Bridging Computing and Astronomy: Investigating Student Learning through Agent-Based Modeling

CMSE 201 and CMSE 202 (Introduction to Computational Modeling and Data Analysis I and II) are introductory computing courses that use scientific contexts to develop computing skills for students from various backgrounds. The assignments for this course are Jupyter notebooks, where students go through tasks to develop their programming skills while exploring a given scientific context. This project explores how integrating an astronomy context into an introductory computer science class influences students' modeling skills and perceptions of astronomy. Working on a homework assignment, students use their agent-based modeling skills to simulate planetary migration. By analyzing student survey and interview responses, this research aims to inform interdisciplinary teaching strategies and pave a path for future exploration of other scientific contexts for teaching computing. On the other hand, this research creates opportunities for integrating computing in astronomy classrooms.