The "10 Grand Challenges"

of incorporating high performance computing tools into undergraduate classroom

  1. University faculty system of rewards does not encourage investing much effort in teaching innovations;
  2. Faculty are commonly unaware of the existing HPC technologies already applied in their fields of research and teaching;
  3. Faculty and students are not aware of benefits and accomplishments of supercomputing;
  4. HPC technologies are considered too complex and inaccessible for undergraduate instruction;
  5. Due to focus on locally-available resources, a successive set of courses preparing students for HPC instruction is typically absent;
  6. HPC-based curriculum in science disciplines is not developed;
  7. Difference in learning styles becomes especially important when material is complex;
  8. Variety of platforms and incompatible software lead to fragmentation of curriculum;
  9. University administrators, support staff and classroom infrastructure are not ready for intensive use of computing and networks;
  10. Technical parameters of local computers and networks are typically below expectations.

What we propose to do (and what we, actually, do...)

  1. Promoting an alternative reward system for the faculty, including released teaching time for HPC curriculum development; supporting faculty HPC-related research with educational component;
  2. Presentations on HPC technologies in various disciplines, demonstrations and hands-on workshops for SDSU and CSU faculty and staff. Demonstrating our own teaching experience using HPC technologies: group-based problem solving in Supercomputing classes (CS 575), Web-based collaboration in distance teaching of Geography classes (Geog 567 and 569);
  3. In coordination with course instructors, conducting "NPACI hours", wherein Ed Center staff presents HPC technologies to students in selected courses during regular lectures;
  4. Developing user-friendly interfaces and tutorials for selected HPC technologies;
  5. Building computational science curriculum with gradual increase in complexity, identifying courses and software - so called "bridging environments" - which prepare students for supercomputing instruction;
  6. Identifying tools and technologies developed within the supercomputing realm, for various disciplines (see www.edcenter.sdsu.edu for the showroom of NPACI and NCSA tools and other lists of resources);
  7. Supporting development of curriculum materials for students with different learning styles, integrating collaborative approaches and supercomputing technologies;
  8. Promoting three-way multi-platform software tools;
  9. Seminars and presentations to University administration;
  10. Participation in education technology councils, influencing university computing policy, supporting networking initiatives such as vBNS.