Including Computer Systems Assignments in Introductory Programming Courses

Abstract

This Research to Practice Work In Progress paper describes initial work on designing and deploying programming assignments that focus on computer systems topics in introductory computer science courses. This work builds upon the body of prior work that has found that using real-world problems in introductory courses improves student engagement and helps students in the process of developing their professional identity. The setting for this research is a liberal arts college where the major has been designed to support the liberal arts mission of providing students with opportunities to pursue a variety of interests. By including computer systems topics in the introductory courses we are able to increase breadth while maintaining a relatively small number of required courses for the major. The four assignments described in this paper focus on the computer systems areas of operating systems, networks, and database systems. Informal feedback and instructor reflection from the initial deployment of these assignments indicates that students are engaged with these assignments. Future work includes a formal assessment of this approach.