Jeff Sale, Staff Scientist

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The Computational Science Resource
CommunityUsing the Online Community Starter Kit
as an Interfaceto Build Repositories of Learning
Objects

• Jeff Sale, Staff Scientist
• Kris Stewart, Director
• San Diego State University
• NPACI Education Center on Computational Science
  and Engineering
• http//www.edcenter.sdsu.edu/

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What is Computational Science?
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What is Computational Science?
Science Discipline Physics, Chemistry, Biology,
etc.
Applied Mathematics Numerical Analysis, Modeling,
Simulation
Computer Science Hardware/Software
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What is Computational Science?

• This requires teamwork and collaboration

Teamwork and Collaboration
Science Discipline Physics, Chemistry, Biology,
etc.
Computer Science Hardware/Software
Applied Mathematics Numerical Analysis, Modeling,
Simulation
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Usually, Computational Science Involves One or
More of...

• Modeling
• Simulation
• Visualization
• Lots of (different kinds of) DATA!!

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...Like World-Building
I-cubed http//www.i3.com/products/CityModels/3d_m
odels.htm
Virtual Los Angeles http//www.aud.ucla.edu/bill/L
A.html
Skyline TerraExplorer http//www.skylinesoft.com/
Fly San Diego http//flysd.sdsc.edu/
The Digital Earth http//www.digitalearth.gov/
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Who is Doing Computational Science?

• Too numerous to list
• Alta Vista turns up 64,000 hits
• Google turns up 68,000
• Are Alta Vista and Google doing Computational
  Science?

YES!!
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Who is Doing Computational Science?

• NPACI is The National Partnership for Advanced
  Computational Infrastructure
• http//www.npaci.edu/
• NPACI is an NSF-supported partnership of over 40
  institutions in the US and more worldwide
• http//www.npaci.edu/Partners/

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NPACI Partnership Organizing Principle Thrusts
EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND TRAINING Thrust
4 TECHNOLOGIES Thrusts Metasystems Programming
Tools and Environments Data-intensive
Computing Interaction Environments
4 APPLICATIONS Thrusts Molecular
Science Neuroscience Earth Systems
Science Engineering
RESOURCES Thrust
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Who is Doing Computational Sciencein the
Undergraduate Curriculum?
San Diego State University
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The EdCenter is an NPACI/CSU Collaboration
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The EdCenter is Directed by Kris Stewart

• Director, NPACI EdCenter on Computational Science
  and Engineering (supported by NSF, SDSU Academic
  Affairs, CSU Chancellor Office)
• Computer Science Professor, Math Computer
  Sciences Department, SDSU College of Sciences
• Co-PI for NSF grant CalREN2-Phase2 our access
  to Internet2 (www.abilene.org)
• Faculty Advisor to Student ACM Club
• Former Director of the first K-12 Supercomputing
  Education Outreach program, the Supercomputing
  Teacher Enhancement Program (STEP)

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The EdCenters Mission
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• The EdCenters Mission is to foster the
  incorporation of high performance research tools
  for scientific investigation into the
  undergraduate curriculum to better prepare
  learners for post-baccalaureate activities where
  collaborative, interdisciplinary teams,
  sophisticated computer tools, and effective
  communication are used in research and problem
  solving.

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Advancing the Computational Infrastructure
Resources -- Todays Digital Laboratory High-perfo
rmance computing available today to the academic
community Develop and Deploy Technology and
application collaborations to push the
capabilities of tomorrows digital laboratory Use
and Apply Computational scientists applying
enhanced capabilities to achieve new scientific
results Disseminate and Incorporate Incorporating
technologies into the digital laboratory and
disseminating them for use in new communities
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The EdCenter is Part of the Education, Outreach,
and Training Thrust of NPACI
EOT Applications Technologies Resources

• The mission of EOT-PACI is to develop human
  resources through the innovative use of emerging
  information technologies in order to understand
  and solve problems in education, science,
  business, government, and society.

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There Are Problems

• Explosion of online computational science
  Resources of varying
• Quality
• Purpose
• State of Development

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And More Problems

• Impossible for faculty in the researcher/mentor
  model to manage it all without help
• Faculty and their students need learning
  on-demand assistance with computational
  resources
• Just-in-time learning requires 24-hour/day
  access
• Educational Portals need help to create these
  supportive community-based repositories

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What Do We Need To Do?

• Need to avoid duplication of effort by sharing
  Resources
• Resource information must be online, searchable
• Search results must be well-organized
• Appropriateness of Resource must be readily
  identifiable
• Resources must be rated or even peer-reviewed
• Community-based model must encourage alignment
  with existing professional communities

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A SolutionUse the Online Community Starter Kit
(OCSK)
The OCSK is Developed by the California State
University Center for Distributed Learning using
the Enhydra Open Source API
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to Build the eotPACI Computational Science
Resource Community (CSRC)The CSRC is a CSU/NPACI
Collaboration
California State University

• National Partnership for Advanced Computational
  Infrastructure
• National Computational Science Alliance
• Education, Outreach and Training Partnership for
  Advanced Computational Infrastructure

OCSK
Computational Science Resource Community
eotPACI
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Primary Goals of the CSRC

• Support sharing and dissemination of
  computational science resources by leveraging
  existing membership in Merlot
• Augment Research Portals with Educational
  Resource Repositories/Communities
• Provide a Gateway to Computational Science
  Resources for Undergraduate Faculty, Staff, and
  Students

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The CSRC Interface
Browse or Search
Member profile page
Home page
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CSRC Features and Functions

• Members and non-members may browse complete
  database of resources
• Users must become Members to make contributions
• Membership is fast and free
• Supports User Comments about specific Resource
• Members are encouraged to post Assignments
  created with a CSRC Resource
• Resource descriptions include details about the
  resource as it is used in research or education

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CSRC Features and Functions

• Searchable web-based repository of computational
  science resources with usage characterizations
• Characterizations include details about the
  resource as it is used in research or education
• Community-oriented interface provides members
  with a personalized touch
• Enhydra Java servlet interface to an Oracle
  database engine supports modularized
  component-based web page creation

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CSRC Features and Functions

• Browse resources across all disciplines
• Science Technology
• Social Sciences
• Mathematics
• Humanities
• Education
• Business
• Arts

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Future CSRC Wish List

• A more enhanced pedagogical context, concept maps
  or knowledge artifact maps, an
• Discipline specific "road-maps or navigational
  guides
• Supplementary synchronous/asynchronous
  communication tools
• Tight(er) links to discipline-specific
  research-and-education portals and other digital
  libraries
• Accessibility by other search engines and agents,
  and more

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The CSRC Already IncludesResources to Promote
Access Inclusion
Goal Increase participation and success of
women, minorities and people with disabilities
in CSE and in PACI
trace.wisc.edu
Universal design and disability access
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About the Education Center on Computational
Science and Engineering
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• Home Page http//www.edcenter.sdsu.edu
• Meet the EdCenter Team http//www.edcenter.sdsu.e
  du/staff/
• Some of our projects http//www.edcenter.sdsu.edu
  /projects/
• Some of our activities http//www.edcenter.sdsu.e
  du/news/
• Some resources http//www.edcenter.sdsu.edu/repos
  itory/

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Contact Us
Kris Stewart, Director stewart_at_sdsu.edu Jeff
Sale jsale_at_edcenter.sdsu.edu