Western Kentucky University
Department of Physics and Astronomy

Colloquium

Daniel Everding

"Study of Faculty Instructors in Undergraduate Classroom and Planetarium Learning Environments"

March 25, 2024 @ 4:00 pm in KTH 2038 (Zoom ID: 93595838321)

Abstract

A mixed methods study combining survey responses, in-class observations, and one-on-one interviews was conducted to investigate the 'how and why' collegiate undergraduates were being educated in the planetarium space compared to their traditional classroom counterparts. Results suggest a broad similarity between instruction in both the planetarium and classroom environments, with instructors favoring the planetarium for affective outcomes and the classroom for cognitive outcomes. Additionally, in-class observations comparing the two environments suggest a 'trade off' between active learning strategies in the classroom and visually immersive content in the planetarium. Implications for learning and future planetarium investigations are discussed.