Collaborative Research: CSinParallel: Experiential Learning of Parallel and Distributed Computing Through Sight, Sound, and Touch

协作研究：CSinParallel：通过视觉、声音和触觉体验并行和分布式计算

• 批准号: 1822480
• 负责人: Richard Brown
• 金额: $ 36.3万
• 依托单位: Saint Olaf College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-10-01 至 2023-05-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1822480&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; CSinParallel; Experiential; Learning; Collaborative; Research; CSinParallel; Experiential; Learning

Today's desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones all contain multiple core processing units. Many people today also use cloud computing services for online shopping, sharing photos, and other conveniences. Multicore computers and cloud computing services are both examples of parallel and distributed computing. Current computer science (CS) curriculum recommendations require every undergraduate CS student to learn about parallel and distributed computing (PDC). To help students master the complexities of PDC, this project will develop software and curricular materials that combine two strategies for making PDC topics tangible and accessible: inexpensive single-board computers and teaching materials that use sight, sound, and touch. By using these teaching materials to explore PDC topics, CS students will be able to see and hear parallel and distributed computations and touch the hardware performing those computations. The project team will also develop a free, interactive, online PDC textbook and a collection of "unplugged" exercises for learning PDC concepts without a computer.The project will develop: 1) visual software and teaching materials that use the investigators' Thread-Safe Graphics Library so students can see parallel computations in real-time; 2) audial software and teaching materials for a new Thread-Safe Audial Library so students can hear abstract PDC concepts and computations; 3) manipulative learning systems constructed with inexpensive multi-core single-board computers so PDC systems are concrete and touchable; 4) "unplugged" activities that make PDC algorithms accessible to broad audiences; and 5) a free, interactive PDC textbook that will be deployed through a combination of client-side and cloud-based systems. These materials will be accessible through the CSinParallel.org website, a previously-funded NSF project (Awards 1226172; 1225739; 1225796). Broader impacts will include strengthening and diversifying the U.S. cyber-workforce, improving the PDC skills of CS instructors and students nationwide including those at minority-serving institutions, and diversifying the community of PDC educators through faculty-development workshops and new social-networking features on CSinParallel.org.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

当今的台式机，笔记本电脑，平板电脑和智能手机都包含多个核心处理单元。如今，许多人还使用云计算服务进行在线购物，共享照片和其他便利。多计算机和云计算服务既是并行和分布式计算的示例。当前的计算机科学（CS）课程建议要求每个本科生CS学生学习并行和分布式计算（PDC）。为了帮助学生掌握PDC的复杂性，该项目将开发软件和课程材料，这些材料结合了两种使PDC主题有形和访问的策略：廉价的单板计算机和使用视觉，声音和触摸的教学材料。通过使用这些教材来探索PDC主题，CS学生将能够查看和听到并行和分布式计算，并触摸执行这些计算的硬件。项目团队还将开发免费的，互动的在线PDC教科书，并集合在没有计算机的情况下学习PDC概念的“未插头”练习。 2）新线程安全库的听觉软件和教材，以便学生可以听到抽象的PDC概念和计算； 3）由廉价的多核单板计算机构建的操纵学习系统，因此PDC系统是具体且可触摸的； 4）“未插入”活动，使PDC算法可访问广泛的受众； 5）免费的交互式PDC教科书，该教科书将通过客户端和基于云的系统的组合来部署。这些材料将通过csinparallel.org网站访问，这是一个先前资助的NSF项目（奖项1226172; 1225739; 1225796）。更广泛的影响将包括加强和多样化美国网络工作人员，提高CS教师和全国学生的PDC技能，包括在少数群体服务机构中的PDC技能，以及通过教师开发工作室和新的社交网络在CSINPARALALE上进行的社会网络范围的特征，使PDC教育工作者社区多样化。基金会的智力优点和更广泛的影响审查标准。