Visualization for mathematics, science, and technology education

Discussion: 1 session / week, 2 hours / session

Lab: 1 session / week, 3 hours / session

There are no prerequisites for this course. Limited to 18 students.

This class will introduce principles and techniques for visual communication and will provide opportunities for science and engineering majors to acquire practical skills in the visual computer arts in a studio environment. Through weekly class activities and three creative projects, students will learn how to create graphics for print and web, animations, and interactive media, and how to use such visualizations to effectively represent scientific and engineering concepts for teaching and learning. The weekly class discussions initially will focus on assigned readings and media, so that students build understanding of how the human brain processes visual information, how artists create effective images, and how scientists and engineers might use visualizations to communicate concepts in their field to diverse audiences. As students begin working on hands-on creative projects in print graphics, animation, and interactive media, the discussions will evolve toward presenting work in progress in class, listening to and accepting feedback, and providing constructive critique to peers. At the end of the semester, the class will prepare a public presentation of the completed projects.To develop the skills needed for graded projects, students are expected to come prepared, by reading assigned articles and watching assigned media prior to class sessions, and to participate in class activities. Weekly homework assignments and class activities and discussion will not be graded individually, since their purpose is experimentation and practice of new skills and tools; however, an overall grade will be given for class participation and project management throughout the semester.

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