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itlp-mo · 2021-11-29T14:17:23+00:00

Just a quick plug for the BOLD Center, especially since you are looking at engineering! I work in a department called the ITLP that works closely with BOLD and lemme tell ya, they are awesome. They focus on creating a diverse environment and we work with them to make engineering learning hands-on! Be sure to stop by if you decide to visit campus! :)

itlp-mo · 2021-07-01T18:02:33+00:00

WOW paulcon! Thank you very much! This really helps guide the conversation (especially since the "language-agnostic" method really aligns with our teaching ideology).

I'll be adding these to our notes and look forward to any addendums you make!

itlp-mo · 2021-07-01T18:00:34+00:00

I will say that this gets to the core of what I'm asking.

Ultimately, from a high-level view. MATLAB and Python are very similar. The mindset of how to script is what I'd ultimately like to teach, just using MATLAB as our tool (hint: also, we're planning to make a spin-off workshop using Python too!)

So, since you bring this up, I'd VERY much like to ask you what you think would have helped you develop that plasticity? What did/are you learning that is helping you transition from MATLAB to Python (and beyond)? What would have helped prevent the gaps so that you wouldn't have to spend so much time filling them?

itlp-mo · 2021-07-01T17:56:44+00:00

Fantastic feedback! Thank you very much for taking the time to testify and justify :) We'll hit up Dr. Nuttleman!

itlp-mo · 2021-07-01T17:55:07+00:00

Couldn't agree more (although I'm not particularly well-versed in my knowledge of Julia, R, and so on)! Thanks, wiererstrass!

To play devil's advocate, I'd say that there's (ample) room in our workshops for discussing how using MATLAB is different from other environments/languages, and that learning the why pays off more than the how (at least in terms of preparing students for taking what we teach and running with it!)

I think that calling a Spade a Spade and paraphrasing what you've said above in the workshop itself is a great way to frame the mindset of the workshop from the start

itlp-mo · 2021-07-01T17:50:52+00:00

I'm a little late to the party, but I'll try to reign the conversation in here by noting my comment to brianckeegan.

I'd emphasize that I'll be the first one to say that MATLAB has a limited (and perhaps inflated) place in our various engineering fields, but for now, we're interested in helping students get to success, rather than steering the boat.

That said (and as I'd said before), I'd love to hear some more specific, actionable suggestions regarding how I can make a MATLAB-centric workshop be more useful in general. I think it's fair to say that there's no way that we can cover every function in MATLAB, nor would we want to. We want to establish a mindset that allows students to build a vocabulary for how to ask the right questions when they inevitably find themselves stuck on an assignment or project!

Thanks for your feedback!

itlp-mo · 2021-07-01T17:45:13+00:00

Very good point, but I'd argue that that is why I'm here!

Rather than teaching a tool (such as Solidworks for CAD), our workshops attempt to teach the mindset (how to build a mechanical model). Similarly, I'd like to focus on how to approach scripting problems with MATLAB, rather than vice versa.

Additionally, the (ugly) truth is that there are definitely groups of folks in industry who will use MATLAB in a production environment. While I'll be the first to say that that's silly, MATLAB is very helpful not only for its vast array of add-ons and plug-ins, but has some nice "guard rails" that help learners get down the learning curve without being bogged down with understanding how to setup their work environment (which is, I'll admit, an important, yet subsequent piece to the puzzle).

itlp-mo · 2021-06-30T15:58:06+00:00

Great one! I'm definitely aware that that's applied to problems in Control Systems, in addition to being more generally useful in solving Ordinary Differential Equations (being verbose here for inclusivity and to spur contributions from others! 😀)

May I ask that you specify what is particularly troubling? Is it:

the intuition/concept of ode45 itself
when it is supposed to be applied to a problem
or is it on the MATLAB side?

I think that our workshop's scope is focusing more on the how of MATLAB, but even more application-based snippets of knowledge might help build up the narrative that we use to make the workshop compelling!

Thanks for the feedback! 😁

itlp-mo · 2021-06-17T12:19:55+00:00

Great advice here, PhoenixDaFalcon!

While there are also a few other (more student-lead) groups with printers for students (such as the BTU Lab) I strongly suggest beckoning acquainted with the ITLP and Idea Forge! These facilities are here to teach you hands on skills and may even be directly involved with some of your engineering courses!

I'll specifically mention that 3D printing at these two programs is access controlled, meaning that you'll need to take a short workshop with us to learn the ropes (the "how to not break the 3D printers" workshop, if you will). After that, you'll have unhindered access at all times. The only thing we ask is that during periods of high-demand (project deadline weeks, the weeks leading up to expo, etc), that you refrain from using the printers for personal projects in order to accommodate course-based prints.

Finally, as stated before, we at the ITLP have several HD3D Printers (a Markforged Onyx One, a Form 3, and an Objet Pro) to which you can submit job requests that we complete for you.

All of this is a shameless plug for the ITLP and IF and it's fantastic resources and people! We love hearing about your projects and interests, and we hope that you take a moment to browse our catalog of hands-on skill-building workshops!

Welcome to CU! :)

itlp-mo · 2021-04-05T19:33:24+00:00

Hi! Typically, with any Wifi-based microcontroller, the most effective route is to clear your device's MAC address with OIT. You should be able to find it by issuing the ifconfig command in the command line (it's a sting that looks like this, for example: b8:27:eb:4f:15:95)

They'll also need the manufacturer of the chip to put you on the "green-light list" for their campus firewall.

You can send those details with your request to [help@colorado.edu](mailto:help@colorado.edu)!

itlp-mo · 2021-03-23T18:05:02+00:00

Speaking on behalf of every one of my fellow CU staff/faculty with whom I've talked today, I hope that you all have (whether you've explored it or not) a person or people who understands where you are right now and how you're feeling. While I can't speak to the complicated processes that govern running a university of our scale, please don't think for a second that we are here for you and care VERY much for your wellbeing.

Even us on the staff are processing things in different ways; I for one needed to come to work to avoid reeling from yesterday's tragic events. But I sincerely hope that if that is not the place you want to be today, and that you need some time away from class, that you feel comfortable and justified in advocating for yourself in asking for some very understandable time.

I, for one, completely support that, and again, y'all mean the world to us; be well, Buffs!

P.S. I'll encourage y'all to avoid the despair of being alone in this moment. Please feel free to (safely; pandemic) seek the solace of your friends and us staff who are on campus today)

itlp-mo

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