RemiMattheyDoret
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7 years ago Lightning talk: SimBit is a high performance forward-in-time population genetics simulation platform coded in C++. With SimBit, you can simulate complex demography, plasticity, epistasis, QTL and other things. The main secrets of SimBit relies into the use of bitwise operators and the fact that all memory allocation at the beginning of the simulation. SimBit has very good error handling to ensure a user understand what was unclear about its input.
Abstract: Contemporary biology is moving towards heavy reliance on computational methods to manage, find patterns, and derive meaning from large-scale data, such as genomic sequences. Biology teachers are increasingly compelled to prepare students with skills to meet these challenges. However, introducing biology students to more abstract concepts associated with computational thinking remains a major challenge. Analogies have long been used in science classrooms to help students comprehend complex concepts by relating them to familiar processes. Here I present a multi-step procedure for introducing students to large-scale data analysis (bioinformatics workflows) by asking them to describe a common daily task: making toast. First, students describe the main steps associated with this procedure. Next, students are presented with alternative scenarios for materials and equipment and are asked to extend the analogy to accommodate them. Finally, students are led through examples of how the analogy breaks down, or fails to accurately represent, a bioinformatics analysis. This structured approach to student exploration of analogies related to computational biology capitalizes on diverse student experiences to both clarify concepts and ameliorate possible misconceptions. Similar methods can be used to introduce many abstract concepts in both biology and computer science. Published article available here.