Low-level computing topics are the ones students most reliably fail to care about, because the exercises are invented and the answers do not matter. Astronomical data fixes both problems at once: the files are real, the formats are unforgiving, and a mistake in floating point shows up as a visibly wrong picture.
This session covers the units I have rebuilt this way for A Level and BTEC, what improved, and — more usefully — what did not work and why.
You leave with the materials. They are free, they are not tied to my institution, and they map to AQA, CIE and BTEC specifications.
What people leave with
- Three ready-to-teach units using real astronomical data
- Where the approach helps and where it adds noise
- Specification mapping for AQA, CIE and BTEC
What the room needs
- Projector or large screen
- Laptops useful for attendees
- Handouts supplied
Where it sits
This talk is ringed. The others are links.