Effective use of a computer planetarium to improve students' understanding of moon phases and eclipses.

Abstract

The computer planetarium is a type of software program for Astronomy. It is designed to produce full-motion simulations of sky objects and to provide a variety of photographic and text-based information in Astronomy. A computer planetarium called Red Shift was used to improve college students' understanding of Moon phases and eclipses, two topics that have traditionally been difficult for students to grasp. Following regular classroom instruction in Moon phases and eclipses, two groups of participants each received a different form of instruction employing Red Shift. Participants in the computer group worked in groups of three at one computer station for approximately 45 minutes. Following a step-by-step procedures list and an instructional script read aloud by one of the group members, they investigated a series of simulations using Red Shift. The video group watched a 21-minute videotape of the same simulations and audible instructional script. The primary focus of the study was to determine which method would be more effective at helping students to better understand and visualize the phenomena of Moon phases and eclipses. A 32-question multiple-choice test was used to measure students' understanding before and after the respective treatments. A separate questionnaire was used to evaluate students' attitudes toward the treatment and their perceptions of its effectiveness. Both methods were found to have significant, though small, positive effects on student test scores. Though test score improvement was similar for the two methods, students receiving the computer method had more positive attitudes toward the mode of instruction as well as the subject matter. The computer group also rated the treatment's effectiveness higher than did the video group. Finally, the treatment was found to have a positive effect on certain misconceptions which were held by some of the participants in the study.