Module 2 - Gathering Data

This folder contains Live Scripts to introduce students to data gathering and plotting in the MATLAB IDE.

Module 2 consists of six lectures which are best to do in the recommended sequence as the goal is to gentely introduce students to MATLAB, Excel, and linear mathematical modeling.

6. Lecture 6: Gathering Data from Websites and Plotting

7. Lecture 7: SWOT Analysis - Identity Activity (KEEN Card)

8. Lecture 8: DSIREUSA.org data plotted in MATLAB (live script)

9. Lecture 9: Pangram activity (live script)

10. Lecture 10: Custom Function (live script) / Learning and Teaching Styles - Indentity Activity

11. Lecture 11: Control Flow Commands (live script)

The first-year engineering program at Hofstra University consists of a computer programming for engineers’ course, and a two-semester sequence of engineering design. Before the fall of 2018, the computer programming for engineers’ course covered algorithms, logic, flowcharting and programming of solutions to engineering problems through the MATLAB® integrated development environment (IDE) [1]. A redesign of the course began in the Fall of 2018 [2] to add Excel and math instruction. Existing hands-on activities were repurposed [3] to serve as and form the foundation of this new, activity centric model learning approach. This is different from incorporating lab experiments as had been done previously [4] in that the activities are designed to be gentler and friendlier for first-year students as well as more easily portable. As students engage in the activity to collect data, they develop collaboration and cooperation skills with their classmates; building a learning support group to help them on their academic journey. The data from the activity is then used to build Excel, math, and MATLAB® skills through more, active learning assignments completed in class. The pedagogy has been created for both first-year engineering students at the university and high school juniors and seniors engaged in the engineering department’s Pathways to Engineering outreach program at four local high schools.

This courseware has been developed by Lynn Albers, PhD at Hofstra University in collaboration with MathWorks.

Course Activites

The course is designed into 5 modules. This is module 2.

2) Gathering Data - where students are introduced to programming through data classes and scripting activities with 9 livescripts with accompanying PowerPoint lectures:

• Module2-1-DataClassesPart1-ImaginaryNumbers - Introducing imaginary numbers and how to plot complex numbers with an activity from the Plot Complex Numbers documentation and useful functions for complex numbers.
• Module2-2-DataClassesPart2-NumbersLetters - Exploring Double and Logical numerical data classes, and how to store text in variables using an adaptation of the Text in String and Character Arrays documentation, with tasks to reinforce the data classes.
• Module2-3-DataClassesPart3-Arrays - Looking into aggregating containers through different MATLAB arrays, with exercises from the Array Indexing documentation, Find Array Elements That Meet a Condition documentation, Access Data in Cell Array documentation and Structure Arrays documentation, with tasks to reinforce the data classes, and two activities.
• Module2-4-DataClassesExtra-HexBinary - A copy of the MathWorks Documentation on Hexadecimal and Binary Values for an introduction into hardware registers, with tasks to reinforce the data classes.
• Module2-5-TransferringDataFromExcel - This exercise leads students through importing data from an Excel file, summarizing data and extracting data using dot indexing, and plotting data.
• Module2-6-PangramActivity - Activities for indexing a matrix, displaying data, inputting data, culminating in a Pangram Activity, where students index a panagram to interact with user input.
• Module2-7-PreClassroomQuiz-OutputExercise - a short interactive live script quiz to establish the difference between output and storing a variable in memory.
• Module2-8-CustomFunctions - This exercise walks students through making a custom function, how to call custom functions, function scripts and global variables vs. local variables.
• Module2-9-ControlFlowandLogicalExpressions - This exercise walks the students through conditional execution and logical expressions, with an activity for conditional execution, before delving into loops and ending with the Bubblesort Activity.

Suggested homework for this module includes the following trainings from the Self-Paced Online Courses: MATLAB Desktop Tools and Troubleshooting Scripts + Tables + Find and Extract Subsets of Data + Programming Constructs + The How and Why of Writing Functions.