Teaching and learning with Jupyter notebooks and Canvas

Brief history

1991

Python released

Brief history

1991

Python released

~2000

MATLAB monopoly in math courses at Swedish universities

Brief history

~2000

MATLAB monopoly in math courses at Swedish universities

2006

Numpy released

Brief history

2006

Numpy released

~2010

Python/Numpy starting to appear in NA courses

Brief history

~2010

Python/Numpy starting to appear in NA courses

2013

Jupyter notebook released

Brief history

2013

Jupyter notebook released

~2016

TensorFlow and PyTorch become mainstream as AI/ML explodes

Brief history

~2016

TensorFlow and PyTorch become mainstream as AI/ML explodes

2019

Canvas used in all courses at Chalmers

Brief history

2019

Canvas used in all courses at Chalmers

Jan 2021

General discussion at our department about alternatives to MATLAB in teaching

Benefits over MATLAB

• No license cost (for anyone, even after graduation)
   
• More modern programming language (Python, Julia)
   
• Based on open standards
  HTML5, HTTPS, SSH, HDF5, Markdown, cloud computing, etc.
   
• Packages for everything!
  (much more extensive than MATLAB)
   
• Dominates AI/ML, high demand from industry
  (All industrial AI/ML master's thesis project are Python-based)
   
• Notebook offers integrated Assignment/Coding/Report workflow compatible with Canvas SpeedGrader

What do teachers have to do?

• Go to anaconda.org and download installer for Windows/MacOS/Linux
  
  (Ask IT-helpdesk to install in computer rooms)

What do students have to do?

• Typically: nothing – they already use Jupyter notebooks
   
• Otherwise: go to anaconda.org and download installer
   
• Option: use Google Colab (Jupyter notebook in the cloud)
   
• Option: use VS Code (runs locally or in the cloud)

DEMO

(Slides available at slides.com/kmodin/jupyter-canvas)