Professor of Science Education
The Pennsylvania State University
University Park, Pennsylvania, United States
Dr. Julia Plummer spent more than a decade teaching children and adults in planetariums and other informal settings and continues to teach college-level introductory astronomy and science methods for preservice elementary teachers. Her research interests focus on the design of learning environments that support children's spatial thinking and science practices, primarily in the domain of astronomy. Her research into these areas extends across a record of publications in high-impact journals, for both researchers and practitioners, including Journal of Research in Science Teaching, Science Education, Studies in Science Education, Science & Children, and Science Scope. She recently collaborated with researchers at Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics to investigate how middle school astronomy curricula can be used to improve students’ spatial thinking (NSF-funded Thinking Spatially About the Universe). Her research includes investigating both formal environments, such as classrooms, and informal environments, such as planetariums and museums. In collaboration with the Astronomical Society of the Pacific, she co-led the development and study of programs that help informal educators support preschool-age children and families engage in science practices in museum settings (NSF-funded My Sky Tonight: Early Childhood Pathways to Astronomy). Dr. Plummer received a combined Ph.D. in Astronomy & Education from the University of Michigan. She was awarded the 2007 Outstanding Dissertation Research Award from NARST: A Worldwide Organization for Improving Science Teaching and Learning through Research.
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7A-18 - Dark Skies Storytelling: Motivating Planetarium Audiences to Address Light Pollution
Friday, August 23, 2024
10:50 AM – 11:40 AM US PDT
12C-4 - Storytelling to Connect Students with the Culture of Astronomy
Saturday, August 24, 2024
10:50 AM – 11:40 AM US PDT
