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CSC 411: Computer Organization (Spring 2024)

Syllabus is subject to change at the instructor's discretion with reasonable notice to the students.

Description

This course provides a comprehensive and rigorous exploration of fundamental principles in computer organization, delving into the fascinating interplay of hardware and software that underpins modern computing systems. Topics covered include instruction sets, assembly language programming, processor design, the memory hierarchy, and performance optimization, with a particular focus on the RISC-V architecture.

Prerequisite: CSC 212 and student must be admitted to a degree-granting college.

This course is designed to ignite students' curiosity, pushing their boundaries, and provide them with the tools necessary to thrive in the world of computer organization and architecture. Students are encouraged to embrace the challenges and strive for excellence.

Course Info

  • Instructor: Prof. Marco Alvarez
    • Office Hours: W 4-5p @ ZOOM
  • Lectures: TTh 5:30-6:45p @ PHMC 240
  • Lab: W 5-5:50p @ ZOOM
  • TAs' Office Hours:
    • Ethan Carlson, M 12-1p @ ZOOM
    • Carl Stoker, M 5:30-7:30p @ ZOOM
    • Ethan Carlson, TTh 12:30-2p @ Tyler lounge (top floor)

Support Tools and Technology

Students enrolled in this course are required to have access to the following tools to enhance their learning experience and facilitate communication.

Placeholder Ed Discussion: hosts forums for discussions, polls, and quizzes, providing opportunities for students to interact with classmates and instructors, share insights, and test their understanding of key concepts [Ed Help].

Placeholder Gradescope: simplifies assignment submissions and grading, ensuring clear and consistent feedback from instructors. Students can review their graded work, visualize feedback points, and gain insights into their strengths and areas for improvement [Gradescope Help Center].

Placeholder Zoom: the platform of choice for hosting virtual lab sessions and office hours. Students are strongly encouraged to connect using their University provided accounts on laptops or computers. Some lab sessions may involve the use of software beyond what is available on mobile devices. [Zoom Support].

Effective utilization of these tools is key to optimize the learning experience. Students should familiarize themselves with each platform, actively participate in Ed Discussion, submit assignments through Gradescope by the designated deadlines, and attend Zoom sessions prepared to learn and interact.

All students are automatically registered to use the above tools. To ensure seamless access, students should rely on their primary eCampus email address as their login for all three platforms.

Required/Recommended Textbooks

Grading

  • Attendance and Participation (5%)
  • Homework Assignments (20%)
  • Midterm Exam (25%)
  • Technical Presentation (20%)
  • Final Exam (30%)

Final letter grades are determined based on the cutoffs below. The final letter grade corresponds to the highest cutoff value that is less than or equal to the final grade. For example, a final grade of 93.5 would result in an A-.

A    A-    B+    B    B-    C+    C    C-    D+    D    F
94   90    87    83   80    77    73   70    67    60   0

Attendance and Participation

Participation in discussions, asking questions, and contributing to the learning environment are highly valued. To encourage this engagement, attendance is randomly recorded throughout the semester at select lectures and labs. Additionally, student participation is considered through their contributions on the Ed Discussion platform.

Homework Assignments

Homework assignments are individual work, unless explicitly stated otherwise in the assignment's instructions. Students have approximately 7-10 days to complete each assignment, with specific due dates indicated on the course website.

Late submissions are not accepted. To maximize learning and gain valuable feedback, students are strongly encouraged to bring their code, solutions, or questions to the instructor's office hours prior to the due date.

Exams

The course includes both midterm and final examinations administered in-person. These individual evaluations are designed to be open-book, allowing students to consult any printed materials. However, electronic devices are strictly prohibited during the examinations.

To ensure fairness and equal opportunity, the provision of make-up exams is limited to rare cases where official documentation substantiates extenuating circumstances.

Technical Presentation

Students collaborate in teams of two to delve deeper into a specific topic related to computer organization. Exceptions to team formation may be granted under special circumstances with written permission from the instructor.

To facilitate exploration and expertise development, the instructor provides a curated list of potential presentation topics from which teams can make their selection. Each team's mission is to thoroughly research and master their chosen topic, and subsequently engage the class through a well-prepared presentation.

These presentations take place during the final two weeks of the semester, with each team allotted a maximum of 20 minutes to showcase their insights and findings. Students are expected to deliver their presentation in the form of a set of professionally crafted slides, that visually complement their chosen topic.

This collaborative project provides a valuable opportunity for students to refine their communication skills, deepen their understanding of a specialized area, and contribute to the collective learning experience of the class.

Academic Integrity and Large Language Models (LLMs)

While collaborative discussions and peer learning are encouraged for gaining insights, students must prioritize academic integrity, particularly concerning their written work and source code. Sharing solutions with others, copying another student's work, or using uncredited LLM-generated code is strictly prohibited. These actions constitute plagiarism, a serious offense with significant consequences outlined in the University's Academic Honesty Procedures.

Students are encouraged to employ LLMs responsibly and ethically when utilizing them for homework assignments. While LLMs are powerful tools to aid in research, understanding, and generating content, it is imperative that students produce original work in their assignments. Simply copying and pasting content generated by LLMs without proper understanding or attribution constitutes academic dishonesty.

Students should use LLMs as aids to enhance their comprehension of the subject matter, providing insights and ideas that contribute to the development of their own work.

Disability Accommodations

Any student with a documented disability is welcome to contact the instructor as early in the semester as possible to arrange reasonable accommodations. As part of this process, students are advised to initially contact the Disability Services for Students Office, located in room 302 of the Memorial Union (401-874-2098).

Religious Holidays

It is the policy of the University of Rhode Island to accord students, on an individual basis, the opportunity to observe their traditional religious holidays. Students desiring to observe a holiday of special importance must provide written notification to the instructor.