On-line Astronomical Tutorials
Edward Murphy, Astronomy
2002 TTI Fellow
Email: emm8x@Virginia.EDU
Project website: http://www.astro.virginia.edu/~emm8x/tutorials.htm
My TTI project is to develop a series of on-line tutorials to better instruct students in the introductory astronomy sequence for non-majors -- Astronomy 121/124.
The pedagogical goals of the tutorials will be:
- To improve students' problem solving skills.
- To improve students' math proficiency using astronomical concepts.
- To address simple logic and math problems, including graphical analysis.
- To integrate mathematical calculations and an emphasis on conceptual understanding into the curriculum.
The introductory astronomy sequence is, arguably, the most popular science sequence at the University of Virginia. Each semester, approximately 1250 undergraduates enroll in the introductory sequence for non-majors. The faculty of the Department of Astronomy have found a significant fraction of the students have difficulty with the simple college level algebra and trigonometry that the course requires. Students therefore lack the skills necessary to derive a more significant understanding of the basic physical principles based on an equation.
During my office hours, for example, I spend about 75% of my time with students discussing math problems with students who are struggling with simple algebraic operations. The best solution for these students is to spend some time tutoring them in basic algebra -- tutoring being the best pedagogical technique for teaching math. There are two constraints that prevent this approach: 1) Students do not have the time to come to office hours; 2) the department does not have enough faculty or TAs to tutor large numbers of students each semester.
This TTI project will therefore investigate using instructional technology to tutor students in basic problem solving and math skills. The primary goal is to create highly interactive tutoring modules that will offer the students guidance and feedback to help them learn independently.
The modules will guide the students by emulating four features of one-on-one tutoring: 1) Correct student errors immediately so that a simple error does not compound the misunderstanding; 2) encourages students if they make correct choices (This both increases their confidence and assures them that they are completing the exercise correctly.); 3) allows students to stop and ask a question or request help if a topic is unclear; 4) monitors their performance to determine if they need additional help.
The software modules will be interactive and responsive. By interactive, I mean that students will be required to input answers at multiple points during the exercise. They will be required to work out the logic and/or mathematics and then answer a series of questions that assess their understanding and which will allow them to precede to the next step. By responsive, I mean that the software will monitor their answers, looking for common errors and misconceptions. If the student makes a mistake, the software will open a new window that open out their error and provides an explanation of the correct answer. The tutorials will also provide positive feedback to increase the student's confidence and to inform them that they are on the right track. At every stage, students will have the option of calling up help boxes to assist them when they are not sure what to do. The interactive nature of the tutorials is vital.