Learning by Doing: Report on a Sequence of Practical Activities in Scientific Initiation Related to Computer Architecture

Authors

  • Ivan Saraiva Silva UFPI
  • Francisco Carlos Silva Junior UFPI
  • Tiago Patrocínio UFPI
  • Francisco das Chagas de Lima Alves UFPI

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5753/ijcae.2015.4922

Keywords:

Scientific initiation, Memory hierarchy, microprocessors, Dedicated hardware blocks

Abstract

Scientific initiation has become, in Brazil, an almost unavoidable stage in the academic career. This is partly due to the availability of scholarships provided by funding programs such as the Institutional Program for Scientific Initiation Scholarships (PIBIC) and the Institutional Program for Technological Development and Innovation Initiation Scholarships (PIBIT). However, the success of scientific initiation is also due to the perception that the activities, which are typically practical, developed by students ensure a solid academic formation. This article presents a report on a set of practical activities performed by students involved in scientific initiation. Through these activities, students mastered the process of describing and prototyping architectures using hardware description languages and prototyping boards. They were also able to verify, in practice, the impact caused by dedicated hardware components, as well as the impact of memory hierarchy on performance.

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Published

2015-12-01

How to Cite

Silva, I. S., Silva Junior, F. C., Patrocínio, T., & Alves, F. das C. de L. (2015). Learning by Doing: Report on a Sequence of Practical Activities in Scientific Initiation Related to Computer Architecture. International Journal of Computer Architecture Education, 4(1), 5–8. https://doi.org/10.5753/ijcae.2015.4922

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