{"id":520,"date":"2024-10-23T14:50:39","date_gmt":"2024-10-23T14:50:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sem.austincc.edu\/astronomy\/?page_id=520"},"modified":"2026-02-16T17:23:26","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T17:23:26","slug":"astronomy-physics-professor-dr-chandra-vanajakshi-teaching-methods-style","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sem.austincc.edu\/astronomy\/astronomy-physics-professor-dr-chandra-vanajakshi-teaching-methods-style\/","title":{"rendered":"ASTRONOMY & PHYSICS PROFESSOR- DR. CHANDRA VANAJAKSHI, Teaching Methods & Style"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/h3>\n

What To Expect In Class:<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Astronomy is Wonderful!<\/span><\/strong>
\nIn my courses \u2013 which are all currently online, asynchronous \u2013 my main goal is to give you a <\/strong>chance to see how absolutely wonderful and breathtaking our universe is. In the process of <\/span><\/strong>learning this you will learn how science and the scientific method work, hone your critical thinking <\/span><\/strong>skills and also learn to work collaboratively with your classmates,<\/span> which is highly recommended to <\/strong>prepare you for future careers where working with your work colleagues will be an essential part of <\/strong>success in your chosen career.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Courses Design Highly Modular \u2013 \u201cChunked\u201d into Easy Bite-sized \u2018Pieces\u2019 <\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

My astronomy courses have been designed using \u2018universal course design\u2019 principles developed <\/strong>from extensive educational and cognitive research. The course material is highly modularized. It is<\/strong>
\ndivided into four [4] major modules and further \u201cchunked\u201d into smaller subunits to make it easy for<\/strong>
\nyou to assimilate the material without feeling overwhelmed. Each subunit provides ungraded self-<\/strong>
\ntest quizzes so that you can assess what topic\/subtopic you need to review. This also helps as<\/strong>
\nreview for the test for that module.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Course Assessments Not Solely Based on Exams – Involve Creative Projects<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

There are only four tests in total \u2013 one test per module, and there is no one comprehensive final exam.<\/u><\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The course grade does not solely depend on test and homework. There are other forms of assessments such as projects that allow you to showcase your understanding of the material while also allowing you to use your creative side<\/u>. For instance, in one of the projects, you will be creating your own constellations using various exotic objects from the universe. You will create<\/em> a name for that constellation and<\/em> a background \u2018story\u2019 for your constellation. You can \u201cown\u201d that constellation!\u00a0 Another project involves designing your own solar system using features from our solar system planets as well as exoplanets (planets in other solar systems). Alternative projects may include researching: 1) the latest discoveries from the James Webb Space Telescope [JWST] or 2) how space exploration affects our daily life \u2013 the \u201cSpinoffs\u201d – commercial products and services derived from NASA technology that we use at home and in our cities every day.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You will get a chance to share your findings with your classmates. In the past semesters, students have had a great deal of fun working on these projects.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Projects \u2013 Option for Group or Solo Work \u2013 Showcase Your Work<\/span><\/strong>
\nThe projects can be done in groups or as a solo activity depending on your inclination and work \/<\/strong>
\nfamily circumstances. Discussion Forum submissions allow you to see other people\u2019s work as well<\/strong>
\nas showcase your own work. You can respond to other people\u2019s work as part of these projects.<\/strong>
\nThis allows you to interact with your classmates (which is crucial especially in online, asynchronous<\/strong>
\ncourses where you don\u2019t meet your classmates in a class setting).<\/strong><\/p>\n

Extra Credit Opportunities<\/span><\/strong>
\nFinally, opportunities for extra credit are given in some of the modules.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Final Note<\/span><\/strong>
\nAstronomy may not be a subject that brings in immediate material benefit but it does something<\/strong>
\nmuch more important \u2013 it widens your perspective in life and that is worth spending some effort on.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Professor Vanajakshi’s Curriculum Vitae<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What To Expect In Class: Astronomy is Wonderful! In my courses \u2013 which are all currently online, asynchronous \u2013 my main goal is to give you a chance to see how absolutely wonderful and breathtaking our universe is. In the process of learning this you will learn how science and the scientific method work, hone […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-520","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sem.austincc.edu\/astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/520","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sem.austincc.edu\/astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sem.austincc.edu\/astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sem.austincc.edu\/astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sem.austincc.edu\/astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=520"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sem.austincc.edu\/astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/520\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sem.austincc.edu\/astronomy\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=520"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}