Speaker
Description
The impact of the pandemic on the education sector is severe. It paralyzed the operations and administration of teaching and learning in response to fulfilling the need of the students to do an internship while at home. The Rizal Technological University (RTU) Center for Astronomy Research and Development (CARD) was able to redesign its internship program for students. The Physics, Astronomy, and Space Science Satellite Technology Virtual Internship Program (PASSTVIP) was developed to accommodate students who wanted to pursue research engagements at the convenience of their homes. The program aims to introduce the nature of physics, astronomy, and space science satellite technology through satellite databases and explore its relevance to research and development relative to the Philippine setting. The students were able to do data gathering, explore the Philippines using the data from the satellite of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and process these data thru Python coding with the assistance of their assigned mentors. The students were able to produce a ready Scopus conference paper.
The correlation was determined in the apparent links between attitude and motivation toward the PASSTVIP internships responses the interns. Both scales were supported, as well as the internship evaluation form. The participants were 168 undergraduate students who had undergone PASSTVIP from September 2020 to June 2021 in a synchronous and asynchronous setup. It showed that the PASSTVIP was rated as outstanding due to the uniqueness of exposure and the inspiring tasks from a satellite point of view. Students may have varying measures of their attitudes and motivation. As part of the evaluation form, open-ended questions demonstrate that students value satellite data and have explored the world through earth observations. They have also extended their learnings through coding analysis of earth data, geophysics, and earth observation which they also have cherished the research tasks. The students regarded their internship as exemptional due to its peculiarity, which involved physics, astronomy, and space science satellite technology training. While the students' attitudes and motivations are minimal, their responses to the internship program are impressive.
It is then proved that online internships can be done, applying scientific concepts with the aid of technology and equipment. Also, it imparts to make the students and the community explore the benefits and solutions that can be provided by space science and satellite technology in the country.
