Mobile Space

Using apps to teach astronomy

and space science

Prof. Paul Roche
Chair of Astronomy Education
Univ. of South Wales

Overview
STEM, astronomy & space science

Whats so hard about space?

Apps for teaching astronomy and
space science
STEM education
Science, Technology, Engineering and
Maths
Vital for economic development
Thriving in some countries not in
Europe?
Need more/better ways to encourage
learners to study STEM subjects
Space and STEM
NASA expenditure and PhDs
Apollo inspired a generation to study STEM
Beware correlations
There is the Brian Cox effect...he
is an inspirational role model for
aspiring scientists
Ziggy Liaquat (Edexcel)
Where/how do you learn STEM?
Many more routes to STEM
education today than in the past
Whats so hard about
space?
STEM is hard
Difficult concepts
Many ideas in astronomy and space
are too big/complex/odd

Many concepts require 3D visualisation

Some are counter-intuitive, so
visualisation helps explanation
To understand science, you should
do science
Citizen Science
Recent growth of citizen science

Crowd sourcing using large numbers of
people to analyse (extremely) large
datasets

The power of the many
Welcome to the Zooniverse
We have evidence from Galaxy Zoo that people
who do more classifications learn more
astronomy - in fact, they learn things which aren't
on the site.

The authentic engagement with science provided
by Zooniverse and other citizen science projects is
acting as a motivating factor and inspiring people
to do much more.

Dr. Chris Lintott
Zooniverse/Oxford University

Case study:
Faulkes Telescope Project
Observe the universe
from your smartphone
http://www.faulkes-telescope.com

15 15
Dr. Martin Dill Faulkes
Exoplanet transits
David Hardy (Radyr Comp) and Thomas Ham (Glantaff HS) work
experience, July 2012 observations via iPad/EduRoam wifi
Gaia
6 year mission to video Milky Way

Discoveries
via Twitter etc.

FT users will follow-up real science!
Case study:
Down to Earth
Learn STEM by blowing things up
Deep Space to Deep Impact
FT observing programmes asteroids
and comets in space
Down to Earth project impacts and
meteorites
Asteroid Rotation
10 EU schools, 1 day of observing
Co-ordinated via Skype, Facebook
Death, Destruction & Dinosaurs
Simulating impacts to teach STEM
Mass extinctions dead dinosaurs

Graphical user interface user-friendly,
multi-lingual, interactive

Research code, real physics

http://education.down2earth.eu

Android app
http://www.go-lab-project.eu/

Kerbal Space Program
Fun, interactive
Real physics - orbits, trajectories,
propulsion systems, gravity etc.
Great potential for education!
https://kerbalspaceprogram.com/

Summary
STEM education occurs through many
routes formal and informal, deliberate
and accidental, individual and collective

Astronomy/space ideal topics to inspire
learners to study STEM

Interactive apps provide ideal route for
learners to engage in astronomy/space
http://www.planet-science.com/categories/extras/cosmic-comics/2012/11/cosmic-
comics.aspx

Open sandbox
Started education
programme
http://www.kerbaledu.com/


http://teachergaming.com/


Nebraska Astronomy Applets
Variety of teaching apps suitable for GCSE/A
level through to undergraduate labs
Supported by teaching resources
http://astro.unl.edu/naap/

http://killerasteroids.org
Other impact websites
http://www.purdue.edu/impactearth
Simulating asteroid and
comet impacts
Deep Impact
Use the science of impacts to teach
STEM subjects, e.g.
Kinetic energy, gravity, orbits
Impacts, crater formation
Mass extinctions, life (death!) on Earth
Planetary formation