Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

The use of traditional written questions to evaluate astronomy education workshops in difficult contexts, marked by high rates of school dropout, low literacy and the presence of non native Italian speakers, can be ineffective. In these situations, it is essential to adopt new and alternative methods. Direct experiences carried out in the outskirts of big Italian cities, where social marginalization is marked, have shown that drawing and other non verbal forms are powerful tools for evaluation. Through drawing, everyone can express their experiences, emotions and levels of learning, offering a valid tool to understand the impact of the activities. This approach allows for an inclusive and intuitive evaluation capable of involving everyone regardless of their linguistic competencies.

About Federico Di Giacomo

Federico Di Giacomo, graduated in cosmology and astrophysics at the University of Bologna in 2013. He has been working at INAF since 2015. He is involved in numerous projects of public engagement and scientific heritage projects. He curated the virtual exhibition "Look up!" and created educational workshops with Save the Children carried out in highly marginalized contexts. He also deals with multisensory content for inclusive astronomy and coordinates outreach activities for the ESA Gaia mission. He is currently involved in the use of emerging technologies to promote the CTAO, the largest ground-based gamma-ray observatory.