A Life in the Universe Survey

Abstract

The “Life in the Universe Survey” is a twelve-question assessment instrument. Largely based on the factors of the Drake equation, it is designed to survey students’ initial estimates of its factors and to gauge how estimates change with instruction. The survey was used in sections of a seminar course focusing specifically on life in the universe where it was designed and validated as well as in sections of introductory astronomy where life in the universe is only a single topic covered at the end of the semester.