Treffer: A Modern Approach to Teaching Computational/Numerical Methods.

Computational or numerical methods classes in engineering have traditionally included topics on algorithm and computer program development as a means for students to learn the numerical methods techniques that are most frequently encountered in engineering applications. This paper describes the inclusion of topics and methods focused on helping students get acquainted with the current state of numerical modeling, data handling, visualization, code versioning, and high-end computing they are likely to see in the workplace. Over the course of several semesters the co-authors have endeavored to bring these topics to a junior-level computational methods course at a primarily undergraduate institution with five ABET-accredited engineering programs, four of which take this course for either required or elective credit. Specifically, the paper addresses the integration of the following modern tools: the Python programming language, including numpy and the matplotlib modules, the git and github distributed code versioning system, and jupyter notebooks running on a supercomputer cluster for lecture notes distribution and for coding and documenting homework and projects. The paper reports details on the implementation of these modern tools, including successes and failures, and student perspectives. In addition, we detail our attempts to address and automate quizzing and testing in a hybrid virtual environment, in which some students are attending class in person and some are attending remotely. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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