Focus Meeting 15 - Abstracts
The OAD from an Indian Perspective
Kembhavi, Ajit
In my talk I will first summarise some key points which emerge from the FM15 presentations and discussions. Then I will consider the OAD from an Indian perspective. India has a highly developed astronomical base. Indian astronomers are engaged in a wide range of astronomical and astrophysical research, including theory, observations, data analysis and instrumentation. India has telescopes on the ground and in space, and is a partner in important international projects. The professional astronomy has percolated to the levels of college and high school students as well as the general public. India therefore has a vigorous amateur astronomical movement which often translates into developmental activity. India is also a major and successful participant in the International Olympiads, including the astronomical Olympiads, which again helps in meeting developmental goals. Many of these activities are supported by the Astronomical Society of India, which has its own range of high intensity events. The nature and level of the activities and developmental goals in India closely mirror those of the OAD and the ROADs, and yet India has so far not been working closely with the OAD. Integrating the Indian efforts with those of the OAD could bring great mutual benefit and provide opportunities to various countries to participate in the Indian activities through collaborations and visits. I will provide examples of what is possible.
How publication and peer review are evolving in the life sciences: implications for astronomy
Allen, Liz
Publication has traditionally been defined to include functions such as registration, certification, dissemination and archiving. However, with the growing number of articles being published, it is becoming increasingly important to have filtering and selection, and to provide routes and metrics for behaviours to be recognised and rewarded.This session will discuss the limitations and challenges facing traditional journal-level article selection, and make the case for why the current peer review paradigm needs to be separated into two discrete stages – technical peer review and peer review for interest/impact.The value of a piece of research can take many forms. Currently assessment of impact generally focuses on novelty; however, this assessment needs to take a more nuanced approach to evaluating an article’s potential contribution, from generating robust data for future research, to providing a new resource to support teaching and training for the next generation.Researchers are uniquely placed – while they are writing, publishing and reviewing literature – to identify what look to be useful pieces of research that have value for their own research, the broader scientific community, and for society and all its consumers of research.Using the example of F1000Prime in the life sciences, this presentation discusses the establishment of a journal-agnostic route for qualitative research evaluation in astronomy, returning control of research evaluation to the research community.
ASTROdata Chile: An example initiative using astronomy for economic development in Chile
Arancibia, Demian
The ASTROdata program is funded by the Strategic Investment Fund of the Economy Ministry of Chile, through the Digital Transformation Agency (CTD) of the Chilean Economy Development Agency (CORFO). Its mission is to identify and initiate measures and investments to diversify and grow Chilean economy in Big Data, using our natural resources for Astronomy and the field data-driven challenges. According to the strategy of CORFO and its CTD, the capacity to add data-driven value will be critical for competitive edges across industries over next decade, and a driver for diversification of the Chilean productive matrix. We worked with scientific and industrial communities to facilitate multi-sector agreements about what are our opportunities to achieve this mission. In our first year of work, we produced a high-level system concept that is potentially fit for capacity development, technology transfer and is sustainable from an economic point of view.
Disassembling the Square Kilometre Array: Astronomy and Development in South Africa
Chinigo', Davide
The article poses questions about astronomy and its local, national, and global developmental impacts, drawing on ongoing research around the internationally networked Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope in South Africa. The relationship between progress in global science and technology and societal change has traditionally been framed through western-centric notions of progress imbued with universalism; the field of astronomy exemplifies this approach, with its assumptions of an inherently positive correlation between its science and loosely defined notions of ‘development’. We problematise this assumption through an analysis of the multiple notions of development at different scales of analysis in the SKA. We argue that large astronomy projects such as the SKA are best understood as dense assemblages of science, infrastructure, human agency and politics, in which historically rooted local concerns are marginalized in the name of the national or global public interest.
The audacity of vision
Mokhele, Khotso
The principle of using astronomy and other sciences in order to stimulate the development of society was in place within the South African science landscape long before the OAD was hosted in that country. South Africa has thus always been a natural home for the OAD and continues to be a driving force in the global science-for-development conversation. This talk will reflect on the international achievements of the OAD since its establishment, and what has made this initiative stand out among other sciences. It will also reflect on the future and the OAD's potential to make an even more significant contribution to global development.
The IAU 2020-2030 Strategic Plan: OAD
van Dishoeck, Ewine
The mission of the IAU is to promote and safeguard astronomy in all its aspects (including research, communication, education and development) through international cooperation. Over the past year, the new strategic plan for the IAU has been put together, providing an overview of all IAU activities and formulating a number of long-term goals and actions. Input from the OAD, OAO and OYA/ISYA, along with the Executive Committee and Division Presidents, as well as from the IAU membership as a whole, has been solicited. The new plan builds on the impressive 2010-2020 plan which describes primarily the then to-be-initiated OAD.Here a brief overview of the new Strategic Plan will be presented with a focus on how the OAD has become a central element of future IAU activities.
OYA and ISYA
Liu, Xiaowei
The International School for Young Astronomers (ISYA), established in 1967, is a highly regarded, essential educational program of the IAU, organized at an interval between every 8 to 12 months. It is a three-week international postgraduate school for regions where students have less opportunity to be directly exposed to full extent of up-to-date astrophysics (mainly, but not exclusively, from astronomically developing countries). The Office for Young Astronomers (OYA) was established in 2015, through an agreement between the IAU and the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters (NASL), with the aim to strengthen the operation of the ISYA program. On behalf of the OYA Steering Committee, I will join the panel discussion on Synergies among IAU Offices.
The European Regional Office of Astronomy for Development
Russo, Pedro
This contribution will be part of a panel discussion with several other regional offices. The European Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (ROAD) was established in February 2018 and is a collaboration between Leiden University and the European Astronomical Society. Its mission is 1) Implementation within Europe of the IAU Strategic Plan, without duplicating relevant activities of astronomical facility organisations, such as ESO, ESA and SKA; 2) Mobilising resources within Europe for the implementation of the IAU Strategic Plan, in coordination with the OAD and the IAU; and 3) Contributing to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in Europe .
Data for Development: a Global Perspective
Boulton, Geoffrey
The generation and application of new knowledge and the technologies by which we acquire and disseminate it, have always been the most powerful drivers of human material and social progress. The replacement of analogue processes by digital processes of acquisition, analysis and transmission of data and information in the early years of the 21 st century have ushered in a digital revolution of world historic significance in the way that knowledge is acquired, transmitted and used. It has created enormous potential for scientific discovery, for efficiency and productivity in business, the economy and education, for socio-political innovation, and for the minimization of risk. Whole societies are struggling to understand and harness this potential. The SDGs represent the most ambitious, most coherent set of objectives that the international community has ever committed itself to. The tools of the digital revolution have by far the greatest potential impact on the realisation of those goals. It is vital that we exploit them. For these reasons that ICSU-CODATA, regional bodies and international partners have been working to develop the means to exploit this revolution through the creation of regional Open Science Platforms. For example, inspired by the collaborations developing through the Square Kilometre Array, a Pan-African vision is being realised in the building of a digital ecosystem, the African Open Science Platform, with the aim of supporting researchers in finding, depositing, managing, sharing and reusing data; to develop capacities at all levels of national science systems; and as a forum for exchange of ideas, best practices and opportunities. A parallel international programme is also being developed to create the procedures that will permit integration of the data that underpins key issues for the SDGs, initially in the domains of infectious disease, disaster risk reduction, resilient cities and agriculture.
Access to astronomy for the visually impaired: responding to the inclusion imperative.
Gastrow, Michael
According to the United Nations ‘Enable’ report, the global proportion of people with disabilities and impairments in the workplace, including in the field of science, is low. The vision now being set forth by the United Nations for the global community is to ‘leave no one behind’. Constraints on the mobility of disabled people into science careers are sub-optimal both for the disabled and for the institutions of science. We therefore propose a research agenda that aims to provide insights into how we can increase interest in science among people with disabilities, as well as increase access, retention, participation, and performance with respect to science learning and science careers. Our proposed case study focus is on visually impaired learners in Cape Town, South Africa. Our objectives are to determine the dynamics of enablers and constraints with regards to access to science faced by people with disabilities. These include, but are not limited to, questions of outreach, didactic issues, preparing to perform in the research field, and possibilities of progress into scientific professions. Suggested research methods include focus groups, semi-structured interviews and empirical measures of performance. The results of this research may inform OAD policies and practices towards the inclusion of people with disabilities and impairments in local and global astronomy institutions.
Synergies among IAU Offices
Benvenuti, Piero
The new IAU Strategic Plan talks of four offices: Office of Astronomy for Development, Office for Astronomy Outreach, Office for Young Astronomers, and the proposed Office for Astronomy Education. Synergies among these offices will be essential in implementing the strategic plan.
Hands on the Stars
Ortiz Gil, Amelia
As part of a long-term project devoted to stablish a glossary for astronomical terms in Sign language, we present in this contribution the first approach to reach a connection between hearer and deaf people: the First list of a 47 words that the experts of the IAU- Commission 1 agree are amongst the most commonly used in astronomy education and outreach, and the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Astronomy for Sign Languages, originally written in French (by Proust and collaborators) and now translated into English and Spanish, available online. This project which involves more than a hundred collaborators, is also considering the possibility of study each sign in order to determine the similarities and differences between different languages and suggest, if possible, a common and unique sign for each word for every country. The languages involved up to now, include French, English, Spanish, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese and Polish, among others.
Considering the Potential and Development Strategy of Astrotourism in Indonesia using GIS-MCDA and Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM)
Yuna, Dwi Yoshafetri
Indonesia is the fourth-largest country in Asia shaping an arc between Asia and Australia, consists of five large islands and more than 13.600 smaller islands. Having various enticing landscapes and attractive cultures, it’s not surprisingly that Indonesia have many tourist destinations. This research signifies that several existing natural tourist destinations potentially can adopt and build up an astrotourism attraction in the location.Terrestrial Astrotourism is a new promising sustainable tourism niche in the future (Foster, 2017). Tourism and astronomy can be a mutual symbiosis. As an Indonesia’s leading economy sector, tourism is an appropriate bridge to astronomy popularization toward the public which surely stimulates the advancement of astronomy research and education. At the same time, astronomy is a strategic tourism niche which is in line with government’s sustainable tourism principle along with Sustainable Tourism Development (STD) issue around the globe. So, this paper aims, firstly to consider the potential destination which feasibly adopt the astrotourism and finally to propose a strategic recommendation for astrotourism development in the location. The potential locations are considered utilizing Geographic Information System (GIS) combining Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA) using several astro-climatologic and tourism criteria. Whilst the recommendations for astrotourism development in potential destinations are developed using Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM) method involving various internal and external factor analysis.The result of the research will be beneficial for both astronomy development and government as a win-win solution responding astronomy popularization and urgency of sustainable tourism development in the country.Keywords: Astrotourism, Sustainable Tourism Development (STD), Geographic Information System (GIS)-Multi-criteria Decision Analysis (MCDA), Quantitative Strategic Planning Matrix (QSPM)
Development of Astronomy on the Globe: New metrics for impact studies
García, Beatriz
We present a detailed study of the impact of NASE after 8 uninterrupted years of activity in 23 countries, the analysis of the influence of the course not only on the 5000 middle level teachers who have been trained, but also on the members of the IAU involved in the workshops and we give examples of specific activities developed in the classroom, inspired by the NASE proposal.For this study, special metrics were adopted to analyze the effectiveness of the program in a globalized world. The application of these new metrics for the study of proposals, the analysis of expectations and the achievement of results, have allowed us to analyze the activity as a "social business" and quantify its high level of acceptance. In this way, and only as one of the examples to be shown in the framework of the lean metrics, it is possible to design the "traction curves", related to the recurrent or loyal users, which in turn draw on the new ones, allowing the uninterrupted growth of NASE. On the other hand, the implementation of the program of "NASE ambassadors" has allowed the mobility of trainers, both members of the IAU and others promoted and trained by professional astronomers, but from the world of education. This mobility of trainers has been able to establish the links and create the network that, since its inception, pursued the NASE proposal
IAU South West and Central Asian ROAD: regional collaboration in research, education and public outreach
Mickaelian, Areg
The International Year of Astronomy (IYA) in 2009 initiated the International Astronomical Union (IAU) Strategic Plan on Astronomy for Development, which became a major start for regional and international cooperation of astronomy in all directions: research, education and public outreach. A world Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) and corresponding Regional Offices (ROADs) were established for implementation and coordination of its aims. Since 2015, Armenia hosts one of them, IAU South West and Central Asian (SWCA) ROAD. At present, already 6 countries have officially joined (Armenia, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, and Turkey), but the Office serves for a rather broad region, from Eastern Europe to Central Asia. Armenia’s geographical location and its historical role in astronomy (both for well-known archaeoastronomical heritage and the presence of the famous Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory founded by Viktor Ambartsumian in 1946) serve as a link between Europe and Eastern Partnership countries, Middle East and Asia in general. We run activities in 3 directions, so-called Task Forces (TF): TF1 Universities and Research, TF2 Children and Schools and TF3 Public Outreach. We will present our projects (including 2 grants from the IAU OAD) and all other accomplishments and discuss the role of our ROAD in maintaining contacts between the regional countries. Namely, we have initiated Astro Tourism project that perfectly fits to the IAU Strategic Plan’s goals as a tool for development of the society. Most up-to-date information about the IAU SWCA ROAD is available on its webpage at iau-swa-road.aras.am/eng/index.php.
Portuguese Language Office of Astronomy of Development
Doran, Rosa
The construction of the Portuguese Language Office of Astronomy for Development (PLOAD) continues at a steady pace. The main aim is first to reach a common baseline in all member countries, start building from ground up all the necessary programs to ensure a self-organized and self-sustained network of collaborators. In most of the countries these roots have to start in school education efforts. Issues relate to lack of education and lack of opportunities have to be addressed. Conversations with education authorities, from school level till Universities are slowly starting. Dialogues with stakeholders in the field of innovation and development in each country being established. Priorities related to inclusion, gender balance and capacity building are still being rehearsed in some of the countries. Portugal and Brazil are sharing its best practices to other member states of the group to be adapted to each context. These and other important developments and plans will be discussed during this presentation.
Astronomy and Space Science Activities in West Africa: A Report from the West African Regional Office of Astronomy for Development
Okere, Bonaventure
Until relatively quite recently, Astronomy and Space Science activities in West Africa can be said to be non existence with the exception of Nigeria which runs Astronomy and Space Science programmes upto the University level. Since the establishment of IAU Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) in Cape Town South Africa in 2011 with the aim of using astronomy to stimulate development at all levels including primary, secondary and tertiary education, there is tremendous improvement. The West African Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (WAROAD) has been assisting the IAU OAD in achieving its goal of using astronomy as a tool for development. In this report, we present astronomy and Space Science activities/programmes in West Africa as recorded by WAROAD. The report equally highlights the application of Astronomy programmes in capacity building and the development of Science and Technology in West Africa.
Overview of the AER landscape
Bretones, Paulo
When the landscape of a research area is analyzed, its scientific production is mainly identified by the following publications: theses, monographs, conference proceedings and journal articles. The present work deals with review articles published in Astronomy Education Research (AER), their results and suggestions. Later on we present surveys based on categories like: year, institution, school level, focus of the study in education, type of academic research and the theoretical framework taken from IAU, RELEA and other sources. These surveys show trends and gaps, already discussed in the literature of the area and point towards the less addressed contents and recommendations for further work. The answers to a questionnaire of IAU CC1 and WG on Theory and Methods in Astronomy Education members about the achievements and challenges of AER are discussed. Recent surveys of publications from some countries are also shown evidencing the dispersion of AE literature. The role and goals of astronomy teaching are discussed next considering contents, methods, levels, resources and purposes. Given the needs and complexity of education nowadays and the role of astronomy in this context, the potential of education research is also evaluated, considering knowledge, practices, policies and the training of teachers. The formation of a community in an area where the astronomers are trained as scientists and the need of training of education researchers are considered. About this, the different approach of hard sciences, very different from the social sciences in which education is inserted is pointed out and discussed. Finally, collaborations for surveys, literature reviews and the advertisement of such materials, aiming to strengthen the training of researchers and the practitioners as well are also encouraged.
An Overview of East African Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (EAf-ROAD)
Yacob, Alemiye Mamo
East Africa Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (EAf-ROAD) is one of International Astronomical Union- office of Astronomy for development (IAU-OAD) offices in Eastern Africa opened in 2014 and hosted by Ethiopia. The main objectives of the office is to further the use of astronomy as a tool for development by mobilizing the human and financial resources necessary in order to realize the scientific, technological and cultural benefits to society and implementing the IAU’s strategic plan and missions of OAD. In this paper we are going to summarize and highlight the major activities which are planned and executed by EAf-ROAD. Some of the major activities are creating a platform for regional member countries to have a common integration and developmental program in terms of Astronomy and Space Science development in line with Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), working on children and schools ,universities ,research and public outreach, coordinating and organizing scientific workshops, events and public lecture series, engaging with the studying and registering of the regional cultural astronomy and astronomical heritages, partnership with regional and international collaborators for successful implementation of the regional plans ,Creating a pool of experts in different level and fields in terms of supplying trained human resource for the region, Disseminating Regional and IAU information’s and other current affairs to the region and Implement the IAU Strategic plan under the guidance of OAD.
Cultural astronomy perspectives on "development"
López, Alejandro Martín
This presentation seeks to contribute to the essential synergies with social sciences, which are necessary in order to carry out any consistent attempt of “astronomy for development”. Based on the perspective of cultural astronomy and ethnographic experience, we will focus on the implications of the concept of development for local communities and indigenous people.The category of “development” and its implications has been the subject of intense debate in the social sciences. The various conceptions about it that have been generally put into play in concrete projects have had serious problems in actually dialoguing with local interests and socio-cultural diversity. In the case of astronomy, its links with “development” are strongly related to education, economy and heritage. In the present work we will explore some of the implications and challenges that arise in these three fronts.In the field of astronomical education we face the challenge of thinking about the relationship between the “western academic astronomy” and other astronomical traditions. We discuss the relevance of cultural astronomy in building real dialogues.In terms of economy processes we need to attend to local alternatives to the western ideas of “development”, and to the political implications of these concepts. In particular, we need to pay attention to the impact of big astronomical international projects in the local dynamics.Finally, in the past decades, heritage has been transformed into a new language in which conflicts of the most varied nature are expressed and became a way of legitimizing and giving visibility to the claims of different subaltern groups. Knowledge and astronomical practices are involved in this dynamic, especially after the joint initiative of UNESCO and IAU in 2009 to promote “astronomical heritage”.In this way we hope to contribute in the making of cultural astronomy a positive tool for the respect of diversity and the attention to the demands of subaltern groups.
STRIDES OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN REGIONAL OFFICE OF ASTRONOMY FOR DEVELOPMENT
MUTEMBO, LENGANJI
The Southern African regional office of Astronomy for Development (SAROAD), an office of the IAU office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) came into being on the 14th of August, 2014 after the signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Copperbelt University (CBU) and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) in Kitwe. In this presentation we highlight both the achievements made by the office and the challenges faced by the office to date. Among the notable activities of SAROAD are the hosting of the annual regional Astronomy workshops (AstroLab), outreach to Schools, public engagement and dissemination of information about new developments and upcoming events in astronomy and space science. Three AstroLab workshops have already been held and several outreach activities carried out. The regional office has been facilitating for the involvement of member states in most astronomy cornerstone projects.
A 3D Universe? Students’ and professors’ perception of multidimensionality
Eriksson, Urban
Recently in the astronomy education research literature, the competency to be able to extrapolate three-dimensionality in ones’ mind from 1D and 2D representations has been identified as an important factor for success in learning astronomy and understanding the Universe. However, only little research has been done in investigating this competency (Eriksson 2014; Heyer et al. 2013), while at the same time there is a growing interest for what and how 3D representations can contribute to learning astronomy. This paper discusses this competency and reports on the preliminary findings from an investigation concerning students’ and professors’ perception of three-dimensionality when looking at 2D representations (images and movies) of a sample of nebulae. The preliminary results indicate that the competency to extrapolate three-dimensionality vary significantly between the participants and in particular many students struggle to see nebulae as 3D objects, which confirms earlier studies (see, for example, Eriksson et al 2014). An awareness of these findings by astronomy educators may have great importance for how teaching and learning astronomy are viewed and also how curricula development could be enhanced for optimizing teaching and learning astronomy at university level. Implications related to these findings will be discussed.ReferencesEriksson, U., et al., Who needs 3D when the Universe is flat? Science Education, 2014. 98(3): p. 31.Heyer, I., S. Slater, and T. Slater, Establishing the empirical relationship between non-science majoring undergraduate learners' spatial thinking skills and their conceptual astronomy knowledge. Revista Latino-Americana de Educação em Astronomia - RELEA, 2013(16): p. 45-61.
The United Nations Open Universe Initiative for Data in Space Science
Barres de Almeida, Ulisses
”Open Universe” is an initiative under the auspices of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) that aims at stimulating a dramatic increase in the availability and usability of space science data, extending the potential of scientific discovery to new participants in all parts of the world, especially for developing and underdeveloped Countries. The initiative is carried out in cooperation with the United Nations Office of Outer Space affairs (UN- OOSA) as part of the activities in preparation for UNISPACE+50 and the United Nations Space2030 agenda. Open Universe seeks to trigger a major evolution of current space science data availability fostering the publication of all existing open space science data in a way that is easily discoverable and immediately usable, thus responding to the global demand for transparency. A number of technical activities are currently in development towards the launch of the initiative, which include a prototype, multi-discipline (astrophysics, planetary sciences, cosmic- ray and atmospheric physics) and multi-messenger Open Universe Portal at the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The purpose of the Open Universe actions is to integrate and render as interoperable as possible a large number of space science data sets, analysis tools, and general information services, provided by many online space science data archives, based on VO-technology. The Open Universe is designed to answer the needs of professional scientists and common citizens alike, offering services and data products,which can be used to learn about space science or perform scientific analyses. This presentation will briefly illustrate the principles behind the Open Universe initiative and provide a description of the main features currently under development, specially for science in the multi-messenger era.
Summary of FM15
McBride, Vanessa
I will summarise the discussion and outcomes of FM15 on astronomy for development.
astroEDU: 5 Years on and the Launch of an Astronomy Education Practitioner Journal
Heenatigala, Thilina
astroEDU was launched in 2013 to be an open-access platform for peer-reviewed astronomy education activities with initial funding from IAU Office of Astronomy for Development. It aims to address key problems in educational repositories such as variability in quality, lack of maintenance and regular updates, limited content review, and more. This is achieved through a peer-review process similar to the process scholarly articles go through. The activity submission workflow allows authors to learn how to apply inquiry-based learning into the activity, identify the process skills required, how to develop goals and objectives, and how to evaluate the activity to determine the outcome.The platform has published 80 peer-reviewed activities as by February 2018 which are pushed further towards four leading educational repositories; OER, Scientix, Guardian Teachers Network, and TES, which helps to reach thousands of teachers. The editorial team has rejected 14 activities due to various reasons such as lack of scientific content, educational implementation, and presenting in astroEDU format. This thorough screening of activities has led to publishing only the highest quality of content. Currently, 51 activities under review. As a volunteer-centered project, astroEDU has a volunteer base of 318 scientists and educators whose major task is to help with the reviewing of the activities.Building on the success of the last 5 years, at the end of 2019, we intend to launch the first issue of a professional journal for astronomy educators, called astroEDU, along with the lines of the CAPjournal for astronomy communications and outreach professionals. The journal is intended to contain a peer review research article section, best practices in astronomy education, innovation and latest trends, reports, peer-reviewed activity, and opinion columns. This presentation will outline the history of astroEDU platform and the aims and scope of the new astroEDU professional journal.
Evaluating Astronomy interventions: A Pilot Project to Evaluate the Effect of the ‘Pale Blue Dot’ Hypothesis
Venugopal, Ramasamy
Astronomy and Space topics are perceived as holding universal fascination. It is widely considered that exposure to such topics inspires people, changes their perspective and leads to an uptake in science and STEM subjects. Stargazing parties, public astronomy talks and other astronomy/space events constitute some of the most common, public, scicomm events around the world. Astronomy communicators and astronomers frequently engage with children and the general public to teach, demonstrate, and talk about Astronomy. But very rarely is the impact of such communication evaluated rigorously and scientifically. There is a need for more rigorous evaluation methods which would reveal the successes and failures of current methods and tools of astronomy communication and whether they might lead to any inadvertent harm.In this presentation, we will share our team's implementation of a pilot Randomized Controlled Trial carried out in Cape Town, South Africa to test whether exposure to an astronomy intervention affects empathy and altruism in children (that is, whether astronomy induces a perspective of 'One Global Humanity', espoused by Carl Sagan and often quoted by astronomy communicators). The pilot demonstrated that it is possible to use such methods to evaluate impact of science communication in an inexpensive manner.
International Studies of Astronomy Education Research Database (iSTAR). Reaching Critical Mass.
Fitzgerald, Michael
The international Studies of Astronomy education Research (iSTAR) online abstract database and repository is the result of a concerted effort by an international community to collect and categorize existing research from conference proceedings, books, journal articles, theses and the grey literature. Over the last five years, over 1750 items have been catalogued in the online database, istardb.org.Over the course of 2016 to 2018, an extensive trawl of the literature has taken place. Of most significance since the first light dissertation study (Slater et al. 2016) and a review of the planetarium literature (Slater & Tatge 2017), all science education journals classified in Scopus have been searched thoroughly to identify astronomy education articles littered throughout. There have been frequent significant additions of articles and books from numerous locations over the period as well.It would be extremely difficult to place an estimate on what fraction of the total literature iSTAR now covers if books, theses and grey literature are included. However, we can be cautiously confident that the majority of the mainstream traditional peer reviewed articles in science education and astronomy research journals are now included in the database. In this presentation, we outline the broad statistics, categories and highlights of the astronomy education literature as captured by iSTAR, how iSTAR has provided a significant resource and impact to the astronomy education community as well as present our plans for the future of this database.
Southeast Asia Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (SEA-ROAD), Its Roles and Contributions in the Region
Insiri, Wichan
As a SEA-ROAD national representative, an expansive impact of astronomy has been felt through the Southeast Asia Regional Office of Astronomy for Development (SEA-ROAD) as one of the main vessels in bridging the gap of astronomy education and poularisation for Southeast Asia. Coupled with a close collaboration with Southeast Asia Astronomy Networn (SEAAN), both mechanisms work hand in hand in order to acheive IAU's goal of spreading the message of "Astronomy for All" across. A number of activities, schools, trainings and workshops have been organised across the entire region and we have seen a sharp increase of posivtities, infratructure wise and manpower wise.
Overview of the OAD: Achievements, Challenges and Plans
Govender, Kevin
The Office of Astronomy for Development was established in 2011 through a joint equal partnership between the IAU and the South African National Research Foundation. Since then the OAD has supported 122 projects reaching over 85 countries; established 10 regional offices around the world; registered over 600 volunteers; and formed 9 partnerships with like-minded organisations. This presentation will reflect on the achievements, challenges and plans for the future.
Synergies within the IAU Offices
Govender, Kevin
The IAU Strategic Plan 2020-2030 envisages four offices (Office of Astronomy for Development; Office for Astronomy Outreach; Office for Young Astronomers; Office for Astronomy Education). There is an obvious need to synergise among these offices. This contribution will focus on the "astronomy for development" perspective and will reflect on such synergies and potential areas for collaboration.
Scope for Citizen Science and Public Outreach Projects in Developing World
Sekhar, Aswin
Citizen science projects are gaining momentum at a rapid pace in the western cultures. Direct involvement of citizens, students and amateurs can lead to the discovery of new exoplanet systems, asteroids, comets, meteor showers and so on. A key reason for this is the effective mechanisms pertaining to public outreach and science education in these scientifically advanced countries.As time progresses, it is important to widen such networks in such a way that big citizen science projects get the benefit trained volunteers from the developing and under privileged countries as well. The potential from these countries are immense because of the larger population, wider participation and the greater coverage of skies. For such networks to work effectively in the Asian sub-continent, we might need to further integrate efforts of IAU, IAU-OAD and local community groups who can synchronise and monitor these efforts in the long run.An extremely interesting and useful project which can enhance the excitement and learning of astronomy in young students from the developing and under priveleged countries will be remote observations using good telescopes. The main challenge is to find trained volunteers, local patrons and a stream lined system to make this happen. Some relevant points with regard to these aspects and future plans will be presented and discussed.
Radio Astronomy for Development: Big Data
Scaife, Anna
With the advent of the SKA, radio astronomy has become a key driver for the development of big data analytics, data handling and the provision of large-scale compute facilities as part of the wider scientific computing ecosystem. Furthermore, it has become viewed as a key training ground for the provision of highly skilled data scientists to industry. In this presentation I will describe two closely linked programs, DARA (Development in Africa through Radio Astronomy) Big Data & RADA (Radio Astronomy for Development in the Americas) Big Data, which are currently running in Southern Africa and Colombia. These programs use radio astronomy as a driver for the development of expertise in big data tools, applications and systems, as well as the translation of this expertise to other data intensive fields: food security / sustainable agriculture and health care, which are of particular importance in developing countries. I will discuss the programs themselves, as well as the economic drivers for governments to support the networks and the anticipated outcomes. Both programs are currently part of the UK Newton Fund which uses science and innovation partnerships to promote economic development and social welfare in partner countries.
Astronomy from Pure to Social Science
Patatnyan, Armine
The present study is proposed helping people to learn about the Universe in a new way. The involvement of culture in Astronomy teaching and outreach will make this natural science social one. We will prove that informal representation of Astronomy is a spontaneous process, which helps people to learn about the Universe in a new way. Informal teaching of Astronomy is often used to describe the learning activities of everyday life. For achieving productivity in the informal astronomy, we suggest usage of culture as a main tool. Our examples will be focused on Cultural Astronomy, which includes ancient observatories, petroglyphs, calendars, astronomical charts, as well as space themes in mythology, folklore, art, poetry and painting. A link between science and public will be drawn and by this informal education will be promoted. We will point out a number of examples to help the public examine their daily relationship with the Universe. We will conclude by identifying ancient nation’s pantheistic and cosmological perceptions, world view, notions and beliefs related to the Universe. It is believed that knowledge of ancient Astronomy we will awaken the public desire to learn more about the modern Astronomy achievements.
Contribution of the International Science Community to the Sustainable Development Goals
Hackmann, Heide
The international scientific community is responding on many fronts that are of importance to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Effective coordination of these efforts and facilitation of pathways to global policy frameworks and process is vital if science is to maximise its contribution Agenda 2030. ICSU plays an important role in representing the international scientific community, in mobilising its potential, initiating and supporting relevant research programmes, and in shaping coherent responses from funders. It provides direct input to international efforts to sketch the landscape of challenges, opportunities and pathways to achievement. It also plays a major role in challenging the community to collaborate across the disciplines and to engage with societal stakeholders in order to create the actionable knowledge that society needs to address global problems. An overview of the various ways in which the international scientific community is supporting the achievement of the SDGs serves also to highlight critical challenges and opportunities, and the role of the new International Science Council in addressing these.
Astronomy Education in a Changing World
Kouwenhoven, M.B.N. (Thijs)
An excellent education in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields is essential for the development and students, and for the economic development of every country. As technology is rapidly changing the world we live in, it is important to consider what changes can be made in science education to accommodate for these developments. One important development is the globalization of more or less all activities in our world, in particular the exchange of knowledge, technology, and professionals between different countries, for which the English language is essential. The other is the internet and mobile technology that have changed most aspects of our daily lives. Science education in most countries, however, remained very similar to what it was a hundred years ago: a lecturer teaching a classroom filled with many students that listen and absorb the lecture contents. In this talk I present the approaches that several newly-established in Asia innovate their teaching approach, and the successes and challenges that these universities experiences in their attempts to combine the best of East and West.
Lessons learned by the Andean ROAD
Forero-Romero, Jaime
The Andean Regional Office of Astronomy for Development is now three years old. The structure of the Office replicates the target groups in the Central Office into three groups Universities (Task Force 1), Schools (Task Force 2) and the General Public (Task Force 3). In 2013 we gathered with tthe potential stakeholders in the region to define a work plan 2015-2020 on these two fronts. We are now ready to share some of the lessons learned. In this talk I will present our sucesses and biggest challenges, hoping to provide a new point of view on how Astronomy is helping, and sometimes redefining, the Development Agenda.
Astronomy as entrance in STEM capacity building: Developing the community around a new observatory
Premadi, Premana
The requirement of clean dark sky for astronomical observatory puts astronomers face to face with underdeveloped area often with a low population which is still behind in various aspect of modern civilization. Such is the challenge that we met while on our way in establishing a new observatory in Timor island, in the southeastern region of Indonesia. Here we use the universal charm of astronomical observation to raise the awareness of our connectedness to the universe and engage further interest of the local people, and use astronomy as a background, foreground, and inground context for STEM ideas. With the support of IAU Office of Astronomy for Development we managed to put together those STEM ideas into practices that assist the local community in their development while adhering to the clean environment constraint imposed by the observatory. Presently we focus on developing clean and lean method for generating electricity and water. This is strongly in line with the effort towards sustainable development. Here we report on the program strategy and teamwork that we managed to construct that includes members of relevant STEM professional institutions, local universities, schools, and public offices, and on the STEM materials we developed with the primary objective being capacity building. The materials and delivery method can be easily adopted and adjusted for a more general community development program. Indeed this preliminary work has raised the interest of other STEM professional institutions and universities in supporting our program as well as carrying out their own capacity building programs.
Applying astronomy tools in the field of development economics
Chingozha, Tawanda
Astronomy has largely relied on imagery as a source of data. Scientists in this field have deployed a number of big data techniques, for example machine learning, in order to make sense of ‘big’ night sky and radio data sets (among others). This has advanced the understanding of the universe. Ball et all., (2010) for instance, discusses how data mining has enabled the examination of different astronomical problems. This is at a time when astronomers and researchers in other disciplines are seized with the question how astronomy can translate to development. While the general answer is not always straightforward, borrowing astronomy skills and approaches addresses research questions in other disciplines and answers real world questions. Economics is one such discipline. Different space programs have installed earth observation (EO) sensors on satellites, thus enabling economists to rely on EO date to make inferences on economic questions. For example, Sala-i-Martin (2009), Henderson et al., (2012) have used image analysis techniques on Night Lights Data (NLD) to investigate poverty and economic activity respectively. In this paper we illustrate the use of machine learning to create agricultural production data sets from Landsat imagery; with the end goal to estimate the effects of agrarian reform on welfare in developing countries. Astronomy has also relied on citizen science in the identification of new galaxies (a case in point is the Galaxy Zoo project). This paper also discusses the use of citizen science in the examination of changes in urban informality patterns in developing countries.
Experiences and lessons learnt from the "Columba-Hypatia: Astronomy for Peace" project
Fragkoudi, Francesca
“Columba-Hypatia: Astronomy for Peace” is a joint astronomy outreach project by GalileoMobile and the Association for Historical Dialogue and Research (AHDR) which took place on the divided island of Cyprus over the course of 2017. The project aims to inspire young people, through astronomy, to be curious about the world we live in, about science and the cosmos, while also using astronomy as a tool for promoting meaningful communication and a Culture of Peace and Non-violence. The goal of the project has been to bring together the various communities of Cyprus “under the same sky” to look beyond borders and inspire a sense of global citizenship by promoting cultural exchange. To this aim, we conducted "bi-communal" educational astronomy activities in schools, as well as astronomy nights and events for the general public. We will share our experiences of what we learnt from using astronomy as a tool for promoting peace and co-existence in a conflict region, as well as some of the difficulties and challenges we faced.
The Quality Lighting Teaching Kit: Utilizing Problem-Based Learning in Classrooms
Walker, Constance
Poor quality lighting impedes astronomy research and our right to see a starry night sky. It creates safety issues, affects human circadian sensitivities, disrupts ecosystems, and wastes billions of dollars/year in energy consumption. It also leads to excess carbon emissions. How do you change the mindset of society that is used to turning night into day? You educate the next generation on quality lighting.As an outcome of the International Year of Light 2015, the National Optical Astronomy Observatory’s Education and Public Outreach group produced a Quality Lighting Teaching (QLT) Kit. The kits are designed around problem-based learning scenarios. The kit’s six activities allow students to address real lighting problems that relate to wildlife, sky glow, aging eyes, energy consumption, safety, and light trespass. The activities are optimized for 11-14 year olds but can be expanded to younger and older. All materials are in both English and Spanish. Most of the activities can be done within in a few minutes during class or afterschool and as stations or as stand-alones. Everything you need for the six activities is included in the kit. Tutorial videos on how to do the activities can be found at www.noao.edu/education/qltkit.php. Ninety-two out of one hundred kits have been distributed in thirty-two countries through SPIE (the International Society for Optical Engineering), CIE (the International Commission on Illuminations), OSA (the Optical Society), IDA (the International Dark Sky Association), and the IAU OAD–Office of Astronomy Development. Successful feedback has promoted the opportunity to commercialize the kit. A plan is being considered to distribute kits to observatories around the world, hence helping to work with communities near observatories to reduce the effects of light pollution through awareness and action. These items will be discussed in the presentation and ideas welcomed.
Synergies of OAO and other IAU offices
Cheung, Sze-leung
In the panel disucssion, on behalf of the IAU Office for Astronomy Outreach, the author will disucss with other panelist the synergies among different IAU offices. The issues includes (but not limited to) sharing networks, sharing resources, sharing platforms, common projects.
An overview of astronomical activities and institutions in the Hashemite kingdom of Jordan
Khasawneh, Awni
Astronomy in Jordan began taking an institutional form as of 1987 with the foundation of the Jordanian Astronomical Society (JAS). Although mainly targeting amateur astronomers and the Jordanian public.In 1998 the Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Science (AUASS) was established, and its General Secretariat was based in Amman.In 2000, the United Nations General Assembly had chosen Jordan to host the Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia (RCSSTE-WE), which was officially inaugurated in 2012.In December 2015, Jordan inaugurated the Regional Office of Astronomy for Development for the Arab World (AW-ROAD) as well.In this report, the main institutions involved in astronomy-related activities are described, followed by the names and positions of professional astronomers in Jordan.1. The Regional Centre for Space Science and Technology Education for Western Asia (RCSSTE-WE)Officially inaugurated on 29/05/2012.2. The Jordanian Astronomical Society (JAS) is concerned with the popularization of astronomy. JAS was founded in Amman in Sept 1987. 3. Institute of Astronomy and Space Sciences at Al al-Bayt UniversityThe establishment of the IASS took place in 1994, which was a concrete step towards linking the University with developed countries worldwide.4. The Arab Union for Astronomy and Space Sciences (AUASS)was established in August 1998 with its headquarters in Amman. The aim was to develop astronomy and space sciences in the Arab Countries through conferences, meetings, publications and, joint research projects through the cooperation of the International institutions.5. The Arab Regional Office of Astronomy for Development has officially joined the IAU-Office of Astronomy for Development (OAD) network. The inauguration was in Amman.
Impact of the African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network in the stimulation, growth and sustenance of radio astronomy in Zambia: challenges and opportunities
MWIINGA, Nchimunya
The African Very Long Baseline Interferometry Network (AVN) focuses on modification of existing, albeit obsolete and redundant, dishes previously utilized for satellite telecommunication into an array of radio telescopes. The 32m (in diameter) satellite telecommunication dish, at the Mwembeshi Earth Station in Zambia, has been earmarked for conversion into a radio telescope. This paper highlights opportunities and challenges that impede conversion of the satellite telecommunication dish into a radio telescope. Additionally, the role played by the AVN in increasing human capacity development in science, mathematics and technology through radio astronomy in Zambia. Possible measures relevant for sustaining public interests in radio astronomy in a least developing country such as Zambia are suggested.
AstroAccess: Enhancing Disability Inclusion in Science through 3D Printing, Theatre, and Astronomy Outreach
Voelker, Anna
From an underrepresentation of scientists and astronomers with disabilities to a deficit of educational materials available for students with specialized needs, there is a plethora of accessibility issues in the world of astronomy and STEM as a whole. Breaking down these barriers starts with education. Learn about new and innovative ways to create educational opportunities that are accessible to people with disabilities and engaging for all learners. This session will get participants thinking, developing, collaborating, and engaging in approaches to accessible learning.I will share my work on 3D printing galaxies, a project lead by Carol Christian of the Space Telescope Science Institute. In order to make astronomy more inclusive of blind learners, scientific data from the Hubble Space Telescope is converted into 3D printed galaxies, some of which I will be bringing for the audience to feel first-hand. These tactile tools are valuable for anyone who wants to learn about galaxies, regardless of their vision status. I will also discuss the use of theatre outreach for teaching science concepts to children on the autism spectrum. These inclusive acting games are designed to foster life skills that can have the potential to be more challenging for children with developmental disabilities, while simultaneously teaching science in a new and engaging way.I am extremely passionate about making astronomy accessible to all people and I believe that more efforts need to be made in order to include people with disabilities in this field. People deserve to know that there is more than just room for them in science; there is a need for them. This talk will focus on the ways in which astronomers can communicate science more effectively and more inclusively, and by doing so welcome more people into exploration of our Universe.
Radio Astronomy for Development: Big Data
Cooper, Sally
With the advent of the SKA, radio astronomy has become a key driver for the development of big data analytics, data handling and the provision of large-scale compute facilities as part of the wider scientific computing ecosystem. Furthermore, it has become viewed as a key training ground for the provision of highly skilled data scientists to industry. In this presentation I will describe two closely linked programs, DARA (Development in Africa through Radio Astronomy) Big Data & RADA (Radio Astronomy for Development in the Americas) Big Data, which are currently running in Southern Africa and Colombia. These programs use radio astronomy as a driver for the development of expertise in big data tools, applications and systems, as well as the translation of this expertise to other data intensive fields: food security / sustainable agriculture and health care, which are of particular importance in developing countries. I will discuss the programs themselves, as well as the economic drivers for governments to support the networks and the anticipated outcomes. Both programs are currently part of the UK Newton Fund which uses science and innovation partnerships to promote economic development and social welfare in partner countries.