The series of questions presented in this Lab will help you find out your ideas or your students' ideas about basic astronomy. As highlighted in the video series Private Universe Teachers Workshops , when we articulate our misconceptions, we are taking the first step to rectifying them.
Surveying is one of many educational strategies that teachers can use to elicit ideas.
Even a brief survey, such as the one presented next, can provide a learning opportunity for students and teachers alike. Students can reveal their misconceptions for the first time as well as open their minds to accepting scientific points of view. Teachers can form a basis for making instructional decisions, whether to validate students' correct yet unsure ideas, confront student misconceptions, reinforce ideas that are forming, or complement ideas that are accurate but only partial explanations. To find out more about this Lab's survey and how it was developed, click here . Teachers can print a student survey for use in their classroom or have students complete the survey online .