Introducing Parallel Computing in a Second CS Course

Abstract

The ubiquity of multicore processors, cloud computing, and hardware accelerators have elevated parallel and distributed computing (PDC) topics into fundamental building blocks of the undergraduate CS curriculum. Therefore, it is increasingly important for students to learn a common core of introductory PDC topics and develop parallel thinking skills early in their CS studies. We present the curricular design, pedagogy, and goals of an introductory-level course on com-puter systems that introduces parallel computing to students who have only a CS1 background. Our course focuses on three curricular goals that serve to integrate the ACM-IEEE TCPP guidelines throughout: a vertical slice through the computer of how it runs a program; evaluating system costs associated with running a program; and taking advantage of the power of parallel computing. We elaborate on the goals and details of our course's key modules, and we discuss our pedagogical approach that includes active-learning techniques. We find that the PDC foundation gained through early exposure in this course helps students gain confidence in their ability to expand and apply their understanding of PDC concepts throughout their CS education.