Click here for Instructions and Grading Rubric
The links below provide reference meterial and additional information on this week's topics
Click here to view the instructions and grading rubric
"Why Model" by Josh Epstein
"ABMs as a bridge between disciplines" by Rob Axelrod
NetLogo Core Constructs: Nick Bennett
Langton's Ant: Nick Bennett
New this week:
Modeling to Contain Epidemics, Joshua Epstein
If Smallpox Strikes Portland... , Chris L. Barrett, Stephen G. Eubank, and James P. Smith
NetLogo background material
Lab Lessons:
Pedagogy talk: Peer Instruction
Click here to download the Assignment write up and rubric.
Reading Assignments
Required:
How to Implement a Peer Instruction-designed CS Principles Course, Beth Simon and Quintin Cutts
Lab Lessons:
Pedagogy talk: Pair Programming
Click here to download the Addendum.
Reading Assignments
Required:
Reinventing the Classroom, Harry Lewis.
CS Concepts and Constructs:
Lab Lessons:
Pedagogy talk: HCIL CS Ed talk *Optional
Click here to download the Assignment write up and rubric.
Lab Lessons:
Click here to download the Assignment write up and rubric.
Guest Lectures:
CS Concepts and Constructs:
Pedagogy:
Reading Assignments:
Blown to Bits - Appendix A: The Internet as System and Spirit.
Blown to Bits - Chapter 1: Digital Explosion / Why Is It Happening and What Is At Stake?
Assignment #1:
After viewing the CS Unplugged videos, take a look at the lesson plan developed by Barbara Ericson at http://cs10kcommunity.org/resources/lesson-plan-introducing-binary-numbers. Contribute to the week 10 discussion forum on the pros and cons of teaching binary numbers in an introductory level CS course.
Assigment #2:
Download a free copy of the book "Blown to Bits" from bitsbook.com. After reading Chapter 1 and the Appendix of "Blown to Bits", contribute to the week 10 discussion forum on the implications of "Nothing Goes Away" and the discussion forum on "The Internet as a Complex System".
Assignment #3: (for CS590 course takers)
On the CS10K site, start a personal blog page for writing about your project. Title the blog with your first and last names followed by "Final Project Blog" so, for instance, Jane Doe's would be called "Jane Doe's Final Project Blog". Copy and paste the contents of the file attached below called "CS590_Proposal_and_Report_Template.doc" into your blog as a starting point. Complete the section titled "Proposal" with your idea for your final project. Your final project will be expected to be at the level of a competitive Supercomputing Challenge project.
- For more information about Challenge projects and final reports please see http://challenge.nm.org/finalreports/specs.shtml .
- Proposal guidelines are available here: http://challenge.nm.org/proposals/proposal_guidelines.shtml
In the week 3 discussion of "Aligning modeling and simulation with students' interests, many good ideas for models were suggested. If you need an idea for a model, I'd recommend reviewing that discussion thread. If you need advice, I'd suggest contacting your regional facilitator(s) for ideas.
Guest Lectures:
CS Concepts and Constructs:
Reading Assignments
Blown to Bits - Chapter 2 Naked in the Sunlight / Privacy Lost, Privacy Abandoned.
CS Unplugged - Image representation (Bitmap) lessons http://csunplugged.org/image-representation
Assignment #1:
Comment on the Abstract section of the Final Project Blogs of three fellow classmates. In particular, give advice on the following:
1) Is the scope of the project doable in the time frame remaining (roughly 1 month)? If it does not seem feasible to complete, how could the problem be simplified or decreased in scope?
2) Is this problem reasonable to solve using a computational model?
3) Is this a suitable problem to model in NetLogo? (rather than some other method, like Excel)
4) Is it a complex systems project?
Assignment #2:
After reading Chapter 2 of "Blown to Bits", contribute to the week 11 discussion forums on privacy.
Assignment #3 (for CS590 course takers)
In your final project blog "Methods and Materials" sectoin write up the description of the agents and their behaviors (in text rather than in code) in your model.
CS Concepts and Constructs:
Guest Lectures:
Reading Assignments
Blown to Bits - Chapter 3: Ghosts in the Machine / Secrets and Surprises of Electronic Documents.
File Formats: Learn about two common file formats for still and moving images.
JPEG - "Jpeg it" http://www.cs4fn.org/films/jpegit.php
MPEG - "Mpeg it" http://www.cs4fn.org/films/mpegit.php
Assignment #1:
After reading Chapter 3 of "Blown to Bits", contribute to the week 12 discussion forums on privacy.
Assignment #2 (for CS590 course takers)
In your final project blog "Methods and Materials" section write up the description of the question you hope to answer with your model, and your experimental design.
Guest Lectures:
CS Concepts and Constructs:
Pedagogy:
Reading Assignments
Blown to Bits - Chapter 4: Needles in the Haystack / Google and other brokers in the Bits Bazaar
Assignment #1:
After reading Chapter 4: Needles in the Haystack / Google and other brokers in the Bits Bazaar, contribute to the week 13 discussion forums on the CS10K site.
Assignment #2 (for CS590 course takers)
At this point you should be well into the development on your final project, if you've been writing the code each week and submitting the description. This week we are asking you to submit "interim" reports with your project code in its current state attached to your blog (comment on your own blog to attach a file). Please indicate areas where you need assistance.
CS Concepts and Constructs:
Pedagogy:
Project Work:
Reading Assignments:
Blown to Bits - Chapter 5: Secret Bits / How Codes Became Unbreakable
Assignments
Review the CS Principles Framework.
The CS Principles framework was developed by the College Board in association with the National Science Foundation and other groups. It consists of the topics and learning objectives that guide the development of CS Principle's courses such as CS390/590. You will note that in CS390/590 we covered many of the topics in the context of modeling and simulation.
Study for the final exam:
General topics Study guide available here.
Programming specific Study guide available here.
Project Work:
At this point you should have completed the implementation of your model and have conducted experiments using your model as a test bed. After collecting and analyzing the data generated by your model, your next and final task is to write up your conclusions. Final projects (both project and report) are to be uploaded as attachments to your blog page.
Here's an example of a journal paper describing an agent based model and experimentation with that model. Note the level of detail used in describing all aspects of the model. This is something to aspire to.