UW Astronomy Education Library

The Astronomy Education Library is a small part of the Telkamp-Baer library located in B356.

Author Title Summary Comments Publisher

Methods, Strategies, Guides

Slater, T.F., Adams, J.P. Learner-Centered Astronomy Teaching: Strategies for Astro 101 The goal of this book "is to present a mix of tried-and-true teaching strategies, results from research in teaching and learning, and some of our own "in the trenches" experiences to help faculty interested in engaging in a process of continual improvement designed to enhance student outcomes and teacher satisfaction." 1. Introduction 2. Goals and Objectives 3. Teaching for Understanding 4. Designing an Effective Syllabus 5. Lecturing for Active Participation 6. Implementing Small-Group Collaborative Learning 7. Strategies for Writing Effective Multiple Choice Tests 8. Alternatives to M-C Tests 9. Course Evaluations 10. The Teaching Portfolio: Demonstrating Excellence Highly recommended. A fast read with lots of ideas and, "Hey, I'm not the only one experiencing this in my large lecture class! I'll try this idea." Contains examples and lots of useable material. (A. Larson) Prentice Hall (2003)

Royse, D. Teaching Tips for College and University Instructors, A Practical Guide Offered to the reader as a guide, a handbook. Full of practical advice, and help in acquiring additional preparation for many of the situations and problems that can arise during an academic term. 1. Mental Groundwork 2. Basic Course Components 3. Classroom Strategies 4. Small Groups, Peer Learning 5. Teaching the Large Lecture Class 6. Teaching Students How to Learn 7. Experiential Learning 8. Use of Instructional Technology 9. Examinations 10. Grading 11. Managing Problem Situations 12. Cheating 13. Humor in the Classroom 14. Improving Teaching Performance 15. Teaching and the Tenure Track 16. Values and Ethics 17. Have you Chosen the Right Career Highly Recommended. Current (wtr 03) text for Astro 500. Lots of underlining on my part. (A. Larson) Allyn and Bacon (2001)

Adams, J.P., Prather, E.E., Slater, T.F. Lecture-Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy (Preliminary Edition) "...a collection of classroom-tested activities designed for the large-lecture introductory astronomy class, although suitable for any astronomy class. These Lecture-Tutorials aore short, structured activities designed for students to complete while working in pairs. Each activity targets one or more specific learning objectives based on research on student difficulties in astronomy. Most acitivites can be completed in 10 - 15 minutes." A quick look-through indicated some very useable material. (A. Larson) Pearson Education, Inc. (2002)

Cross, K.P., Angelo, T.A. Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for Faculty This book is based on extensive classroom research. In selecting the assessment techniques, the authors were guided by: 1) Will the assessment technique provide information about what students are learning in individual classrooms? 2) Does the technique forcus on "alterable variables"--aspects of teacher or learner behavior that can be changed to promote better learning? 3) Will it give teachers and students information they can use to make midcourse changes and corrections? 4) Is the assessment technique relatively simple to prepare and use? 5) Are the results from the use of the technique relatively quick and easy to analyze? Cross-disciplinary, and so more time is needed to pull out material and methods relevant to astronomy. More of a "first principles" study for what Royse, Slater, Adams, Prather, and others have interpreted for astronomy teachers. National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning(1988)

Following books are located in the "Larson Library of Learning," Room C335

Pasachoff, J.M. and Percy J.R. (Eds) The Teaching of Astronomy -- IAU Colloquium 105 Sessions at thie Colloquium covered: 1. Curriculum 2. Astronomy and Culture 3. The Teaching Process 4. Student Projects 5. Computers 6. Textbooks 7. Teaching Aids and Resources 8. Conceptions/Misconceptions 9. High School Courses 10. Teacher Training 11. Popularization 12. Planetariums {sic] 13. Developing Countries Cambridge University Press (1988)

Cummings, C., Teaching Makes a Difference {Directed towards elementary and middle- school teachers, with something to contribute to college instructors] (Teaching, Inc. 1990)
Fraknoi, A., Universe in the Classroom (Freeman, 1985)
Green, P.J., Peer Instruction for Astronomy (Prentice Hall, 2003)
Palen, S., Schaum's Outlines: Astronomy (McGraw Hill, 2002)
Seldin, P., The Teaching Portfolio -- A Practical Guide to Improved Performance and Promotion/Tenure Decisions (Anker, 1997, 2nd ed.)
Wankat, P.C., The Effective, Efficient Professor--Teaching, Scholarship, and Service (Allyn and Bacon, 2002)
Webber, E., S.M.A.R.T. Management for Teaching and Learning (Hara Publishing, 2001)

Activities Manuals, Lab Books, Publishers' Instructor Resource Manuals, Test Banks, etc.

Robbins, R.R., Jefferys, W.H., Shawl, S.J. Discovering Astronomy Activities Manual and Kit (3rd Ed) This manual is integrated into Discovering Astronomy, but could be used independently with other texts. "Kit includes three general kinds of activities: observations of the sky; experiments using lenses, diffraction gratings, and polaroid filters; and activities using photographs to make measurements and form conclusions. An appendix contains more extensive telescopic observing activities." The activities in this manual offer a parallel track to those in our Clearinghouse. There are a number of standard activities, plus some very different from what our department has developed. John Wiley & Sons (1995)

Chaisson, McMillan Astronomy, A Beginner's Guide to the Universe Student writing questions, explanations, additional problems, solutions, etc. Prentice Hall (1998)

Bennett, J., et al. The Cosmic Perspective (2nd Ed), Test Bank Like many test banks, most of the questions are directed at the lower levels of cognitive learning: knowledge and comprehension. I've found that after using some of these questions it is not too big of an effort to rephrase them so that the student actually needs to think (understanding, analysis, synthesis) in order to answer the question. A resource for questions to which one could apply "Bloom's Taxonomy" and make them better. (A. Larson) Addison Wesley (2002)

Author	Title	Summary	Comments	Publisher
Methods, Strategies, Guides
Slater, T.F., Adams, J.P.	Learner-Centered Astronomy Teaching: Strategies for Astro 101	The goal of this book "is to present a mix of tried-and-true teaching strategies, results from research in teaching and learning, and some of our own "in the trenches" experiences to help faculty interested in engaging in a process of continual improvement designed to enhance student outcomes and teacher satisfaction." 1. Introduction 2. Goals and Objectives 3. Teaching for Understanding 4. Designing an Effective Syllabus 5. Lecturing for Active Participation 6. Implementing Small-Group Collaborative Learning 7. Strategies for Writing Effective Multiple Choice Tests 8. Alternatives to M-C Tests 9. Course Evaluations 10. The Teaching Portfolio: Demonstrating Excellence	Highly recommended. A fast read with lots of ideas and, "Hey, I'm not the only one experiencing this in my large lecture class! I'll try this idea." Contains examples and lots of useable material. (A. Larson)	Prentice Hall (2003)
Royse, D.	Teaching Tips for College and University Instructors, A Practical Guide	Offered to the reader as a guide, a handbook. Full of practical advice, and help in acquiring additional preparation for many of the situations and problems that can arise during an academic term. 1. Mental Groundwork 2. Basic Course Components 3. Classroom Strategies 4. Small Groups, Peer Learning 5. Teaching the Large Lecture Class 6. Teaching Students How to Learn 7. Experiential Learning 8. Use of Instructional Technology 9. Examinations 10. Grading 11. Managing Problem Situations 12. Cheating 13. Humor in the Classroom 14. Improving Teaching Performance 15. Teaching and the Tenure Track 16. Values and Ethics 17. Have you Chosen the Right Career	Highly Recommended. Current (wtr 03) text for Astro 500. Lots of underlining on my part. (A. Larson)	Allyn and Bacon (2001)
Adams, J.P., Prather, E.E., Slater, T.F.	Lecture-Tutorials for Introductory Astronomy (Preliminary Edition)	"...a collection of classroom-tested activities designed for the large-lecture introductory astronomy class, although suitable for any astronomy class. These Lecture-Tutorials aore short, structured activities designed for students to complete while working in pairs. Each activity targets one or more specific learning objectives based on research on student difficulties in astronomy. Most acitivites can be completed in 10 - 15 minutes."	A quick look-through indicated some very useable material. (A. Larson)	Pearson Education, Inc. (2002)
Cross, K.P., Angelo, T.A.	Classroom Assessment Techniques: A Handbook for Faculty	This book is based on extensive classroom research. In selecting the assessment techniques, the authors were guided by: 1) Will the assessment technique provide information about what students are learning in individual classrooms? 2) Does the technique forcus on "alterable variables"--aspects of teacher or learner behavior that can be changed to promote better learning? 3) Will it give teachers and students information they can use to make midcourse changes and corrections? 4) Is the assessment technique relatively simple to prepare and use? 5) Are the results from the use of the technique relatively quick and easy to analyze?	Cross-disciplinary, and so more time is needed to pull out material and methods relevant to astronomy. More of a "first principles" study for what Royse, Slater, Adams, Prather, and others have interpreted for astronomy teachers.	National Center for Research to Improve Postsecondary Teaching and Learning(1988)
Following books are located in the "Larson Library of Learning," Room C335
Pasachoff, J.M. and Percy J.R. (Eds)	The Teaching of Astronomy -- IAU Colloquium 105	Sessions at thie Colloquium covered: 1. Curriculum 2. Astronomy and Culture 3. The Teaching Process 4. Student Projects 5. Computers 6. Textbooks 7. Teaching Aids and Resources 8. Conceptions/Misconceptions 9. High School Courses 10. Teacher Training 11. Popularization 12. Planetariums {sic] 13. Developing Countries		Cambridge University Press (1988)
Cummings, C., Teaching Makes a Difference {Directed towards elementary and middle- school teachers, with something to contribute to college instructors] (Teaching, Inc. 1990) Fraknoi, A., Universe in the Classroom (Freeman, 1985) Green, P.J., Peer Instruction for Astronomy (Prentice Hall, 2003) Palen, S., Schaum's Outlines: Astronomy (McGraw Hill, 2002) Seldin, P., The Teaching Portfolio -- A Practical Guide to Improved Performance and Promotion/Tenure Decisions (Anker, 1997, 2nd ed.) Wankat, P.C., The Effective, Efficient Professor--Teaching, Scholarship, and Service (Allyn and Bacon, 2002) Webber, E., S.M.A.R.T. Management for Teaching and Learning (Hara Publishing, 2001)
Activities Manuals, Lab Books, Publishers' Instructor Resource Manuals, Test Banks, etc.
Robbins, R.R., Jefferys, W.H., Shawl, S.J.	Discovering Astronomy Activities Manual and Kit (3rd Ed)	This manual is integrated into Discovering Astronomy, but could be used independently with other texts. "Kit includes three general kinds of activities: observations of the sky; experiments using lenses, diffraction gratings, and polaroid filters; and activities using photographs to make measurements and form conclusions. An appendix contains more extensive telescopic observing activities."	The activities in this manual offer a parallel track to those in our Clearinghouse. There are a number of standard activities, plus some very different from what our department has developed.	John Wiley & Sons (1995)
Chaisson, McMillan	Astronomy, A Beginner's Guide to the Universe	Student writing questions, explanations, additional problems, solutions, etc.		Prentice Hall (1998)
Bennett, J., et al.	The Cosmic Perspective (2nd Ed), Test Bank		Like many test banks, most of the questions are directed at the lower levels of cognitive learning: knowledge and comprehension. I've found that after using some of these questions it is not too big of an effort to rephrase them so that the student actually needs to think (understanding, analysis, synthesis) in order to answer the question. A resource for questions to which one could apply "Bloom's Taxonomy" and make them better. (A. Larson)	Addison Wesley (2002)