SAG: Stars and Galaxies Vol. 6, id. 2, 2023 December 28
c 2023. Center for Astronomy, University of Hyogo.
⃝

Learning Based on Shared Experience: A Proof of Concept at the SAGI
summer school in Observational Astronomy
Quang NGUYEN-LUONG1,2 , Van Trung DINH3 , Kazuhito DOBASHI4 , Anh DUONG-TUAN2 , Yuya HIRANO5 ,John HOANG6,7 , Ngoc Duy HOANG8 , Yoichi ITOH5 , Mikio KURITA9 , Minh Tan LE10 , Ngoc Tram LE11 , Quang
Thuy LE12 , Thierry MONTMERLE13 , Binh NGUYEN14 , Huu Ha NGUYEN12 , Thi Thao NGUYEN15 , Tung Lam
NGUYEN16 , Van Tue NGUYEN12 , Nicolas PERETTO17 , Jungjoo SOHN18 , Quang Vinh TRAN19 , Thanh Son
TRAN161

Department of Computer Sciences, Math, & Environmental Science, The American University of Paris, 75007, Paris, France
2
Université Paris-Saclay, Université Paris Cité, CEA, CNRS, AIM, 91191, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
3
Institute of Physics, Viet Nam Academy of Science and Technology, Viet Nam
4
Department of Astronomy & Earth Sciences, Tokyo Gakugei University, Nukuiki Tamachi, Koganei, Tokyo, 184-8501, Japan
5
Nishi-Harima Astronomical Observatory, Center for Astronomy, University of Hyogo, Japan
6
Department of Astronomy, University of California Berkeley, USA
7
Santa Cruz Institute for Particle Physics, University of California Santa Cruz, USA
8
Hamburger Sternwarte, University of Hamburg, Gojenbergsweg 112, 21029 Hamburg, Germany
9
Department of Astronomy, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan10
Department of Physics, Tay Nguyen University, Daklak, Viet Nam
11
Max Plank Institute for Radio Astronomy, Germany
12
Quy Nhon Observatory, Explorascience Quy Nhon, Quy Nhon City, Viet Nam
13
Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, F-75014 Paris, France
14
Department of Astronomy, University of Washington, Washington, USA
15
Nha Trang Observatory, Nha Trang City, Viet Nam
16
IFIRSE, ICISE, Quy Nhon City, Viet Nam
17
School of Physics & Astronomy, Cardiﬀ University, UK
18
Dept. of Earth Science of Education, Korea National University of Education, Cheongju-si, ChungBuk, Korea
19
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA
qnguyen@aup.edu(Received 2023 October 31; accepted 2023 November 28)

Abstract
The SAGI summer school 2023 (3S23) in observational astronomy is organized in the Summer 2023,
at the International Center for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE) in Quy Nhon, Viet Nam.
The goal of 3S23 is to promote astronomy research in Viet Nam and to teach astronomy to students.
We report the activities of the school and also highlight its pedagogical approach. Using narrative andobservational analysis of participants’ own words, we analyze the impacts of the school on participants
and on astronomy in Viet Nam. From these results, we propose a new form of teaching, namely Learning
Based on Shared Experience (LBSE). LBSE takes into account the diversities in students’ backgrounds,
languages, analytical, mathematical, abilities, and experiences and create an environment where learners
learn and share from each others’ experience. This approach is likely eﬀective in teaching subjects that
requires collaborations such as sciences and technologies.
Key words: optical astronomy — astronomy education — science development – experiential learning

1.

Introduction

The SAGI summer school 2023 (3S23) in Observational
Astronomy was organized from 17th to 28th July, 2023
in Quy Nhon, Viet Nam. The school aims at promoting
astronomy research in Viet Nam and teaching astronomy
to students. Annual summer school is an activity of theSimons Astrophysics Group at the International Center

for Interdisciplinary Science and Education (ICISE) in
Quy Nhon, Viet Nam (SAGI).
SAGI is founded to provide opportunities for overseas
Vietnamese astronomers to collaborate with astronomers
working in Viet Nam, and to teach astronomical techniques, observations, theories and instrumentation to
students from Viet Nam and the Southeast Asia region. SAGI s key members are Nguyen Trong Hien (PI,2

Q. Nguyen-Luong et al.

Caltech/JPL, instrumentation), Hoang Chi Thiem (KASI,
theoretical astrophysics), and Nguyen Luong Quang(AUP/CEA, observations/instrumentation).
SAGI ishosted by the Institute For Interdisciplinary Research in
Science and Education (IFIRSE), which belongs to ICISE.
IFIRSE/ICISE is located in Ghenh Rang, Quy Nhon,
Binh Dinh, Viet Nam. The main mission of IFIRSE is
to conduct fundamental research, driven by curiosity, atan international level. There are currently four researchgroups: neutrino Group, SAGI, environmental sciences,and theoretical physics.
Since its inception almost a decade ago, ICISE has
been the place to meet in Southeast Asia for international researchers across disciplines, including physics, astrophysics, and mathematics. ICISE is a non-proﬁt, nonorganization entity founded by Prof. Jean Tran Thanh
Van and Prof. Le Kim Ngoc, who left Viet Nam in the
1950s to study in France.
3S23 is a two-week summer school that brings together
astronomers and students to work on observational aspects of astronomy. The school focuses on practical handson skills in observation, operation, and instrumentation
development. Our goal is to demonstrate how astronomy
is not only an interesting subject but also critical for bothtechnological and scientiﬁc development. We aim to address commonly asked questions about the relevance ofastronomy, such as Why should we study it, or why
should the government invest in it?
In this paper, we report the activities of the school,highlight its pedagogical approach and its impacts on participants careers and on astronomy in Viet Nam.
2.

The school organization

2.1.

The philosophical approach of the school

This school was organized with the vision of giving students experiences in astronomical research and giving students opportunities to share their own experiences withothers through a shared-experience-based method. Since
1938, the infamous philosopher of education John Dewey
has summarized the important of experience in education in his book “Experience and Education” (Dewey
1938). Dewey suggested that students actively organize fact-based comprehension through meta-cognition, orby building onto prior experiences, preconceptions, andknowledge. Therefore, the educator’s role is in creating
an educative experience, not just dictating knowledge.
The argument that education should become moreevidence-based was put forward in Davis(1999).
Evidence-based education, if done right, would provide
a set of principles and practices for enhancing educational
policy and practice (Davis 1999). Therefore, we assess
the eﬃcacy and impact of the school via two evidences:
the students’ attitude toward science and also the research
reports that they produce at the end of the school.
We also focus on creating more human contacts between
participants of the school by providing more occurrencesof meeting and discussing topics out of the scope of theschool. This is done via frequent science discussions, so-Vol. 6,cial gatherings, and a weekend hiking and camping trip
to the Yok Don National Park. The National Parks located about 300 km to the West of Quy Nhon in a mountainous province named Daklak. Dak Lak province is thelargest province in the HighLand region in Viet Nam. This
province is in one of the mountain region of Viet Nam
which has an average high of 400–800 m above the sea
level and mountains peak up to 1500–2400 m. The highest mountain is Chu Yang Sin, peaks at 2442 m. Dak Lak
is about 200 km far from the sea. The dry season begins
from November to April each year with quite dry weather
and many clear nights. It is here that we are planning tobuild another astronomical observatory in collaboration
with Tay Nguyen University (Le-Minh et al. 2018).
To enhance the students learning experience, they also
visited the Explora Science Museum and the planetarium
located near the school campus. This provide an additional avenue for students to explore and deepen their understanding of astronomy and astrophysics beyond what
is covered in the classroom and during observational sessions.
2.2.

The participation body of the school

The school participants includes 15 lecturers from Viet
Nam, Japan, France, USA, Germany and 32 students from
Viet Nam, UK, Japan, France (ﬁgure 1). There is still anstrong gender imbalance among lecturer, only 1 femaleout of a total of 15 lecturers (ﬁgure 2). However, thedistribution of genders among students are more uniform.

Fig. 1. Distribution of working countries of lecturers andstudents.

2.3.

The organization of the school

Throughout the program, students learnt about astronomy and astrophysics during lectures and while working
on observational projects that focus on research questions,both scientiﬁcally and experimentally. They also learnt
how to operate telescopes, design and test scientiﬁc instruments, and conducted observations in groups, similar
as professional astronomers. Students experienced the full
spectrum of the observational process, from the frustra-id. 2

Learning Based on Shared ExperienceFig. 2. Distribution of genders among lecturers and students.

tion of operating the telescope to the joy of capturing
celestial images, the confusion of the data, and the powerof analytical thinking and data analysis. Actually, the sky
was clear on only 3 out of 15 nights so observations wasdone mostly on these 3 nights. The other nights students
gathered at the observatory to work on the data analysis
and the report.
We expected to provide students with a comprehensive learning experience that equip them with practicalskills and knowledge to pursue their passion in astronomy and astrophysics. The visit to the Explora Science
Museum and the planetarium located on the Quy Nhon
Observatory (QNO) campus provided an additional avenue for students to explore and deepen their understanding of astronomy and astrophysics.
2.4.

The lecturing and project programs

The program of the school cover a range of topics,
including telescope optics and practical astronomy, andobservations of fundamental astronomy. Lectures are
given in the morning and three ﬁrst afternoons. In theevening, students carried out observation and data analysis projects.
2.4.1. Lectures
The lectures comprised of the following topics:• Observational astronomy (Mikio Kurita, Kyoto
University)• Development of Seimei 3.8 m segmented telescope(Mikio Kurita, Kyoto University)• Spectroscopic observations of stars and planetaryatmosphere (Dinh Van Trung, Institute of Physics,
Viet Nam)• Molecules in stars and planets (Dinh Van Trung,Institute of physics, Viet Nam)

3

• Python and optimisation algorithms crash course(Tran Quang Vinh, MIT, USA)• James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) and how to
prepare a JWST proposal (Nguyen Tung Lam, Paris
Observatory, France)• Super star cluster (Nguyen Tung Lam, Paris
Observatory, France)• Asteroids and exoplanets (Yoichi Itoh, Nishi Harima
astronomical observatory, University of Hyogo)• Observations of exoplanet transits (Yuya Hirano,
Nishi Harima Astronomical Observatory, Universityof Hyogo, Japan)• Machine learning application in classifying
exoplanets/gamma-ray images (John Hoang,
University of California Berkeley, USA)
• Cherenkov Telescopes: high energies gamma-ray astronomy and beyond (John Hoang, University ofCalifornia Berkeley, USA)
• SETI: How to scientiﬁcally hunt for aliens? (John
Hoang, University of California Berkeley, USA)• Interstellar Dust: Measurement of extinction bystar count (Kazuhito Dobashi, Tokyo Gakugei
University, Japan)• Observing techniques:
Photometry and spectroscopy (Nguyen Thi Thao,
Nha Trang
Observatory, Viet Nam)
• Solar activity and its eﬀects on the ionosphere andVery Low Frequency array (Le Minh Tan, Tay
Nguyen University, Viet Nam)
• Spectroscopy for Photon Dominated Regions (LeNgoc Tram, Max-Plank Institute for Radio
Astronomy, Germany)• Grain alignment and magnetic ﬁeld in star-forming
regions (Le Ngoc Tram, Max-Plank Institute forRadio Astronomy, Germany)• Deﬁnition of galaxies (Binh Nguyen, University ofWashington, USA)• A brief introduction to radio interferometry: fromvisibility to sky brightness (Hoang Ngoc Duy,
Hamburg University, USA)
• A low-frequency view of galaxy clusters (Hoang
Ngoc Duy, Hamburg University, USA)2.4.2. Research projects
Each group had two to three observation nights to conduct observations with telescopes at QNO. QNO has a
Planewave CDK600 telescope with a 600 mm mirror diameter, as well as additional smaller telescopes, solar telescope, and a 3 m radio 21 cm wavelength dish. These areused to support the dissemination of scientiﬁc knowledge
and research in the ﬁeld of astronomy (see also NguyenVan et al. 2023). The project were led by one or two
lecturers who are available for the duration of the schools
as can be seen below.
• Earth team: Illuminating the night: probing atmospheric extinction and night sky brightness of Quy
Nhon (supervisors: Nguyen Thi Thao, Tran Quang
Vinh)

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Q. Nguyen-Luong et al.

Vol. 6,

Fig. 3. The group photo taken on the ﬁrst day of the school, Monday, 17th July, 2023.

• Moon team: Attempt to take a stereo-image of theMoon using two telescopes in Quy Nhon and Tokyo(supervisor: Kazuhito Dobashi)• Exoplanet team: First observations of Exoplanet
transit in Vietnam (supervisors: Yoichi Itoh, Yuya
Hirano)• Sun team: Observing the Sun using optical telescopes and Very Low Frequency instruments (supervisors: Le Minh Tan, Binh Nguyen)• Satellite team: Hunting satellites with QNO s telescopes (supervisors: John Hoang, Duong Tuan Anh)
• ISM team: Spectroscopy for Photon DominatedRegions of the M17 H II region (supervisor: Le Ngoc
Tram)
• Cluster team: Analysis of super star cluster withJWST images and Simulation of JWST MIRI observation with MIRISim (supervisors: Nguyen Tung
Lam, Nguyen Luong Quang)• Galaxy team: Multi-wavelength observations of anearby radio galaxy M106 (supervisor: Duy Hoang)
2.5.

Shared experiences

From our observations and students’ narrative (seeSection 3.1), the school is an excellent opportunity forstudents to share experiences along their learning process.
Several aspects of experiences that were shared during theschool:• Observations and experiments: Experiment designand observation procedures made during observing
sessions.
• Research ﬁndings and discoveries: Intriguing personal discoveries that have not discovered by themselves before which can spark curiosity and discussions among peers.

• Data analysis and interpretation: Collaborative
data analysis and interpretation of astronomical
data sets collected during observations and astronomical data archives which can trigger peer collaboration and discussion.
• Personal learning experiences: Experiences at different cultural backgrounds were discuss which canoﬀer diverse perspectives to fellow students.
• Problem-solving strategies and challenges: Students
work together and share their problem-solving
strategies for complex astronomy-related problems
or challenges encountered during research projects.
• Peer teaching and tutoring: Because of the diﬀerent
in student levels, peer teaching was encouraged sothat students share their expertise or understandingof speciﬁc astronomical topics with their peers.
• Multilingual exploration: Students from diverse linguistic backgrounds can contribute by sharing astronomical terms, facts, or stories related to space intheir native languages. This practice not only enhances their understanding but also exposes others
to diﬀerent linguistic perspectives.
• Cultural astronomy: Sharing cultural narratives orstories related to constellations, eclipses, or celestial
events from diﬀerent cultures can broaden students’cultural awareness while learning about astronomy.
• Diverse perspectives in interpretation: Encouraging
discussions about how diﬀerent cultures interpretand view astronomical events or celestial bodies canlead to diverse interpretations and foster criticalthinking among students.
• Cultural celebrations and festivals: Sharing experiences or participating in cultural activities related
to astronomy-based celebrations from diﬀerent cultures can create a sense of inclusivity and respectid. 2

Learning Based on Shared Experiencefor diverse cultural practices.

3.

Impacts of the school

3.1.

Testimonials of students and lecturers

One of the goals of the school is of course to teach students astronomical techniques and help students enhancetheir interest in astronomy. Besides that we also aim tocultivate friendship and future collaborations between different countries. As a matter of fact, modern astronomy
always relies on collaborative eﬀort in an increasingly international environment. Using the traditional narrative
analysis in psychology, it is much easier to understand theimpacts of the SAGI summer school on students based on
the narrative that they have written on the testimonial
book. We provide a few excerpts here below.
3.1.1. Testimonials from students“Life feels so surreal right now - no words will ever express how lucky and privileged I received the education
I receive, and the opportunities that come along withit.” (Nicole Bates, 1st year bachelor in physics, Cardiﬀ
University, UK)“I ve never really considered myself a particularly adventurous person, but this school has taught me there
is a lot more to life than sitting at home watching TV.
Viet Nam is an amazing country, with so much to explore
and see, not to mention delicious food and drinks. I feelso privileged to have had the opportunity to visit sucha beautiful country and study physics with professional
astronomers. I feel more excited than ever to pursue a
career in astronomy.” (Felix Wood, 1st year bachelor inphysics, Cardiﬀ University, UK)“I am happy to have met all these wonderful people.
I will never forget every night in Quy Nhon. We sang,socialized and studied hard. I think we had a really goodtime. Before I went to Viet Nam, I wanted to be an elementary teacher next year. But thanks to this summer
school and to you all, I’m wondering about a master’s degree in astronomy.” (Satoshi Horiguchi, 4th year bachelorin science education, Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan).
And Satoshi actually enrols in a master program at Tokyo
Gakugei university after the SAGI summer school.
“The ﬁrst foreign country I visited, Quy Nhon, Viet
Nam. It was a scorching hot place with beautiful blue
sky and sea. Everyone I met was kind. The astronomy
lectures and projects in English were diﬃcult. I felt what
I knew was tiny. I need to study astronomy and English
more. It was two weeks ﬁlled with such stimulation andfun. I ll never forget the sights, the songs, and the foods.
I m glad that my ﬁrst memory in a foreign country wasat this school. Thank you so much. I will deﬁnitely see
everyone again!” (Fu Sato, 4th year bachelor in scienceeducation, Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan)“I gained a lot of knowledge, learned more about othercultures, and made great friends during this summer
school. Although it was only two weeks, it was probably
my most memorable summer.” (Ngo Ngoc Hai, 4th year
bachelor in chemistry, University of Science, Viet Nam
National University-HCMC, Viet Nam).

5“Thanks for this meeting. To be honestly, this is my
ﬁrst time I have involved in a Summer school like this. In
this school, I can learn more about astronomy and physics
which I have never experienced before. Additionally, I am
able to make new friends and understand how to working
in an international environment. In short term, I cannot
wait for saying that I love everyone, I love our memory,
I love this schooling program . I am hopeful to see you in
the future.” (Nguyen Thai Duy, ﬁnal year, Nguyen Binh
Khiem high school for the gifted, Vinh Long, Viet Nam)
“This trip was one of the best experiences of my life!
I wholeheartedly encourage everybody to do something
like this! I met so many amazing people and was given
so many incredible opportunities like meeting wild elephants and operating the telescope at QNO. This trip really opened my eyes to the realities of being an astrophysicist and has made me want to do it even more! Thank you
so much for a once in a lifetime opportunity, I will neverforget it!!” (Kira Ward, , 1st year bachelor in physics,
Cardiﬀ University, UK)“After this summer school, I have felt very happy tolearn more about astronomy from teachers and scientists. Speciﬁcally, I had a lot friendly international friends.
I hope there are more programs like this so that astronomers can gain more experience in their work andmake international connections. Thank SAGI summer
school very much.” (Pham Nhat Thuyet, Nha Trang
Observatory, Viet Nam)
“The word incredible is simply not enough to describe the incredibility of this school. It drives us youngsters from being silent, introvert nerds into energetic andcrazy about astrophysics. I think what makes this school
so successful was not only from the undeniably amazing
lectures, but also from the invaluable opportunity for students like us who coming from diﬀerent countries, culturesand even lifestyles to work and have fun together, which
deﬁnitely will beneﬁt us immensely in the future. And if
I ll be given a chance to meet those young, intelligent
and energetic minds again, I ll not hesitate to say yesagain.” (Nguyen Tat Thang, 3st year bachelor in space
and applications, University of Science and Technology of
Hanoi, Viet Nam)
“I would not have expected to have such an eye opening
and incredible two weeks when I signed up for this backin January. I didn’t expect to learn so much and as wellhave the chance to get hands on with the facilities. As
well as that everyone was extremely friendly and welcoming which only added to the amazing experience. I hope toreturn to Viet Nam one day and explore more and hopefully see a few familiar faces again.” (Ethan McCormick,
1st year bachelor in physics, Cardiﬀ University, UK)“Although the trip was only 2 weeks it was an incredible
experience. I met so many incredible people and got towork with them. I got to see things I otherwise may havenever seen and do things I wouldn t normally do. I learnt
new skills and more about astronomy. I loved travelling
Viet Nam and working on the group project. I d love togo back to Viet Nam and see some of the people I met
again.” (Joel Buckeridge, 1st year bachelor in physics,

6

Q. Nguyen-Luong et al.

Cardiﬀ University, UK)“This trip to Viet Nam has seriously been one of thebest things I’ve ever done. The science, the food, and ofcourse the people I met have all been wonderful. Thankyou everyone who made it possible for us to go. Camping
in the jungle and meeting elephants was not something
I expected to do on an astronomy summer school, but
it was fantastic and I’ll never forget it. I’ll always remember all the new experiences: working with a 60cm
telescope, trekking through the forest and social events! I
had a great time in the moon group, and this was my ﬁrst
time presenting scientiﬁc ﬁndings to an audience which
was nerve-wracking but really rewarding. I m planningto come back to Viet Nam as soon as possible, see you
all again one day! :)” (Ned Grandy, 1st year bachelor inphysics, Cardiﬀ University, UK)“I really love the two-week time spent there in the summer school. The food was good, lecturers and friends wereamazing and friendly. I learned a lot thanks to the lectures and the Moon group. I get more assurance about
my astronomy career. Hope to see all of you again, in
Viet Nam, Japan, UK, France, or anywhere. I love all ofyou.” (Ho Huy Ngoc Khue, 2nd year bachelor in physics,
International university-Vietnam National University)“Visiting Viet Nam was an amazing experience. The astronomy school has opened my eyes to so much that awaits
me further down the road in my astrophysics career. It
was everything I had wanted it to be. The people there
are so friendly and I loved all the opportunities we were
given.” (Jacob Allington, 1st year bachelor in physics,
Cardiﬀ University, UK)“Hello friends, the ﬁrst time coming to the astronomical
observatory school is very exciting, this is the ﬁrst time myhusband and I have participated in such a wonderful class.
It’s great to be directly involved in research activities withyour companions. I hope that the students in my area
will also have access to modern facilities like in Quy Nhon
to be satisﬁed with their research. Thank you, teachers,
for sharing a lot of information, this is a precious time.
Thank you very much. Hope to be able to participate
more.” (Trinh Le My & Kham Tran Anh Quan, masterin physics, Tay Nguyen University, Viet Nam)
“After 2 weeks of taking classes on astronomy, I feel very
excited. I love studying astronomy because it helps me
understand the universe around me. The universe is a vastand mysterious place, and I have always been intrigued by
it. I wanted to know more about all the things that weregoing on in the universe, and I knew that astronomy wasa great way to learn. I’m glad I had SAGI Observational
Astronomy School. I know that astronomy will be an
important part of my life, and I look forward to continuing
to learn about it in the future.” (Nguyen Truong My
Duyen, Quy Nhon Observatory)“Although we’ve only been friends for two weeks, I’m
happy. I learned a lot from everyone in addition to playing. I hope I can see everyone again. I love all people.”(Vo Tran Thanh Mai, 4th year bachelor in physics education, Ho Chi Minh City University of Education, Viet
Nam)Vol. 6,“Thank you SAGI Astronomical Observation School for
creating conditions for everyone to learn together. Thankyou for imparting interesting knowledge about astronomy.
2 weeks of studying and being with everyone is a beautiful
memory for me, increasing my passion for astronomy.”(Huynh Duy Hoang, 4th bachelor in physics, Quy Nhon
University, Viet Nam).
“It s my mission to learn as much as possible and travel
as much as possible so SAGI was a perfect opportunity.
This was my ﬁrst time doing observational astronomy,
which was a lot of fun and gave me insight into my potential future career. Everybody I met was lovely and,
although I am now 90% tofu, I will cherish these memories for life. Thank you all.” (Bonnie Collins, 1st year
bachelor in physics, Cardiﬀ University, UK)“This summer school was such an incredible opportunity and I am so grateful to have been able to spend two
weeks learning so much about a subject I am very passionate about with such like minded people! It was alsoso much fun being able to explore a new country, meet somany incredible people and make new friends :) I hope tobe able to do something similar in the future and hope I
will have the opportunity to visit Viet Nam again!” (AmyMatthews, 1st year bachelor in physics, Cardiﬀ University,
UK)“The words do not come out.” (Nguyen Duc Nguyen,
3rd year bachelor in space and applications, university of
Science and Technology of Hanoi, Viet Nam)
“This trip went light-years beyond my expectations!
The schedule was full and didn t waste a second. I
learnt so much during my time here - about operatinglarge telescopes/ an observatory, optics, python/machinelearning and the extinction coeﬃcient (it s hard to forget my presentation on that). But Ultimately, it was thepeople I met here which made the trip so unforgettable.
I never could have expected to ﬁnd myself so surroundedby such caring and wholesome people, from so many backgrounds/demographics. This truly was a melting pot ofgood vibes which culminated in special moments like thefeast on the camping trip.” (Harvy Davies, 1st year bachelor in physics, Cardiﬀ University, UK)
3.1.2. Testimonial from lecturers“Spending two weeks with bright, hopeful, and ambitious young students like you was a very precious andenjoyable experience for me. I would like to express mythankfulness to all of you. Forty years ago, when I was atyour age, I visited England as my ﬁrst trip to foreign countries. At that time, it was not easy (at least for me) to go
abroad and I had only seen what was happening in foreigncountries on TV, so I was very surprised to actually see
the cultural diﬀerences in many aspects, and sometimes I
didn’t know what I should talk to the people. In contrast,
everyone in the summer school was openly and naturally
communicating with students from other countries andwith the local people. I was very much impressed andwas very happy. I sincerely hope that your future is fullof such friendship and benevolence. I am looking forward
to seeing you again somewhere.” (Kazuhito Dobashi, professor, Tokyo Gakugei University, Japan)

id. 2

Learning Based on Shared Experience“I am very happy to join this school and to see howinternational friendship gradually developed among theparticipating students. I am also very impressed with the
QNO telescope. Its pointing and tracking are very accurate and the observatory staﬀ are so enthusiastic. We willcontinue our observational collaboration on exoplanet science. Xin Cam On.” (Yoichi Itoh, professor, Nishi Harima
Astronomical Observatory, University of Hyogo, Japan)“It is my honor to come back to Quy Nhon and join
the school as a lecturer (and a student too!). Everyone
is amazing and enthusiastic. The food and drinks areyummy. The places and scenes are fascinating. It was apity that I could only spend one week here. Thank you forall the great memories and see you soon!” (Nguyen Tung
Lam, adjunct researcher, Paris Observatory, France)“I am very happy to meet everyone in Quy Nhon during
the 2 weeks of classes. The class has helped me have moreinteresting experiences, make many new friends and learn
a lot from teachers and scientists. I hope to see you all
again soon. Wish all the best to you.” (Nguyen Van Tue,telescope operator at Quy Nhon Observatory, Viet Nam)
“It’s been a pleasure and honor to be a lecturer and participant of this summer school. From the very ﬁrst day,it was clear that the summer school was not just a collection of courses and observation activities, but a meticulously crafted tapestry of knowledge, friendship, and personal growth. The dedication of the organizers, instructors, and staﬀ was extraordinary, creating an environment
where curiosity thrived and possibilities seemed limitless.
The impact of this experience will undoubtedly extend far
beyond the summer, as the knowledge gained and the collaboration formed will continue to shape my academic andpersonal journey.” (John Hoang, researcher, University ofCalifornia Berkeley, USA)
“Many thanks the SAGI group for inviting me to givelectures at the school. I am glad to meet and learn fromthe enthusiastic students as well as from the other lecturers. This short two-week summer school is a great journey
which is like no others that I have participated. It is where
everyone including the students and lecturers learns newthings and has fun together despite of the fact that manyof us are from diﬀerent continents and meet for the ﬁrst
time. This shows that there is no boundary for us to learn
and work together to achieve common goals. More schools
like this should be organised in future.” (Duy Hoang, researcher, Hamburg University, Germany)“During the SAGI astronomical observation school at
ICISE, Viet Nam, I were strongly impressed by the intelligence and agility of the students, the thoughtful and professional organization of the organizers. I am proud that
we are able to operate the observatory with the largest
telescope in my country. I was amazed with the beautiful
results of photos of the sun, galaxies and exoplanets, etc.
School format combines theory and experiences that helps
both lecturers and learners have more interaction. School
helps students have many skills such as teamwork skills,
research and talk skills as well.” (Le Minh Tan, lecturer,
Tay Nguyen University, Viet Nam)
“There was not a single moment when the mood was

7

down, from the nights within the telescope s dome, analyzing signals under the stars, to late talks next to thewaves, glasses in hands. It was a pleasure meeting, working, and having fun with so many people across backgrounds, countries, and generations. There was absolutely no barrier stopping people from coming together
to share and learn - across nationality; between students
and lecturers; between the olders, youngers. I was ecstatic to meet so many curious people eagering to discoverand so many knowledgeable seniors eagering to share. Im extremely grateful for what I had learned from everyone and the friendships I had been able to forged here in
Quy Nhon.” (Tran Quang Vinh, lecturer, Massachusetts
Institute of Technology, USA)“I am grateful to the Organizing Committee for giving me the opportunity to participate in this excellent
school. The school has brought together a diverse group of
Vietnamese individuals working in the ﬁeld of astronomy,both domestically and internationally, allowing me thechance to reconnect with old friends I haven’t seen in over
10 years and to meet new, intriguing colleagues. We’ve
engaged in endless conversations about future collaborations, and I truly hope that these collaborative projects
will soon become a reality. Furthermore, I am captivatedby the potential of applying machine learning in astronomical data processing. I now realize more than ever thatthe combination of astronomy and the rapid advancementof technology is an exciting blend. This synergy makes
the journey of exploring the universe more fascinating and enticing than ever before.” (Nguyen Thi Thao,
astronomer, Nha Trang Observatory, Viet Nam)
“Thank you for giving me a great opportunity to join
the excellent summer school and to meet energetic young
students from all over the world. I received hope fromthem and learned many things. After three years of hibernating due to the crisis of Covid-19, we were able tospend and share fruitful time and place in Viet Nam. I
hope that the students will take advantage of the wonderful experiences, as I once did.” (Mikio Kurita, professor,
Kyoto University, Japan)“I stayed as a speaker for a week, and it was really enjoyable and educational. It was my ﬁrst overseas trip, but
I was able to have a comfortable time with the help of
everyone in the school and the local people I met. The
observation project for exoplanets in Viet Nam is still ongoing. I’m determined to work hard in order to achieve
many wonderful results.” (Yuya Hirano, researcher, Nishi
Harima Astronomical Observatory, University of Hyogo,
Japan)
3.2.

Impacts on future collaborations and astronomy inViet Nam

Astronomy, often referred to as the “gateway science”,
has the power to inspire, educate, and unite people acrossthe globe. This hands-on astronomical summer school in
Viet Nam has shown that it could contribute to catalyzing the growth of astronomy in the country and stimulate
future international collaborations.
The school allows for the identiﬁcation and nurturing

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Q. Nguyen-Luong et al.

of local talents in the ﬁeld of astronomy, which otherwise
is hidden. Through lectures, workshops, and hands-on
activities, young Vietnamese students and researchers canreceive a solid foundation in astronomy, ensuring that thecountry has a pool of homegrown talent to fuel its scientiﬁcprogress. After the school, a few students have pursued
further studies in astronomical research.
By providing access to state-of-the-art equipment andobservational opportunities, participants can deepen theirunderstanding of astronomy in a more interactive andpractical way. This, in turn, can inspire them to pursue
careers in science and engineering, contributing to a morerobust and diversiﬁed scientiﬁc workforce in Viet Nam.
As a result of the school several collaborative projects
have been set up. For example, researchers of QNO areworking with researchers from Tay Nguyen university, andresearchers from the University of Hyogo Nishi Harima
Astronomical Observatory on an exoplanet monitoring
project (see also Nguyen-Van et al. 2023). Tay Nguyen
University also collaborates with Kyoto University to set
up an optical observatory that hosts a 40 cm newlydesigned telescope in Daklak (Le-Minh et al. 2018). Not
only professional collaborations have been set up, theinter-cultural activities that we had during the school was
also an opportunity for participants to exchange their own
unique cultures. Participants and lecturers from diﬀerent
countries have learnt from each other, shares their perspectives, and built lasting friendship connections as several participants have already mentioned.
The organization of a summer school also identiﬁes thenecessity of acquiring cutting-edge astronomical equipment, such as telescopes, cameras, polarimeters, and spectrographs. In addition, a telescope on a better site suchas a mountain should also be considered. We hope thatthe impact of a summer school extends beyond the ﬁeldof astronomy alone. By emphasizing science, technology,
engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education, it cancontribute to the development of a scientiﬁcally literate
workforce. Through the school, students are also exposed
to engineering, physics, and computer sciences. They will
understand better how diﬀerent ﬁelds can be welded tounderstand the universe better.
4.

Discussion: From Experiential Learning toShared-Experienced-based Education

In his book, Kolb (1984) promoted a form of learning from experiences in which he considers that learning begins at the moment when the students interact andhave clear experiences with the environment. Gorghiu andSanti (2016) summarized the process of experiential learning in a four-stage cycle (ﬁgure 4): starting from the concrete experience, then observation and reﬂection on thatexperience, which leads to the formation of abstract concepts (analysis) and generalization (conclusions), which
are then used to test the hypothesis in future situations,the result being concretized in a new experience.
This approach has been implemented in various stagesof human learning and development, and has been partic-

Fig. 4. Kolb’s Experiential Learning Cycle.
from Gorghiu and Santi (2016).

Vol. 6,

Figure taken

ularly successful in STEM subject (i. e. Weinberg et al.
2011). However, in our school, the participants’ characteristics are particularly diﬀerent:• Background diversity: participants’ prior-training
background ranging form ﬁrst undergraduate year
to PhD and professor levels.
• Language divergence: the main oﬃcial language isEnglish. However, there are group of native English
speakers, group of non-native good English speakers, group of non-native beginner English speakers.
The group is certainly multilingual. There is also a
linguistic minority in the language distribution, i. e.
Ede language.
• Cultural diﬀerence: participants come from diﬀerent
geographical and cultural regions (see Section 2.2).
• Age spread: participants are aged from posthighschool level to professor level.
• Spread in analytical reasoning and problem-solving
skills: participants come from diﬀerent backgroundso their analytical reasoning abilities are also diverse.
In order to appreciate the diﬀerences and create an efﬁcient learning process, we propose a Learning Based on
Shared Experience (LBSE) approach for a diverse groupsof learners. This approach is a modiﬁed combinationof the two existing frameworks Experiential Learning ofKolb (1984) and the Cooperative Learning of Johnson andJohnson (2009). The main characteristics of this approachare:• Create a supportive environment for participants tofeel relaxed and embedded in the subject matter.
• Increase social interaction by hosting participants inthe same location, preferably same residence, andcreate more social gathering opportunities.
• Create learning groups with stratiﬁed participants’characteristics.
• Create hands-on projects for each learning group.
Note that because of the diversities of participants’id. 2

Learning Based on Shared Experiencebackgrounds, these problems do not have to be at
the lowest level to facilitate the non-experienced participants.
• Deliver theoretical classes to bring the similar background materials to students, not necessarily at thesame levels.
• Encourage more senior participants to explain thediﬃcult concepts to junior participants in the group,
thus, create more peer teaching and learning.
We will explore further LBSE approach in a more detailed analysis in coming papers.
5.

Concluding remarks

In this paper, we report the activities of the SAGI summer school 2023 (3S23) in Observational Astronomy. We
propose a Learning Based on Shared Experience (LBSE)
approach that can be used to educate groups of students
with diversiﬁed backgrounds in subjects such as sciences
and technologies. This approach takes advantage of thediversities in students’ backgrounds, languages, analytical, mathematical, abilities, and experiences and create
an environment where learners learn and share from eachothers’ experiences. By using narrative analysis, it seems
that participants have positive experiences after completing school. We expect that their positive experiences will
have impact of their future career and also possible on
astronomy in Viet Nam. However, additional studies stillneed to be done to examine long-term eﬃcacy of this approach.
6.

Acknowledgements

SAGI is supported by a grant from the Simons
Foundation (916424, N.H.) in addition to the enthusiastic
support of IFIRSE/ICISE staﬀ. We thank the staﬀs of the
Explora Science Museum and the Quy Nhon Observatory
who provide excellent supports to our program days andnights.
References
Davis, P. 1999, British Journal of Educational Studies, 47, 108
Dewey, J. 1938, Experience and Education (United State:
Kappa Delta Pi, Inc)
Gorghiu, G., & Santi, E. A. 2016, European Proceedings ofSocial and Behavioural Sciences, 16, 320
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. 2009, Educational
Researcher, 38, 365
Kolb, D. A. 1984, Experiential Learning: Experience As The
Source Of Learning And Development (Prentice-Hall)
Le-Minh, T., Tran-Quoc, L., & Nguyen-Luong, Q. 2018,arXiv:1812.00941
Nguyen-Van, T., et. al. 2023, Stars and Galaxies, 6, 7
Weinberg, A. E., Basile, C. G., & Albright, L. 2011, RMLE
Online, 35, 1

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