DesignSafe Summer Academy Data Report 2021

This report summarizes the 2021 evaluation of the DesignSafe Summer Academy (DSA) and Hackathon, conducted by TACC’s STEM Evaluation Services team. The evaluation data was collected through Summer Academy surveys and DesignSafe usage data. Survey results showed high satisfaction with the academy and hackathon, with most respondents indicating they learned from the events, planned to apply their knowledge, and would recommend the experiences to others.

Participants reported significant gains in DesignSafe proficiency, especially in tutorials on Python + Jupyter, Physics-Informed ML with SciANN, and cloud-based data work. Case studies and hands-on instruction were found useful, and respondents appreciated learning about ML/AI and DesignSafe applications. Participants emphasized the value of instruction, assignments, and learning about DesignSafe tools. Respondents also provided recommendations to strengthen the academy and hackathon, including increasing the academy length, easing into technical content, and increasing hands-on learning. In addition, hackathon participants noted the academy prepared them well for the hackathon and that the hackathon enhanced their understanding of DesignSafe tools, ML/AI, and collaborative research. Usage data showed that academy and hackathon participants were more active on DesignSafe than the general user base, indicating strong engagement and application of skills learned.