Subject: Scientific Computing Service Course(s) -- appropriate content ?

From: "Anthony J. Duben" <[email-masked]>
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1998 16:45:58 -0600

The teaching of computing as a service course to students outside of the
computer science major is a major challenge since there are so many 
new applications and problem areas in which computers are being applied.

The teaching of nuts-and-bolts FORTRAN (or C or C++) is probably 
inappropriate for most students since they will be unlikely to end up as
programmers.  Rather, it seems to me that they will be using sophisticated
software applications to solve problems arising in their laboratories.  While
some programming experience may be necessary to solve small problems
or apply patches to programs where source code is available, this will
probably
be a small part of the tasks that they will have to do with computers. 

It would seem to me that they will spend more of their time installing,
maintaining,
and configuring operating systems and self-contained application packages.
They will be interfacing computers to experimental equipment and installing
software that will run the instrument, collect the data, and reduce it.
They will be using software tools like Excel, SPSS, SAS, Origin, etc. to
analyze
data.  Programming will probably be done using MathCAD, MATLAB or
Mathematica rather
than C or FORTRAN because of the built-in graphical interfaces for the display
of computed results.  

The problem space that those who teach service course(s) in computing will
have to be wider than the usual numerical analysis problems posed for
engineering
students, physics and chemistry majors.  There needs to be attention to
combinatorics,
probability, and statistics.   This is an important aspect in the course
offered here
since the majority of the students are from cell and molecular biology,
environmental
science, and geology.  [The chemistry and physics students here take a
pretty traditional
course in FORTRAN.  Whether this is the best choice for all, I have my
doubts.]
The course in question is a freshman level course.  Students are
concurrently struggling
with calculus at best.

I would welcome comments, critique, and suggestions on my comments from list
members.  This list has subscribers from a number of disciplines whose
insights
I would appreciate.  I will summarize for the list.

Anthony J. Duben ([email-masked])
************************************************
Dr. Anthony J. Duben
Professor, Computer Science [MailStop 5950]
  and Associate Dean, College of Science
          and Technology [MailStop 6000]
Southeast Missouri State University
1 University Plaza
Cape Girardeau MO  63701-4799
phone: 573-651-2194 [Computer Science]
       573-986-6036 [Dean's Office]
fax:   573-651-2791 [Computer Science]
       573-651-2223 [Dean's Office]
e-mail: [email-masked]
                or
        [email-masked]

"A human being should be able to change a diaper,
plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design
a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a 
wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give
orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze
a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer,
cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly...
Specialization is for insects."
     -- from the Notebooks of Lazarus Long by
           Robert Heinlein

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