A Survey of Assignments in Undergraduate Computer Architecture Courses

Kehagias, Dimitris

doi:10.3991/ijet.v11i06.5776

Cited by 4 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 4 publications

(4 reference statements)

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“…Thomas et al (2012) remark on difficulties and problems students can experience in a Comp-Arch course due to abstract concepts. Simkins & Decker (2016) and Omer, Farooq & Abid (2021) show that students grasp limited knowledge and the course itself becomes inefficient when teaching methods focus only on theoretical concepts ( Simkins & Decker, 2016 ; Omer, Farooq & Abid, 2021 ; Yehezkel et al, 2001 ; Kehagias, 2016 ). Anderson & Nguyen (2005) survey the literature to find the best assignments for their course to avoid students struggling in the theoretical parts of an operating systems course.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“… Omer, Farooq & Abid (2021) and Malliarakis, Satratzemi & Xinogalos (2016) suggest using games to increase students’ motivation during the learning process. Furthermore, hands-on experiences with processor architectures have a supportive impact on students’ better understanding of the Comp-Arch course ( Kehagias, 2016 ). In a comprehensive survey conducted by Kehagias (2016) , every assignment, ranging from fundamental conceptual questions to 130 complex programming assignments, was meticulously analyzed within the context of Comp-Arch courses offered at leading North American universities.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Furthermore, hands-on experiences with processor architectures have a supportive impact on students’ better understanding of the Comp-Arch course ( Kehagias, 2016 ). In a comprehensive survey conducted by Kehagias (2016) , every assignment, ranging from fundamental conceptual questions to 130 complex programming assignments, was meticulously analyzed within the context of Comp-Arch courses offered at leading North American universities. The conducted research examines the quality and quantity of assignments to enlighten the pathway for educators and instructors to create assignments and thereby assess students properly.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The conducted research examines the quality and quantity of assignments to enlighten the pathway for educators and instructors to create assignments and thereby assess students properly. Kehagias (2016) show that 25% of instructors include developing or modifying a simulator design task for a target processor architecture, which is a core part of this approach.…”

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Teaching computer architecture by designing and simulating processors from their bits and bytes

Doğan,

Öztoprak,

Tolun

2024

PeerJ Computer Science

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Teaching computer architecture (Comp-Arch) courses in undergraduate curricula is becoming more of a challenge as most students prefer software-oriented courses. In some computer science/engineering departments, Comp-Arch courses are offered without the lab component due to resource constraints and differing pedagogical priorities. This article demonstrates how students working in teams are motivated to study the Comp-Arch course and how instructors can increase student motivation and knowledge by taking advantage of hands-on practices. The teams are asked to design and implement a 16-bit MIPS-like processor with constraints as a specific instruction set, and limited data and instruction memory. Student projects include following three phases, namely, design, desktop simulator implementation, and verification using hardware description language (HDL). In the design phase, teams develop their Comp-Arch to implement specified instructions. A range of designs resulted, e.g., (a) a processor with extensive user-defined instructions resulting in longer cycle times (b) a processor with a minimal instruction set but with a faster clock cycle time. Next, teams developed a desktop simulator in any programming language to execute instructions on the architecture. Finally, students engage in Verilog Hardware Description Language (HDL) projects to simulate and verify the data-path designed during the initial phase. Student feedback and their current understanding of the project were collected through a questionnaire featuring varying Likert scale questions, some with a ten-point scale, and others with a five-point scale. Results of the survey show that the hands-on approach increases students’ motivation and knowledge in the Comp-Arch course, which is centered around computer system design principles. This approach can also be effectively extended to related courses, such as Microprocessor Design, which delves into the intricacies of creating and implementing microprocessors or central processing units (CPUs) at the hardware level. Furthermore, the present study demonstrates that interactions, specifically through peer reviews and public presentations, between students in each phase increases their knowledge and perspective on designing custom processors.

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Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Related Workmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Teaching computer architecture by designing and simulating processors from their bits and bytes

Doğan,

Öztoprak,

Tolun

2024

PeerJ Computer Science

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“…Hardware and software knowledge are regarded as the minimum knowledge any Computer Education and Instructional Technology Department graduate should have. Kehagias [11] states that students should think of computers as a magical black box which runs programmes automatically. Hence, computer hardware and software courses are regarded as an important part of undergraduate syllabi.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An Emerging Technology: Augmented Reality to Promote Learning

Özdamlı¹,

Hürsen²

2017

Int. J. Emerg. Technol. Learn.

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Abstract-This study aims to determine the benefits and limitations of AR applications in computer hardware education, when used as a supplementary technology, as well as examining their impact on reflective thinking skills. The study was designed according to pre-test post-test research model with experimental and control groups. The teacher candidates studied the 3D visuals both in and out of the classroom by scanning the markers in their books. In addition, they watched educational animations and videos on required subjects. As a result, in this study where Augmented Reality applications assisted with reflective learning skills were implemented in a computer hardware course, teacher candidates generally reported positive views and suggestions regarding AR applications.Keywords-Augmented reality, reflective learning, hardware course, teacher candidates IntroductionAlthough traditional teaching methods have produced many successful outcomes, nowadays educational institutions are in search of methods which will improve students' intellectual capacities and their learning experiences [1]. Nincarean, Alia, Halim, & Rahman [2] state that even though existing methods work, there is an increasing interest among both educators and researchers to examine more practical methods, particularly since the proliferation of technology and its integration into education gained significance. The manifestation of digital technology has resulted in an escalation in the use of e-learning in higher education. Mayer [3], a supporter of the multimedia theory, states that presenting texts together with visuals enables students to form both verbal and cognitive models and also a connection between the two. Emerging tools, social media and virtual environments are providing both students and educators with the opportunity to create new learning environments [4]. The current developments in technology have had a positive impact on the interaction of media content and the quality of learning platforms; thus, there has been an immense increase in the usage of e-learning tools. In fact, technology has become integrated into education and the results have a positive impact on the teaching-learning process [5]. Moreover, previous studies show that technology-assisted learning creates a more iJET

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An Analysis and Validation Toolkit to Support the Undergraduate Course of Computer Organization and Architecture

Shu

Liu

et al. 2021

Communications in Computer and Information Science

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A Survey of Assignments in Undergraduate Computer Architecture Courses

Cited by 4 publications

References 4 publications

Teaching computer architecture by designing and simulating processors from their bits and bytes

Teaching computer architecture by designing and simulating processors from their bits and bytes

An Emerging Technology: Augmented Reality to Promote Learning

An Analysis and Validation Toolkit to Support the Undergraduate Course of Computer Organization and Architecture

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