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Faulkes Telescopes: Engaging Students in Research-Based Learning

The Faulkes Telescopes (FT) provide 1,500 hours of live 2-metre telescope time each year, supporting telescope use with online resources, masterclasses, and teacher training. This STEM-focused program aims to inspire and engage students in real scientific research projects.

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Faulkes Telescopes: Engaging Students in Research-Based Learning

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  1. Observing with the Faulkes Telescopes Dr. Paul Roche Dr. Sarah Roberts University of Glamorgan

  2. FT provides 1,500 hours of live 2-metre telescope time each year • Primarily UK but EU, Russia, USA, Israel etc. • Support telescope use with online resources, astronomy masterclasses and teacher training (online and face-to-face) • STEM focus, astronomy as the “hook”

  3. Current network 2m 2m Sept 2011

  4. Future network 0.4m 0.8m 2m 2 x 0.4m 2 x 0.4m 2 x 1m 2 x 1m 2 x 0.4m 2 x 0.4m 2 x 0.4m 2 x 1m 2 x 1m 2m 2 x 0.4m 2 x 1m

  5. Brief history • 2000 - funded by Dill Faulkes, UK research council and government Why? • Inspirational projects in STEM • Address failing interest in these areas • 2005 – LCOGT (California) took over • LCOGT run both telescopes, building networks of 0.4m and 1m telescopes • FT – runs education programmes for UK and Europe

  6. Research-Based Learning ESP occultation Asteroid rotation Uranian occultations

  7. Activities & Research Projects • Classroom activities • Suggested activities – Moodle VLE • Schools run these or their own related projects, with little/no input from us • Research • Work with pro/am astronomers • Targets publicised through FT • Students act as data-gatherers • Astronomers analyse data and publish results

  8. Research collaborations with professional and amateur astronomers (UK and international) • Engage students and teachers with real scientific research projects • Strong links with several research and science education projects (GTTP, GHOU, EUHOU, IASC etc.) • Schools progress from “pretty pictures” to “real science” e.g. 2011 summer student – discovered 29 new asteroids, comet fragmentation event

  9. http://faulkes-telescope.com http://down2earth.eu

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