Computational Science Kris Stewart, San Diego State University http:www'edcenter'sdsu'eduprojectsGir

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Computational ScienceKris Stewart, San Diego
State Universityhttp//www.edcenter.sdsu.edu/proj
ects/GirlTECH/kris0_july99/kris0_july99.ppt
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Science Discipline (Chemistry, Physics, Biology )
Computational Science
Computer Science (Tools Hardware, Software)
Applied Math (Modeling Simulation)
Teamwork Collaboration
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NPACI Partnership Organizing Principle Thrusts
EDUCATION, OUTREACH, AND TRAINING
4 TECHNOLOGIES Metasystems Programming Tools and
Environments Data-intensive Computing Interaction
Environments
4 APPLICATIONS Molecular Science Neuroscience Eart
h Systems Science Engineering
RESOURCES
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Advancing the Computational Infrastructure

• Resources -- Todays Digital Laboratory
• High-performance 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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Sources of Information
NPACI Partnership Report Touch the
Future enVision quarterly science magazine,
especially June99The Importance of Science
Literacy in a Computing World, Sid
Karinwww.npaci.edu/envision/v15.2/director.html
Online biweekly electronic publication,
especially V3.14 July 7 www.npaci.edu/online/ w
ww.npaci.edu
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• 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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Education
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Goal Support a national level systemic impact
on CSE education (k-12, undergrad,
grad/training, informal science)
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Education some remarkable projects
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• Chickscope
• students watch embryo maturing using magnetic
  resonance imaging (MRI) over the Web
• Chemviz
• visualization tools and curriculum for
  computational chemistry (quantum chemistry
  computations, web crystallographic databases,
  etc.)
• The WHY files
• explanation of science behind the news (NISE)
• Biology Workbench
• collection of computational biology tools and
  databases
• Maryland Virtual High School
• Core models in the K12 classroom
• Sociology Workbench
• Online tools for survey data analysis, e.g.
  student evaluations

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Education Center on Computational Science
Engineering
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Mission

• 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 among the team members
  and with others
• are used in research and problem solving.

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Projects of the EC/CSE www.edcenter.sdsu.edu/proje
cts/
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• Faculty Fellows Programwww.edcenter.sdsu.edu/fac
  ulty-fellows/
• CSU Faculty Workshop on Computational Science in
  the Undergraduate Curriculumwww.edcenter.sdsu.edu
  /training/CSU_calendar.html
• Internet 2www.edcenter.sdsu.edu/projects/vbns.ht
  ml
• Resources (VRML, Java, XML, )
  www.edcenter.sdsu.edu/repository/

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Learning Technologies
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Goal Develop, apply, and assess computational
tools that enhance learning
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Access Inclusion
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Goal Increase participation and success of
women, minorities and people with disabilities
in CSE and in PACI
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Evaluation
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Goal Provide for ongoing, external evaluation of
our education/outreach efforts
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Computational Science Curricula Evaluation and
Assessment
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• User-Friendly Handbook for Project Evaluation
  Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology
  Education, NSF 93-152 www.ehr.nsf.gov/EHR/RED/EVAL
  /handbook/handbook.htm
• Learning through Evaluation, Adaptation and
  Dissemination, U. Wisconsin NPACI partner
• Template for a Group-Work Paradigm in an
  Undergraduate Supercomputing Course,
  www.edcenter.sdsu.edu/projects/hpcu/kris_hpcu.pdf

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Undergraduate SupercomputingGroup Work Paradigm
HPC Users Group Meeting August 1999SUNY
Stonybrook
Group Learning as a Pedagogical ParadigmManaging
Group DynamicsSurveying Students AttitudesRole
of Instructor from Lecturer/ Evaluator to
MatchMaker/Mediator
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CS 575 Supercomputing (content)
Text High Performance Computing, 2nd EditionK.
Dowd and C. SeveranceOReilly Associates,
1998 EXCELLENT Text, use it sparingly (not every
page)
Goal1 Understand Machine Performance Goal2 Expe
rience Cooperative Learning in a Group Work
Environment
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CS 575 Machine Performance
What is it? Computing time, accuracy
delivered How to measure? Unix timers for
CPU, Preliminary computational experiment with
known answer therefore known error How to
describe? Bottom-up design of computational
experiment laboratory report (focus on the
conclusions) How to construct computational
experiments? What can be computed?
Reliably? Reproducibility?
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CS 575 Group Work Environment

• Individual Skills (first two assignments)
• Group Assignment by Instructor
• arbitrary (random) assignment modified based on
• first two individidual assignments by initial
  student
• self-evaluation of own
• Computing Skills,
• Communication Skills in English, both
• written
• oral
• to provide a balanced mix within each group

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Supercomputer Teacher Enhancement Program (STEP)

• Began funded by NSF grant in 1993-1996
• Persists today through web page, mastered by
  Phill Vanderschaegen, San Pasqual High School
  Biology Teacher http//step.sdsc.edu

Recent Additions, for example, joining us
todayAnna Wilder-ONeilLa Costa Canyon High
School - Visualizing EarthSteve BartramRancho
Buena Vista High School - Marine Science
Reunion - August 23, 1999
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Partnerships Attract Students and Empower
Teachers
SDSU There is no majority population in San Diego
Students GS100 - University Seminar for
Freshman Success
FacultyPreparing future teachers, the
undergraduate degreeand the teacher credential -
need to blend
Professional DevelopmentEducation technology
and workshops like this
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What advice to you have for university faculty?
July 14, 1999 audience response
University faculty needs to stay well tuned with
what is happening in K12, e.g. randomly drop in
on the classroom University department
newsletter on activities, distribute to high
schools and invite participation Rice provides a
support structure Team with K12 teachers
undergraduates university faculty. Dont wait
for school to approach you, leverage your
activities as Dr. Tapia does, e.g. Math/Science
miniconferenece organized by grassroots insistence
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What can the technology developers do to better
address your needs?
(did not ask this question since the previous
slide elicited a strong response)
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References Handouts

• NPACI 1998 Partnership Report
• eNvision Magazine with separate copies of
• Directors article The Importance of Science
• Literacy in a Computing World, Dr. Sid Karin,
• http//www.npaci.edu/envision/v15.2/director.html
• CS 575 Supercomputing, Spring 99 course
  noteshttp//www.stewart.cs.sdsu.edu/cs575/
• A Template for Group-Work Paradigm in an
  Undergraduate Supercomputing Course, HPC Users
  Group Meeting, SUNY Stonybrook, August
  1999http//www.edcenter.sdsu.edu/projects/hpcu/kr
  is_hpcu.pdf

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Subscribe/online
http//www.npaci.edu/News/subscriptions.html
enVision Quarterly Science Magazine Online,
biweekly, web-published news