The Invisible Universe Online: Design of a Distance-learning Astronomy Course for Secondary Science Teachers

Abstract

This paper presents the course structure for the Invisible Universe Online, an Internet-delivered distance-learning course for secondary science teachers that focuses on astronomical origins and multiwavelength astronomy. Developed through support by the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA) and the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF) Education and Public Outreach programs, the course was implemented to test approaches to distance learning for use in future teacher flight training for SOFIA. The paper provides an overview and details of the structure of the course, with the intent of providing a model for astronomy and science educators interested in developing online courses for science teachers. A related paper appearing in the AER (Keller & Slater 2003) provides a preliminary evaluation of the course and describes several lessons learned through its design and implementation. The course Web site is (uri: http:∕∕btc.montana.edu∕ceres∕origin-s∕SP02∕).