Instructor: Prof. Eric Scheidly

e-mail: scheidly@drexel.edu  (sg94etu9@drexel.edu)

Office Hours: Virtual by Appointment

Text: The Astro Venture from Penn State

Course Description:

Physics course descriptions, credit hours, and enrollment restrictions can be found at this link. 

"Survey of the Universe" provides an overview of modern astronomy, including the scientific method; telescopes; stars and star clusters; stellar evolution; galaxies and the large-scale structure of the universe; and the Big Bang. It also includes visits to a local observatory. The online version of this course is designed to engage students in an investigation of astronomy in a more active way; the hope is that, with this interactive game-like platform, students will achieve a greater understanding and appreciation of astronomy.

This class will be divided into four roughly equal-length major Units:

• Unit 1 -- Basic Astronomy and the Nighttime Sky: gravity; seasons; phases of the Moon & eclipses; the night sky & constellations; properties of light, spectroscopy; telescopes

• Unit 2 -- The Solar System: properties of the planets in our Solar System, including the Earth and its Moon, as well as moons of other planets; laws of planetary motion; formation of the solar system

• Unit 3 -- Stars: the Sun & properties of stars (how they work, mass, luminosity, temperature, color); stellar birth and death; white dwarfs, neutron stars, black holes

• Unit 4 -- Galaxies and Cosmology: structure and composition of the Milky Way Galaxy, including star clusters, nebulae, and stellar remnants; different types and sizes of galaxies; galaxy evolution; dark matter & dark energy; the Big Bang & history of the Universe

Course Purpose:

"Survey of the Universe" is just that--a broad-brush course covering topics from seasons and lunar phases to stars to galaxies to the history of the universe--essentially all of astronomy in 10 weeks! This is a three-credit elective course that is not required for any major or minor. While it is designed for students that might not take another science course at Drexel, it also is appropriate for STEM students. It is what many other universities would call "Astronomy 101" (except that students get the added bonus of having a physics course on their transcript!). Ultimately the purpose is to give students an understanding of how application of the Scientific Method has enabled humankind to learn about the universe from near to far.

This online course is designed to engage students in an investigation of astronomy in a more active way so that they will achieve a greater understanding of astronomical concepts and furthermore convey the idea that astronomy has relevance to many people, through appreciation of beauty of astronomical objects.

Prerequisites:                 There are no prerequisites for PHYS 131.

Expected Learning Outcomes:
This course will address the Drexel Learning Priorities: Communication, Critical Thinking, Information Literacy, Self-Directed Learning, and Technology Use. In addition to the detailed learning outcomes, upon completion of this course, students will be able to:

• describe the position of the Earth in the Universe, in orbit around the Sun which is one of many stars traveling around the center of the Milky Way galaxy that is one of billions and billions of galaxies in the Universe;

• describe why the Sun shines and why stars come in different colors;

• give a brief history of the universe from the beginning of the Big Bang expansion to the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets;

• to be able to describe the basic properties of the planets in the Solar System and their moons;

• to understand the motions of our Sun, Moon, and stars in the sky over the course of days, months, and years;

• to be able to remember three things that are relevant and important about astronomy ten years down the line;

• to understand and have interest in newspaper and magazine articles on astronomy written for the public.

Course Materials:

1. Drexel Learn (https://learn.dcollege.net):

Drexel Learn will be used as our course homepage. There you can find our syllabus (this web page), the course schedule, the discussion boards, links to the online tests, your grades, and other important course documents and resources. Please contact your instructor immediately if you are having trouble accessing/navigating our course in Drexel Learn.

2. Textbooks:

There is no required text -- all material is provided in the interactive game developed by our AstroVenture colleagues at the Pennsylvania State University. You will download a standalone game program for $40 (which is less than the cost of the traditional textbook and other online course materials). Please sign up using your Drexel e-mail (specifically, the one formatted as xyz123@drexel.edu).

Important Notice: AstroVenture is not a product of or hosted by Drexel University. If you sign up for the game, AstroVenture will maintain records of your Drexel email address as well as your game activity and scores. If you are not comfortable with this information being housed on non-Drexel servers, you might consider taking the 'live' version of PHYS 131 which follows a traditional lecture format and does not utilize the AstroVenture product. PHYS 131 is not a required course for any major or degree program.

3. Computer:

Students will need a computer meeting these system requirements to run the University of Mars game.

4. Respondus Lockdown Browser (Section 900 students only):

This course requires the use of Respondus LockDown Browser and a webcam for online exams. The webcam can be built into your computer or can be the type that plugs in with a USB cable. Watch this short video to get a basic understanding of LockDown Browser and the webcam feature. A student Quick Start Guide is also available. Well before our first exam, please download and install Respondus LockDown Browser using this link: https://download.respondus.com/lockdown/download.php?id=986712485. More tips to prepare you for taking online tests for this class appear at the end of the syllabus. 

Assignments and Assessments:

Requirement Summary:

• Complete all the parts of the four video game "Units" by their due dates (see course schedule below). The Units are divided into 2-3 "Parts" each, and there will be intermediate deadlines for completing each Part.

• Take 3 of the 4  mid-term Unit tests; taking all four is strongly recommended, and your best three scores will count towards the final grade.

• Attend a local telescope open house event and write a half-page summary of your experience (submitted through Blackboard).

• Engage in 3 of the 4 discussion questions posted in the course's Blackboard forum (one for each Unit).

• Complete a final project (your choice of a few options).

Homework: The weekly "homework" is to complete the online assignments as indicated by the course schedule below.

Tests: Take 3 of the 4 assigned Unit Tests (online via Respondus). We'll drop one test so that there is no need to schedule make-up tests for such a large class. (If you have to miss a second for a reason beyond your control, please let your instructor know.)

Telescope Visit: Students are required to gain practical experience by observing through a telescope once during the quarter. For example at one of the open house nights offered in the Philadelphia (or locally for students outside of the region) as noted below.

• Drexel's Lynch Observatory:
  First Wednesday of each month

• Fels Planetarium/Franklin Institute Joel N. Bloom Observatory

  • Second Thursday of each month

  • Second Wednesday of each month after Rittenhouse Astronomical Society meetings.

• Swarthmore College Sproul Observatory
  Second Tuesday of the month.

• Haverford College Strawbridge Observatory

• Widener Observatory
  Every Monday, and the first Friday of the Month

Grade Scale: The guaranteed grading boundaries (i.e., you will receive at least this grade if you have this final average) are >93.0% A; >90.0% A-; >87.0% B+; >83.0% B; >80.0% B-; >77.0% C+; >70.0% C; >60.0% D.

Grade Rubric:

• 2% of the course grade from the initial (first time) scores on the inline quizzes from Copper the robot for each unit = 8% total

• and another 2% based on best scores of the Copper quizzes for each unit = 8% total

• 18% for each of the three highest (of four) unit exams = 54% total for unit exams

• 5% for attending (and writing a summary of) a telescope open house event

• 15% for participating in three discussion forums (5% each)

• 10% for the final project

Acadmic Policies:
Students are expected to be familiar with Drexel's policies on
Academic Integrity, Plagiarism, Dishonesty and Cheating: www.drexel.edu/provost/policies/academic_dishonesty.asp
Course Adding/Dropping: drexel.edu/provost/policies/course-add-drop/ and
Course Withdrawal: drexel.edu/provost/policies/course-withdrawal.

Students may not copy one another's work. This is considered cheating and will be dealt with in the following manner. The first infraction will result in a zero for all parties involved. The second infraction will result in an F for the course and a report to the office of academic affairs.

Student with disabilities requesting accommodations and services at Drexel University need to present a current accommodation verification letter (AVL) to faculty before accommodations can be made. AVL's are issued by the Office of Disability Resources. For additional information, see drexel.edu/disability-resources/support-accommodations/student-family-resources/.

For Health and Counseling needs, students can find further information at
drexel.edu/counselingandhealth/student-health-center/overview/
drexel.edu/counselingandhealth/counseling-center/overview/

Appropriate Use of Course Materials:
It is important to recognize that some or all of the course materials provided to you may be the intellectual property of Drexel University, the course instructor, or others. Use of this intellectual property is governed by Drexel University policies, including the IT-1 Policy. Briefly, this policy states that all course materials including recordings provided by the course instructor may not be copied, reproduced, distributed or re-posted. Doing so may be considered a breach of this policy and will be investigated and addressed as possible academic dishonesty, among other potential violations. Improper use of such materials may also constitute a violation of the University's Code of Conduct and will be investigated as such.

Finally, changes to the parameters of the course may need to be made during the quarter. In the case of such events, students will be notified by the instructor through their official Drexel e-mail.

Tentative Course Schedule

Parts are completed by finishing the Copper the robot quizzes within the University of Mars game.

Tests are completed using the Respondus Lockdown Browser with a webcam.

Discussion board (DB) posts and replies are completed on Drexel Learn.

How to Succeed in this Course

• Play through the University of Mars video game, completing "Parts" of the game's four "Units" by their respective due dates. The game's Units are divided into 2-3 parts each, and there are intermediate deadlines for completing each part (one about every couple of days). You can see the complete schedule of due dates in Learn.

  • Please set aside ample time to play the game, so that you can proceed through it thoughtfully and not in a rush. As a rough estimate, anticipate each "Part" requiring an hour or two of work to go through, thoroughly; some Units or Parts may take less time, and others more.

  • A small portion of your grade is based on the scores from your first attempt at each of the in-game quizzes, so it pays to work at a careful pace that you can manage. Another separate portion of your grade is based on your best attempts at each quiz, and you can re-take quizzes as many times as you wish to achieve top scores. You have up to the last day of classes to re-try any quizzes and raise those "best attempt" scores.

  • The in-game lessons, questions, and mini-games are designed to help give you an introduction to each subject in a logical progression -- more complex topics later, building on the earlier ones -- and to give you some practice applying the knowledge. We strongly encourage you to re-play sections of the game for additional practice or study. A "Repeat a Lesson" menu option in the game gives you access to review any previously completed section, and an in-game robot character ("Copper") can give you practice quizzes.

• Take the four mid-term Tests (with your grade being based on the best 3). Each test covers one whole "Unit" (outlined, above, in this Syllabus) from "University of Mars". Some of the questions on these tests are pulled directly from quiz questions given in the game; others are very similar but slight variations on ones in the in-game quizzes. Other questions may ask you to identify an astronomical object in a picture, or choose the correct point on a plot, and so on -- similar to the mini-games and exercises you go through in University of Mars.

  • A set of Review Notes is given for each Unit, in Learn. We suggest getting a copy early for each unit, and look it over as you go through the game. The Review Notes will give a good impression of what are the key points in each lesson.

  • There is also a set of practice test questions given for each Unit. You might try these out as if it were the real test, going through them without notes or other references. Score yourself, paying attention to which questions you missed, and also which you may have gotten correct but were unsure of or guessed; this will help you target your further study towards subjects that may be more challenging.

  • Your instructors are also available to answer any questions you have.

• Participate in three of the four "discussions." Each discussion begins with a different prompt, related to the subjects covered around the same time. Take these as opportunities to:

  • synthesize what you have learned in ways that make the material familiar enough that you could readily explain it to someone else; consider the relevance of the subjects to your own life, or whether something you learned left a lasting impression;

  • further exercise creativity, in that your discussion contributions can take a few different forms depending on what appeals to you --- perhaps writing, or audio/video recordings.

• Complete the Final Project

  • You have 4-5 to choose from. Each project is different, and how much time they may each require varies slightly.

  • You should look over the Introduction to each project to get a sense of its scope and what you may need to set aside extra time to complete. The project should not be onerous (less time consuming than studying for and taking a final exam), but we highly advise not putting off starting them until close to the due dates.

Online Test Tips

When taking an online exam that requires Respondus LockDown Browser and a webcam, remember the following guidelines:

• Ensure that you are in a location where you won't be interrupted.

• Turn off all other devices (e.g. tablets, phones, second computers) and place them outside of your reach.

• Before starting the test, know how much time is available for it, and that you've allotted sufficient time to complete it.

• Have a photo ID available for identity verification.

• Remain at your computer for the duration of the test, so be sure to use the bathroom before you begin.

• If the computer or networking environment is different than what was used previously with the Webcam Check and System & Network Check in Respondus LockDown Browser, run the checks again prior to starting the test.

• To produce a good webcam video, do the following:

  • Avoid wearing baseball caps or hats with brims.

  • Ensure your computer or tablet is on a firm surface (a desk or table). Do NOT have the computer on your lap, a bed, or other surface where the device (or you) are likely to move.

  • If using a built-in webcam, avoid tilting the screen after the webcam setup is complete.

  • Take the exam in a well-lit room and avoid backlighting (e.g. sitting with your back to a window).

**Remember that Respondus LockDown Browser will prevent you from accessing other websites or applications on your testing device. As such, we recommend taking your course notes on paper so that you can have access to them during the exams. Additionally, you will be unable to exit the tests until all questions are completed and submitted.**