Learning from starlight - Progettare per comprendere
Experiencing mobile technologies to improve education and outreach of Astrophysics
Emerging technologies in the field of wireless communications used in conjunction with mobile devices are leading to the development of new opportunities for the educational environment to improve learning and teaching experience. The emerging mobile learning paradigm tries to implement the vision of ubiquitous and pervasive computing: within this scenario, the "Learning from Starlight" project aims at experiencing these technologies to improve education and outreach of Astrophysics.
Three classroom of students of three different stages in the Italian education programme have been involved to join the two phases of which the educational project has been composed: one at school, one in our research institute. The yearlong classroom activity, relating the observation and analysis of astrophysical phenomena, has been in fact followed by a full day in our Observatory to consolidate the acquired knowledge and to have a direct interaction with astronomers. The projects has used a suitable equipment granted by Hewlett Packard Foundation which provided us with 26 of tablet PC and 26 Pocket PC and other useful devices for a complete planning of an educational yearlong activity. The activity started in October 2004 and completed in June 2005. Grant of 100.000 US $ of the H.P. Philantrophy Foundation
People: L. Benacchio, C. Boccato, E. Lazzaretto, L. Nobili, S. Pastore
Collaboration: A. Turricchia (Aula Didattica Planetario, Didactics, Municipality of Bologna)
Publications: Pastore et al. (2005), Proceeding of m-ICTE2005 ; Pastore et al. (2005), Proceeding of GARR_05 conference
Links: link