From Zero to Python in 10.5 Hours: Building Foundational Programming Skills with Marine Biology Graduate Students and Researchers in an Introductory Workshop Series

ABSTRACT

Programmatic processing, analysis, and visualization of scientific research data necessitate computational skills that scientists do not consistently acquire during their education. Python is a programming language currently in the ascendant among the scientific community. In early 2022, 25 marine scientists and marine biology graduate students were introduced to the fundamentals of Python programming in a 10.5-hour workshop series offered over seven weeks. A functional, web-based Python environment using Jupyter Notebooks, JupyterLab, Binder, and GitHub was paired with scaffolding and active learning pedagogy, to ensure an engaging learning experience. We describe the course design, adaptations, and outcomes, and offer recommendations for developing a similar introductory programming workshop.

KEYWORDS:

• Jupyter notebooks
• marine biology
• programming
• Python
• workshop

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).