PANOPTES: Illuminating Bhutan’s STEM Curriculum

My Epiphany

Now leveraging this wealth of knowledge, I, as a teacher, envision PANOPTES as a powerful tool to enhance STEM education in Bhutan. While I personally find astronomy concepts intriguing, I’ve encountered challenges in effectively teaching these concepts using traditional methods such as textbooks or even YouTube videos. Explaining abstract concepts like the Big Bang or the vast distances of celestial bodies, such as the Andromeda galaxy, can leave students confused.
However, PANOPTES presents a transformative solution by allowing students to remotely capture images of the Andromeda galaxy, turning abstract theories into tangible and experiential learning opportunities.
In Bhutan, STEM education faces challenges due to limited resources for practical classes, leading to a reliance on lectures thus diminishing student interest. PANOPTES emerges as a solution, requiring only a laptop and internet access, readily available in schools. This system enables students, even from home, to control the PANOPTES unit, capturing images of the night sky and exploring celestial details. This hands-on experience with hardware and software components cultivates a sense of ownership, promoting lifelong learning and global community
connections through forums and virtual meetings. Beyond imparting technical skills, this educational approach instills virtues like patience and perseverance, fostering a collaborative spirit and nurturing 21st century skills such as effective communication, problem-solving, decision
making, critical thinking and creativity. Thus, it holds significant value for integration into the Sobit Pradhan1* Thrimshing Higher Secondary School
Bhutanese curriculum, inspiring greater interest in STEM subjects and promoting STEM education.

PANOPTES and the Bhutanese curriculum, a solution for improving STEM Education

Bhutan’s National School Curriculum is structured into five key stages: key stage I (PP-III), key stage II (IV-VI), key stage III (VII-VIII), key stage IV (IX-X), and key stage V (XI-XII). Structured around four strands – Working Scientifically, Life Processes, Materials and Their Properties and
Physical Processes, the science curriculum spans key stages I to V. Students initially dive into general science in key stage I, progress to integrated science in key stage II and III and subsequently from key stage IV and V, they learn science in three disciplines: Biology, Chemistry
and Physics.
Integrated science introduces foundational concepts in Astronomy, covering topics such as the Earth’s rotation and revolution, planetary motion, solar and lunar eclipses and the formation of the
solar system. However, more advanced astronomy concepts, including telescopes, the Big Bang theory, solar nebula theory, big crunch, oscillating universe theory, cosmological redshift, cosmic microwave background, particle physics are reserved for the IX-XII Physics curriculum.
In 2021,the Department of Curriculum and Professional Development (DCPD), developed the National School Curriculum (NSC), incorporating Space Physics into classes IX-XII Physics. Space Physics encompasses moon exploration (Class IX), space exploration (Class X), space
technology and application (Class XI) and satellite development (Class XII). The NSC Framework outlines key stage-wise competency-based standards and class-wise competencies, providing instructional guidelines (IG) in softcopy form. These IG, not prescriptive but suggestive, empower
teachers to employ diverse strategies and tools at each key stage.
Building upon the foundational understanding of different types of telescopes and moon exploration gained in class IX and in class X regarding spacecraft, the Mars mission and habitable planets, introducing PANOPTES in class XI and XII is a natural extension. By this point, students have a solid foundation in space physics and astronomical principles. PANOPTES as a cutting- edge technology, allows students to delve deeper into the scientific principles behind detecting
exoplanets through a project-based approach. Engaging in building and/ or remotely controlling PANOPTES units enables students to grasp the functions of advanced telescopic systems. Furthermore, participating in PANOPTES data analysis projects enhances competency and
encourages students in ongoing astronomical research. This involvement aligns with His Majesty the King’s vision of integrating STEM as a universal language for the younger generation, contributing to the development of nationally rooted and globally competent citizens. PANOPTES goes beyond traditional education by instilling 21st century skills through authentic science experiences. Authentic science refers to scientific practices that resemble how scientists conduct their work (Insa et al., 2021). It involves students actively participating in real-world scientific
investigations, where they formulate hypotheses, design experiments, collect and analyze data, and communicate their findings (Broder et al., 2019). This hands-on approach cultivates critical thinking, deepening students’ grasp of scientific nature. They appreciate research complexities
and uncertainties, understanding evidence’s role in supporting or refuting claims.
The Bhutan Baccalaureate learning process emphasizes learning skills, processes and watermarks through a cross pollination approach, where teachers and students collaboratively identify connections between concepts. PANOPTES aligns with this method by fostering cross-
pollination as it not only teaches about exoplanets and stars but also enhances artistic skills through astrophotography. The curriculum integrates historical context, like the seven-star Pleiades constellation, aligning with Bhutanese beliefs about the seven sisters. This approach
deepens students’ understanding by connecting scientific knowledge with real life situations and cultural traditions. Since every school in Bhutan is equipped with at least one laptop featuring WiFi and an Ethernet
cable, managing PANOPTES units becomes a feasible endeavor. By allowing access to PANOPTES units at Samtse College of Education and the Royal Academy along with training teachers and students in the required software and coding, remote control of the PANOPTES
units becomes achievable. This not only enables students to effortlessly monitor and control the PANOPTES unit from any part of the country with reliable internet connection but also proves the project’s cost effectiveness.
As students across Bhutan gain hands-on experience in remotely managing PANOPTES units, there are chances of growing interest in building them. To nurture this enthusiasm, additional units should be established in the near future. Experienced builders from existing units can guide and supervise this expansion, fostering continuous engagement and skill development among aspiring students.
Currently, three PANOPTES units are operational in Bhutan, with two strategically located at the Royal Academy in the north and one at Samtse College in the south. To ensure widespread
participation, installing PANOPTES units in Bhutan’s western and eastern region is crucial. This strategic placement allows students from all corners to engage in building units, fostering a sense of scientific exploration. Moreover, it strengthens our collective endeavor in detecting exoplanets,
turning the unit building process into a valuable learning experience.

Conclusion

This paper introduces the potential of utilizing PANOPTES into the national discussion on the use of authentic science as the stimulus for engaging STEM Education in Bhutan.