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Measuring the effect of an astrobiology course on student optimism regarding extraterrestrial life

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2016

David L. Morgan
David L. Morgan*
Affiliation:
Ross School, East Hampton, New York, USA
*
e-mail: dmorgan@gmail.com
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Abstract

Students in an introductory undergraduate Astrobiology course were given a pre/post-test based on the Drake Equation in an attempt to measure changes in their perceptions regarding the prevalence of life in the Galaxy after taking the course. The results indicated that, after taking the course, the students were considerably more optimistic, by a 2 to 1 margin or more, about the prospect of habitable planets, the origin of life, and the evolution of intelligence in other planetary systems. The results suggest that, while it may not be the explicit goal of an astrobiology course to change student beliefs about the abundance or rarity of extraterrestrial life, such changes in opinion can and do occur.

Keywords

teachingcurriculumstudentsDrake
Type
Research Article
Information
International Journal of Astrobiology , Volume 16 , Issue 3 , July 2017 , pp. 293 - 295
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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References

Drake, F. (2003). ‘The Drake Equation Revisited: Part I’. Astrobiology Magazine. 29 September 2003. http://www.astrobio.net/topic/deep-space/alien-life/the-drake-equation-revisited-part-i/ (accessed 2016-03-3)Google Scholar
Bennett, J.O. et al. (2012). Life in the Universe. Addison-Wesley.Google Scholar