Activities-based Astronomy: An Evaluation of an Instructor’s First Attempt and its Impact on Student Characteristics

Abstract

This study assessed the effectiveness of an instructor’s first attempt at an activities-based, non-majors astronomy course. Although students in this course performed as well as those in a lecture-based course, students in the activity-based course had a significant reduction in their self-efficacy with regard to science. Findings suggest that activities were most effective when they helped students to visualize spatial relationships, provided equal opportunity for engagement, and were clearly related to course content. However, activities often led to student confusion regarding the relevancy of activities to course content, the importance of information presented, and the connection between class and textbook information.