Bringing Experiential Education into the Classroom

The NASA/IPAC Teacher Archive Research Program (NITARP) partners small groups of secondary school educators, high school students, and research astronomers in a year-long research project. The majority of the research is completed remotely and authentically, meaning there is no expected outcome or single correct answer. Students and teachers alike engage in modern research practices to better understand a guiding research question. Using this experience, educators designed and implemented two multi-step modules to guide students through peer-reviewed, published journal articles and to create original light curves using the public NASA/IPAC Infrared Science Archive (IRSA). Students were able to practice the skills of accessing, visualizing, and analyzing data, in small groups and individually. Students that have participated in the summer research experience, coupled with the ongoing teleconferences, experienced a shift in their understanding of Science and scientists, as well as the process of doing science, especially as compared to a traditional classroom.