What the project is, where it fits in in relation to other work, who pays for it and how long will it last. Snippets will hopefully work live from the CD-ROM in my laptop.
What does M.R.A. mean? Well MRA's were created in support of the NSF funded supercomputer sites including the CTC. A year or so ago the CTC lost its supercomputer center status. However, our project continues...Full project title is `Integration of Information Age Networking and Parallel Supercomputer Simulations into University General Science and K-12 Curricula'.
The web is perhaps a rather restrictive view of `information age networking' but as we have worked on this project we have realized more and more the importance of making our work easirly accessible. Simulations will run on server machine for Crack Propagation and Membranes. This machine is actually about 1/100th power of supercomputer at Cornell when grant was approved. This is much more power than could have been devoted to the project from the supercomputer center.
Use supporting material of appropriate level to illustrate ideas behind subject.
Finish with links to some elements of research using supercomputers.
Desired outcomes
- Material is useful to teachers, interesting to students.
- Interactivity adds value to learning experience.
- SimScience increases awareness and understanding of supercomputer
simulations. (NSF)
Note more people I've missed out. Advice from many other people.
The Living Textbook Project
- Aims to demonstrate the use of leading-edge HPCC technologies
in the K-12 classroom.
NSF CCD
- Course and Curriculum Development Program.
- Ed Lipson, Gianfranco Vidali, Simon Catterall involved.
- About getting interactive technologies into the undergraduate classroom (Java).
Membranes, Fluid Flow, Crack Propagation, Crackling Noise Style, look and feel - want to make SimScience feel like one site Easier to write maintain and use when self-contained.
How to deal with K--12 and undergraduate?
Instructions say load index.html from root of CD-ROM, note directories with browsers for PC and Mac (Netscape 4.04). Browser test page check Java and JavaScript enabled.
Crackling Noise, perhaps most coherent module at Advanced Level. Tries to link everyday ideas to various physical concepts and ultimately to research work on magnetization -- the noise is in the flipping of domains.MembranesListen to pencil snapping noise (one big pop), popcorn sound (equal size pops), fire (range of sizes). Pencil expt, emphasizes that snapping is about large abrupt change, model. Magnet simulation, module talks about an experiment to get a crackling sound by crumpling a piece of paper -> now we look at the computer. Simulation - domains flipping in a magnet, slider controls random field.
Membranes module is born out of work on random surfaces and quantum gravity -- neither of these subjects seem worthy of lengthy explanation at school level. Instead we have focussed on the general idea of surfaces and membranes, in particular of soaps and in biology. Toward the end of the module we link with gravity.Fluids
Try to keep mouse low on screen to avoid JavaScript error! Select curve ball parameters and pitch.
Responses:
- level ok, graphics just `ok',
- navigation wasn't a problem,
- wanted more graphics and applets,
- overall quite positive.
Modules are vastly improved since then!
No formal evaluation since then, hence we see this as a most pressing need!
Just as we value feedback about the content we value bug reports also. We try to test on Netscape and IE on both PC and Mac but it takes lots of effort and while things are under development we can't keep rechecking.
Particular problem with MS IE on Cracks and Fluids modules.
Due to differences in JavaScript between IE and Netscape. Also some formatting problems.
Newly created bug lists on web site
This is NOT on the CD-ROM since I only created the links last night. I wrote the most significant bugs for the Membranes module. The development team for each module will maintain their own lists.
Visit to classroom could be to take class of just be there for part of it. We don't really know what would be useful.
SimScience is the product of an NSF funded Metacenter Regional Alliance between the Cornell Theory Center, the Departments of Physics and Engineering at Cornell, the Departments of Physics and Engineering at SU, and NPAC at SU. Full project title is `Integration of Information Age Networking and Parallel Supercomputer Simulations into University General Science and K-12 Curricula'.
Related work:
- Science for the 21st Century
- The Living Textbook Project
- NSF CCD
Four groups for four modules:
- Membranes (SU Physics)
- Fluid Flow (SU Engineering)
- Crack Propagation (Cornell Engineering)
- Crackling Noise (Cornell Physics)
How to deal with K--12 and undergraduate? 3 levels: Easy - to 6th grade, Intermediate - 7th--10th grade, Advanced - 11th grade and up.
Newly created bug lists on web site (not CD-ROM), see http://SimScience.org/eval.html.