computational science education programs casc meeting october 4,2012 steven i. gordon...
TRANSCRIPT
Education
Plan for the Morning
• Provide an overview of computational science related programs
– Undergraduate programs in computational science– Graduate programs in computational science– Computer science programs focused on parallel and high
performance computing– Professional development programs aimed at the current
workforce
• Panel discussion focused on problems and prospects for developing and continuing these programs
EMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
Education
Agenda• Model Undergraduate Programs: Dr. Steven Gordon OSC
• Perspectives on Growing a Graduate Program in Computational Science: Dr. Terry Moore, UTK
• Education & Training needs to fill the Missing Middle in Digital Manufacturing: Dr. Ashok Krishnamurthy, OSC
• NSF/IEEE-TCPP Guidelines for an Undergraduate Core Curriculum: Dr. Sushil Prasad, Georgia State
• TACC’s Comprehensive Scientific Computing Curriculum: Dr. Jay Boisseau
• XSEDE Education Program & Formal Computational Science Programs: Dr. Steven Gordon, OSC
• Panel discussion
EMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
Education
Overview
• Challenges to creating undergraduate programs in computational science
• Minor program in computational science
• Associate degree program
EMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
Education
Challenges to Creating Programs in Ohio
• Computational science is interdisciplinary– Faculty workloads fixed on disciplinary responsibilities– Expertise at universities is spotty– Major time commitments are required to negotiate a
new program
• No standards existed that defined the field
• Curriculum requirements for related fields leave little room for new electives
• Change is hard
EMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
Education
Initial Focus in Ohio
• Call for faculty interest and participation
• Several meetings to discuss interests and possible requirements
• Consensus that an undergraduate minor program was a good place to start
• Joint application and award of NSF CI-Team demonstration project
EMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
Education
Program Requirements
• Created a competency-based curriculum– Provides detailed outlines of the background and skills
desired for students completing the program– Bridged the differences across disciplines– Allows for flexibility in implementation to fit the program
into multiple institutional situations and majors with different backgrounds and focus areas
• Competencies can be a model for other programs
• http://www.rrscs.org/competencies
7
EducationEMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
Minor program overview
• Undergraduate minor program– 6-8 courses– Varies based on major
• Faculty defined competencies for all students
• Reviewed by business advisory committee
• Program started in Autumn 2007
• Agreements to share students at distance, instructional modules, revenues, and teaching responsibilities
Competencies for Undergraduate Minor
Simulation and Modeling
Programming and Algorithms
Differential Equations and Discrete Dynamical Systems
Numerical Methods
Optimization
Parallel Programming
Scientific Visualization
One discipline specific course
Capstone Research/InternshipExperience
Discipline Oriented Courses
EducationEMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
Example Competencies Simulation and Modeling
• Explain the role of modeling in science and engineering• Analyze modeling and simulation in computational science• Create a conceptual model • Examine various mathematical representations of functions• Analyze issues in accuracy and precision• Understand discrete and difference-based computer models• Demonstrate computational programming utilizing a higher level
language or modeling tool (e.g. Maple, MATLABTM, Mathematica, other)• Assess computational models• Build event-based models • Complete a team-based, real-world model project• Demonstrate technical communication skills
EducationEMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
Detailed Descriptors
Explain the role of modeling in science and engineering Descriptors: Discuss the importance of modeling to science and engineering Discuss the history and need for modeling Discuss the cost effectiveness of modeling Discuss the time-effect of modeling (e.g. the ability to predict the weather) Define the terms associated with modeling to science and engineering List questions that would check/validate model results Describe future trends and issues in science and engineering Identify specific industry related examples of modeling in engineering (e.g., Battelle; P&G,
material science, manufacturing, bioscience, etc.) Discuss application across various industries (e.g., economics, health, etc.)
Example exercise
EducationEMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
Implementation
• Statewide collaboration agreement– All students register through their home institution and pay local
tuition– Transfer payment to universities hosting other students– Registrars exchange information in background to get student
registered for remote courses and to transfer final grades
• Cross registration very modest– Everyone voraciously guards their credit hours– No tradition of cross-registration with other institutions– Still a model with promise to allow shared use of scarce faculty
resources
Education
Associate Degree Program
• Results of an NSF Advanced Technology Education Grant
• Program is an Associates in Science with a concentration in Computational Science
• Goal to encourage students to complete a four-year degree
EMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
Education
New Courses for the Curriculum
• Five new courses were designed for this new program:– Computational Science Methods– Modeling and Simulation– Introduction to Computational Biology– Introduction to Computational Chemistry– Introduction to Computational Physics
• These courses and all developed materials have been shared among all schools participating in the program
Education
Program Organization
• Also competency based– http://www.rrscs.org/associate
• Participating institutions– Central Ohio Technical College– Sinclair Community College– Stark State Technical College
EMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
Education
Summary
• The programs in Ohio can be used as the basis for structuring other undergraduate programs
• Working through the XSEDE project, we are assisting institutions with creating related undergraduate and graduate programs
EMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
EducationEMPOWER. PARTNER. LEAD.
Questions and Discussion