Teaching MATLAB to a 
Non-Canonical Audience
Robert Talbert, PhD.
Franklin College; Franklin, Indiana USA
rtalbert@franklincollege.edu
@RobertTalbert on Twitter
What is the "canonical" MATLAB audience?
An example of a non-canonical audience: CMP 150
Philosophy and design
Implementation issues and lessons learned
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Majors in engineering, physical science
Significant math/computing experience 
Comfortable with "non-appliance" technology
No adherence to institution-wide academic goals
CMP 150: Computer Tools for Problem Solving
Specs
Rationale
Demographics
One credit hour
Lab-based
Prerequisite for Calculus III
Early intro to problem solving
Alternative to C++
Programming across curriculum
Gateway to focused computing experiences in later courses
http://www.flickr.com/photos/buckaroobay/4310052257/
Textbook-free
Hands-on
Inverted classroom model
Cool stuff early; programming when ready
Sample lab activity:
http://bit.ly/aMAwP3
Don't underestimate the jump students have to make
Supply low-hanging fruit, immediate successes, clear applications
It works
"It seems like we're getting better at this."
- CMP 150 student, 3/8/2010
Thanks! 
Questions?