Purpose + Work plan

PURPOSE

The free courses of NASE have a main objective which is promoting the teaching of astronomy training teachers (primary, secondary and university) and promoting the teaching/active learning of the discipline through models and phenomena observation.

REQUIREMENTS AND/OR PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE REQUIRED

Primary school teachers, secondary school teachers of any area, tertiary teachers (science teachers) and similar university basic cycle careers, students of advanced teacher courses.

It is not necessary prior knowledge of astronomy.

FORMAT (All courses can be given face-to-face, online or hybrids)

The general course of Astronomy, Astrophysics, Astrobiology and Astro-culture comprises 4 days of classes on basic concepts and includes observations and an astronomical visit. y una Astron. Visitnómica. It contains 4 lectures, 10 workshops and 2 working groups.

As shorter courses, there have been structured four new courses that include 2 lectures or working groups and 4 workshops or working groups.

In any of the four mentioned courses, the practical activities can be carried out in the classroom without the use of special instruments, but simply using devices produced by the teachers themselves with the help and the free software of the students.

Working groups for discussions and poster sessions are organized general to show what the participants are doing in astronomy. For better understanding of the activities, please, you should refer to “Work Plan: concepts, contents and schedules” section of this same web page.

Themes of the lectures: Stellar evolution, Cosmology, History of Astronomy and Solar System

Themes of the workshops: Local horizon and watches of Sun, Movement of the stars, the Sun and the Moon, Stages and eclipses and Briefcase from the young astronomer, Solar spectrum and sunspots, Life of stars, Astronomy beyond the visible, Expansion of the Universe, Planets and exoplanets and Elements of Astrobiology

Topics for Working Groups: Preparation observations and Astronomy in the city or Arqueoastronomy.

The course for teachers of very young children is organized into a conference, 4 workshops
and a working group.

• Kids-Astronomy course

The philosophy of the course is analogous to those previously mentioned. The practical
activities are simple and with materials that are very easy to obtain. The topics to be discussed
are stellar evolution with a story, preliminaries of the solar system, the phases of the Moon,
the Earth as a globe and rudiments of observation.

METHODS AND MEANS USED FOR THE EVALUATION

– At the beginning of the course, a written diagnostic evaluation is carried out (multiple choice). During the course, evaluations are made by direct observations of workshops implementation.

– On the last day of the course, a final evaluation is done, which consists in the same test made in the diagnosis (same paper, answers with different colour).

– At the end of the course, it proceeds to fill a satisfaction survey, which must be completed by the student and delivered to its assessment.

– Finally, one proceeds to an impact assessment (or monitoring of the learning transfer) after a few months, which consists in a knowledge assessment (specific questions about contents), use of the NASE materials (if the same were used in the curricular spaces, how often and depth). This evaluation is made by an especially prepared questionnaire for this course, which can be answered by Internet and online, and that provides immediate results that will allow you to keep statistics and impact studies up to date.

OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSABILITIES OF THE STUDENTS

– Attendance at least 80% of the course activities.

– Attend the course with all the necessary materials for carrying out the activities of mockup, models, etc. One or two weeks before the start of the course, students will be informed of the materials list required, by email to the registered participants.

OBLIGATIONS AND RESPONSABILITIES OF NASE

The course is totally free for the participants. The infrastructure, logistics and other elements or resources associated to the dictation of the course are provided by the local organization.

In relation to the materials required for the development of the workshops, NASE provides:

– A list of perishable or supplies elements for the participants: these are provided by the local organization. The list of these elements is published on the NASE web site, in the language of the country (Section “Elements list” on the NASE web page).

– Photocopies for the workshops development, the file shall be selected in accordance with the latitude of the place in which they performed the course. The files are available in the NASE web page, in the language in which it was done the course. (This material should be delivered printed to participating teachers).

– Reference Material: Each participant receives by email the conferences and workshops: texts and PowerPoint presentations. All is available on the NASE web page.

SUPPORT FOR TRAINING

– Teachers in primary and secondary schools can find useful supporting documents for their activities in the school in the NASE web page, “Supplementary material” section.

– The materials have been produced in several languages.

DISSATISFACTION OF ANY OF THE PARTIES CONCERNED

In case of conflict or disagreement, we will proceed to the resolution of that conflict by a Nonconformity approach, which will give an Immediate Solution and finally a Corrective Action.

CERTIFICATES

NASE provides a certification of international scope. The certificate is nominative, with the dni number if this is required, with the accrediting of being a work group of the IAU, International Astronomical Union, and with the backing of local institutions in each country, and in the case of the Argentine Republic, the CONICET. This certificate is given to the students who have participated (minimum) in 80% of the course activities.

PARTICIPANTS AND INSTRUCTORS

Participants will be between 40 and 50 teachers in primary and secondary education in the host country.

Instructors will be members of NASE and 6 to 8 teachers of the host country/city.