A Little Effort Goes A Long Way:
Results From A Teacher's Perspective
The benefits of this program turned out to be much greater than
anticipated. In addition to exposing students to the wonders of
original scientific research, it motivated them to learn the
astrophysics being taught in the lecture part of the course, it
taught them valuable skills in communication, team work, and time-line management,
and it provided an avenue for recognition of their hard work in the course.
One of the best benefits of this project that I witnessed was the pride
the students felt for completing a project of this scale, and the
recognition they received for their efforts. Undergraduate research is
an important aspect of education at NCSU, and together with the local
chapter of Sigma Xi, NCSU hosts an Undergraduate Research Symposium each
spring. The students in this project submitted a poster for their
research project to the symposium, and
received special recognition for their work.
Experiencing Original Scientific Research
The original goal of this program was to expose students to
the process and rewards of original scientific research.
The students were given a chance to
see first hand how science works, not just the results of previous
scientific endeavors. Many of the students were surprised (upset?)
at first when they realized there were no definitive answers to the
questions they were asking in this project. For the first time in
their science careers they were learning how science is done, not
just the knowledge we have learned through science.
Motivation For Course Material
The subject material of the project (stellar
jets) provided a context for many of the subjects discussed in the
traditional lecture part of the course. The course being taught,
Stellar Astrophysics, introduces students to many different aspects of
physics, in some cases overwhelming students with the breadth of
material covered. By relating this material to the research project,
students had a familiar setting from which to understand the new
physics. This new perspective gave the students a better idea of
how these ideas fit into a larger picture, and provided motivation for
learning the new ideas - often their research depended on it.
Obvious examples of this tie-in include the subject of star formation
and supersonic jets, but extended to almost all aspects of the course;
stellar evolution, interstellar medium, hydrodynamics, radiative transfer,
radiation mechanisms, and much more.
One of many examples is the Boltzmann equation, relating the excitation
of atoms to the temperature of the gas. In past years students reluctantly
learned how to plug numbers into this equation to solve their homework
problems. The students in this class, however, wanted to know what
the Boltzmann equation meant, so that they could learn information
about the superjet from the observed optical line emission.
Teamwork Skills
The nature of a group project also gave students training in
communication, team work, and time-line management. These are skills
that will serve the students well after graduation. This aspect also
showed the benefits of group learning, when students discuss material
and help each other grasp the concepts under study.
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