ANT: A Coherent Framework for Computer Science Education

这个完整的EMD项目正在增强ANT，一个虚拟机框架。 以前用于教CS学生有关机器架构，汇编语言编程和数据表示的介绍性概念，ANT正在扩展到适用于CS核心课程，如架构和逻辑课程，VLSI设计课程，编译器课程和操作系统课程。 ANT旨在为学生提供可应用于解决真实的问题的背景、工具、技术和直觉。ANT框架提供了课程之间的连续性，展示了代码重用的真实示例，并使学生对贯穿许多抽象层的计算框架有了透彻的理解。 ANT的实施正在修订，使其适合不同的人群，包括其他大学，社区学院，成人教育计划和高中计算课程。 目前正在通过开发多平台支持和强大的图形用户界面来实现这一目标。 正在几个不同的计算机科学教育机构进行形成性评价。 已经制定了一份评价协议，将分发给所有试验地点。正在收集治疗前和治疗后的数据，以提供使用ANT的结果比较。 此外，正在实施一种研究学生工作习惯的方法，以便分析ANT在具体课程中的用处。 传播工作正在通过一个ANT网站完成，该网站载有文件、教程、评价结果和ANT实际平台。 这是建立和维护的哈佛大学服务器上的承诺，以维持该网站，只要ANT被认为是有用的计算机科学教学。 目前正在与一家计算机科学教科书出版商进行谈判，以出版完整的ANT文件沿着载有产品和示例问题的光盘。

This full EMD project is enhancing ANT, a virtual machine framework. Previously used to teach CS students introductory concepts about machine architecture, assembly language programming and data representation, ANT is being expanded to be applicable and useful across the CS core curriculum, such as in architecture and logic courses, VLSI design courses, compiler courses, and operating systems courses. ANT is designed to provide students with the background, tools, techniques and intuitions that can be applied to solving real problems. The ANT framework provides continuity between courses, demonstrates real-world examples of code reuse, and gives students a thorough understanding of a computational framework that cuts through many layers of abstraction. The ANT implementation is being revised to make it suitable for diverse populations, including other universities, community colleges, adult education programs, and high school computing courses. This is being accomplished by developing multi-platform support and a robust graphical user interface. A formative evaluation is being conducted at several different computer science education settings. An evaluation protocol has been developed to be distributed to all test sites. Both pre and post treatment data is being collected to provide a comparison of results using ANT. In addition a methodology for studying student work habits is being implemented to allow analysis of usefulness of ANT in the context of specific courses. Dissemination is being accomplished using an ANT web site containing documentation, tutorials, the evaluation results and the actual ANT platform. This is being established and maintained on the Harvard University server with the commitment to sustain the site as long as ANT is considered to be useful to teach computer science. Negotiations are taking place with a publisher of computer science texts books to publish the complete ANT documentation along with a CD-ROM containing the product and sample problems.