As we turn more and more to high-end computing to understand the Universe at cosmological scales, dynamic visualizations of simulations will take on a vital role as perceptual and cognitive tools. In collaboration with the Adler Planetarium and University of California High-Performance AstroComputing Center (UC-HiPACC), I am interested in better understanding the use of visualizations to mediate astronomy learning across formal and informal settings. In this research, I use quantitative methods to investigate how 122 post-secondary learners are relying on color to interpret dark matter in a
In this study, the instructional effectiveness of the planetarium in astronomy education was explored through a meta-analysis of 19 studies. This analysis resulted in a heterogeneous distribution of 24 effect sizes with a mean of +0.28, p<.05. The variability in this distribution was not fully explained under a fixed effect model. As a result, a random effects model was applied. However, a large random effect variance component indicated that study differences were indeed systematic. The findings of this meta-analysis showed that the planetarium has been an effective astronomical teaching tool
Despite decades of research on the importance of engagement and interaction in learning experiences, programs produced for planetarium audiences are primarily passive in nature. Planetarium professionals were interviewed with regard to their goals and beliefs for planetarium experiences, specifically focusing on goals for children, and their interest with regard to a program format that integrates segments of live interaction with automated content (N=36). Planetarium professionals' goals most frequently reflect increasing content knowledge and motivating audiences to continue learning. To
This study extends our understanding of the goals, beliefs, and pedagogical choices made by planetarium professionals. Interviews were conducted with planetarium professionals (N=36) to assess their goals for audiences and beliefs about the design of the learning environment. Classification of participants, according to a six-facet framework on effective learning environment design, suggests a range of perspectives on the design of the learning environment that primarily include learner-centered, motivationally-oriented, socioculturally-centered, and physically-oriented perspectives. Results
We investigated whether and how student performance on three types of spatial cognition tasks differs when worked with two-dimensional or stereoscopic representations. We recruited nineteen middle school students visiting a planetarium in a large Midwestern American city and analyzed their performance on a series of spatial cognition tasks in terms of response accuracy and task completion time. Results show that response accuracy did not differ between the two types of representations while task completion time was significantly greater with the stereoscopic representations. The completion
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American Association of Variable Star ObserversAaron PriceLee Hee-Sun