Teaching and Learning RSEngineering: paper feedback and co-working

[tobyhodges]

[edited to account for the effort along very similar lines at the recent Collaborations Workshop]

A Mastery Rubric (MR) is a document that describes the knowledge, skills, and abilities (sometimes abbreviated to KSAs) required to achieve mastery of a particular discipline. It takes the form of a table containing information about the different levels of expertise (from novice to expert) that learners may be at on their journey towards mastery, broken down into particular skills/skill groups/categories*.

The aim of this breakout would be to build on work done at Collaborations Workshop 2023, to finalise the set of competencies that would feature in a Mastery Rubric (or similar resource) for Research Software Engineering. A secondary goal would be to also define the levels of mastery that would be described by the MR.

This breakout would be for participants with an interest in assisting with the professional development of RSEs and the creation of a resource to guide that professional development.

More about Mastery Rubrics

Pioneered by Dr. Rochelle Trachtenberg, the intended purpose of a Mastery Rubric is to aid curriculum design - providing guidance and inspiration for those trying to design educational content that will allow learners to move from one level of mastery to the next. Mastery Rubrics have previously been developed for a diverse range of disciplines, including Scientific Thinking, Ethical Reasoning, Stewardship, Statistical Literacy, Teaching and Learning, Evidence-Based Medicine, Advanced Practice Nursing, and Bioinformatics.

Why Does the RSE Community Need (something like) a Mastery Rubric?

I believe that a Mastery Rubric for RSEs (or something like it) would be a useful resource, for curriculum design (see below) but also beyond that:

• curriculum design: with an MR for RSEng, the community could more easily identify gaps where new training resources need to be developed.
• professional development: by referring to the MR, RSEs could identify the areas/skills they could aim to develop in order to continue to progress in their career. They could also share the resource with their supervisor, as evidence of the need to invest in their professional development. Finally, RSE Group Leaders could use the MR to help them construct a balanced team of RSEs with the combined skills needed for effective RSEngineering.
• reinforcing legitimacy: (especially if published) the resource could be used as further evidence of RSEngineering as a legitimate, independent career path. It could potentially form the basis for the RSE Society to certify particular training programs as providing stepping stones towards mastery of the discipline.

* Footnote

click to expand

see [the Mastery Rubric for Bioinformatics](https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0225256#sec008) as an example, which lists the following knowledge, skill, and ability categories for a bioinformatician: - Ethical practice - Prerequisite knowledge - biology (includes statistical inference and experimental design considerations) - Prerequisite knowledge - computational methods (includes statistical inference and experimental design considerations) - Integrate interdisciplinarity - Define a problem based on a critical review of existing knowledge - Hypothesis generation - Experimental design - Identify data that are relevant to the problem - Identify and use appropriate analytical methods - Interpretation of results/output - Draw and contextualise conclusions - Communication

[HeidiSeibold]

Sounds related to the paper we are currently working on (based on the teaching workshop at the de-RSE23 conference)

https://github.com/CaptainSifff/paper_teaching-learning-RSE/blob/main/paper_teaching-learning-RSE.md#required-generic-rse-skills

CCing @CaptainSifff, who is leading the endeavour

[HeidiSeibold]

I added a label to this break-out. Can you check if you feel it is appropriate and change it if not? Let me know if you have any questions.

[HeidiSeibold]

So what I need from you to be able to make a decision on this breakout are the following infos:

Who could be interested in collaborating on this?

(feel free to tag them with their GitHub username if they have one)

How much time do you need for this?

(90 minutes or multiples thereof)

Abstract

(Can be short)

[CaptainSifff]

Hi Heidi, when do you need it? We are inviting @tobyhodges to our friday meeting.

[HeidiSeibold]

Monday would be great!

[tobyhodges]

Who could be interested in collaborating on this?

@CaptainSifff @jcohen02 @unode @samumantha @jlinx @jpthiele @fiveop @anenadic

How much time do you need for this?

180 minutes

Abstract

An RSE works in the research community focusing on the development of research software and while a lot of training material already exists, the notions of the competencies of RSEs and clear pathways for transitioning from beginner to expert skills are still missing.

To investigate this, a community workshop at deRSE23 in Paderborn led to a draft paper that details generic competencies, possible graduation paths and required structural changes. Separately, at Collaborations Workshop 2023 work began on a Competency Framework for RSEngineering.

This breakout enables participants to review the two resources and ensure that they are consistent and benefit teachers and learners in RSEng by gathering feedback on them in a workshop like manner.

[pancetta]

Hi! I just added the "Accepted" label to this BOS. Welcome on board! https://un-derse23.sciencesconf.org/program

[tobyhodges]

🙌 thanks @pancetta!

[pancetta]

Hi all, the unconference is only 3 weeks away now! On day 1 there will be a breakout blitz where all session organizers should advertise their sessions. 1 minute, 1 slide, let people know what you intend to do. Please prepare this slide in advance and add it right here (PDF please), by September 20.

[tobyhodges]

@pancetta here's the poster to promote our breakout: teaching-learning-rseng-breakout.pdf

[CaptainSifff]

@pancetta, do the participants get the slide somehow in advance?

[CaptainSifff]

@DE-RSE/un-derse23 : Will there be etherpads provided? @DE-RSE/un-derse23-local , we would need for this workshop sticky notes/pens and would like to order the tables into clusters, if that does not pose issues.

[jngrad]

@DE-RSE/un-derse23 : Will there be etherpads provided?

That'd be cool! Preferably public ones (to help with sharing) that can be edited without the need to create a user account. The continuous integration BOS created its own pad already: https://github.com/DE-RSE/un-deRSE23-breakouts/issues/2#issuecomment-1724880181.

[pancetta]

ping @knarrff

[led02]

I just created a bunch of pads: https://pad.gwdg.de/FkFJTslFQhq-UF3Es6q4rw Feel free to prepare your session pad, if you like :)

[fiveop]

@DE-RSE/un-derse23-local , we would need for this workshop sticky notes/pens and would like to order the tables into clusters, if that does not pose issues

• We have sticky notes, large markers, and fineliners, two moderation coffers worth of other stuff, and flip charts
• There are not that many tables, or at least not in every room. We might need to switch rooms on the fly depending on attendance and requirements.

[tobyhodges]

I just created a bunch of pads: https://pad.gwdg.de/FkFJTslFQhq-UF3Es6q4rw Feel free to prepare your session pad, if you like :)

Thank you @led02 🙌 I have populated the pad with scaffolding content for our session. We will have breakouts-within-the-breakout, so if it is possible to have five more pads, I would really appreciate it! 😁

[led02]

Thanks for the good praparation! I added the requested pads and replaced the links in your document.

[tobyhodges]

Wow! Thank you @led02

On Mon, 25 Sep 2023 at 18:13, Michael Meinel @.***> wrote:

Thanks for the good praparation! I added the requested pads and replaced the links in your document.

— Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub https://github.com/DE-RSE/un-deRSE23-breakouts/issues/17#issuecomment-1734064186, or unsubscribe https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/ACJ62PBCYWPFEBNC54774VDX4GUSVANCNFSM6AAAAAAX4PNHWM . You are receiving this because you were mentioned.Message ID: @.***>

[pancetta]

Have fun with the session(s)! Please add the pad you're using also here for people to see what you did.

If possible, please prepare a 1 minute wrap up of your session for the farewell session on Thursday afternoon! What did you do in the session, how would you like to continue, how can people contribute after the unconference etc. We'll go through the blitz slides again one by one as in the blitz session.