NCSI: Improving XSEDE Training Materials by Developing Exercises, Examples, and Improving Accessibility

Status	Completed
Mentor Name	Susan Mehringer
Mentor's XSEDE Affiliation	XSEDE Training Lead, Campus Champion
Mentor Has Been in XSEDE Community	4-5 years
Project Title	Improving XSEDE Training Materials by Developing Exercises, Examples, and Improving Accessibility
Summary	Develop short examples of common scenarios that work on several/most of the XSEDE resources. For example, develop/test/document a set of Slurm batch scripts, so a working example can be found for any XSEDE resource. Test, improve, and reorganize online training materials. Develop best practice examples for ADA accessibility in online training materials.
Job Description	The first component of this position will be to work with the training team to identify common example codes that would be useful to many people who work on XSEDE. Then for each topic, develop a set of clear examples for all applicable XSEDE resources. One example is Slurm batch scripts, covering simple runs, MPI, and manycore resources. Another example is a "performance checklist" for each machine, with code to demonstrate how to get timing results and understand if you're using the whole machine. This would involve running on most XSEDE resources, developing solutions for all of them, and being able to understand and convey similarities and differences. A final example is a set of instructions for how to install user software locally, such as the local installation of Python and R packages, where not already available. The second component will be testing, enhancing and reorganizing online training materials (Cornell Virtual Workshop). Enhancements would include creating short how-to videos and incorporating working example code snippets. Depending on the applicant's background, it might also include updating or developing materials. Effort will also be directed toward restructuring materials into shorter, connected nuggets. The third component is to develop best practice examples for ADA accessibility in online training materials, for example, practical examples of how to present technical images and instructional video.
Computational Resources	The student will use a variety of resources as needed to test and develop example codes. The student will be put on the XSEDE Training allocation for this small resource usage.
Contribution to Community	All of the student's contributions and improvements to the online training materials will directly benefit the XSEDE researchers and the wider community who use the materials.
Position Type	Learner
Training Plan	The student will first be exposed to topics by reviewing and updating existing material, then work alongside local consultants while expanding their expertise to include additional resources and topics. At a minimum, we require coding experience in C/C++ and exposure to batch processing, as well as excellent communication skills.
Student Prerequisites/Conditions/Qualifications
Duration	Semester
Start Date	02/01/2021
End Date	05/01/2021