Astronomy Colloquium: Chris Impey

Date: Thu. March 9th, 2017, 2:30 pm-3:30 pm

Science Literacy in the MOOC Era

Chris Impey (Arizona)

In a world shaped by science and technology, the persistently low level of science literacy of the general
public is a cause for concern. This talk will look at the science knowledge and beliefs of undergraduates,
using an instrument tethered in the biennial surveys conducted by the NSF for the National Science Board.
Even after taking several science courses, students have only a vague idea of how science works and their
habits of mind are influenced by pseudoscience and easy access online information of dubious quality. The
next frontier of science education is online learning, but only if ways can be found to increase engagement
and use high quality pedagogy. The role of MOOCs, or massive open online classes, in science literacy will
be considered.