Workshop: Teaching Computation in the Sciences Using MATLAB
October 23-25, 2016
Carleton College, Northfield, MN
Note: this workshop has already taken place. Read the workshop synthesis for a summary of key ideas and see the workshop outcomes for materials developed in association with the workshop. Workshop presentations and summaries of discussions are available on the program page; participants' essays and teaching activities are available via the participants page.
This workshop will bring together faculty from the sciences, including Chemistry, Geoscience, Physics, Biology, and allied fields, who teach computation and quantitative thinking skills using MATLAB. Computation is broadly defined as using computers in scientific work to understand and solve problems, or formulating problems in ways that can be computed. Learning how to process data and develop quantitative models are critically important for students to perform calculations, analyze data, create numerical models and visualizations, and more deeply understand complex systems--all essential aspects of modern science. These skills require students to have comfort and skill with languages and tools such as MATLAB. To achieve comfort and skill, computation and quantitative thinking must build over a 4-year degree program across courses and disciplines. Participants will help build a collection of teaching activities that showcase computation, quantitative thinking, and applied math using MATLAB and design approaches to integrating these skills throughout science degree programs.
Conveners:
Lisa Kempler, MathWorks
Cathy Manduca, Science Education Resource Center
Kristin Jenkins, BioQUEST Curriculum Consortium
Kelly Roos, Bradley University, Department of Engineering Physics, PICUP
Frederik J. Simons, Princeton University, Department of Geosciences
Wendy Thomas, University of Washington, Department of Bioengineering
Staff:
Ye Cheng, MathWorks
Paul Kassebaum, MathWorks
Rory McFadden, Science Education Resource Center
Overview
This workshop is sponsored by:
