Workshop Overview

Multi-core computers with increasing core counts are here to stay, and distributed cloud computation has become a staple of industry innovation. How can instructors help today's undergraduate computer science (CS) majors to learn the principles and practices of parallel and distributed computing (PDC) that they need as they begin their careers after college? Hands-on experience with Raspberry Pi single-board computers gives students a tangible understanding of concepts and behaviors of PDC systems, and firsthand use of remote clusters demonstrates high-performance and scalability. CSinParallel is an NSF-funded initiative to help CS programs incorporate parallel and distributed computing (PDC) into their undergraduate curricula. We provide brief teaching modules for adding PDC to nearly any undergraduate CS course, in order to address established CS curricular recommendations such as the ACM/IEEE CS2013.

Workshop Goals

The CSinParallel Piedmont Region Workshop will take place at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina on June 17-20, 2019. Participants in this 3-day workshop and related activities can expect:

  • Hands-on experience with parallel multithreading using OpenMP on Raspberry Pi single-board computers and on remote high-performance multiprocessor systems.
  • Hands-on experience with distributed multiprocessing using the Message Passing Interface (MPI) on clusters of Raspberry Pi systems and on remote high-performance clusters.
  • Engaging discussions about how PDC can stimulate teaching and research (faculty and student).
  • A hands-on introduction to the CSinParallel teaching modules that feature PDC software technologies, parallel programming patterns for teaching PDC problem solving and "parallel thinking," and realistic exemplar applications that motivate students to learn PDC.
  • Assistance in planning how to integrate more parallel and distributed computing (PDC) into the participant institution's undergraduate CS curriculum.
  • Ongoing support for implementing such a plan after the workshop, including support for using remote parallel computing resources.
  • Making connections with nearby faculty who are also seeking to add more PDC to their own curricula, towards the formation of a regional (human) network.

Dates

  • Monday, June 17: 7:00-9:00pm, Informal reception
  • Tuesday, June 18: 7:30am-5:00pm, Workshop sessions
  • Wednesday, June 19: 9:30am-5:00pm, Workshop sessions;
    6:30, Community Dinner
  • Thursday, June 20: 9:30am-12:30pm, Workshop sessions

Costs

Regional travel support, including housing, is available for participants on a first come, first serve basis.

Application

Click here for application form

For More Information

Send any questions to csinparallel@stolaf.edu, or visit csinparallel.org. The CSinParallel leadership for this workshop includes Joel Adams (Calvin College), Dick Brown (St. Olaf College), Libby Shoop (Macalester College), and Suzanne Matthews (West Point).