Using the TeraGrid to teach scientific computing

We describe how a new graduate course in scientific computing, taught during Fall 2010 at Louisiana State University, utilized TeraGrid resources to familiarize students with some of the real world issues that computational scientists regularly deal with in their work. The course was designed to provide a broad and practical introduction to scientific computing, creating the basic skills and experience to very quickly get involved in research projects involving modern cyberinfrastructure and complex real world scientific problems. As an integral part of the course, students had to utilize various TeraGrid resources, e.g., by deploying, using and extending scientific software within the national cyberinfrastructure.