Cross teaching parallelism and ray tracing: a project-based approach to teaching applied parallel computing
Cross teaching parallelism and ray tracing: a project-based approach to teaching applied parallel computing
复制标题
交叉教学并行性和光线追踪：基于项目的应用并行计算教学方法
DOI：
--
复制
发表时间：
2012
期刊：
影响因子：
--
通讯作者：
Christine Victorino
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
C. Lupo;Zoë J. Wood;Christine Victorino
大规模并行图形处理单元（GPU）硬件已变得越来越强大、可用且经济实惠。软件工具也已经发展到程序员可以编写通用并行程序的地步，这些程序利用硬件中可用的大量计算核心。由于单个设备上有数百个计算核心可用，程序性能可以提高几个数量级。我们认为，向学生介绍大规模并行硬件的并行编程的概念，是越来越重要的本科计算机科学课程。此外，我们相信，学生学习最好的时候，给出的项目，反映真实的问题，在计算机科学。本文介绍了整合两个本科计算机科学课程，以提高学生学习并行计算的概念的经验。在这种交叉教学经验中，我们构建了课程的整合，使学习并行计算的学生与学习高级渲染的学生一起工作，大约占四分之一长的课程的30%。在一个联合项目的团队中工作，两组学生都能够看到并行化在现有软件项目中的应用，同时在两门课程的早期课程中暴露出好处和复杂性。激励项目和性能增益进行了讨论，以及学生的调查数据的学习成果的有效性。业绩和调查数据都表明，交叉教学经验带来了积极的收获。
Massively parallel Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) hardware has become increasingly powerful, available and affordable. Software tools have also advanced to the point that programmers can write general purpose parallel programs that take advantage of the large number of compute cores available in the hardware. With literally hundreds of compute cores available on a single device, program performance can increase by orders of magnitude. We believe that introducing students to the concepts of parallel programming for massively parallel hardware is of increasing importance in an undergraduate computer science curriculum. Furthermore, we believe that students learn best when given projects that reflect real problems in computer science. This paper describes the experience of integrating two undergraduate computer science courses to enhance student learning in parallel computing concepts. In this cross teaching experience we structured the integration of the courses such that students studying parallel computing worked with students studying advanced rendering for approximately 30% of the quarter long courses. Working in teams on a joint project, both groups of students were able to see the application of parallelization to an existing software project with both the benefits and complications exposed early in the curriculum of both courses. Motivating projects and performance gains are discussed, as well as student survey data on the effectiveness of the learning outcomes. Both performance and survey data indicate a positive gain from the cross teaching experience.