# Scientific Computing Skills (SCS) - 5 ECTS How a course was born (Enrico Glerean 2025, all content CC-BY) --- https://hackmd.io/@AaltoSciComp/scs  --- ## Background - Junior researchers (e.g. doctoral students) **must learn computing skills** as early as possible (shell, coding, git, hpc...) - There are **great courses** (CodeRefinery, Software Carpentry, CSC & LUMI trainings, own trainings) - Students **need credits** (pressure to finish early with the new **doctoral pilot program**, at Aalto 30 ECTS to be done in 2 years) --- ## The problem: how can we give credits for useful courses the students are taking? --- ## How can we give credits? **Hands On Scientific Computing** <!-- .slide: data-background="#cccccc" --> - 2019, 2 ECTS module, self learning [[Link](https://handsonscicomp.readthedocs.io/en/latest/)] - Max 2ECTS, cannot reuse course code  --- ## How can we give credits? **The old way** - Course organiser issues a certificate - Hopefully certificate mentions amount of ECTS - Student contacts coordinator/supervisor - Supervisor evaluates that it is legitimate - Supervisor manually adds to the system or need to ask learning services to do it --- ## Issues we had with old process - Unclear for students, supervisors, coordinators - No standard process -> lots of emails - Limited amount of options for course codes - Cannot register 0.5 ECTS --- ## Scientific Computing Skills course - We need our own course so that we can register own trainings + CodeRefinery + CSC courses with the same course code - Expert checks that the training matched ECTS requirements - How did we make it happen? --- ## SCS: how to make it happen - EG discussed with doctoral services (Spring 2024) - More discussions with learning services (Autumn+Winter 2024-2025) - EG+RD wrote a proposal for new course (Spring 2025) - School of Science Academic Affairs Committee decided (May 2025) - Moodle space created and course is live (August 2025) --- ## SCS: how it works - Collect points over one academic year - Redeem points in June  --- ## SCS: pedagogy **Learning structured in 5 modules** 1. Basic scientific project management (aka CodeRefinery) 2. Programming language (e.g. Python For Scientific Computing or Data Analyis with R) 3. Intro to HPC (ASC HPC kickstart, or similar by CSC/LUMI) 4. Linux shell (self learning) 5. Any other course (e.g. CSC's practical deep learning) OR a project reviewed by one RSE ---- ## SCS: credits - Each module gives 1 credit - Credits are registered under the same course code at the end of the academic year - Each year a new instance, old credits can be transferred - Courses that give 0.5 ECTS can have extra homework managed by course coordiantor --- ## SCS: moodle open access [SCI-L1010 - Scientific Computing Skills, 1.8.2025-5.6.2026](https://mycourses.aalto.fi/course/view.php?id=49136) --- ## Why and how to do it at your organisation? - Good for your teaching portfolio - Good to know how teaching practicalities work (at Aalto we have SISU, MyCourses, and other platforms) - You might not even need to teach! But still need to check homeworks or add extra tasks to students - Start conversation with doctoral education coordinators, show them our moodle page. --- # Bonus: join us! - Join as a teacher (teaching portfolio!), or helper, or just enthusiastic communicator - **[Python for Scientific Computing](https://www.aalto.fi/en/events/python-for-scientific-computing-25-27112025)** in 2 weeks, please advertise in your community! - More courses: **Hands-on Data Protection** (Jan), **HPC kickstart** (Feb), **CodeRefinery** (Mar), **Reproducibility in ML** (Apr-May) - Get in touch if you want to be actively involved! ->`scip@aalto.fi || enrico.glerean@aalto.fi`