IU RBSEU Home More Information What is RBSE? RBSE at NOAO RBSE at UAA Participating Institutions IU Astronomy Dept. UAA Physics & Astronomy Investigators Travis Rector Andy Puckett Caty Pilachowski M. Jean Young Randy Hamper Frank Morris Windsor Tanner Facilities Used WIYN 0.9-m Telescope More Links CCLI at NSF

Research-Based Science Education for Undergraduates RBSEU is a collaborative program between the University of Alaska at Anchorage and Indiana University to develop and study the effectiveness of research-based, educational (RBSE) curricula in astronomy for entry-level undergraduate courses. The goals of RBSE curricula are threefold: to teach that science is a process of discovery, not just a body of knowledge to increase positive attitudes towards science, and towards pursuing STEM careers, by giving students an opportunity to do authentic research to develop important skills such as critical thinking, teamwork and goal-driven work skills that are important in any career path. The ultimate goal is to help instructors at other institutions, in astronomy and in other fields, to implement the developed curricula, and to develop their own RBSE curricula, either based upon their own research or from data archives such as the National Virtual Observatory.   Curriculum Modules NovaSearch is an online research module using data from the WIYN 0.9m telescope at Kitt Peak. Students are able to view sequences of images of the center of the Andromeda Galaxy to search for novae. New data are added each year. Once novae are found, students can estimate the brightness over time to obtain a light curve. NovaSearch is available for use. (Classroom version at UAA) Killer Asteroids: Students measure the locations of small Solar System bodies in multiple images to calculate their orbital parameters. It the body will pass near a planet, the odds of an impat are also determined. Variable Star Spectroscopy: Students analyze spectra of semi-periodic variables to classify their spectral type. With photomemtry from the AAVSO, they calculate how a star's temperature and radius change over time. AGN Spectroscopy: Using optical spectra of objects fromthe FIRST VLA radio survey, students determine the type of object (e.g. quasar, radio galaxy, etc.) and measure its redshift, distance, luminosity, and size. Photo Z: Using optical images from the NOAO Deep Wide Field Survey, students use a technique called "photometric redshift" to identify and to measure the distances to high-redshift galaxies. Is It a Binary? allows students to explore the Hipparcos catalog of stellar parallaxes and proper motions to determine whether close double stars are physical binaries or chance superpositions. "Is It a Binary?" is under development at Indiana University. Making Color Images demonstrates how color images of astronomical objects can be generated from the original FITS data files. These techniques are used by professional observatories such as Hubble, Kitt Peak, Gemini and Spitzer. Students will make an image of M33 (the Triangulum Galaxy), a spectacular face-on spiral galaxy that is relatively nearby.   RBSEU is funded through a CCLI grant from the National Science Foundation

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