Consider course alignment with OSSU projects in CS/Data Science

[bradleygrant]

Issue In Brief

The bioinformatics program does not have good course alignment with OSSU's well-known, vetted, and recommended introductory courses in other OSSU programs.

Comment Period: thru 13 August 2022

Issue

Bioinformatics is one of OSSU's newer offerings and it appears to have been developed by one person in isolation, who did a great job of putting together free or nearly-free courses in bioinformatics.

One problem is this degree plan doesn't seem to merge well with OSSU's other offerings (specifically the CS/data science/mathematics courses). Curation work that has been done to provide high-quality early courses in mathematics, computer science and data science therefore needs to be duplicated.

This has already produced confusion with at least one potential learner; the COMP 1311a course which serves as an Introduction to Programming in Python has paywalled components which can't be completed without payment for the course. The mathematics courses use nonstandard wording to suggest they are providing a Calculus 1, 2, 3 sequence -- but the courses are only single variable and don't appear to extend to multivariate.

Selecting nonstandard intro courses in what is already a niche program further isolates the learners from the OSSU community, leaving us unable to help or guide the learners at the start of their journey when they need support the most.

Recommendation

Replace key introductory courses in the Bioinformatics degree path with OSSU-vetted equivalents from the Computer Science, Data Science or Math programs, where available and acceptable.

In part, replace:

• COMP 1311a/b with Py4E
• COMP 1311c with MIT 6.00.1x
• COMP 1311d with MIT 6.00.2x
• MATH 1311 with ALEKS College Algebra + Khan Academy/Professor Leonard supplement
• MATH 1312 with ALEKS Pre-Calculus + Khan Academy/Professor Leonard supplement
• MATH 1313 with MIT Calculus A
• MATH 1314 with MIT Calculus B
• MATH 2311 with MIT Calculus C
• MATH 2312 with MIT Math for CS 6.042J
• MATH 2313 with MIT Linear Algebra 18.06

Consider other replacements as appropriate.

Alternatives

Source and vet each of the currently recommended courses for OSSU quality and free accessibility; if found suitable, consider using these as alternative courses in the other degree programs.

[waciumawanjohi]

I have no objection to bringing this curriculum into closer alignment with other OSSU curricula, particularly as those other curricula have had more community engagement. There are two changes that I wouldn't make:

• COMP 1311c with MIT 6.00.1x
• COMP 1311d with MIT 6.00.2x

In particular, the topics of MIT 6.00.2x and Penn's Principles of Computing 2 look very different.

[waciumawanjohi]

Separately, I think that it's time to archive this curriculum, as there's no one currently involved with OSSU that has the background and drive to maintain this curriculum. Archiving it but leaving it public will allow it to function as a resource for learners, while making clear that it is not updated over time.

[waciumawanjohi]

Recommendations accepted and merged:

COMP 1311a/b with Py4E
COMP 1311c with MIT 6.00.1x
COMP 1311d with MIT 6.00.2x
MATH 1313 with MIT Calculus A
MATH 1314 with MIT Calculus B
MATH 2311 with MIT Calculus C
MATH 2312 with MIT Math for CS 6.042J
MATH 2313 with MIT Linear Algebra 18.06

Still to do:

MATH 1311 with ALEKS College Algebra + Khan Academy/Professor Leonard supplement
MATH 1312 with ALEKS Pre-Calculus + Khan Academy/Professor Leonard supplement

[matthias-ong]

Further Recommendations

Similar to OSSU Data Science:
COMP 3311a Algorithmic Thinking 1 with Algorithms, Part I by Princeton
COMP 3311b Algorithmic Thinking 2 with Algorithms, Part II by Princeton

Alternative from OSSU CS: Stanford University Algorithms Specialization