FAQ
Confused? Have a question? Hopefully the answer’s here. If not, ask me!
- When and where will this be happening? :: Right now, Room 015 in East Hall on Monday evenings from 6:30–9PM.
- Does this course count for a math credit? :: Yes! If you head over to the current listing of ExCollege courses and look for “EXP-0022-F” you’ll read
This course has been approved by Computer Science to count toward the Mathematical Sciences distribution requirement.
If you have other questions about credit, I’d suggest getting in touch with Howard Woolf. - Do I need to have a lot of background in math or computer science for this program? :: Nope! If you’re comfortable using a computer and remember some of what you were likely exposed to in middle and high school as far as algebra and geometry go, you should be all set. That said, if you’re particularly concerned, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
- What if I have a lot of background in mathematics or computer science? Will this program be boring? :: I don’t think so. The math we’re exploring is pretty sophisticated—differential geometry to be specific. And we’ll be approaching in a way probably unlike anything you’ve done before. Beyond that, part of the premise of this program is that there’s new types of math out there that you can do and make, computational tools in hand, which is easily a lifetime research program for anyone interested.
- What’s your background in all this? :: I studied math at MIT and have spent most of my time since then designing educational experiences of one form or another. Most recently, I co-founded sprout & co.: a nonprofit research organization in Somerville. I’ve had a longtime interest in computational tools and their potential to affect how we do education and research, and this collaboration with Tufts is part of that, for me—
- Will I need to purchase any books? :: Nope. I’ll be providing all the readings digitally. If you’d prefer paper copies, let me know.
- Do I need a laptop? :: Yes. And ideally, you’d bring it with you every session. If you don’t have one, get in touch; I’m sure we can work out a loaner.
- Wait, so anyone can take this? Not just Tufts students? :: Correct! But, Tufts students are given the priority. Head over to signup, and I’ll get in touch with the details.
- The course has already started, but I was wondering if I could still join? :: If you’re asking before 30 September and the program’s not full, the answer’s yes! If it’s after 30 September, get in touch and we can figure out if it would make sense to hop on the wagon later in the game (sorry for the mixed metaphor).
- tumblr? But just met her! :: So tumblr is a sometimes-too-hip-for-its-own-good blogging service. It’s the best I’ve found when it comes to making a decent looking site for programs we’ve run. I’m open to other suggestions. But basically, we’ll be using it as a group blog where we’ll post projects, reactions, etc. The mechanics of joining a group blog are a bit opaque—what you want to do is go to tumblr.com and sign up, creating a personal blog of your own. e.g. mine is alecresnick.tumblr.com. Then you want to send me the email address you used to sign up for that tumblog and I’ll invite you to become a member of this tumblr. Then, to post, you’ll go to tumblr.com, and select “exploring the quantitative world” from the list of blogs at the top of your Dashboard (which is what tumblr calls your home view). At this point, you’ll be able to post text/video/etc. to the tumblog. As far as commenting goes, we’re using a service called disqus which you don’t need to register for, but when you comment you’ll be asked to identify yourself with your name and email or through one of a variety of other web services. Let me know if you have any trouble.
