Online Resources for Teaching Astronomy

The Internet has transformed the teaching of astronomy. Before 1995, instructors were mostly reliant on printed textbooks, 35-mm slides, and their own lecture notes. Depending on local resources, they might also be able to incorporate labs, hands-on activities, and the use of small telescopes. Now, they can choose from a wide, and occasionally bewildering, array of online resources to augment what they do in the classroom. The challenge is to find tools that are either evaluated in peer-reviewed publications or have proven their efficacy in other ways. Two free, open-source introductory astronomy textbooks are Astronomy by Andy Fraknoi et al. and Teach Astronomy by Chris Impey. Fraknoi also has made available a listing of lab activities, the Compilation of Free Astronomy Lab Activities. ComPADRE is a digital library of educational resources in physics and astronomy for instructors and students, sponsored by AAPT and the AAS. An early and important concept inventory is the Astronomy Diagnostic Test (ADT). YouTube is the place to find many excellent videos on astronomy; a noteworthy example is the Astronomy Crash Course series, hosted by Phil Plait. Kevin Lee at the University of Nebraska has created a set of interactive materials on introductory astronomy, including dynamic think-pair-share questions and 15 lab modules built around simulations of physics and astronomy phenomena. A flexible sky-viewing tool is WorldWide Telescope (WWT), an open-source collection of applications and data, including over 50 examples of “tours” of the night sky. Finally, Zooniverse hosts dozens of citizen science applications in astronomy.