Computational curriculum for MatSE undergraduates and the influence on senior classes

Abstract

Computational materials simulation and modeling has emerged as a cornerstone of materials science research. At the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, our faculty team in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MatSE), as part of the Strategic Instructional Initiatives Program (SIIP) of the university, have integrated comprehensive computational modules into multiple MatSE undergraduate classes and have created a collaborative teaching environment to iteratively improve these modules. Each year, a dedicated teaching assistant has been involved to communicate between faculty members, ensure the quality of the computational modules, assist in their delivery, and offer supplementary computational office hours. After three years of effort, we have now established a stable environment for computational education within MatSE undergraduate classes. The students initially involved in the program are now approaching their senior years. In this paper, we present the recent progress of our computational curriculum and focus on the influence of the program on the performance of students in senior computational modeling classes and senior classes with computational modules.