Surveying approaches and tools in computer systems education
Table of Contents
This was posted at the date above via the Research Opportunities Program (ROP) on CLNx.
Research course description #
It is no secret that computers have evolved significantly over the last 100 years. How have undergraduate courses in computer systems (sub-fields include: computer architecture, embedded systems, and operating systems) evolved over time? Have they kept pace with the complexity and new ideas introduced or is there a strict focus on the fundamentals? Answering these questions would require a historical survey of computer system education across the globe, but to maintain a manageable scope we survey the literature, the textbooks, the tools, and (when available) the open courseware used for teaching these topics.
Student roles and responsibilities #
Student will: (1) read, summarise, and classify academic papers in computer systems education; (2) find open courseware on computer systems, tabulate the concepts they cover, and classify the course (e.g., based on content, audience, etc.); and (3) review student-centred tools used in computer systems education, attempt to use them, and reflect on the experience.
Academic outcomes and skills gained #
By the end of this course, students will be able to survey a field systematically, which includes: (1) finding reputable publications (e.g., through the UofT library or Google Scholar) with domain-specific search terms and by navigating a tree of references; (2) creating a taxonomy of the surveyed field, (3) identifying trends and anomalies in surveyed data.
Training, mentorship, and/or supervision #
Students will meet bi-weekly with the professor to report “milestone” progress. The professor will give feedback on artifacts and deliverables to incrementally improve them over the course.
Course assessment matrix #
| Learning activity | Assessment | Written work | Due | Weight (25%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Participation | Attending meetings on-time, prepared, and engaged | No | Biweekly | 25 % |
| Students will create worklogs documenting their reflections, research process, and summaries (e.g., of papers read) | Biweekly journal | Yes | Biweekly | 25% |
| Mid-term report | Provide a written report in standard journal format that describes the background and rationale for the research project, methods, results and interpretation, conclusions and future directions. | Yes | December 2025 | 10% |
| Project Presentation and Research Team Feedback | Create and deliver a presentation based on the mid-term report. | No | January 2026 | 10% |
| Final Report | Provide a written report in standard journal format that describes the background and rationale for the research project, methods, results and interpretation, conclusions and future directions. | Yes | April 2026 | 30% |