tacc’s scientific computing curriculum texas advanced computing center
TRANSCRIPT
TACC’sScientific Computing Curriculum
Texas Advanced Computing Center
The Outcome
Advanced Computing Knowledge and Skills
Number of
People
Novice Expert
10%
User
100%
50%
The Courses
Introduction to Scientific and Technical Computing
Parallel Computing for Scientists & Engineers
Visualization & Data Analysisfor Scientists & Engineers
Distributed & Grid Computingfor Scientists and Engineers
Instructors2005 - 2008
Bill BarthResearch Associate
High Performance Computing
Jay BoisseauDirector
Victor EijkhoutHigh Performance Computing
Kent MilfeldResearch Associate
High Performance Computing
Karl SchulzAssistant Director
High Performance Computing
Ed WalkerManager/Research Associate
Distributed & Grid Computing
Kelly GaitherAssociate Director/Research
& DevelopmentVisualization & Data Analysis
Guest Instructors2005 - 2008
Chona GuiangResearch Associate
High Performance Computing
Victor EijkhoutHigh Performance Computing
Jim BrownDepartment of
Computer Sciences
Warren SmithManager
Distributed & Grid Computing
Eric RobertsSoftware DeveloperDistributed & Grid
Computing
Kelly GaitherAssociate Director/Research
& DevelopmentVisualization & Data Analysis
Margaret MurryResearch AssociateDistributed & Grid
Computing
Robert van de Geijn
Department of Computer Sciences
Why are these courses important?
Need
Classes that prepare students to use advanced computing resources as they are used in computational, applications-driven research and development are relatively rare in university curricula.
Undergraduate Computational Science and Engineering
SIAM Working Group on CSE Undergraduate Education, Sep 2006.
Why are these courses important?
Career
Academic and industry careers depend on a solid and practical foundation for using cyberinfrastructure in research and development.
Why are these courses important?
Discovery
Current grid computing technologies and the development of integrated cyberinfrastructure open new possibilities for discovery.
Energy: #1 Global Challenge
Nobelity: The Big Picture
Movie trailer http://www.nobelitythemovie.com/wm_trailer.html
Materials
Syllabus
Course description
Instruction materials
Assignments, tests,and rubrics
ReferencesDr. Kent Milfeld teaching the Parallel Computing course.
Theoretical Outcome
Novice ExpertUser
Advanced Computing Knowledge and Skills
Students per Department or Program
0 3 6 9 12 15 18
Natural Sciences
Engineering
Institute for ComputationalEngineering and Sciences
Jackson School ofGeosciences
Liberal Arts
Co
lleg
e o
r A
ca
de
mic
Un
it
Number of Students
Economics
Science,Technology & Society
Electrical& ComputerEngineering
Aeromechanics Research
Chemical Engineeri
ng
Center for
SpaceResearch Advanced
Manufacturing Center
PhysicsComputerSciences
Fusion Studies
Mathematics
Empirical Outcome
Lessons Learned
90-minute class sessionsMaximize contact time and minimize instructors’
preparation time.
Students crave guided problem solvingLeverage contact time to guide students through
computational problem solving.
http://www.opencps.org/Doc/big_picture_of_OpenCPS/
Lessons Learned
Courseware is handy, and can be better utilized
Students seldom used the interactive features of BlackBoard.
Most effective for class announcements, assignments, and archiving materials & resources.
Do a pre-course student surveyDon’t assume – cheat and look: what Unix, mathematics, and HPC knowledge & skills do your students have on the
first class day?
Lessons Learned
PowerPoint slides are not the course contentUse it, but don’t abuse it.
Code examples (C and Fortran) plus diagrams and logic flowcharts.
Images of HPC hardware + flow of data or instructions.
Nested, interrelated realms of distributed & grid computing.
Lessons Learned
PowerPoint slides are not the course contentUse it, but don’t abuse it.
Code examples (C and Fortran) plus diagrams and logic flowcharts.
Images of HPC hardware + flow of data or instructions.
Nested, interrelated realms of distributed & grid computing.
Acknowledgements
Thank you, EPIC!
Acknowledgements
TeraGrid EOT Working Group
Ongoing and prior work to produce HPC courses
• SUNY Computational Science Engineering• Ohio Supercomputing Center• EPIC Virtual Institutes: Computational
Science Curriculum• …many others.