Patrick Janssen: Spatial Computational Thinking

Spatial Computational Thinking is increasingly being recognised as a fundamental skill for various spatial disciplines. It involves idea formulation, algorithm development, solution exploration, with a focus on the manipulation of geometric and semantic datasets.

Over the last two years, we have developed a series of Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that allows learners from all over the world to develop theoretical knowledge and practical skills required for leveraging computation for the manipulation of various types of spatial data. In total, four separate courses were developed, delivered as a comprehensive Professional Certificate Program on the Edx platform.

All the courses use a free open-source browser-based software to write algorithms for generating and visualizing 3D models, called Möbius Modeller. The software has been developed at the Design Automation Laboratory at NUS.

The Möbius Modeller programming language uses a visual programming approach combining flowcharts with procedural programming. This will allow learners to quickly learn the knowledge and skills required for writing computational procedures for generating, analysing, and visualizing complex 3D spatial information models. The programming knowledge is also highly transferable if learners later choose to use other languages such as Python or Javascript.

In addition, an Automated Grader for parametric coding assignments was developed and integrated into the Edx infrastructure. Learners are able to upload their coding assignments and get a result and feedback within 20 to 30 seconds.