Status Report

New Journal on Astronomy/Space Science Education Publishes Its First Volume

By SpaceRef Editor
March 23, 2003
Filed under , ,

We are very pleased to announce completion
of the first volume of “Astronomy Education Review,” the new on-line journal/magazine for
astronomy & space-science education.

The home page for the journal can be
found at http://aer.noao.edu. A brief table of
contents for the main articles in the issues
making up this inaugural volume is below. We
are now ready to receive contributions for the
first issue of volume 2.

Astronomy Education Review aims to serve
a broad audience of those involved in education.
It includes sections of:

1. research papers (and discussions of how
research on teaching and learning applies in
classrooms or other educational settings)

2. short reports on innovative techniques and
approaches

3. annotated lists of educational resources

4. news and opinion pieces

5. announcements of opportunities

The journal welcomes submissions for any
of these sections; guidelines are on the
site, which is currently recording
over 100,000 hits and nearly 5000 separate
sessions each month.

We grateful acknowledge the support of
the National Optical Astronomy Observatories
and the NASA Office of Space Science, as
well as the endorsement of the American
Astronomical Society and the Astronomical
Society of the Pacific, for the journal.

Sidney Wolff and Andrew Fraknoi, Editors

TABLE of CONTENTS:

Astronomy Education Review, Volume 1

ISSUE 1:

1. Research and Applications

* The Role of Assessment in the Development of the College Introductory
Astronomy Course: A “How-to” Guide for Instructors, by Gina Brissenden,
Timothy Slater, and Robert Mathieu.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=1&section=1&article=1

* Observations of Student Behavior in Collaborative Learning Groups, by
Jeffrey Adams, Gina Brissenden, Rebecca Lindell, Timothy Slater, and Joy
Wallace. http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=1&section=1&article=2

* Research-based Reformed Astronomy: Will it Travel?, by Michael Zeilik and
Walter Bisard. http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=1&section=1&article=3

* Development of the Astronomy Diagnostic Test, by Beth Hufnagel.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=1&section=1&article=4

* Results from the Astronomy Diagnostic Test National Project, by Grace
Deming. http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=1&section=1&article=5

* Mental Discipline, Curriculum Reform, and the Decline of U.S. Astronomy
Education 1893-1920, by Jordan Marche.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=1&section=1&article=6

2. Innovation

* A Graduate Seminar on Astronomical Citizenship at Indiana University, by
Catherine Pilachowski and Richard Durisen.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=1&section=2&article=2

3. Resources

* 2002 Survey of Introductory Astronomy Textbooks, by David Bruning.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=1&section=3&article=1

* Astronomy and Poetry: A Resource Guide, by Andrew Fraknoi.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=1&section=3&article=2

4. News and Commentary

* Enrollments in Astronomy 101 Courses, by Andrew Fraknoi
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=1&section=4&article=2

* What Should College Students Learn? Phases and Seasons? Is Less More or
is Less Less?, by Jay Pasachoff
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=1&section=4&article=3

ISSUE 2:

1. Research and Applications

* A Comparison of Group and Individually Completed Course Evaluations in
Introductory Astronomy, by Tanis Lacey Casey and Timothy Slater.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=2&section=2&article=1

* Students’ Pre-instructional Beliefs and Reasoning Strategies about
Astrobiology Concepts, by Erika Offerdahl, Edward Prather, and Tim Slater.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=2&section=2&article=2

* Hints of a Fundamental Misconception in Cosmology, by Edward
Prather, Timothy Slater, and Erika Offerdahl.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=2&section=2&article=3

* The Gender Gap in Cosmology: Results from a Small Case Study of
Undergraduates, by Elizabeth Miller.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=2&section=2&article=4

* Birth of the Astronomy Diagnostic Test: Prototest Evolution, by Michael
Zeilik. http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=2&section=2&article=5

* Educational Science CD-ROM Utilization: An Investigation of Science
Software Programs in the K-12 Classroom, by Rebecca Knudsen.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=2&section=2&article=6

* So What IS the Astronomy Major?, by Juan Cabanela and Bruce Partridge.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=2&section=2&article=7

* Misconceptions Scientists Often Have About the K-12 National Science
Education Standards, by Cherilynn Morrow.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=2&section=2&article=8

2. Resources

* Teaching Astronomy with Science Fiction: A Resource Guide, by Andrew
Fraknoi. http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=2&section=4&article=3

3. News and Commentary

* Twelve Bad Words, by David Morrison.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=2&section=5&article=2

* Tolerance for Astrology?, by Michael LoPresto.
http://aer.noao.edu/AERArticle.php?issue=2&section=5&article=4

plus reviews, letters to the editor, and announcements of opportunities.

SpaceRef staff editor.