Astro Pi Mission Space Lab: A Meta-review of Science Education Learning Materials

This meta-review analyzes and discusses the “Astro Pi Mission Space Lab” project and its potential for inclusive learning as perceived by five reviewers, consisting of three teachers, one prospective teacher, and one Astro Pi instructor. These five reviews were prepared based on the “Framework for the Reflection on Living Learning Materials” (FRoLLM), which is an evaluation tool focusing on the analysis of educational materials regarding their inclusion sensitivity, taking into consideration various learners’ needs. This meta-review focuses on the research question of how inclusion and exclusion manifest in the context of the Astro Pi educational materials.
Our analysis, based on the five reviews, shows that the Astro Pi materials are perceived as an inspiring initiative provided by European Space Agency (ESA) Education that not only captivates learners with the marvels of space exploration and coding but also offers a unique opportunity to assess and enhance learning materials in innovative educational contexts. At its core, the project combines theoretical science with practical application, as learners design and execute experiments using the Astro Pi computers aboard the International Space Station (ISS). This supports inclusion sensitivity in multiple ways, which are shown and critically discussed in
this meta-review.