Using NEST Desktop in a course

This section gives directions for lecturers who want to teach computational neuroscience with NEST Desktop. Using computer simulations, students are able to explore models ranging from single neurons to large neuronal networks. Numerical experiments of increasing complexity help to understand how brain networks function and what the features of their dynamic behavior are.

Note

This section assumes that you have prior knowledge of how to use NEST Desktop. If you have not used NEST Desktop before, please read the User Documentation first ( How to use NEST Desktop).

To support the organization of a course, we provide some hints for course instructors:

• Course design

• Didactic concept

Additionally, we provide course materials to be handed out to participants:

• First steps toward brain simulation

• How to prepare a course protocol

This guide shows how you can teach the biophysics of neurons, synapses and large networks of the brain to students using NEST Desktop. Video tutorials illustrate important aspects of the course work. The provided material could be used to prepare handouts for students.

Select the level of the course that you plan to conduct with NEST Desktop:

Bachelor students

... learn basic computational neuroscience with little prior knowledge.

For bachelor students

Master students

... explore core concepts of computational neuroscience arising in the literature.

For master students

Doctoral students

... deal with advanced concepts of computational neuroscience arising in research.

For doctoral students

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Acknowledgments

Thanks for the help:

• Stefan Rotter (course instructor)

• Jeanine Laturner (tutor)