Programming in Matlab

Course manual 2019/2020

Course content

The ability to write your own computer programs, and understand those of others, gives you more flexibility when analyzing and understanding data; in particular, MatLab is widely used to perform data calculations and manipulations in scientific and engineering work. The material includes: program structure, manipulating data, writing scripts, functions, debugging, and visualizing results. Students learn to apply MatLab skills to short research projects focused on earth and ecological sciences.

Study materials

Practical training material

• Course handbook

Software

• Matlab

Objectives

• Student is familiar with Matlab syntax, general programming operators and programming statements
• Student understands how the programming language of Matlab can be applied to scientific or mathematical problems
• Student can apply their programming knowledge to solve scientific and mathematical problems
• Student is able to import different types of data formats into Matlab and visualise data in appropriate graphic formats
• Student can evaluate their own programming scripts and troubleshoot programming problems ("bugs")
• Student can create programming scripts from scratch which incorporate the interpretation, analysis and evaluation of scientific problems

Teaching methods

• Self-study
• Laptop seminar

Teaching is conducted through laptop seminars, where students work through course material individually to learn the skills of Matlab in a practical, applied way, whilst having the support of teaching assistants to answer questions. Students undertake small projects during laptop seminars, which are completed outside of seminars if necessary as self-study.

Learning activities

Attendance

Programme's requirements concerning attendance (OER-B):

• In case of practical sessions, the student is obliged to attend at least of 90% of the sessions and to prepare himself adequately, unless indicated otherwise in the course manual. In case the student attends less than 90%, the practical sessions should be redone entirely.
• In case of tutorials/seminars with assignments, the student is obliged to attend at least 90% of the tutorials/seminars and to prepare himself adequately, unless indicated otherwise in the course manual. In case the student attends less than 90%, the course cannot be finished

Additional requirements for this course:

Attendance is compulsory for laptop-seminars, unless the student has submitted the projects required of that particular class before the class has begun (i.e. they are at least one class ahead in the course).

Absence needs to be communicated to the course coordinator. Students are obliged to attend at least 90% of tutorials/seminars. In the case the student attends less than 90% without communicating their absence to the course coordinator, the course cannot be finished and the student will not be permitted to sit the exam.

Assessment

Programming in Matlab is assessed by a single graded exam at the end of the course, which makes up 95% of the assessment. The final 5% of the assessment is awarded (as a pass/fail) if students submit all of the projects by the time of the exam.

Students that were enrolled in the course in previous years

Students who were enrolled in the course in previous years are expected to attend class as usual. Where clashes exist with other courses we can make allowances, so long as students keep up with submitting the work for Programming in Matlab. If you expect to have a clash with other courses please contact the Programming in Matlab course coordinator prior to the start of the course.

Assignments

Students complete project assignments for every class of the course individually, which are worked upon in the class and during self study time. Each project uses examples from earth and ecological sciences to carry out a programming task. Projects are not formally graded, but a bonus mark is awarded for students who submit all projects before the exam .

Fraud and plagiarism

The 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' applies to this course. This will be monitored carefully. Upon suspicion of fraud or plagiarism the Examinations Board of the programme will be informed. For the 'Regulations governing fraud and plagiarism for UvA students' see: www.student.uva.nl

Course structure

Timetable

The schedule for this course is published on DataNose.

Additional information

https://datanose.nl/#course[48612]

Last year's course evaluation

In order to provide students some insight how we use the feedback of student evaluations to enhance the quality of education, we decided to include the table below in all course guides.

Contact information

Coordinator

• E.L. Sage MSc