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  • 1.  SCUDEM - SIMIODE Challenge Using Differential Equations Modeling for Student Teams

    Posted 08-23-2021 20:36:00
     SCUDEM - SIMIODE Challenge Using Differential Equations Modeling for Student Teams

    Join us for SCUDEM VI 2021    23 October–14 November 2021

    Early Bird Registration Open Now $10/student through 6 September 2021 and thereafter $20/student.

    SCUDEM - SIMIODE Challenge Using Differential Equations Modeling is a 3-student group modeling challenge that runs over multiple days, culminating in a 10 minute video which is reviewed by at least 3 judges. Last year each team got, on average, 8 judges reports! Teams can assemble themselves or have SIMIODE group them into teams with members and coach from around the world for a great collegial experience. Team submissions will be judged OutstandingMeritorious, or Successful.

    Teams choose one of three Challenge Problems provided in the areas of

    • physics/engineering,
    • chemistry/life sciences,
    • social sciences/humanities,

    develop a model using differential or difference equations, and produce a ten-minute video presentation for judging and awards.

    See Complete Rules for details of the Challenge.

    We need volunteer Coaches and Judges. So please volunteer.

    Watch presentations from SCUDEM V 2020 Outstanding Award recipients at SIMIODE's YouTube playlist. Read the full details about all our past events, including problem statements and results, in our Wiki.

    SCUDEM is administered by SIMIODE, a non-profit Community of Practice focused on a modeling first approach to teaching differential equations. We are in the process of migrating all SIMIODE members and resources fully to QUBES.



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    Brian Winkel
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  • 2.  RE: SCUDEM - SIMIODE Challenge Using Differential Equations Modeling for Student Teams

    Posted 08-24-2021 12:40:00
    Edited by Violeta Kovacev-Nikolic 08-24-2021 12:40:52
    Dear Brian,

    This is amazing; thank you so much for the information!

    I am just starting a new semester, teaching a course in Differential Equations. It would be wonderful to have students get involved in meaningful projects that relate to real-world applications. However, I am not sure if a few weeks of the course would be enough for students to attain enough knowledge to participate in such a competition. Since we all start our semesters around the same time, how do faculty manage to make it happen? Is this something that students do in the semester after taking the course? However, it's probably the instructor who should plan ahead of time and carry out research to guide the students, correct? I used MATLAB in the past, but unfortunately, we do not have such labs at our college. At least one other faculty member at our college also wished to do something more in Differential Equations. Do you know if there are workshops or supporting resources for faculty to engage? It would be fantastic to make something like this possible for students.

    Let me know, please.

    Many thanks,
    Violeta

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    Violeta Kovacev-Nikolic
    Full time faculty
    College of the Canyons
    Santa Clarita CA
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  • 3.  RE: SCUDEM - SIMIODE Challenge Using Differential Equations Modeling for Student Teams

    Posted 08-24-2021 13:04:00

    Great questions - permit me to address them as Director of SIMIODE - SCUDEM in ***'s for all

    I am not sure if a few weeks of the course would be enough for students to attain enough knowledge to participate in such a competition.
    *** We call it a challenge, not a competition:+) ***

    Since we all start our semesters around the same time, how do faculty manage to make it happen?
    ***Best way is to offer it to students as is, by forwarding them the invite or pointing them to QUBES - Group: SCUDEM - SIMIODE Challenge Using Differential Equations Modeling for complete information. Of course, you can offer to coach them, but they can seek a coach to be assigned from other colleagues who volunteer to coach (indeed, you can volunteer to coach a team NOT from your school - great fun!) Check out the previous year's problems and student submissions to see that the level of mathematics is not that far along a course. Indeed, there is nothing like SCUDEM to motivate student learning and many participants have NOT EVEN taken a differential equations course, some from high schools.***

    Is this something that students do in the semester after taking the course?

    *** Students at all levels of their high school and undergraduate development engage as a challenge and a great learning opportunity, often saying this was their best mathematics experience, ever. ***

    However, it's probably the instructor who should plan ahead of time and carry out research to guide the students, correct? 

    *** Often faculty use the project, which occurs later in the fall, 23 Oct – 14 Nov, as a class project, extra credit, or substitute for a course event (say class, HWs, or project). And are never disappointed. Students can always build their own model at a level at which they are comfortable. ***

    I used MATLAB in the past, but unfortunately, we do not have such labs at our college. At least one other faculty member at our college also wished to do something more in Differential Equations.

    *** Often students find their own software, e.g, Excel, SAGE, DESMOS, and go from there. ***

    Do you know if there are workshops or supporting resources for faculty to engage?

    *** As yet we have not conducted workshops for coaching in the 6 times we have offered SCUDEM, but that is a really good idea. We plan a session in our SIMIODE EXPO conference in February 2022. You can see - you can see complete conference sessions – slides and videos  at https://www.simiode.org/simiodexpo2021 . ***

    It would be fantastic to make something like this possible for students.

    *** That is EXACTLYL what students say who have participated – see our SCUDEM videos at SIMIODE's YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHUyzRr_S0TtfikTbxoxEnzQm2KJngKW1 . ***

    Join us along with your students! Thank you.



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    Brian Winkel
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  • 4.  RE: SCUDEM - SIMIODE Challenge Using Differential Equations Modeling for Student Teams

    Posted 08-25-2021 01:23:00
    Thank you so much for the detailed response; I greatly appreciate all the information!...

    With my best regards,
    Violeta

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    Violeta Kovacev-Nikolic
    Full time faculty
    College of the Canyons
    Santa Clarita CA
    ------------------------------