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Killer Lab: Flow Simulation and Lead Poisoning Study. James Heliotis, Computer Science Carl Lutzer, Mathematics Rochester Institute of Technology. RIT’s Organization. Quarter System Mandatory co-op Shared 1st-year curriculum in computing: Computer Science Computer Engineering
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Killer Lab:Flow Simulation andLead Poisoning Study James Heliotis, Computer Science Carl Lutzer, Mathematics Rochester Institute of Technology
RIT’s Organization • Quarter System • Mandatory co-op • Shared 1st-year curriculum in computing: • Computer Science • Computer Engineering • Software Engineering Killer Examples Workshop
Our Introductory Course Curriculum: Year 1 • CS1: Computing/Programming intro • CS2: "Engineering": inheritance, library use, GUI, threads, networking, design patterns • CS3: "Computer Science": recursion, time complexity, data structures, design patterns Killer Examples Workshop
Our Introductory Course Curriculum: Year 2 • CS4: UML, Design, C++, Team projects • SE1: Development Methodology / Process, Larger Project, design patterns Killer Examples Workshop
Learning Communities • Pilot program at RIT 2004-05 • Small (~20) group of students stick together as a group for several of their courses. • Our L.C.: • Writing/Lit.(2Q), Calculus(3Q), CS(3Q), • First Year Enrichment(2Q) Killer Examples Workshop
Our LC • Not a lot of shared curriculum! • Coordinated by: • Ensuring multiple tests did not occur on the same date • Discussing issues with particular students Killer Examples Workshop
Things We Did Together • All profs attended showing of movie to be discussed in literature course. • Math prof donated initial chapters of fiction novel in progress to be critiqued. • CS prof participated in writing an ode to his computer along with his students. • Shared project in math and CS courses… Killer Examples Workshop
Calculus Project • …One of the principle questions in the community at large is whether people can recover from prolonged exposure to toxic elements. This will be quite impossible unless the body is able to fully flush the toxin from the system. • Suppose a community is exposed to high quantities of lead. The lead is absorbed into the body at a rate of 49.3 micrograms per day and is transported to bones, tissues and organs via the blood. • …lead is transferred between blood, bone and tissue at a rate that is proportional to the amount present. Killer Examples Workshop
Given Transfer Rates Killer Examples Workshop
The Problem Domain • Flow of material through conduits into and out of reservoirs Blood renal system ingestion Tissues Bone sweat glands Killer Examples Workshop
The Analysis Pattern • A network of nodes • A node represents a reservoir of material. • Each edge is a conduit; its weight is the kij transfer rate. • Nodes come in three variations: • input • internal • output Killer Examples Workshop
How the Project is Structured • Students are assigned the project in their Calculus class and begin to solve it. • Students are assigned a graph implementation lab in CS. • Students are assigned the "blood" project in CS. Killer Examples Workshop
What It Teaches • Reinforces graph theory. • Graph implementation trade-offs. • Graph traversal algorithms. • Analysis pattern: Conduits & Reservoirs • The Two-Phase Discrete Simulation design pattern: a specialized application of the Template Method Killer Examples Workshop
2-Phase Discrete Simulation • For each node n in the graph, do: • Compute n's new value based on edges' and neighboring nodes' values. • Store n's new value in a temporary area. • For each node n in the graph, do: • Reveal the new value of n as the true value of n. Killer Examples Workshop
Advantages of a Collaborative Project • Students get more exposure to the problem. • better comprehension • better discussions • Learn connection between mathematics and computer science, and the differences in approaches. • "Answers" from one project can be checked against those from the other. Killer Examples Workshop
Advantages of a Project in an Application Area • Students can relate abstract CS ideas to real-world problems. • Students learn the challenge in designing the API for a graph class. • Operations needed are heavily dependent on application. • Needed operations must be made efficient. Killer Examples Workshop
Possible Additions • Add a follow up to that uses the same template method for a different purpose, e.g. • digital circuit simulation • neural network • … Killer Examples Workshop
More Specific Ideas • The Geneva NY Splash Park Incident • Directed-Graph Epidemiological Models of Computer Viruses • J. Kephart, S. White, IBM TJWRC • Modeling Functions for Evaluation and Differentiation • Just polynomials • General functions w/ inheritance, genericity • Composite pattern Killer Examples Workshop
Where to find it • http://www.cs.rit.edu/~vcss233/Projects/newproj02/writeup.html • My email: jeh@cs.rit.edu cvlsma@rit.edu Killer Examples Workshop