Enhancing Materials Science and Engineering Curricula through Computation

Sponsor: National Science Foundation

The objective of this project is to devise a more effective instructional process by incorporating computation and cyber infrastructure (CI) into materials science core courses. We expect students to gain a better fundamental understanding of materials science concepts and principles, and to advance their algorithmic thinking and computational proficiency. To this end we develop instructional modules that (i) visually present fundamental concepts in materials science, thereby increase student comprehension; (ii) actively engage students in computer-based experimentation; and (iii) concentrate student attention on algorithmic thinking and concepts in scientific computation. The modules we develop can be categorized into three types: 1. Computer-aided instruction (CAI), i.e., course material captured on digital media for self-paced viewing, compiled into an interlinked library 2. Virtual experiments that students can interactively control, i.e., computer simulations of processes, phenomena, or concepts that are difficult to create or visualize in the classroom or laboratory 3. Science and engineering problems of a level of sophistication that requires numerical methods to solve