Dr. Sofoklis SotiriouDr. Sofoklis SotiriouELLINOGERMANIKI AGOGIELLINOGERMANIKI AGOGI

44thth International Conference on International Conference on Information Communication Technologies in EducationInformation Communication Technologies in Education

Samos Island, 03 – 05 July 2003Samos Island, 03 – 05 July 2003

Teaching Science with a

Robotic Telescope

EUDOXOS

• PartnershipPartnership• Project’s descriptionProject’s description • Aims and ObjectivesAims and Objectives• User’s InterfaceUser’s Interface• Project’s RunProject’s Run• Educational ActivitiesEducational Activities• EvaluationEvaluation• Future plansFuture plans

• NCSR, "Demokritos“NCSR, "Demokritos“, Coordinator, Greece, Coordinator, Greece

• Ellinogermaniki AgogiEllinogermaniki Agogi, Greece, Greece

• University of Athens, Pedagogical Department, University of Athens, Pedagogical Department, GreeceGreece

• UniversiUniversity of ty of Cadiz, Cadiz, SpainSpain

• Management Center Innsbruck, AustriaManagement Center Innsbruck, Austria

• 4 European High Schools, Greece, Austria, Italy, Spain4 European High Schools, Greece, Austria, Italy, Spain

The Partnership

Project’s descriptionProject’s description

The Eudoxos project utilizes a 60cm Cassegrain type remotely The Eudoxos project utilizes a 60cm Cassegrain type remotely

controlled robotic telescope with large-format CCD camera, in order controlled robotic telescope with large-format CCD camera, in order

to develop a framework to teach science subjects to High School to develop a framework to teach science subjects to High School

students through an interdisciplinary approach, spanning through students through an interdisciplinary approach, spanning through

the areas of mathematics, statistics, chemistry, physics etc. and of the areas of mathematics, statistics, chemistry, physics etc. and of

course astronomy, astrophysics and cosmologycourse astronomy, astrophysics and cosmology. Students and . Students and

teachers from 4 European schools are involved in extended trials in teachers from 4 European schools are involved in extended trials in

the framework of the their normal school curriculum. the framework of the their normal school curriculum. The robotic The robotic

telescope is installed in the Eudoxos National Observatory on the telescope is installed in the Eudoxos National Observatory on the

Ainos mountain of Kefallinia Island (Ionian Sea), Greece.Ainos mountain of Kefallinia Island (Ionian Sea), Greece.

Kefallinia Island, Greece

Eudoxos Observatory

Andreas Michalitsianos Telescope

Aims and ObjectivesAims and Objectives

• The development of a pedagogical framework that will allow successful application of the emerging technology in everyday learning

•enhancement of a constructivist approach in science teaching

•development of a new educational tool and learning environment

•development of a concrete evaluation scheme of educational and technological aspects

User InterfaceUser Interface

• Development of Lesson plans

• Teachers training

• Two cycles of school-centered work in real school environments

• Evaluation of the educational and technological aspects

Project’s runProject’s run

Educational ActivitiesEducational Activities

The students have the opportunityThe students have the opportunity::

• To make astronomical observationsTo make astronomical observations

• To collect dataTo collect data

• To analyze the astronomical dataTo analyze the astronomical data

• To exchange opinionsTo exchange opinions

• To communicate their resultsTo communicate their results

Measuring the height of the lunar craters

kmarcpix

km DL

L5102

kmKm

kmkm L

R

dh

Asteroids’ Rotation PeriodsAsteroids’ Rotation Periods

Does the Sun Rotate?Does the Sun Rotate?

• Evaluation of the pedagogical framework

• Evaluation of the student’s learning

• Ethnographic evaluation

Evaluation of the projectEvaluation of the project

Evaluation frameworkEvaluation framework

Experimental Group

TIMSS IIITIMSS III ICTICT

TestsTests

Phase A

Phase B

TIMSS IITIMSS II ICTICT

Mon

itor

ing

ΤΙM

SS

Mon

itor

ing

ΤΙM

SS

Control Group

TIMSS IITIMSS II ICTICT

TIMSS IIITIMSS III ICTICT

TestsTests

pre-test

Running

post-test

Future plansFuture plans

• The development of network of telescopes for educational useThe development of network of telescopes for educational use (collaboration with the University of San Diego, Chile)(collaboration with the University of San Diego, Chile)

• The addition of new exercises to the lesson plans to cover moreThe addition of new exercises to the lesson plans to cover more scientific topics as possiblescientific topics as possible

• Using satellite channel to optimize the internet Using satellite channel to optimize the internet connection of the connection of the

telescopetelescope

The Eudoxos Project is partly financed by the European Commission in the framework of the program eLearning Action Plan - Preparatory and innovative actions

www.ellinogermaniki.gr/ep/eudoxos