Microsoft Research Faculty Summit 2007

Devika Subramian, Rice Mike Buckley, Univ of Buffalo John Nordlinger, Microsoft Research Using social relevance to enhance CS

Devika Subramian, Rice

Mike Buckley, Univ of Buffalo

John Nordlinger, Microsoft Research

Agenda: Social Relevance Computer Science (CS) Problem: Declining enrollment of CS Opportunity: Make better CS better with socially relevant themes. . What is being done and what is available? Mike Buckley, Univ of Buffalo Devika Subramian, Rice.

Problem: Declining enrollment of CS

Opportunity: Make better CS better with socially relevant themes. .

What is being done and what is available?

Mike Buckley, Univ of Buffalo

Devika Subramian, Rice.

U.S. Gov (finally) takes notice Emergence of Asia as major locus of technical expertise concerns U.S. policymakers. For instance, China produces 4x as many engineers as the U.S. Merrilea Mayo, National Academy of Science

Emergence of Asia as major locus of technical expertise concerns U.S. policymakers.

For instance, China produces 4x as many engineers as the U.S.

Merrilea Mayo, National Academy of Science

S&E Ph.D.’s at U.S. Universities Only About 30% US Citizens . . . and Flat Merrilea Mayo, National Academy of Science National Science Board. 2006. Science and Engineering Indicators 2006. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation. Appendix Table 2-32. 2004-5 Data from NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates. all U.S. Citizen

U.S. Computer Science Ph.D.’s Merrilea Mayo, National Academy of Science Permanent Resident Unknown Citizenship U.S. Citizen Temporary Resident National Science Board. 2006. Science and Engineering Indicators 2006. Arlington, VA: National Science Foundation. Appendix Table 2-32. Data for 2004-5 from NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates.

Asian S&E PhD’s at Asian Universities Climbing Rapidly Merrilea Mayo, National Academy of Science National Science Board. 2006. Science and Engineering Indicators 2006. Appendix Table 2-43. Year South Korea 0 1000 2000 3000 4000 5000 6000 7000 8000 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 Natural Science & Engineering PhD's China India Taiwan

US grew by 2% (69% of population) China and Russia grew by 20% (10% of C population) (17 % of R population) China to overtake US within the year. S. Korea (70% of population) Africa gets left behind

Brazil overtakes UK and Korea to make top six China will soon boast more internet users … …but usage patterns are different… China is now 210M 16% of pop Economist, Feb 2 nd .

Socially relevant Isn’t everything?

Isn’t everything?

Socially relevant –top down What problems are affecting society – from the students perspective? Global warming, environment How are students influenced? http://www.digg.com/ Movies and TV- especially The Daily Show Not Newspapers, not slashdot Some radio – talk, including NPR.

What problems are affecting society – from the students perspective?

Global warming, environment

How are students influenced?

http://www.digg.com/

Movies and TV- especially The Daily Show

Not Newspapers, not slashdot

Some radio – talk, including NPR.

Socially relevant - bottom up What is most relevant to students and how can we make computers and programming more compelling to them. MP3 music file management, MySpace, facebook, enhancements, shopping bots for best price, accessibility, tools for personal finance or health, and so on. Building community and relationships.

What is most relevant to students and how can we make computers and programming more compelling to them.

MP3 music file management, MySpace, facebook, enhancements, shopping bots for best price, accessibility, tools for personal finance or health, and so on.

Building community and relationships.

Why include social relevance as part of a traditional CS curriculum? Students get EXCITED! Reach more diverse set of students. Hands on/practical approach to using computer science solve real problems. An ability to scale degree of difficulty over time A chance to make kids feel better about their role in society and CS’s role in the world.

Students get EXCITED! Reach more diverse set of students.

Hands on/practical approach to using computer science solve real problems.

An ability to scale degree of difficulty over time

A chance to make kids feel better about their role in society and CS’s role in the world.

Two pioneers Devika Subramian, Rice Mike Buckley, Univ of Buffalo

Devika Subramian, Rice

Mike Buckley, Univ of Buffalo

Socially Relevant Computing Devika Subramanian Professor of Computer Science Rice University

Where have all the freshmen gone? To other branches of engineering and science …… Why? Believe CS curriculum to be narrow (CS = programming) Computing for its own sake is unappealing Foresee Dilbertian futures as programmer cogs Perceive other fields (especially BioE and EE) as having greater opportunities, and as empowering them with concepts and tools to solve important problems in the real world. Can always hire/work with a CS grad to “program” their creative ideas. CS perceived as a “support function/overhead” not a “main line/value-generating function” in most of the business world.

To other branches of engineering and science ……

Why?

Believe CS curriculum to be narrow (CS = programming)

Computing for its own sake is unappealing

Foresee Dilbertian futures as programmer cogs

Perceive other fields (especially BioE and EE) as having greater opportunities, and as empowering them with concepts and tools to solve important problems in the real world.

Can always hire/work with a CS grad to “program” their creative ideas.

CS perceived as a “support function/overhead” not a “main line/value-generating function” in most of the business world.

The price of success Ubiquity of computers and computation in our daily lives has made it less interesting as an object of study. The action has shifted to the next innovative USE of computation and our current curricular structure does not prepare students for recognizing and leveraging these opportunities. Memorizing +/-/*/% tables vs solving Larry and Moe weigh 170 pounds together. Moe and Curly weigh 150 pounds together. What is the weight difference between Larry and Curly? We have, for the most part, let outsiders define who we are …. Fortunately, this is changing.

Ubiquity of computers and computation in our daily lives has made it less interesting as an object of study.

The action has shifted to the next innovative USE of computation and our current curricular structure does not prepare students for recognizing and leveraging these opportunities.

Memorizing +/-/*/% tables vs solving

Larry and Moe weigh 170 pounds together. Moe and Curly weigh 150 pounds together. What is the weight difference between Larry and Curly?

We have, for the most part, let outsiders define who we are ….

Fortunately, this is changing.

What Computer Science really is… The place where a small group of people can still make revolutionary advances in all areas of society. Microsoft which made computers accessible to the masses started only 25 years ago (1981) Google which made information accessible to the masses less than 10 years ago (1998) More than half the top 10 discoveries in 2006 in Science enabled by computation . The home of an amazing number of transformative ideas and technologies (Wikipedia, Facebook , eBay ) The primary technological enabler for solving real-world problems; creating needs and meeting them!

The place where a small group of people can still make revolutionary advances in all areas of society.

Microsoft which made computers accessible to the masses started only 25 years ago (1981)

Google which made information accessible to the masses less than 10 years ago (1998)

More than half the top 10 discoveries in 2006 in Science enabled by computation .

The home of an amazing number of transformative ideas and technologies (Wikipedia, Facebook , eBay )

The primary technological enabler for solving real-world problems; creating needs and meeting them!

So, what is socially relevant computing? It is computing …… for a cause, for a purpose. Can we evacuate Houston in 72 hours? Can we predict the efficacy of a cancer drug for patients by using their genomic and proteomic profiles? that meets a need in some context. How can computation help me organize my music, my thoughts? Embeds the study of computer science in the context of problems of relevance to society and to students .

It is computing ……

for a cause, for a purpose.

Can we evacuate Houston in 72 hours?

Can we predict the efficacy of a cancer drug for patients by using their genomic and proteomic profiles?

that meets a need in some context.

How can computation help me organize my music, my thoughts?

Embeds the study of computer science in the context of problems of relevance to society and to students .

Examples of courses in a socially relevant curriculum The Swarthmore/GATech CS1 robotics course, 6.01 at MIT, CS3xx level courses based on gaming, GATech CS1/CS2 multimedia course. Embeds computation in the context of designing autonomous robots, gaming, multimedia.

The Swarthmore/GATech CS1 robotics course, 6.01 at MIT, CS3xx level courses based on gaming, GATech CS1/CS2 multimedia course.

Embeds computation in the context of designing autonomous robots, gaming, multimedia.

Courses that tie computer science to real world needs There is plenty of room for innovation in courses that tie CS to the real world. New CS1/CS2 course at Rice to be offered in Fall 2007 in conjunction with Civil & Environmental Engineering and Political Science, with support from the City of Houston, to build computational tools for planning city’s response to major hurricanes. Amazing examples from Mike Buckley at Buffalo and their incorporation in courses from freshman/sophomore to junior/senior.

There is plenty of room for innovation in courses that tie CS to the real world.

New CS1/CS2 course at Rice to be offered in Fall 2007 in conjunction with Civil & Environmental Engineering and Political Science, with support from the City of Houston, to build computational tools for planning city’s response to major hurricanes.

Amazing examples from Mike Buckley at Buffalo and their incorporation in courses from freshman/sophomore to junior/senior.

Planning emergency responses SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE SAFE UNSAFE UNSAFE UNSAFE UNSAFE UNSAFE UNSAFE Restricted Restricted Restricted - Avoids unnecessary evacuation - Promotes safety with evaluation tags - Encourages intra - city sheltering - Provides refined debris - induced damage estimates - Offers flexibility of data aggregation - Accounts for geospatial variability ( Chakraborty et al. 2005) - Requires large - scale evacuation - Relies on inter - city sheltering - Provides coarse debris - induced damage estimates - Aggregates data at the census tract level only (a) (b)

Gathering performance data 256 channel EEG recording

The coherence function Coherence provides the means to measure synchronous activity between two brain areas A function that calculates the normalized cross-power spectrum, a measure of similarity of signal in the frequency domain

Coherence provides the means to measure synchronous activity between two brain areas

A function that calculates the normalized cross-power spectrum, a measure of similarity of signal in the frequency domain

Fusing EEG and visual-motor data EEG Data Artifact Removal Coherence computation Visualization Mechanism Performance Data

Topological coherence map 7/16/2007 (c) Devika Subramanian, 2007 Front Back

Time course of learning

A view of learning

Recruiting video for BioE301 http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~bioe301/kortum/class/whyjoin.asp

Embed bioengineering in healthcare http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~bioe301/kortum/class/courseinfo/syllabus.asp BIOE 301 - Bioengineering and World Health

BioE 301 at Rice This course provides an overview of contemporary technological advances to improve human health. We will consider four questions throughout the semester: What are the problems in healthcare today? Who pays to solve problems in healthcare? How can we use science and technology to solve healthcare problems? Once developed, how do new healthcare technologies move from the lab to the bedside? http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~bioe301/kortum/class/courseinfo/syllabus.asp

This course provides an overview of contemporary technological advances to improve human health. We will consider four questions throughout the semester:

What are the problems in healthcare today?

Who pays to solve problems in healthcare?

How can we use science and technology to solve healthcare problems?

Once developed, how do new healthcare technologies move from the lab to the bedside?

http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~bioe301/kortum/class/courseinfo/syllabus.asp

Course objectives: BioE301 compare and contrast answers to these questions throughout the developed and developing worlds. consider legal and ethical issues associated with developing new medical technologies. use case studies to examine a number of diseases and healthcare technologies. explore a disease and a health technology in more detail as course project. http://www.owlnet.rice.edu/~bioe301/kortum/class/courseinfo/syllabus.asp

compare and contrast answers to these questions throughout the developed and developing worlds.

consider legal and ethical issues associated with developing new medical technologies.

use case studies to examine a number of diseases and healthcare technologies.

explore a disease and a health technology in more detail as course project.

What might an entire curriculum look like? Idea #1: The Threads Curriculum at GA Tech … the imperative today is for college graduates with a higher level of specialization - individuals with a generalists's knowledge, but an expert's eye for solving challenges and accomplishing tasks in a specific context or for a specific purpose or business environment. These are the individuals who will advance the state of the art and move computing to the next level. Thus computer science, as it is practiced in the business world today, is about application-based problem-solving for specific objectives; in terms of students' career prospects, it makes sense that computer science education reflect the reality they will face after graduation. http://www.cc.gatech.edu/education/undergrad/bscs

Idea #1: The Threads Curriculum at GA Tech

… the imperative today is for college graduates with a higher level of specialization - individuals with a generalists's knowledge, but an expert's eye for solving challenges and accomplishing tasks in a specific context or for a specific purpose or business environment. These are the individuals who will advance the state of the art and move computing to the next level. Thus computer science, as it is practiced in the business world today, is about application-based problem-solving for specific objectives; in terms of students' career prospects, it makes sense that computer science education reflect the reality they will face after graduation.

The Threads Approach computational modeling embodiment internetworks intelligence media people platforms foundations Each thread has a distinct core!

computational modeling

embodiment

internetworks

intelligence

media

people

platforms

foundations

We need more approaches! The Chicago Math Spiral Approach in which increasingly sophisticated takes on foundational material applied to real-world problems are considered. Close dovetailing of applications and foundations (mathematical and engineering). Mathematics of applications and computational foundations as well as the engineering of associated software systems should go hand-in-hand. Legal, ethical, sociological issues associated with our technologies should be emphasized. Extensive use of case studies of successful and unsuccessful uses of computation.

The Chicago Math Spiral Approach in which increasingly sophisticated takes on foundational material applied to real-world problems are considered.

Close dovetailing of applications and foundations (mathematical and engineering).

Mathematics of applications and computational foundations as well as the engineering of associated software systems should go hand-in-hand.

Legal, ethical, sociological issues associated with our technologies should be emphasized.

Extensive use of case studies of successful and unsuccessful uses of computation.

More inspiration … Computational thinking (Jeanette Wing) Biology is an information science (David Baltimore) Nature is written in the language of computation (Stephen Wolfram) Peter Denning, “Computing as a natural science”, CACM 50:7 (13-18) July 2007

Computational thinking (Jeanette Wing)

Biology is an information science (David Baltimore)

Nature is written in the language of computation (Stephen Wolfram)

The new face of computer science Computation offers fundamental conceptual and technological tools for solving real-world problems. New curriculum will give students the intellectual foundations and tools to Identify or create tasks/needs Abstract and model computational aspects of tasks. Design and implement computational solutions, with deep understanding of its embedding in the world. This is the vision of socially relevant computing.

Computation offers fundamental conceptual and technological tools for solving real-world problems.

New curriculum will give students the intellectual foundations and tools to

Identify or create tasks/needs

Abstract and model computational aspects of tasks.

Design and implement computational solutions, with deep understanding of its embedding in the world.

This is the vision of socially relevant computing.

Socially relevant computing Offers interesting problems to illustrate foundations of computer science. Provides opportunities to students/teachers to solve problems that are meaningful to them and to their communities. Emphasizes problem solving, recognizing or creating needs, and engineering solutions using computation. Creates a more entrepreneurial, broadly educated computer scientist.

Offers interesting problems to illustrate foundations of computer science.

Provides opportunities to students/teachers to solve problems that are meaningful to them and to their communities.

Emphasizes problem solving, recognizing or creating needs, and engineering solutions using computation.

Creates a more entrepreneurial, broadly educated computer scientist.

© 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.

The new 6.01 course at MIT Key issues in the design of engineered artifacts operating in the real world. Specifying tasks Designing and modeling systems Assessing errors in sensors and effectors Measuring performance Interleaved with mathematics of control systems, probabilistic inference, circuits and transducers. http://www.eecs.mit.edu/ug/newcurriculum/601602.pdf

Key issues in the design of engineered artifacts operating in the real world.

Specifying tasks

Designing and modeling systems

Assessing errors in sensors and effectors

Measuring performance

Interleaved with mathematics of control systems, probabilistic inference, circuits and transducers.

Socially Relevant Computing/Technologies for Education Michael Buckley Faculty University of Buffalo

Relevant Classes to interest, attract, and motivate... Non-traditional students (liberal, social arts?) High School Seniors Minorities / off-shore / visiting Women The Disabled Students at Academic Risk Students with Behavioral Problems

Non-traditional students (liberal, social arts?)

High School Seniors

Minorities / off-shore / visiting

Women

The Disabled

Students at Academic Risk

Students with Behavioral Problems

Four-point approach Relevant classwork – problems, examples, topics A research lab Non-traditional ancillary material Community outreach and alliances

Relevant classwork – problems, examples, topics

A research lab

Non-traditional ancillary material

Community outreach and alliances

CS1 & CS2 Topics Design and modeling, then programming How programmers view the world Problem space vs. Solution space The Dream Curve Labs and example problems have a societal emphasis Eclecticism The Tao of Engineering: ritualists, pessimists, travelers

Design and modeling, then programming

How programmers view the world

Problem space vs. Solution space

The Dream Curve

Labs and example problems have a societal emphasis

Eclecticism

The Tao of Engineering: ritualists, pessimists, travelers

Dream Curve? S A D C I T M % of Time Spent Dream Reality

Freshman Problems Arrays: Model pollution drift through the Great Lakes Random Numbers: Princeton Egg simulation – predicts the future, we consult it before continuing class Tables: Build a drug interaction database GUI: Design an augmentative communications device for the speech impaired Control: a secure voting machine

Arrays: Model pollution drift through the Great Lakes

Random Numbers: Princeton Egg simulation – predicts the future, we consult it before continuing class

Tables: Build a drug interaction database

GUI: Design an augmentative communications device for the speech impaired

Control: a secure voting machine

more Sorting: an mp3 jukebox Exception Handling: Chernobyl simulation We tend to stay away from games, fishbowls & pet shops, etc. We study the Therac-25 machine, the Hubble deformity, the Denver Airport baggage system, other engineering errors

Sorting: an mp3 jukebox

Exception Handling: Chernobyl simulation

We tend to stay away from games, fishbowls & pet shops, etc.

We study the Therac-25 machine, the Hubble deformity, the Denver Airport baggage system, other engineering errors

Senior year – capstone design We needed an experience for undergraduates that was unsimulated intense meaningful reflective

We needed an experience for undergraduates that was

unsimulated

intense

meaningful

reflective

the target population those who could benefit from the intelligence, creativity, hard work, of students those who could not command the technology themselves those whose quality of life would benefit

those who could benefit from the intelligence, creativity, hard work, of students

those who could not command the technology themselves

those whose quality of life would benefit

Our Clients & Customers

Our First Client: ElderWood Senior Care at Oakwood, Williamsville, NY Motivation David, a 43-year old stroke patient who has been speech impaired for over 20 years. Previously communicated using a letter board Commercial technology solutions were not adequate for David Result The UB Talker was developed for David by students VESID (Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities) has purchased a tablet PC for David. David will be working with our research group as a consultant.

Motivation

David, a 43-year old stroke patient who has been speech impaired for over 20 years.

Previously communicated using a letter board

Commercial technology solutions were not adequate for David

Result

The UB Talker was developed for David by students

VESID (Vocational and Educational Services for Individuals with Disabilities) has purchased a tablet PC for David.

David will be working with our research group as a consultant.

An Alternative Design

UB Talker

others Unrestricted Internet navigation using a single switch (e.g. eye gaze, head switch) Motorized wheelchair controlled from a remote laptop (with cameras and safety sensors, etc.) to teach mobility Video conferencing for home-bound and hospital-bound children Firefighter locater and vital-signs monitoring – allows firefighters to “see” through smoke and walls

Unrestricted Internet navigation using a single switch (e.g. eye gaze, head switch)

Motorized wheelchair controlled from a remote laptop (with cameras and safety sensors, etc.) to teach mobility

Video conferencing for home-bound and hospital-bound children

Firefighter locater and vital-signs monitoring – allows firefighters to “see” through smoke and walls

© 2007 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved. Microsoft, Windows, Windows Vista and other product names are or may be registered trademarks and/or trademarks in the U.S. and/or other countries. The information herein is for informational purposes only and represents the current view of Microsoft Corporation as of the date of this presentation. Because Microsoft must respond to changing market conditions, it should not be interpreted to be a commitment on the part of Microsoft, and Microsoft cannot guarantee the accuracy of any information provided after the date of this presentation. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, AS TO THE INFORMATION IN THIS PRESENTATION.