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SCIENCE & IT
Bringing the cosmos into the classroom The mysteries of the universe are being revealed in classrooms around the country through a new project from Charles Sturt University which allows school students to study and photograph planets, stars and even galaxies. Since August, science classes and their teachers from 140 schools are coming on line around Australia to experience real-time astronomy using the high-powered, research class Charles Sturt University telescope and its advanced camera equipment via the Internet.
One of the myriad of distant objects school students can view through the CSU telescope is Galaxy M83, also known as the Southern Whirlpool. “When students first see a star, a planet or a galaxy whose light may have been travelling for millions of years, the response is amazing,” said CSU Associate Professor of Online Teaching & Learning David McKinnon. A passionate astronomer himself, Professor McKinnon received over $200,000 from the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST) through its Quality Outcomes Programme for a national project to develop materials that tie directly into the Australian curriculum for junior high school students and their science teachers. “Astronomy education for the vast majority of students from Years 7 through to 9 tends to be theoretical, going to the library or studying from a text book,” he said.
CSU Associate Professor David McKinnon (above), views the heavens with the CSU Telescope located in Bathurst, NSW. Professor McKinnon has written two practical astronomy texts, a workbook for students in Years 7, 8 and 9, and a comprehensive teacher’s guide. “For those teachers without extensive prior knowledge of astronomy, this project gives them the tools to feel confident in meeting the outcomes of the science curriculum. By providing an exciting resource for teachers to use via the Web, Professor McKinnon hopes to engage and retain the interest of students in science beyond their high school years through to University. “The course is underpinned by a whole lot of science and mathematics,” Professor McKinnon said. “For example, the first thing for students to do is to learn how to take control of the telescope and to decide what pictures they want to take. At the same time they are learning the factors that determine what objects are visible in the sky above the telescope during the time they are in control.” Through this project, students can study the moon, planets, clusters of stars and galaxies, objects as far as 450 to 600 million light years away from Earth. Each school receives a package which contains materials to support teachers and students in their learning about space and the universe. A CD-ROM contains image-processing software, images for study and practice and PowerPoint slide presentations that show the observatory, the telescope and its cameras. Instructions walk the user through the software needed to set up their local computer for telescope access and for the image-processing needed to enhance photographs received from the telescope. It is not only Australian students who are reaping the benefit from Professor McKinnon’s love of astronomy. He has also developed material for both upper primary and junior high school students which is in use, along with access to the CSU telescope in Holland, the United Kingdom, Canada and South Africa. The South Polar region of the Moon (above) viewed through the CSU telescope and controlled via the Internet. ends
Editor's Note: Associate Professor David McKinnon is with Charles Sturt University's School of Teacher Education, based on the University's Bathurst Campus, NSW. See more on the CSU Telescope and this project at the CSU Telescope website. Media Note: Print quality versions of images shown here and others of Professor McKinnon are available from the CSU Media Office. Related Images:  |
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