2024 OOI Data Labs Design Workshop

Chauncey Conference Center, Princeton, NJ
October 17-20, 2024

At this workshop, participants will help design and develop several new “next level” NSF OOI-based data activities, as part of the Data Labs 2.0 project. This will include

  1. revising and developing new chapters to our open source online OOI Data Labs Manual, which includes a number of activities that can incorporate NSF OOI datasets into a typical Introduction to Oceanography course, and
  2. the development of a new set of Jupyter-based notebook activities that can guide upper-level undergraduate students in exploring oceanographic concepts using NSF OOI data.  

Much like the existing OOI Data Labs manual, we hope these new code-based activities can be used to help build students’ data literacy skills in upper-level oceanography courses (or even early grad).  Thus, we envision a collection of activities that introduce students to accessing and visualizing OOI datasets in a notebook environment.  We hope these activities focus less on “teaching how to code” (though obviously some skill in code reading will be required), than on guiding students in interpreting the visualizations they create.

Workshop Goals

During the workshop, participants will:

  1. Review OOI Data Lab Manual pedagogy, design, structure and scaffolding.
  2. Design 2-3 new Lab Manual chapters and update selected existing Lab Manual activities based on community needs assessment feedback.
  3. Outline a framework and target audience for classroom activities using Python notebooks to access OOI data.
  4. Develop a collection of Python-based data analysis activities appropriate for novice programmers.
  5. Ensure that activities and data widgets are properly scaffolded to be accessible to instructors and students from a variety of backgrounds

Workshop Resources

Workshop References

Here are a few examples of GeoEd python resources already out there.  Most of these are for full-on graduate courses, or they are designed more as references.  So we will need to find a niche that is far simpler and more appropriate for undergrads.  (This is the gap I’m hoping we can fill in.)  When reviewing these, consider also the design of the activities, and how they balance the format, content and code.

Probably less relevant…

  • Project Pythia: Python Foundations Book is a great intro to basic Python and programming.  The chapter for Cartopy is excellent (though not trivial).
  • Project Pythia: Advanced Viz Cookbook includes a comparison of 10 python visualization packages.
  • ARGO Online School is a good intro to using Python for ARGO datasets. Limited use of argopy though.

The following projects include templates, rubrics, and guidance on developing data-rich activities, though not ones that use coding. (If you know of any, please let us know!)

  • The PRIMM framework for teaching coding.  Sentance, S., J. Waite, and M. Kallia (2019), Teachers’ experiences of using PRIMM to teach programming in school, SIGCSE 2019 – Proc. 50th ACM Tech. Symp. Comput. Sci. Educ., 476–482, doi:10.1145/3287324.3287477.
  • Paired programming
  • The Carpentries Pedagogical Model
  • Any others?

A few notebooks I’ve put together that we can hopefully build off of.  But we need help figuring out how to translate these effectively for your students.

Other references on using math / coding / notebooks in undergrad education

  • The Math You Need, When You Need It – Math tutorials for students majoring in Earth Science.
  • Campbell, E. C., K. M. Christensen, M. Nuwer, A. Ahuja, O. Boram, R. Miller, J. Liu, I. Osuna, and S. C. Riser (2024), Cracking the code: An evidence-based approach to teaching Python in an undergraduate earth science setting, Earth Sp. Sci. Open Arch., 0(0), 1–20, doi:10.22541/essoar.168839439.99576639/v2.
  • Timms, G. P., and J. R. Guyon (2022), From Zero to Python in 10.5 Hours: Building Foundational Programming Skills with Marine Biology Graduate Students and Researchers in an Introductory Workshop Series, Sci. Technol. Libr., 00(00), 1–20, doi:10.1080/0194262X.2022.2116143.
  • Rowe, P. M. et al. (2021), Integrating polar research into undergraduate curricula using computational guided inquiry, J. Geosci. Educ., 69(2), 178–191, doi:10.1080/10899995.2020.1768004.

Dimensions to Consider

Finally, please think about the following items you’d like to see included.  We’ll definitely spend a good bit of time brainstorming these to prioritize the activities we’d most like to develop.

Participants

  • Claire Condie, Middlesex County College
  • Jean Anastasia, Suffolk CC
  • Jacqui Degan,  Cape Fear Community College
  • Elizabeth Harvey, University of New Hampshire
  • Tom Connolly, Moss Landing Marine Lab
  • Tracy Quan, Oklahoma State
  • Chris Russoniello, University of Rhode Island
  • Rebecca Freeman, University of Kentucky
  • Natasha Gownaris, Gettysburg College
  • Angelos Hannides, Coastal Carolina University
  • Julie Cisneros, Palm Beach State University
  • Lisa Hall, Virginia Peninsula Community College
  • Mikelle Nuwer, University of Washington
  • Eatai Roth, Gettysburg College
  • Meg Blome, East Carolina University
  • Amanda Kaltenberg, Savannah State
  • Haley Cabaniss, College of Charleston
  • Kathy Qi, University of Washington
  • Atticus Carter, University of Washington

Guests

  • Stace Beaulieu, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
  • Jessica Monahan, Princeton University

Facilitators

  • Janice McDonnell, Rutgers University – New Brunswick (Project Lead)
  • Denise Bristol, Hillsborough Community College
  • Sage Lichtenwalner, Rutgers University – New Brunswick
  • Anna Pfeiffer-Herbert, Stockton University
  • Dax Soule, Queens College CUNY
  • Mitaali Taskar, Rutgers University – New Brunswick (Project Coordinator)

Please contact mcdonnel@marine.rutgers.edu with any questions.