The wise man doesn't give the right answers, he poses the right questions. --Claude Levi-Strauss, Belgian anthropologist

Astronomy 100

Winter 2018
Instructor

Igor Glozman
 Office:  29-332
Tel: (206) 592-3510
email: iglozman@highline.edu
homepage: http://people.highline.edu/iglozman/

Lecture

online (6160/6162/6164): self-paced

Office Hours

Please visit the link on the left (or on the homepage) for the latest office hours.


 *also by appointment and whenever you can catch me 

Textbook The Essential Cosmic Perspective by Jeffrey Bennett, et al., 8th ed, (the previous edition would be ok too)
Course description

Survey of major topics in astronomy including scale of the cosmos, light and spectra, the night sky, and life cycles of the stars. The selection of topics will be driven to some extent by student interest.

Why Astronomy?

Since the dawn of civilization, human beings have been asking themselves: Where does it all come from? Outside of religion, this question is perhaps best addressed in an astronomy class. Click here to see how astronomy can also help you with your social life.

Course objectives

  • Have fun!!!
  • Become an active member of a learning community.
  • Learn to learn (see FAQs for some quick tips).
  • Improve:
  • Increase your scientific curiosity (beyond the course).
  • Learn to apply knowledge outside of class.
  • Have fun!!!
***Grading Homework 10%
Participation 15% (or more)
Journals 15% (or more)
Presentation/Science articles 15%
  Stargazing 10% (or more)
Midterm 15%
Final 20%
*The midterm occurs roughly 5 weeks into the quarter and the final occurs during finals week. All due dates can be found in Canvas's Calendar.
 

Grading scale

Students often want to know where they stand in the class. While the question is difficult to answer with accuracy before all the assignments are turned in and the results compared to the rest of the class, the scale below should give you a rough idea.

Decimal grade Type of student
4.0 Exceptional student, strong in every aspect of the class.
3.0 Pretty good student, strong in most aspects of the class, with some weaknesses
2.0 Average student, weak in many areas but has a reasonable grasp of the important ideas
1.0 Serious issues with effort and motivation (or evidence thereof)
0.0 Little or no effort, virtually no motivation (or evidence thereof)

For a more detailed analysis, please visit the grade calculator, http://people.highline.edu/iglozman/classes/gradecalc_ast.htm.

Course content (see Canvas for weekly updates)

  • The sky and quick tour of the cosmos (ch.1-2)
  • Copernican revolution (ch.3)
  • Solar system and its origins (ch.6)
  • Meteorites, asteroids, and comets (ch.9)
  • Light and spectroscopy (ch.5)
  • HR diagram (ch.11)
  • Stellar evolution (ch.12-13)
  • Terrestrial worlds (ch.7)
  • Life in the Universe (ch.18)
  • Other topics (based on student interest)

Chapters are based on Bennett's The Essential Cosmic Perspective, 6th ed.

faqsQuick FAQs (including common gripes and excuses)

Whether you have a gripe, an excuse, or a question related to the class, the answer can probably be found here: http://people.highline.edu/iglozman/classes/ast100_syl_faqs.htm. (Click here to hear what most excuses sound like to someone who has heard it all before.) 

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****Note: The rest of the syllabus is for reference only. Please save trees if you can and access the rest online: http://people.highline.edu/iglozman****
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Course components (in gory detail)

Participation:  There is an old saying that "It's better to be thought a fool than to open your mouth and remove all doubt." While this attitude is quite pervasive among students, it usually constitutes an impediment to learning in the classroom. Class participation is very important not only for your own success but also for that of your classmates. So try to become active participants in the learning community, whether it be the actual classroom or discussion web. Form study groups, participate in classroom discussions, and be prepared to answer questions in the discussion board. Of course, feel free to ask questions at any time.

 

Homework quizzes: To help you keep up with class material, weekly quizzes have been set up in Canvas. For best results, you should start working on the quizzes as soon as they becomes available and you should make an effort to be as independent as possible, referring to the book or other resources when necessary. Keep in mind that the real learning is in the journey. Merely getting the right answer with the help of a friend or tutor may bypass the critical learning component. Of course, you should get help after making a sincere effort and hitting a dead end.

Canvas: All assignments in this class are submitted online in Canvas (http://Canvas.highline.edu). Email should never be used to submit assignments. You should log in regularly to participate and to make sure that you are aware of all due dates. For help with Canvas, please visit: https://its.highline.edu/index.php 

****Midterms and Final: Exams are your chance to show off what you have learned. If you do your homework and stay alert in class, you shouldn't have too much trouble. Because of the wide spectrum of preparedness on the part of the students, the distribution of scores on the exams can also be quite broad. An average of 50-60% is not unusual in a science class, with some students significantly above and some below. If you need special accommodations, please let me know in advance.

sunrise over pondJournal: A journal is a record of occurrences, experiences, and reflections kept on a regular basis--a bit like a diary. Whether in industry or in an educational setting, making observations and generally being more self-reflective are helpful in identifying areas of strength and weakness so that appropriate adjustments can be made and better problem-solving algorithms can be developed. By directing you to be more self-reflective, a journal can increase your effectiveness by helping you define objectives and set goals, and monitor progress toward them. Secondarily, this process would also allow an outside observer (e.g., supervisor or teacher) to offer some useful feedback. In this class, you will be expected to keep such a journal and make regular entries in it, roughly every couple of days. Entries can include things you've learned or are having trouble with, and any other school-related experiences that may be affecting your performance. Here are some guidelines:

Grade/Self-Evaluation: The 'Grade' assignment gives students the opportunity to argue for the grade they think you have earned based on the criteria listed in this syllabus. This assignment is required at the end of the course but students are also encouraged to make at least one submission early in the course to get a sense of the grading system and whenever they wish to estimate their status in the class. The grade calculator page, http://people.highline.edu/iglozman/classes/gradecalc.htm, includes a rubric and some sample self-evaluations.

Forum:  One good way to interact with your classmates without the headache of organizing meetings is to exchange ideas in the “virtual forum” or discussion web set up specifically for your class in Canvas. I encourage you to use the forum to solve homework problems together, ask questions, make suggestions, or simply air some thoughts. In addition, important announcements will appear in the forum. Remember that you are all in this adventure together, so please do as much as you can to contribute. Most of you will find visiting the forum a pleasant adventure, a way to hang out with familiar characters. For some, the forum will turn out to be an addiction--but fortunately one of the healthy ones. Note: To get full credit for forum participation, you need to demonstrate not only a consistent effort throughout the quarter but also some depth in at least a few of your posts. As with the science articles (see below), it is not sufficient to unload during the last couple of weeks.

 

Group presentation: (Does not apply to online astronomy.) This is your opportunity to research a topic of interest to you (but related to course material) in some depth and educate your peers (the class), while sharpening your communication skills. They do say, after all, that the best way to learn a topic is to teach it. Powerpoint is the preferred presentation tool in this class. You are encouraged to choose a topic of particular interest to you; some ideas can be found here: http://www.people.highline.edu/iglozman/classes/project_ideas.htm. Keep in mind, however, that it is ultimately your responsibility to find a topic. You are also encouraged to use any other props which you feel will enhance your presentation and stimulate your audience. A degree in engineering or astrophysics is not required, but a creative spirit and an outpouring of enthusiasm wouldn't hurt. You should work in groups of 3-5 people, but you must share the workload.

Science articles:

Read an article on a science-related topic (any science, not necessarily astronomy) and post a short blurb in the Articles forum. This blurb should be no longer than a couple of sentences, a quick summary of the big ideas--just long enough to whet the reader's appetite. Include a couple of interesting questions, with answers, related to the article, as well as a reference link. The Q&A is a good way of presenting information--an alternative to simply stating dry facts. Science sources can be found all over the web, as suggested by (but not limited to) to this list:

http://people.highline.edu/iglozman/bibliography.htm

Here is a couple of examples:

 

Q: How often does HST have to be serviced: A: That varies with circumstances (plans, failures, etc.), but every 2-4 years is typical. HST was last serviced in March of 2002 to have one of its cameras replaced. A couple of new cameras were to be installed in 2006, but those plans have now been scrapped.

Q: How long can HST remain in orbit without being serviced? A: Failure of one of its critical components is a random event which could occur at any time between now and a few years from now. The most critical components include gyroscopes (for maintaining direction) and batteries (from 1990, were to be replaced in 2006). Of the six gyroscopes onboard, two have already failed and a third is showing signs of trouble.

Q: Why abandon HST, which has been so hugely successful? A: Maintaining HST is quite expensive and would have involved the development of new technology in the wake of the recent Columbia Shuttle disaster. Its abandonment represents one of many sacrifices science would have to make to help pay for the president's new initiatives. Also, NASA is committed to building the James Webb Space Telescope, considered Hubble's successor and currently scheduled for launch in 2011.

Q: What can be done to extend HST’s life without servicing it? A: As far as preserving battery life as long as possible, HST could run only one science instrument at a time, instead of all of them at once (as it has in the past).

Q: Wouldn’t HST threaten people and property on the ground when its orbit decays and it crashes to Earth? A: To prevent serious injury on the ground, NASA plans to develop a robot which would fly to the telescope, attach a retrorocket, and steer the spacecraft to a harmless reentry over an unpopulated area.

ref: http://skyandtelescope.com/news/article_1156_1.asp

These articles are intended to encourage you to practice your written communication skills, especially as they relate to scientific material. Your effort on the articles will become part of your overall grade on the presentation. While some students find it difficult to add yet another task to their already busy schedules, the potential benefits suggest that it might be a good investment. These include:

Be prepared to respond to questions that might arise in connection to these articles. This is all very informal, so try not to be too stressed about it, but do put some effort into it. As with forum participation (see above), consistency is very important, so try not to unload during the last week or two. You need to do about 1 article per week (in the forum). More is better, less is worse. You also need to respond to at least two articles per week in the forum. Your response not only keeps you alert to others' posts, but also encourages others to keep posting. (An indifferent audience is not very motivating.) Keep track of your activities with regard to articles and comment on them in the journals.

Stargazing: Because this is an astronomy class, students will be expected to become familiar with the night sky. This is not only a requirement, but is also quite fun. At least twice per week, you will need to post in the Stargazing forum (in Canvas) observations you have made of the evening sky. As with the science articles, the objective here is not only to learn, but also to teach. You can teach us about constellations and asterisms, relevant mythology and historical anecdotes, the physical properties of objects in the sky, experiences with stargazing software, and anything else that you think might be interesting and educational. A telescope can be helpful for observing some sky objects (e.g., clusters), but is certainly not required. By the end of this class, you should be able to identify and describe most of the visible objects in the sky. Here's a typical observation:

meteor.gif (1945 bytes)At the moment, the sky is cooperating. So put on your mittens get the hot chocolate ready and run outside for a quick peek. Betelgeuse (in Orion), Aldebaran (Taurus), and Mars form a nice triangle. In the neighborhood of Aldebaran, you should spot a little cluster of stars called Pleiades. It looks like a tiny Dipper. With binoculars or better, you should make out 7 or more bright stars. It's a very famous cluster, quite pretty, and is also the Subaru logo. Of course, if you see some other sky critters, feel free to share.


You may find some of the following online resources helpful:

 

Keys to success

The mindset of success: Do you avoid challenge or embrace it? Are you sensitive to criticism or do you learn from it? Are you threatened by the success of others or are you inspired by it? When confronted with something unfamiliar, are you more afraid of being wrong than excited to learn something new? Which do you value more, rigid structure or the freedom to explore? The answers to these questions can help you determine whether you have a Fixed Mindset or a Growth Mindset. Which mindset do you think correlates more strongly with success and happiness? This article explores such questions and may be helpful even beyond school.

Attitude and perspective:  Although science tends to be challenging for most nonscience students, the real difficulty is not the subject matter but rather the attitude with which it is approached. The best approach is to work hard and apply oneself. In addition, maintain a positive attitude and a love of learning at all times. Try not whine about how difficult the material is; instead, try to have fun and be grateful for your educational opportunities. When you start to feel a little stressed from school, try to think about the starving orphan in some third-world, poverty-stricken village who would love to trade places with you. It's all a question of perspective, so try to maintain a healthy one.

Please excuse Mrs Mother, Mr BachchanAcademic maturity:  Academic maturity is an umbrella term used to describe those characteristics which allow students to reach their academic potential and achieve growth in an academic environment and ultimately in the field of their choice. Characteristics generally associated with academic maturity include:

In their book Making Sense of College Grades (Jossey-Bass, 1986), Ohmer Milton, Howard R. Pollio, and James A. Eison found that learning-oriented college students were more inclined to explore possibilities and relationships rather than to work only with known facts; they also were more attentive to lectures. In contrast, grade-oriented students who focus on "making the grade"--for example, who only read material that will be tested and view other class reading as an inconvenient waste of time--performed less well on exams, had poorer study habits, and were twice as likely to report having cheated repeatedly. So try to approach your educational opportunities in a mature, knowledge-hungry way. Remember that only half of your grade will be based on exams. The other half will be based on academic maturity (in its various forms).

 

Deadlines and due dates: Deadlines and due dates are an integral part of the world we live in. We all have to deal with them and they help us stay on track. In that regard, this class is no different: All assignments come with a due date. The due dates for homework assignments are firm to motivate you to stay on top of the material and discourage you from procrastinating. A due date should not be interpreted as the day to work feverishly on an assignment. Instead, you should be working on assignments with consistency (not in spikes) as soon as they are available, keeping the due dates in mind as aids in helping you manage your time and tasks efficiently. Those that have trouble staying on top of due dates might consider mentally moving the due date up to a somewhat earlier time. Keep in mind that the ability to keep up with the due dates is an important aspect of each assignment. If you miss an assignment (for any reason), you should explain your circumstances in your journal.

Independent learning: In this class, students are expected to develop the ability to read the book and to be independent of the instructor (as much as possible) in learning the material. The instructor should be viewed more as a tour guide and facilitator than a transferrer of  knowledge. So don't be afraid to learn things on your own. You are expected to do so--during this class and during the rest of your lives. In a lecture class, you should try to familiarize yourself with the concepts before seeing them in class. In an online class, this is really your only option, so you need to be even more motivated.

Critical thinking vs stupid pet tricks: "Critical thinking" and "thinking outside the box" are catch phrases which are receiving increasingly more attention in both education and in the industrial world. Traditionally, education of the masses has emphasized the rote memorization of facts rather than depth of understanding. In today's fast-paced world, however, as information proliferates and becomes obsolete more rapidly, the traditional assembly-line philosophy of learning can no longer be considered adequate. Indeed, information becomes less important than the ability to access information, to identify and define issues or problems, to generate hypotheses, to construct arguments, to make inferences, and to evaluate results. All these new demands require that students actively engage in learning rather than passively "receive" knowledge. So do your best to become active learners and try not to react in a Pavlovian manner to a few dangling points.

 

head burstUnderstanding vs memorization: Astronomy, like any other branch of science, deals with quantitative as well as qualitative concepts. The quantitative aspects of astronomy generally involve the categorization of a seemingly vast amount of information into a few relatively simple principles. You will find that if you invest some time into understanding these principles and the qualitative concepts behind them, you will not only gain a deeper and longer-lasting understanding of astronomy and the scientific method, but you will also avoid the all too common and painful mistake of trying to memorize a gazillion factoids. For your continued edification, the "internalize but do not memorize" mantra will be chanted repeatedly throughout the course.

 

***Computer literacy: Computers are a general-purpose tool; they may appeal to different people in different ways. One person may like graphics and animation. Another may like electronic mail. Another may prefer video games. Whatever one's particular uses of a computer, proficiency with a computer can dramatically increase one's productivity and potential for success. Unfortunately, not everyone is completely comfortable with the use of computers, and some even suffer from computer phobia. Fortunately, like all irrational fears, computer phobia is no match for a determined, curiosity-driven mind and gradually dissolves with practice and perseverance.

As with most new things, there is a learning curve, and feeling some frustration at times is perfectly natural. The important thing to realize is that learning to use computer technology (in its many incarnations) is not something that should be considered a distraction from class work; it IS a big part of the class. Irrespective of background, all students in the class will be expected to master the following list of computer-related skills:

Pedagogy 

A paradigm shift: According to William Perry's Scheme of Intellectual Development, the typical first-year college student has a dualistic view of knowledge, believing that right answers for everything exist in the absolute and that the role of the instructor is to teach them. Knowledge represents a gradual accretion of right answers acquired through effort and obedience to the instructor. Sadly, traditional teaching practices, particularly in introductory courses, tend to reinforce, rather than challenge, this unsophisticated view of learning. Traditional approaches emphasize the presentation of information, and define learning as its absorption. In contrast to this traditional content-driven paradigm, an effective student-centered, learning-oriented classroom involves a more active approach to learning, characterized by the following basic principles:

 

Learning Pyramidteach learnActive vs passive: ***In the traditional model of education, the instructor is expected to have all the answers, while the student is expected to listen, take notes, and then demonstrate how full of knowledge he/she has become (usually on a test). In this model, brains are essentially treated as passive receptacles to be filled by the expertise of the instructor. And while most educational experts today recognize that this is not an effective mode of teaching (as this learning pyramid illustrates), it is still unfortunately the predominant mode of education at the undergraduate levels. Hopefully, we can do a little better in this class. In particular, students in this class will be expected to be active participants in the learning community, teaching themselves as well as others, being proactive instead of reactive. While this is not always most comfortable for many students, it does appear to be the best way to learn, which is the objective in this class.

If you want to build a ship, don't drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.—Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

 

running brain

Bloom's Taxonomy: Much of the philosophy behind the various class activities and components is based on Bloom's Taxonomy of the Cognitive Domain, a learning theory based on six levels of intellectual behaviors: knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation. These levels progress from the simplest, knowledge (the remembering, either by recognition or recall, of ideas, materials, and phenomena) to the most complex, evaluation (the making of judgments about the value, for some purpose, of ideas, works, solutions, methods, material, etc..).

 

Learning styles:  Have you ever wondered why you loved history while your friends hated it, felt inspired by one particular faculty member while your friends thought she was boring? Have you ever been uncomfortable at a party while others seem to be having a wonderful time? Do you ever wonder why some people miss deadlines and never seem to have things organized while others are always on time with the precision of a Swiss watch? All of these are connected to our personality type and our preferred way of doing and viewing things. When we are in a classroom environment that matches our learning style, everything feels right. The teacher is stimulating, the material exciting, the work enjoyable. But if the environment does not match our preferred learning style, we feel out of place, uncomfortable, and unable to do our best. There are no right or wrong, good or bad learning styles, just preferred styles. Understanding learning styles and personality preferences provides an important dimension of self-discovery and personal growth for students.  Knowing what we have in common with others, how we differ, and what is unique about ourselves can be both empowering and critical to our success in college and beyond. One of the most popular rubrics for understanding personality types is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). What's your MBTI? Find out here: http://www.gsu.edu/~dschjb/wwwmbti.html.

 

Cooperative learning: A learning community is a group of people all connected by a common educational or developmental goal. Extensive educational research indicates that when students learn together in pairs or in small groups, the learning is faster, there is greater retention, and students feel more positive about the learning process. The value of cooperative learning has resulted in its widespread use throughout the country, and it has become a standard part of most curricula. One common technique in traditional class settings is for a teacher/facilitator to assign people into groups, which then engage in some classroom activity and report their results to the greater learning community. The activity may be the discussion of some hot topic, a lab, a PowerPoint presentation, etc. Many e-learning environments replicate this sort of activity and framework, utilizing environments like Canvas to manage and facilitate the students' interactions. When working on group projects, all group members must participate in all aspects of the project, not simply taking turns. While we can all come up with pretty creative excuses why it's difficult to meet as a group outside of class or how the discussion board takes too much time, the ability to collaborate is an important objective of the class (and in the real world), no less important than the scores on an exam. So, for the benefit of all, please contribute to the learning community.

 

animation of aurora borealisProcrastination: Procrastination is perhaps the single most insidious deterrent to effective learning. Procrastination has a way of ruling our lives if we do not bring it under control. Not only does it make learning more difficult due the sheer volume of last-minute material, it also leads to excessive (and unnecessary) stress. Since understanding generally requires more time to achieve than short-term memorization, try to be consistent in your effort and don't procrastinate. In science, perhaps even more so than in other fields, procrastination and cramming are simply ineffective learning strategies. And while it takes a great deal of wisdom and effort to break the clutches of procrastination, the results are usually worth it. Want to join a support group? Click here. Want to know how much of a procrastinator you are? Visit http://people.highline.edu/iglozman/classes/procrastination_quotient.htm. Want inspiration from Elvis? Click here.

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head bang on computerPerfectionism:  Are you a perfectionistic procrastinator? The question may seem paradoxical since you might think that a perfectionist is driven to get things done. In fact, perfectionism is often associated with procrastination because perfectionists can be easily paralyzed by the fear that some action may lead to an imperfect result. Perfectionism can lead to "starts and spurts" performance, in which an individual attacks a task with great energy (e.g., cleaning spree) and then slumps back in exhaustion after having exasperated, irritated, or alienated everyone around. Perfectionism has also been found to be strongly related to depression and an extremely critical spirit (either toward self or others). What is perfectionism, then? Perfectionism is a form of rigidity or inflexibility that is marked by three major characteristics:

  1. The intense desire to jump in and do things yourself because others just can't do it right.
  2. The insistent attitude that you wouldn't even start on something if you can't do it well.
  3. The profound need for closure, indicated by agitation or discomfort should something be left "hanging".

Each of these characteristics "drives" the perfectionist to procrastinate. For perfectionistic procrastinators, the first step in dealing with procrastination is acknowledging and disliking these three basic tendencies. Then practical solutions can be applied systematically. For example, moderate your expectations and stop focusing on faults and flaws.

Fear of failure: How often do we find ourselves afraid to try something for fear of failure, ridicule, or imperfection? Ironically, it is this fear of failure, rather than the actual failure, which is the greatest impediment to learning. Failure itself is a powerful teacher and can be the source of much personal growth. One of the reasons that kids are such excellent learners is that they reject all fear of failure. Trial and error is their policy and they are very effective at it. When children fail, they discover that they need to expand their capabilities. And although they may be frustrated by initial failures, they are rarely so frustrated that they don't try again. Just listen to them babbling and groping their way toward language acquisition. They are not always perfectly understood, but they ultimately learn the language, much better than most of us could learn it in school. Interestingly, children are not embarrassed by failure until they get to school; it is here that they learn to fear failure. This is very unfortunate since it is the willingness of young children to fail that is so critical to their ability to learn. Without failure there is no second try, no thinking about what needs to be changed, what needs to be learned. The loss of this willingness to fail is highly detrimental to the very curiosity that drives education. So, with that in mind, give yourself the permission to babble like a child. If you can do that, you'll be well on your way to success.

 

Teaching/grading philosophy: Most teachers want students to focus on learning and not be too preoccupied with points. To promote this mindset, the grading scheme in this class rewards you more for being motivated and well-rounded than for achieving perfect or near-perfect scores on exams. In particular, perfect scores on all exams but with very little contribution to the learning community may yield no more than a grade of B. On the other hand, a student who gets decent, though not necessarily stellar, scores on exams (e.g., 75%) but is always asking questions, working with and helping others, demonstrating a thirst for knowledge and growth, trying to do more than required (e.g., bringing interesting science news to the attention of the class, asking provocative questions, and basically trying to learn and understand) will definitely be in contention for an A. The highest grades will be reserved for those people who not only score decent on exams, but also demonstrate a respectable work ethic and make a contribution to our learning community. My motivation for using this "nontraditional" grading scheme is to encourage students to become independent and self-motivated learners, so that learning and growth continues well after the class is over. You'll find that if you can learn to be internally driven, rather than driven by some arbitrary point system, you'll end up a lot more successful and will probably have a better quality of life. So whenever you don't get the grade that you want on a homework assignment or an exam, think of it as an opportunity to learn from your mistakes rather than as something that will prevent you from transferring to some competitive graduate or undergraduate program.

 

Special Accommodations:  If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, please provide the instructor with the Letter of Accommodation you have received from the Office of Access Services, which is located in Building 99.

Student rights and responsibilities:  One of the fundamental objectives of this institution is to provide students with a high-quality education while developing in them a sense of ethics and social responsibility. Students are therefore always expected to abide by the highest ethical standards.  Unethical conduct, most notably discrimination and various forms of academic dishonesty (cheating, plagiarism, etc.), hurts the entire community and is subject to disciplinary action, as laid out in the Student Rights and Responsibilities document available at the Office of the Dean of Students. Anyone aware of such unethical activities should report to the instructor.

Tutoring:  If you need extra help with this or any other class, you may find the tutoring center (26-319, x3444) useful.  The people are friendly and the services are free.

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Inspiring quotes on success and attitude