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| Paper: |
Online Undergrad B.S. Degree: From AST 101 to Online Research Experiences |
| Volume: |
537, ASP 2022: A Virtual Conference |
| Page: |
124 |
| Authors: |
Ashcraft, K. A. K. &. T. A. |
| Abstract: |
Now in its third year, the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University has a 100% online undergraduate degree in Astronomical and Planetary Sciences. This degree is one of the world's first online astronomy Bachelor of Science degrees. This innovative degree will prepare students for many careers including K–12 STEM teachers, technology and science journalism and writing, public outreach, science communication officer, science policy, statistical data analysis, and computer programming. The degree program includes groundwork in mathematics and physical sciences, topical courses focused on diverse fields within astronomy and planetary science, and exposure to the engineering and computational tools and techniques used to carry out research. Students who are interested in going to graduate school in Astrophysics would need additional advanced coursework, including upper-level math and physics courses some of which are now offered through ASU Online. We have developed new online courses and redesigned existing ones in support of this degree. By utilizing innovative learning techniques and technologies for the online realm, we are able to provide an interactive experience for online students. Our existing online introductory astronomy course, also taken by many non-majors, has been redesigned and features new online adaptive and interactive laboratory experiences created with the ASU Center of Education through eXploration (ETX). Project-based courses include the topics of Science Communication, Stellar Astrophysics, and Problem-Solving using Python. We have begun providing research opportunities for our online students including remote and short on-campus experiences. Currently, over 300 students in our degree program are enrolled in courses this semester and interest in the program continues to rise. |
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