Teaching Concurrent and Distributed Computing -- Initiatives in Rio de Janeiro

Abstract

In this paper we describe two ongoing initiatives for teaching concurrency and distribution in PUC-Rio and UFRJ. One of them is a new approach for teaching distributed systems. Conventional distributed system courses follow a syllabus in which a list of topics is discussed independently and at different levels of abstractions. In Edupar'2012, we proposed a course with a novel approach, using a wireless sensor network environment to pin all topics down to concrete applications and to maintain issues such as fault tolerance and coordination continuously present. The second initiative is a smaller one, in which we insert a new topic in a Systems Software course to allow students to have a better understanding of what is application-level multitasking and of how it can be implemented. In this paper, we report on the experience of teaching the proposed syllabus and the adjustments that were necessary. We also discuss some plans for the courses in 2013.