Develop scientific problem solving skills

Programming Exploration

First Exploration: Design User Interface (motivate syntax)

Three part assignment, individually submitted via email for grading and instructor feedback
Prompt user for input dara
- Data types (dynamic)
- Input/output commands
Validate input data
- Logical tests
- Iteration (give user another try)
Encapsulate program in a function
- Modularity
- Script contrasted with function
- Passing paramters

help help, help diary, help print, help plot, help script, help function, help lang
Web access to Mathworks online manuals

Writing Skills

pico, vi, ascii text editor write it
pine, elm, mail program share it
Extensive instructor feedback "improved" organization and presentation, I think.

Computational Programming

Second Exploration: Forward Difference to approximate df/dx

help eps
approximation
error in finite precision computation
error in approximation
how to validate computed results

Inclass Midterms for Focus on Syntax

MATLAB's interactive capabilities are useful for students to learn syntax due to immediate processing of the command line and convenient history and edit capabilities within MATLAB. The help feature is stressed to find out details of syntax along with examples. But there is a point when students benefit from preparing for an inclass midterm on syntax. Benefits also come from quickly checking your work and not relying on MATLAB to check things for you and catch your mistakes. Homework problems were not successful since student, understanbly, would use MATLAB to obtain solutions and the rare inaccuracies would be from "transcription" mistakes.

Practice midterms are provided with MATLAB scripts that would allow students to work through problems and quickly check their answers. Practice, practice, practice.

bottomup

Computational Experimentation

Third Computational Experiment with Lab Report - Extending Second Exploration

Bottom-Up

Program to explore assignment concept
Use computational exploration to gain familiarity with generated data
Refine program to help focus data on justifiable results
Iterate several times, as needed, to identify conclusions
- Write/modify outline of conclusions for report
- Modify program to help focus data to justify conclusions
Write body of report to develop terminology used in conclususion.
Write introduction of report to entice someone to read.
Back to step 3. to refine program, iterate as needed.