4-year Astrobiology Teaching Experience in an Astronomy Department

Astrobiology is a multidisciplinary field related to the sciences of Astronomy, Chemistry, Biology and Geology. An optional Astrobiology course has been taught in the Astronomy department of Ege University (Turkey) since 2013. The main objectives of this introductory course are to introduce and familiarize the astronomy students to the fundamentals of astrobiology. In this study, 4-year teaching experience of Astrobiology course has been examined. Course objectives, teaching methods, learning activities and evaluation methods were discussed. To evaluate the students' learning experiences and knowledge gains anonymous surveys and knowledge assessments were used. Furthermore, additional surveys were made to understand the interests and tendencies of the students in chosing this optional course.