The hidden learning outcomes of an Earth's Climate course with computer lab
Isabelle Gouirand, ,Isabelle Gouirand, Environmental Science, The university of the West Indies
I integrated the University of the West Indies 15 years ago as a lecturer in Atmospheric Science. However, as a geographer my training is far from a meteorologist. My tasks were to create courses accessible for undergraduate biologist and chemist with sometimes limited skills in mathematics, computing or knowledge in geography. I therefore developed a basic Earth's climate course (level 2) as well as a course related to the variations of the climate observed in the past and in the actual climate (level 3). Both integrate a computing lab component to familiarize students with computers, basic math and statistics and computational skills leading to map/graph drawing. With this approach students are exposed to experiential learning via basic coding and critical thinking skills. Students must think about the steps required to calculate an average before producing a map like the one previously described in class. Downloading data with unfamiliar format such as netcdf, calculating annual or seasonal average, drawing map or graph, interpreting results are all part of the student's learning outcome. Using computing in such course offers the opportunity to review the material seen in class. It also provides students with a better understanding of the map or graph by knowing the computing behind the figures. Additionally, students figure out the relevance of a title and units and it gives them the opportunity to evaluate the validity of their calculation when analyzing the results. Through the two courses the students are exposed to basic statistic from basing average, regression, correlation applied to various climate dataset. They are also familiarized with website such as the https://iri.columbia.edu/ , https://cds.climate.copernicus.eu/#!/home where a variety of data could be found. I am not an expert in coding, advance computing or mathematic. I am presenting the coding as a foreign language for which you learn basic vocabulary and progressively formulate sentences. Visualizing data and their specific organization also require some mind gymnastic and it is ok and even recommended to do some hand drawing of matrices' representation. Any software only does what it is asked to do. Therefore, this computing approach forces students to assess what they want to do before even starting coding. It is also a reminder that reading carefully a question in a test and formulate a draft answer is a first necessary step toward an "A" grade.
The integration of basic computation in the Earth's climate context was a way to break the ice with coding for non-experience computing students while reinforcing the material seen in class. It offers new perspectives and opens mind on what can be done faster with computing. The willingness to succeed in the task is appealing to students, even if it is just to see a map appearing on a screen. During the lab, students collaborate and interact to reach the same figure. An interpretation and discussion regarding the figure usually follow. The integration of the coding has facilitated several points that students are sometimes struggling with. It helps for example to understand what an average means, or what is the purpose of correlation or regression, and more importantly, how to integrate the computed values to support the description of their results.
Of course, there are some limitations such as:
- Building capacity and the availability of computer lab is one of them. In small university it could put strain on a Lecturer time as the same lab have to be repeated several times due to the room size.
- The students access to computer lab could be limited outside of the class schedule.
- Some students do not have access to computer at home therefore their opportunity to practice could be limited
- Always anticipate the possibility of a in class dying computer.
- Students with no math or computing background are usually reluctant to computer-based lab. Keeping their motivation up is sometimes difficult.
- For non-expert in computing, finding the appropriate terms is sometimes difficult but all this can be worked out with the students.
All the above limitation is challenging for both student's learning and for the lecturer to assess students' skills in a fairly manner. Some students have easier access to practice than others. Writing test could also be difficult. The assessments are divided between "on paper" test for the vocabulary and "computer based" test ( higher weighted test). However, the main question remaining is: should we let the students using their notes to create the program or should we expect them to remember all the command and code? With the use of notes do they just copy and paste or are they understand the computation? This later is difficult to assess objectively.