
Waning crescent: eighth [86%]
Explain what is different about homework in a flipped class.
"I love the idea of flipped classroom. I like how the materials are put online so if I have to take a sick day, I can still catch up to all the materials without hassle. I really like how students get to spend class time with interactive activities that will make the course more engaging. Conventional class you will sit in a class and listen to the teacher's lesson."
"In a flipped classroom there is more time devoted to preparing for class by going over key concepts and lecture notes, while time in class is spent clarifying ideas and working face to face with the instructor or in a group to understand the material."
"In a flipped classroom homework isn't just to test your understanding of the lesson, it is the lesson. You're expected to engage with the professor's lecture and presentation of the weeks topic in advance, so that class time can be better spent increasing your understanding of the subject rather than introducing it to you for the first time."
"In a flipped class, the homework is based on or exactly what the instructor would have taught the following class meeting. This means that students have more time to be hands on during class, while instructors have more time to give feedback. A conventional class would consist of the instructor lecturing about the something that was more or less in the homework. This gives the students and instructor less time for hands on activities in class."
"I like the flipped classroom idea a lot. I like it better because I'm not rushing my notes and listening to the teacher to make sure I have good notes. Instead, I can take notes on the presentation and then read it again to review and make sure that I can fully grasp everything. I love love the hands on approaches. I think I get things better that way."
"The teacher gives us the material before class so we can go over it. If we have any questions then we ask the teacher. This provides the teacher to spend more time on topics that are a little more difficult to understand."
"A major difference in a flipped classroom versus a traditional one is the way that the students do their work. In a flipped classroom often times students take their work outside of the classroom and review on their own. A traditional classroom tends to have a teacher lecturing while students take notes."
"I think it is a rad idea. Our school system is super outdated and needs to change. I think for student who are stoked about learning this would be great. However, for students who want to slack, this seems like a good reason not to go to class."
"The homework is really a preview of the next class in a flipped class setting."
"Homework in a flipped classroom is often done in class as a class activity, not at home. Traditionally homework is something that is mowed over at home on your own, but in this "flipped" classroom the process is reversed."
"In a flipped class the homework is done in the classroom as opposed to doing all of it outside of the classroom. This help students because if they need help they can ask the teacher or get help from their peers."
Describe where/when most student learning occurs in a flipped class.
"I think most of the learning time is spent outside of the classroom, whereas in the classroom you get a better understanding and get any questions you may have answered so that you leave feeling prepared for any homework or assignments following."
"Most initial student learning should occur during a class applying the knowledge they have gathered when reviewing the lecture."
"Students should learn when practicing their work in class with the teacher's help when they walk around and can be one-on-one with them and work through the examples and problems."
"You should get most of your learning done in class where you are given the chance to ask more questions and get more help."
"Student learning, in a flipped class setting, should take place at home, where the student can take their own pace processing the the learning material, readying questions for the professor, and not stressing over confusion or solitude that comes with conventional homework (which, in the flipped setting, will be completed in class)."
"The most learning is done on their own time at home. The students will come to class ready with questions to discuss to become better equip with the knowledge about the subject."
"Depends how you define learning. I think the information should be presented before hand, that way the discussion can be better during class."
"Most student learning is being done on their own, using how they learn at home. Then if they have questions on any topic, they can ask and get a better understanding while in class. In class, they are applying their knowledge they learned."
"I think that things will really start to click in a flipped class because after viewing the material once, the seed has already been planted. It is like going to class is watering the seed and really making sure that we understand it by the second time around."
Pick one piece of student advice from the previous semester, and discuss why you agree (or disagree) with it.
"'Before each quiz do the quiz question packets--that is the best way to study for the quizzes, and also go to all of the classes. P-dog does really well at explaining everything.' I agree with this piece of advice because working with any form of study guide has always served as an excellent study method for me in the past. It often isn't enough for me to simply read or hear about facts to truly have them solidify in my memory. Rather, having a strict study schedule that focuses on past quizzes and exams and study guides usually allows me to fully grasp the key pieces of information required to do well in a course."
"'Stay on top of the assignments and if anything seems confusing, like how much the website/blog is used, or the format of the practice quizzes, contact P-dog right away. He is there to help! He obviously enjoys teaching, that's refreshing. But if you get confusing about using the website/blog, ask, don't wait! (I'm still trying to decipher it all!)' I strongly agree with this piece of advise and know that the assignments are definitely something I put off until the last minute, and when you do that it is hard to find the time to ask questions about the things that you do not understand. I think that many students have a similar problem to mine, we like to put things off until the very last moment but that just won't work in a classroom like this."
"'Ask questions.' I agree that by asking questions it will make mea more successful student and make this class easier to pass. I feel that by getting all the I formation I need to fully understand what I'm reading or having the teacher clarify a concept better will lead me to the path of success. So if I'm ever confused I will always ask questions."
"'Go to class!'" Simple and to the point, and the first thing I thought to myself as I was sitting in class the first day. The group work assigned during class will not only help solidify the material, but will also give me needed points. It will be the best thing,for me personally, to do to ensure my success."
"'Go to class! And don't be afraid to use the online resources. The quiz and test archives are there to help you succeed.' This seems to have more weight to me. From what I've observed so far, that as much as P-dawg will cover in class, there will be material to be covered at home on my own time. I must utilize my tools and readily available resources in order to be the most successful in this course."
"'Do not procrastinate. Do not give up. Every point you can gain is worth it. Whether you've maxed out your points and are using it as practice, or you're actually getting points for your final grade, don't waste any opportunity.' I like this quote because it's not just for this class, it's for every class I have and will have."
"'You need to actually study and do the reading assignments.' This is what I struggle with, especially with motivation, and I strongly agree with this statement."
"'Don't get caught up in all the various subjects. Eat this thing one bite at a time.' I agree we this method because it is easy to get overwhelmed by what's happening with the rest of life."
"'Don't die.' I agree with this because as long as you put in effort, even if you're bad at the subject--you're still participating and trying."
"'Come to class, do these assignments, and try (but fail no matter how hard you try) to grow a better mustache than P-dog.' I agree with this one, but I think the reasoning really speaks for itself here. I mean, come on, the mustache can't be topped... But seriously, the first two points are really good advice. I think that as I understand the class so far, attendance and participation in the class work both in person and online are going to be crucial elements of my success or failure in this class."
Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"What is the best way to do well on quizzes and exams?" (We'll go over this in class, and have a practice quiz for you to work on tonight.)
"If the sun's heat is so strong then why during the perihelion are the seasons not affected?" (Earth is only very slightly closer to the sun or farther away from the sun during perihelion and aphelion in its orbit; so the tilt is a much bigger effect on the amount of sun energy received, and is essentially the main cause of the different seasons.)
"At what point in your life did you know that you wanted to pursue a teaching career and why?" (About the same time I declared physics as my major; I didn't want to be a physics researcher, but a physics teacher.)
"I have never learned in a flipped classroom, but have always been interested in the concept. Looking forward to experiencing this change of pace from regular lecture classes."
"Is this course going to practice like a flipped classroom would or a conventional classroom?" (Well, kind of like a conventional classroom in that there is still lectures and presentations in class, but like a flipped classroom in that students will preview the material, in order to give feedback on what should be emphasized (or de-emphasized) in the upcoming class.)
"I have never experienced a flipped classroom setting before, but the information you have shared regarding the benefits this form of learning enviornment can have are very interesting to me. Thus far I enjoy having the opportunity to become familiar with course topics prior to attending lecture, as it allows me a chance to identify concepts that may serve as challenging to me prior to setting foot in the classroom. I look forward to seeing how this method of teaching impacts my learning style."
"Do you have any tips for all of the textbook reading that we are going to be doing in class? I get really lost during textbook reading, especially with science classes, and could use a bit of advice." (Skim, skim, and skim, and then after your questions get answered in class, hopefully you can read through the textbook more deeply.)
"How do you REALLY feel about flat Earthers?" (As long as they read their horoscopes, I'm okay with them.)
"Do you believe astrology is able to make accurate predictions about your future?" (No.)
"I'm always so tempted to @ you on Twitter :p"
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