  Introductory astronomy is one of the most widely-taken university science
courses and a common means of satisfying general education requirements. This
course is frequently taught in large sections by a variety of instructors, some
with little formal training in astronomy. Thus, instructors often struggle to
help students connect with what is typically their last formal science
experience. At California State University Fullerton, we have engaged in reform
efforts in the teaching of introductory astronomy. We report on the model of
reform implementation with several key features that we believe were
instrumental in our success. First, our astronomy instructors learned to use
research-based curricular materials by attending workshops before and after
first implementation. Second, the astronomy instructors collaborated with
student Peer Instructors as a team to document and reflect on the
implementation progress. Third, the instructional team of faculty and Peer
Instructors worked with science education researchers to collect information on
common student conceptual difficulties, and develop strategies to address these
difficulties using resources in the research and teaching literature. Our
findings suggest that this is a fruitful and sustainable model for reform
implementation, faculty professional development, and research on the teaching
and learning of astronomy.
