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Integrating programming-based modules into a materials characterization laboratory course to reinforce data science and scientific writing

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Conference

2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Baltimore , Maryland

Publication Date

June 25, 2023

Start Date

June 25, 2023

End Date

June 28, 2023

Conference Session

Materials Division (MATS) Technical Session 1

Tagged Division

Materials Division (MATS)

Page Count

16

DOI

10.18260/1-2--43972

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/43972

Download Count

206

Paper Authors

biography

Enze Chen University of California, Berkeley Orcid 16x16 orcid.org/0000-0002-7621-115X

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Enze is a PhD Candidate in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley co-advised by Prof. Mark Asta and Dr. Timofey Frolov. His research uses high-throughput atomistic simulations to study planar defects in structural alloys, including nickel-based superalloys and α-titanium alloys. In addition to materials research, Enze is passionate about teaching and mentoring, with a particular interest in how computational tools can enrich the MSE curriculum and expand access to this field for diverse populations. He is a recipient of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and the UC Berkeley Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award.

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biography

Mark Asta University of California, Berkeley

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Mark Asta is a Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Executive Associate Dean of Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. His research is in the area of computational materials science, and data-driven accelerated discovery and design of materials for applications in the context of decarbonizing energy conversion and use. Professor Asta's teaching has included efforts to incorporate computational methods and integrated computational materials engineering concepts and tools into core courses in materials science and education.

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biography

Andrew Minor University of California, Berkeley and Larwrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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Andrew Murphy Minor is a Professor at the University of California, Berkeley in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and also holds a joint appointment at the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory where he is the Facility Director of the National Center for Electron Microscopy in the Molecular Foundry. He has over 260 publications in the fields of nanomechanics, metallurgy, electron characterization of soft matter and in situ transmission electron microscopy technique development. Minor’s honors include the LBL Materials Science Division Outstanding Performance Award (2006 & 2010), the AIME Robert Lansing Hardy Award from TMS (2012) and the Burton Medal from the Microscopy Society of America (2015). In 2023 he served as President of the Microscopy Society of America.

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Abstract

The interdisciplinary nature of materials science and engineering (MSE) asks undergraduate majors in MSE to develop materials science domain knowledge and complementary skills such as data science (DS) and scientific writing (SW). With little room to pack additional courses into MSE curricula, better integration of these transferable skills into existing courses will help train our students to succeed in the modern workforce. This Work in Progress details the development of a series of programming-based modules to complement the data analysis in a materials characterization laboratory course. We use the Jupyter Book software to design a scaffolded series of Python-based exercises that focus primarily on data visualization, with additional exercises on tabular data analysis, curve fitting, and image processing. We administer pre- and post-course surveys to assess the impact of these modules on student learning and measure changes in student perception of the importance of these skills in MSE.

Chen, E., & Asta, M., & Minor, A. (2023, June), Integrating programming-based modules into a materials characterization laboratory course to reinforce data science and scientific writing Paper presented at 2023 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Baltimore , Maryland. 10.18260/1-2--43972

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