Malaysia GAM2016 : Youngster Interest with Space Exploration Increase with Tech Approach.

• Print
• Email

May 06

2016

by Hafez Murtza ( Muhammad Hafez bin Ahmat Murtza )

I believe our young generation’s interest towards space exploration will increase with technology enhanced approaches in teaching STEAM. In celebrating Global Astronomy Month April 2016, Universe Awareness Malaysia had organized an event named “Let’s Explore Our Sky”. In order to attract youngsters’ interest, organizer uses Frog VLE (Frog Virtual Learning Environment) as a platform of learning and presentation.Click here : bit.ly/GAMmalaysia .Primary students aged from nine to thirteen years old from various school surrounding Sentul area were invited to the event. The atmosphere was electric and the air was thick with curiosity  – with questions about the solar system, galaxy and rockets.

The first session was an introduction to astronomy and questions to our location within the universe. Participants were required to write their universe address on padlet application embedded in VLE and shared with others. Laugher and happiness were overwhelming as participants interacted with each other while doing the activity.

The organizer used augmented reality to create an active learning environment when teaching about the solar system. The kids were each given two cards consisting of details of two different planets. They read the details together and scanned the cards with the tablet provided. This created a 3d image of  planets and their moons in animation.

 
The Balloon Rocket simulation was awesome. Hafez, the presenter, simplified Newton 3rd law by using a simple rocket balloon experiment; repeatedly for a few times. After a few simulations, the presenter asked for the kid’s understanding and most of the kids got the message of “for every action there is an equal opposite reaction”.

Watch rocket balloon simulation : https://youtu.be/zeQQM_JTIck

Space shuttles were introduced using a paper model of a space shuttle and a launch video. The kids counted down together and shouted when the shuttle roared as it left the launch pad. Good audio played a big role to recreate the events experience and the feeling was great.

The organizer then asked the kids to think about their space dreams and the kids responded using the Tricider application which was embedded in the VLE. You can read and comments about their dreams.

Before kids were allowed to leave, the presenter assembled his homemade paper model of the Saturn V rocket and explained how it worked. Intense feeling of curiosity arose as they got to know how creative, innovative and difficult it has been to bring human to the moon. As long as we have the courage, we can do what we think is impossible.

The organizer hoped that using the blended learning approaches in teaching STEAM would allow youngsters to learn and experience our wonderful universe in a different dimension. As mentioned by Chris Dede, a professor in Learning Technologies at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education, “the more immersive the experience, the more a person suspends his/her disbelief and feels a part of the experience”.

This event also organized in supporting UN initiatives "Global Goals for sustainable development" and we focusing on 3 goals,which are: no 4:Quality Education no 13:Climate Change and no 17: partneship for the Goals.

Hafez Astrorunner

Universe Awareness Malaysia

Space Generation