CRCD: Curriculum Development and Infrastructure for an Advanced Systems Laboratory

University Of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA

Investigators

Abstract

087945 Kurose, Jame F. University of Massachusetts CRCD: Curriculum Development and Infrastructure for an Advanced Systems Laboratory This project involves collaboration between two institutions, the University of Massachusetts and Smith College. The project integrates current research results and cutting-edge practices in systems, specifically in the fields of operating systems, distributed systems, real-time systems, multimedia systems, and networking. The project incorporates educational modules that are research-driven, laboratory-based, hands-on, experiment-oriented, for both undergraduate and graduate students, in computing curricula. The new course and curriculum project modules are part of a pool of laboratory projects that are integrated into existing courses and serve as the foundations for two new courses. In addition to funding for module development, this project supports a multi-site Advanced Systems Laboratory (including 75 networked PCs and a half dozen routers - one server and PC cluster at Smith College and the remaining servers and PCs at University of Massachusetts) to serve approximately 400 students per year. The role of the laboratory is to permit students to use hands-on modules to implement, instrument, and experiment with hardware and software that integrate recent research results in the core areas of networking, distributed systems, operating systems, multimedia and real-time systems. A standard template guides module development that includes guidelines for module format and module resource (e.g., tools) requirements. The PIs are supported in this effort by the University of Massachusetts Video Instructional Program staff who have expertise in video-based education.