Introduction to the Education Center on
Computational Science
&
Engineering
Presentation for the Center for Research in
Math & Science Education
BAM 254 SDSU - 4/27/98
Enhancing Undergraduate Curricula with High Performance Computing Tools
and Technologies for the California State University System and the National
Education Community
This URL: ./sdsucrmse.html
National Science Foundation's Division of Advanced Scientific Computing
made five year awards supporting two High Performance Computing (HPC) Centers
in San Diego (www.npaci.edu) and Champaign-Urbana
(alliance.ncsa.uiuc.edu ),
to build the national infrastructure in HPC through partnerships.
Exciting new research opportunities (and the SDSU Interdisciplinary
Experimental Curriculum Committee [IECC])
Given the new in-coming Director of NSF,
Dr. Rita Colwell
, from
the University of Maryland (colwell@umbi.umd.edu) the following recently
released study is especially pertinent to SDSU and the Ed Center.
-
Reinventing Undergraduate Education (Boyer report)
-
Academic Bill of Rights
-
Ten Ways to Change Undergraduate Education
-
IECC (on-going SDSU campus project, CAL, PSFA & some Sciences
-
Seminar and hands-on workshop on Web-based collaboration tools for
distance learning [April 23 and April 30]
- Come visit the Ed Center
-
Enhancing Undergraduate Curriculum through NPACI's Ed Center
ENVISION, March 1998
-
NSF National Sciences & Technology Week (4/26-5/2/97
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Overview of the
National Partnership for Advanced Computing Infrastructure:
NPACI (www.npaci.edu/Partners/partner.html) is an association of 39
universities and research centers from
18 states, with SDSC as the leading edge site.
-
The San Diego Supercomputer Center (SDSC) conducts and supports activities
in computational science,
a third fundamental method for conducting scientific research (in addition
to laboratory experimentation and theoretical investigation). Computational
Science is defined as using computers (in this context, high performance
computers) and related computing technologies (such as applications software,
high speed networking, scientific visualization technologies, and large
data storage systems) to visualize, analyze, and simulate natural and social
phenomena.
-
What is the mission of the EC/CSE?
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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,
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sophisticated computer tools, and
-
effective communication among the team members and with others
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are used in research and problem solving.
Examples of projects underway at the EC/CSE
Short descriptions
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Java and VRML resources for scientists and engineers (Xiangwei Li, Wai (Denny) Lee, Phil Deacon, Jason Tate, Amde Mitiku)
-
Java-based instructional interface and analytical extension for the Protein
Data Base (PDB) developed at SDSC (Phil Deacon)
-
Testbed for distance learning collaboratory techniques [Tango, NetMeeting,
Habanero, ...]. (X. Li)
- "Virtual Professor" Distance Learning in computationally intensive courses
(I. Zaslavsky)
-
Group learning in Supercomputing instruction: (K. Stewart)
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Problem-based learning in computational programming instruction. (K. Stewart)
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HPC Biology resources for SDSU and other CSU campuses. (soon)
Examples of collaborations already formed by EC/CSE
-
Evaluation and assessment of the Ed Center by the
LEAD center,
at National Institute for Science Education,
NISE, U. Wisconsin, Madison
-
NPACI partnership "contract" with the Institute
for Advanced Technology in the Humanities (IATH), NPACI partner in
Virginia. Stewart travels to Charlotte, VA in June.
-
vBNS
proposal coordinated by CSU Chancellor's office. Participatation by SDSU,
CalPoly Pomona, and CSU/SB within the CSU (currently under negotiation)
-
Collaboratory use of GIS over the Internet in instruction (together with
NPAC - Syracuse, Dr. Geoffrey Fox), and the experiment in distance
teaching of GIS and spatial analysis over the Web (EC/CSE, SDSU
to Geography, WMU, on-going)
-
NSF proposal by Doug Deutschman (SDSU Biology), on chaparral ecosystem
simulation modeling and visualization with the SORTIE-like
model (with interfaces tuned to student exploration, in particular) - involves
EC/CSE (January 1998)
-
Industrial partnership
with Mathworks (MATLAB, which now
has MapTools) (November 1997)
-
National Endowment for the Humanities proposal with Dr. Bob Hoffman (SDSU
Ed Tech) on using VRML to simulate the California mission so that 4th grade
students can become docents of the mission and conduct virtual tours. (October
1997)
The suggested mechanism of collaboration with CSU faculty
-
The Education Center staff (Dr. Kris Stewart, Dr. Ilya Zaslavsky and Ms.
Dolores Candelario) have prepared
descriptions
of the opportunities that SDSC and the NPACI offer to the nation,
with a focus on identifying opportunities to enhance undergraduate education
(accessible from Ed. Center web pages)
-
The presentations and workshops can be followed by individual
collaboration with faculty on selected projects related to undergraduate
teaching.
-
Graduate and undergraduate student assistants are available to help faculty
and their instructional support staff with educational projects related
to high-performance computing in the undergraduate curriculum.
Web site: ../index.html
What can the EC/CSE do for you?
Dr. Kris Stewart (stewart@sdsu.edu), Director
Dr. Ilya Zaslavsky (zaslavsk@rohan.sdsu.edu), GIS Staff Scientist
Education Center on Computational Science & Engineering
San Diego State University, Love Library Addition, Rm 73
www.edcenter.sdsu.edu