The AGISETI program is a community college curriculum that introduces students to a wide range of interdisciplinary topics such as radio astronomy, digital communications, signal processing, and data science, all with the captivating backdrop of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI). The program emphasizes experimental learning techniques (ELT), hands-on labs, and real-world observations using tools like software-defined radios and data from the Allen Telescope Array (ATA).
The curriculum is primarily designed for community college instructors and students, but it can be adapted for other educational levels or settings. It’s meant to be flexible, offering materials that can be used in both introductory and more advanced courses across multiple disciplines.
No prior experience is required. The materials are designed to be accessible to instructors with no background in radio astronomy or SETI, with detailed guides and resources to help you lead the labs and lectures effectively.
Topics include astronomy, digital communications, electronics, signal processing, and data science, all tied into SETI and radio astronomy.
Course materials are available through our website, with modules, lab guides, and resources provided for easy download.
The AGISETI curriculum is completely free to access, and all course materials are available for download at no cost. Additionally, any required equipment, such as software-defined radios, will be provided free of charge to participating instructors.
The course is designed around three 1-hour lectures and one 2-hour lab per week, offering a balanced structure. However, the curriculum is flexible, and each lab can be prepared for with a single 1-hour lecture if needed, allowing instructors to adapt the material to different schedules or teaching needs.
Yes, all materials are fully customizable. We recognize that each classroom is different, and instructors are encouraged to adapt the modules, labs, and resources to meet the needs of their students and fit their course structure.
We hosted an in-person workshop at the Allen Telescope Array in May 2024 and are considering future workshops, both in-person and online. Keep an eye on the events page for updates on training opportunities and how to participate.
Many labs use affordable RTL-SDRs, which can be purchased for a class, and we are considering bringing enough units when we visit colleges to assist with teaching. Additionally, students will use the free GNU Radio software. For certain labs, students will have access to data from the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) and the opportunity to run live observations with the ATA, providing a hands-on experience with real-world radio astronomy.
Yes, we make recorded data from the Allen Telescope Array (ATA) available for students to work with in their labs. We’ve also designed easy-to-use interfaces that allow students and instructors to conduct live observations with the ATA for some of the labs, providing a real-time experience in radio astronomy.
We are in the final stages of completing the 8-week curriculum, which includes a comprehensive set of lectures, labs, and teaching resources. Based on instructor feedback, we’ve learned that the hands-on labs are particularly valuable, so future updates will emphasize lab-based learning even more. As the curriculum expands, new modules and resources will be made available
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