Learning about the multidimensional universe - challenges and possibilities
14:30 - 14:45
When students enter the discipline of astronomy, they will face numerous challenges. Not only do they need to use all disciplinary knowledge for physics and mathematics in new ways, they also need to learn the disciplinary ways of knowing in astronomy. These differs from physics and mathematics and one can describe this as learning a new language—astronomy. Theoretically, this is referred to as Social Semiotics and here all communication within a discipline is described by the disciplinary semiotic resources that have been developed by the discipline over extended time periods. In this talk, I will present social semiotics in astronomy and in particular the concept of Disciplinary Discernment and how this is important to consider when teaching and learning about the multidimensional universe. Results from a recent empirical study will be used to exemplify disciplinary discernment of multidimensionality, and I will discuss multidimensional semiotic resources potentials for teaching and learning astronomy.
