diff --git a/proposal.md b/proposal.md index c9273f9..4503de8 100644 --- a/proposal.md +++ b/proposal.md @@ -1,49 +1,155 @@ # # Brief Summary -------------- +------------- + +In this talk I discuss the role of Jupyter in student-centered learning in new +modes of post-COVID teaching. The Jupyter community embodies and enables the +goals of student-centered learning. The Jupyter code is built by a cooperative +community of programmers around the world. The educational applications include +problem-based approaches, project-based inquiry, and building community. I use +Jupyter notebooks to build resources for mechanical engineering students. +I deployed these notebooks on a Jupyterhub server and distributed examples in +Github. Students were able to focus on problem-solving and engineering design +methodology in a free open-source software environment. There are three main +strengths of Jupyter in the classroom: it is built for experimentation and is +versatile, the Jupyter community builds resources and documentation together, +and it provides a great way to build problem-based and project-based learning +activities in hybrid-blended and distance learning courses. The benefits of +building a Jupyter community in the classroom is that students are given the +chance to experiment and build models, they are brought into the Jupyter +community of free open-source software developers, and they experience an +overall student-centered learning environment. Outline -------- +# Overview +* Student-centered learning is the preferred method of teaching +* Student-centered learning includes projects, problems, asking questions, etc. +* Main goal is to develop method of thinking and solution +* Jupyter enables new ways to create student-centered learning: + * Its open and versatile, I can use JupyterHub, send raw code, print out pdfs, etc. + * Open resources available e.g. Barba and Clementi's awesome [Engineers Code](https://github.com/engineersCode/EngComp.git) + * The community is built upon communication and learning + * [Dewey](https://www.gutenberg.org/files/852/852-h/852-h.htm) claimed + learning is building community through communication +* Its everything I want in a learning resource + +# Engineers need student-centered learning to succeed + +## Recognizing Engineering students' experience +* Both PBL and PjBL have shown to be effective in +higher education\cite{carlile1998,morrison2004}. Students +search, solve, create, and share approaches\cite{awang2008} using math models +and measurements. +* 11-out-of-26 engineering majors tinkered with projects as children. Kruz and +* 10-out-of-26 engineering majors want a job. Kruz and +* The most important ABET +outcomes ranked by practicing engineers, employers, and recent graduates are +1-problem solving and 2-communication\cite{passow2017,evans1993}. + +## Compare Kant transcendentalism vs with Dewey's Pragmatism +* Kant: Nature has fundamental laws that we strive to learn, but are ignorant of + true meaning due to physical abilities +* Kant: would consider a string theory ultimate knowledge as preferred to + best-fit approximations from experience +* Dewey: Method of thinking and solution is the most important part of knowledge +Definition of thinking: +Thinking is the accurate and deliberate instituting of connections between what +is done and its consequences +* Dewey: learning needs to be associated with a "genuine experience" e.g. + writing code, making figures, writing a report, describing an observed + phenomena + +* Dewey's preference for thought over knowledge is directly in line with the + engineering design process +* Engineers build with the tools in hand and approximate models to make better + connections and control consequences + +## Compare teacher-centered learning vs student-centered learning +* Assume knowledge exists and students need to _gain_ it: + * Teacher-centered learning + * lecture + * give assignments + * criticize and evaluate +* Community develops in an adversarial way: students-vs-teacher or not at all + +* Assume the _thinking process_ is more important than the actual knowledge: +* Student-centered learning + * Project-based/Problem-based assignments + * encourage collaboration + * Work involves experimentation and tinkering + * most importantly _thinking_ + +## How does Jupyter fit into student-centered learning? +* "Education is a social process. Education is growth. Education is, not a +preparation for life; education is life itself." - John Dewey +* [Chomsky on + Dewey](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZFuOZ0yTNM) if we teach students using a Dewey, student-centered approach it + would lead to an industrialist democracy +* People would be motivated to question, learn, and grow continually +* Leading to open innovations in a democratic +* Jupyter and Python are free open source software built by an industrialist + democratic$^{+}$ group +* What better way to build student-centered materials than with a community that + exemplifies the final goal of our student community?! + +$^{+}$ Democratic in the sense that anyone can join the community and +contribute, but of course there are leaders in certain FOSS developments -# Defining engineering knowledge and framing education -# My journey of design with Jupyter in Education - -## Reflecting upon journey of design - -## I recognized a need and began experimenting - -## Became overwhelmed by information and found help -## Built my JupyterHub server and Github course materials - -## Now I needed to quantify student engagement, success, etc. - -## The materials bring lower the threshold to get students coding, so I can +# My journey of design with Jupyter in Education +* Reflecting upon journey of design +* I recognized a need and began experimenting +* Became overwhelmed by information and found help +* Built my JupyterHub server and Github course materials +* Now I needed to quantify student engagement, success, etc. +* The materials lower the threshold to get students coding, so I can focus on their engineering design process -# Building the journey of design into my classes - -## Students want experience with Python (Jupyter is by far lowest barrier) - -## Familiar engineering situations and models are put into Jupyter notebooks - -## Students must interpret and seek help on deciphering these new approaches - -## The final solution is often in the form of a large array of data. What does +# Building the journey of design into my [Computational Mechanics](https://github.uconn.edu/pages/rcc02007/Computational_Mechanics/) +## Example for Linear Algebra +* Students want to apply Linear Algebra to Engineering solutions +* Familiar engineering situations and models are put transformed into matrices + in Numpy +* Students must interpret and seek help on deciphering these new approaches in + three interactive Jupyter notebooks with short answers and medium HW problems +* The final solution is often in the form of an array of data. What does it mean? - -## Students must print out data, plot values, and try new ways to get their model - -# - -# Affiliation +* Students must print out data, plot values, and try new ways to get their model +* Finally, students are given a finite element analysis project (just the + solution) +* They apply their knowledge and create a GitHub repository with a solution + +## How did Jupyter ~~enable~~ enhance this experience +* Spring 2020 course +* Hybrid class met in computer lab Tue/Thu for 30-min Jan-Mar +* Students worked together on examples and homework problems +* Myself and TA fielded debugging questions +* COVID-19 quarantine in Mar ended lab sessions: convert to distance +* Class logged into conference and chatted on Hangouts +* We used GitHub issue tracker for questions, debugging, and communication + +# Conclusions +* Engineers need student-centered learning to experience engineering design +* Jupyter enables new ways to create student-centered learning: + * Its open and versatile + * Open resources allow change and distribution + * I used open source tools to build a mini open source community in the classroom +* Its everything I want in a learning resource + +Affiliation +---------- Department of Mechanical Engineering University of Connecticut Storrs, CT 06269 -# Past Experience +Past Experience +-------------- +JupyterCon Pop-up Boston. [Flipping the Classroom with Jupyter](https://youtu.be/SZPTpx0VbIs) + +Requests +-------- -# Requests