The prototype national computational and information infrastructure, the Alliance Grid is an emerging integrated computational and collaborative environment that links people, resources and services over high-speed networks. Discussion at the Aug 9 computational science education seminar opened with presentations of various working definitions of computational science and proceeded through discussion of how multidisciplinary aspects of computational science are being integrated into undergraduate and graduate science curricula. The tools are being integrated into the discipline courses. Incorporating elements of computer science, applied mathematics and specific scientific disciplines at every stage, formulating core science courses with significant computational science-enhanced classroom and lab presents challenges within the constraints of resource availability and institutional inertia. However, as some existing courses at EOT-PACI member institutions demonstrate, the effort in development is worth it.
Computers certainly extend expressiveness from the theory point of view.
Fox suggested that Internetics is not only very attractive to computer science students, but it can also provide interesting new ways of broadening fields like engineering and physics in areas such as science communication and education. Allen said that the use of dynamic models which can be experimented with by students transforms the whole science education process away from a didactic text and lecture format and closer to the interactive and engaging form of Scientific Process itself.