Shaw-IAU Workshops by the OAE

The observation diary is a source of authentic data available to almost all students. As part of a course on scientific inquiry, students were instructed to observe and track the night sky over a period of four weeks. Students then used their own data from the observation diary to come up with their own view of movements in the sky and analyse the plausibility of ancient theories of the universe. We find that students could connect these observations of the sky with the modern heliocentric model, and at the same time could also recognise that in the absence of modern observations and data, the ancient view of the sky made sense. The diary task was also quite positively received, and helped to reconnect urban students with the night sky.

About Yang Jiahui Abel

Abel Yang is a senior lecturer at the National University of Singapore. He completed his PhD at the University of Virginia in 2012. He has taught hands-on practical astronomy as an undergraduate nonmajor course for over 15 years and has an interest in active learning methods.