Download “mathematics toolkit” to support students using the Faulkes Telescope

Outline proposal for a project to develop a “mathematics toolkit” to support
students (especially those in the UK) using the Faulkes Telescope
(Faulkes Telescope Mathematics Toolkit - FTMT)
Schools in Poland and in Russia have now been active users of the Faulkes Telescopes for
between six and twenty months. At a recent conference in Krakow supported by the
British Council, work done by schools from these two countries and from the UK was
presented. An immediate difference was noticeable between the work carried out by UK
schools and that done by schools in Poland and Russia, where the use of mathematics to
carry out in-depth explorations of data obtained from the telescope formed an integral
part of nearly all investigations carried out by students.
Discussion of this major difference led rapidly to the conclusion that a great many
students in the UK simply do not possess the necessary mathematical skills and knowledge
to make use of images from the telescopes in this way. Colleagues from the UK feel
strongly that there is an excellent opportunity to make use of expertise from Russia and
Poland in constructing a Web-based “mathematics toolkit” to support UK students using
the telescopes. Such a project would have at least nn benefits:
 it would provide students with tools to gain greater insights into astronomy/space
through images gained from the telescopes
 it would support teachers
 build on international collaborative work, showing how benefits to students in the UK
have resulted from a collaboration in which an innovative UK science teaching resource
has been made available to international partners
We propose that there should be three major elements to such an online toolkit:
 online tools, with a “point and click” interface which allow calculations to be carried out
on-screen (with the principles of such calculations explained as part of the process)
 downloadable resources to support students and teachers, explaining the mathematical
principles of calculations (eg a resource, with worked examples, explaining the
principles and use of logarithms)
 downloadable spreadsheet models relating to astronomy
These resources would be organised in a series of [six] modules:
 How bright is that star?
 How do things vary?
 How do stars, planets and asteroids move?  How does the telescope work?
 How do we process telescope images?
 How do we treat uncertainty?
Together, these modules would address mathematics content which would include
logarithms, inverse square law, period searching, interference patterns, scaling images,
data compression, geometry (optics), error analysis, fitting curves to graphs, orbits.
Contributors to the work would include Vadim Krushinsky from Russia, Grzegorz Sęk from
Poland, members of the FT team from Cardiff and Wolverhampton, FT coordinators from
Russia and Poland, Richard Beare from the University of Warwick University/NAGTY, and
Patrick Fullick from the Engaging Young People with Science project
(Southampton/Moscow) who would act as project director. Strong links already exist
between the team and such UK bodies as the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications
(IoMA), the National Centre for Excellence in Teaching Mathematics (NCETM) and the
Further Mathematics Education Centre at the University of Southampton. These links
would be used to ensure a good fit between anything developed by the project and the
school mathematics curriculum in the UK.
Timescale:
October 2007 – identify content for modules and links with UK exam specs at GCSE/ASA2
November 2007 – planning meeting for first three modules (3 days x 5 people) –
Poland(?)
December 2007 to June 2008 – writing and trialling first three modules
July 2008 – planning meeting for second three modules (3 days x 5 people) – UK(?)
September 2008 – launch of toolkit (possibly in Moscow at “second birthday” conference?)
September 2008 to March 2009 - writing and trialling second three modules
April 2009 – launch of second part of toolkit (?)
Budget:
See separate spreadsheet.
Jan Pomierny
Draft 002
13 July 2007
Patrick Fullick
Draft 001
11 July 2007