A Multi-Resource System for Remote Teaching in Astronomy: its aims, its design, the point of view of the learners

Summary

INTRODUCTION

A distance teaching course in Astronomy was developed three years ago by the CNED (Centre National d'Enseignement Distance) in collaboration with professional astronomers from the University of Paris Sud XI.

We wish to present our course with:

• the conceivers and designers’ point of view

• the learners’ point of view.

Creation of the course.

Centre National d'Enseignement a Distance (CNED).

The CNED was created in 1939. It is a public administration under the supervision of the French Ministry of Education. Its first founding mission is to provide teaching and training to those who cannot take courses under usual conditions. But the CNED now operates at all the levels of the educational system from primary up to higher education, in all fields of training, initial, vocational and continuing education.

In 1995-1996, 360 000 students were registered in 2 500 training modules. Among them, 80% are adults, 190 000 on post baccalaureat level programmes (27 000 registered students reside outside France, in 176 countries).

A partnership between CNED and Paris XI University.

As no such course existed for astronomy, its creation was timely. So, as we did for meteorology in 1990, the CNED which does not deliver diplomas, offered and set up a partnership through an agreement with the University of Paris XI.

We worked with a team of Professors from that university, professional astronomers who are also well-known for working in collaboration with primary and secondary school teachers (CLEA).Together we decided, conceived and designed a remote teaching course with a multi-resource system.