CS.305
Computer Architecture
<local.cis.strath.ac.uk/teaching/ug/classes/CS.305>
Introduction
Duncan Smeed
Administrivia
Resources
Syllabus
Essential Reading
Lecture Notes
One-Minute Papers
Tutorials
Assessments
Pre-requisites
Recommended Reading/References
Exam Stats
Introduction
CS305_01/2
Resources
Web pages
Newsgroup(s)
Forum
E-mail
Introduction
CS305_01/3
Resources – Web pages
 Official home page:
<local.cis.strath.ac.uk/teaching/ug/classes/CS.305/>
 Primarily used for everything bar the assignment submission
system (see SPIDER below)
 Major update announcements:
<local.cis.strath.ac.uk/teaching/ug/classes/CS.305/news.
html>
 SPIDER:
<spider.science.strath.ac.uk/spider/spider/showClass.p
hp?class=CS305>
 Really only used for assignment submissions
 Will contain links to the ‘official’ web pages
Introduction
CS305_01/4
Resources – Newsgroups RIP
 Official newsgroup at
<news:strath.cis.teaching.ug.cs305>
 Integral part of class delivery content - examinable material
 Usual place for announcements, etc.
 ‘Chat’ newsgroup at
<news:strath.cis.teaching.ug.cs305.chat>
 Non-official newsgroup about class-related topics!
Introduction
CS305_01/5
Resources – Forum
 Official Forum
<https://local.cis.strath.ac.uk/forums/viewforum.p
hp?f=54>
 Integral part of class delivery content?*
• May contain examinable material
 Usual place for announcements, etc.*
* Note: still TBC since the Forum has replaced the newsgroup for the
first time this year
 ‘Chat’ Forum:
 Non-existent!
 If need/demand arises it might get set up
Introduction
CS305_01/6
Resources – E-mail
 The official forum is the preferred(!?) method of einteraction…
… However, if you must use e-mail to contact me about
the class then please be aware of my…
… Filters and Spam Traps, so
 Please use the label [CS305] as part of the subject line
 Best to use your official University or Departmental account
Introduction
CS305_01/7
Syllabus & Essential Reading
 Syllabus
See Handout, or
<local.cis.strath.ac.uk/teaching/ug/syllabus/CS_305.
html>
 Essential Reading
<http://tinyurl.com/PandH4th>
Computer Organization and Design: The
Hardware/Software Interface, Fourth Edition
David Patterson, University of California, Berkeley
John Hennessy, Stanford University
 More textbook details at:
<local.cis.strath.ac.uk/teaching/ug/classes/CS.305/a
bout/textbook.html>
Introduction
CS305_01/8
Lecture Notes
 Distribution policy
Available from:
<local.cis.strath.ac.uk/teaching/ug/classes/CS.305/d
ownloads/>
 Printed handouts of the slides will be distributed in
(advance of) each lecture
 Slides only part of the story!
 Attending the lectures is highly recommended*
 Having (access to) the textbook is essential
* Note: It is now departmental policy to record attendance at
lectures, practicals and tutorials.
Introduction
CS305_01/9
One-Minute Papers
 This will be the 5th year of using OMPs to support the
teaching of this class
 Handed out at the start of each lecture
 If I forget then please remind me!
 Collected in at the end of each lecture
 Please don’t forget to hand in your OMP!
 Returned at a subsequent tutorial
 Used to kick-start a tutorial’s Q&A?
 OMP Bonus Scheme!
 Worth up to an additional 10% of the coursework contribution.
I.e. 10% * 20% => 2% of the overall assessment.
 Each OMP is given a mark between 1 and 3
① Neither of the questions answered
② Only one of the questions (sensibly!?)
③ Both questions answered (sensibly!?)
Introduction
CS305_01/10
One-Minute Paper… Questions
 There are two OMP questions:
Q1 What was the most important point made in the lecture today?
Q2 What are you still most unsure of as a result of the lecture?
 Please answer these questions as honestly as possible
 They are an invaluable, and immediate, source of feedback
 Answers to Q2 will help focus later lectures/tutorials on
common issues
 There may be a third question – typically a MCQ for
eliciting feedback. For instance:
Introduction
CS305_01/11
Tutorials
 Details/Links:
<local.cis.strath.ac.uk/teaching/ug/classes/CS.305/tut
orials/>
 Guidelines:
<local.cis.strath.ac.uk/teaching/ug/classes/CS.305/tut
orials/guidelines.html>
 Start Week 3 – Allocations announced in Week 2 –
Day/Time/Room:
 Thu/11:00/GH450
 Thu/12:00/GH450
 Fri/13:00/GH451
 There’s work to be done before, and in, each tutorial! E.g.
<local.cis.strath.ac.uk/teaching/ug/classes/CS.305/tut
orials/t01.html>
Introduction
CS305_01/12
Encourage Learning with In-Tutorial Exercises
 Exercises attempted before/during/after tutorials are a
vital aspect of engaging with the class content.
 Most of the exercises will be derived from the end-ofchapter exercises of the textbook.
 The more exercises attempted the better the level of
knowledge and understanding will be.
 Given the number of exercises that are set and the
importance of these, it is recommended that students
organise themselves into small self-help groups.
 I call these self-help groups “ELITE Teams” ;-)
Introduction
CS305_01/13
ELITE Teams
 Composition
 Self-determined by the students
 Up to 4 students in each team
 Members of a team should be in the same tutorial group
 Organisation
 ELITE Teams are encouraged to meet on an ad-hoc, weekly,
basis outside the scheduled times for the CS305
lectures/tutorials. The time available in a tutorial will not be
enough!
 Members of the team are encouraged to share the workload
of answering the In-Tutorial Exercises. How this is done is up
to each team. There are several approaches…
 Justification & Motivation
 ELITE Team members will be able to discuss and answer
more questions/exercises than they could as individuals.
Introduction
CS305_01/14
Assessments
Exam: 80%
 Answer 3 questions from 4
Coursework: 20%





Assessed Coursework Exercise #1
Assessed Coursework Exercise #2
Assessed Coursework Exercise Group Project
Class Test #1
Class Test #2
 Bonuses: ?%
 OMP Bonus Scheme!
 Bonus questions in ACEs?
Introduction
CS305_01/15
Assessed Coursework Exercises (ACEs)
 Assessed Coursework Exercise #1 (ACE #1)




Type: Individual Exercise
Weight: 100/300
Set:
Monday, 12th October 2009 - Week 3
Due:
Friday, 6th November 2009 - Week 6
 Assessed Coursework Exercise #2 (ACE #2)




Type: Individual Exercise
Weight: 100/300
Set:
Monday, 9th November 2009 - Week 7
Due:
Friday, 4th December 2009 - Week 10
Introduction
CS305_01/16
ACE Group Project
 Assessed Coursework Exercise Group Project




Type: Group Exercise
Weight: 100/300
Set:
Monday, 16th November 2009 - Week 8
Due:
Friday, 18th December - Week 12
 ACE Groups
 Composition:
 Operation:
Introduction
Possibly the same as an ELITE Team. TBC.
TBD
CS305_01/17
Class Tests
 Class Test #1 (CT #1)
 Type: In-lecture, 25 question, 30-minute, MCQ
 Weight: 50/300*
 Set:
Monday, 9th November 2009 - Week 7
 Class Test #2 (CT #2)
 Type: In-lecture, 25 question, 30-minute, MCQ
 Weight: 50/300*
 Set:
Monday, 7th December 2009 - Week 11
* The total mark from all assessments is 300 and is calculated from
the best mix of ACE #1, ACE #2, CT #1 and CT #2 marks added to
the ACE Group Project mark. I.e. the combined mark for CT #1 and
CT #2 may be used to compensate for the poorest #ACE mark if
this gives a better total. The Group Project mark cannot be
compensated.
Introduction
CS305_01/18
Feedback Mechanisms
 Marked work and/or marking schemes
 As appropriate
 Sample solutions
 Online and/or covered in lectures/tutorials
 Forum Q&As
 But remember this is not a ‘distance learning’ class!
 One-Minute Papers
 Help focus later lectures/tutorials on common issues
 Class Tests
 Correct answers given in the lecture following the class test
 Tutorials
 Worked exercises and solutions to in-tutorial exercises
Introduction
CS305_01/19
Pre-requisites
Note recommended pre-requisites for the
class:
 52 139 Computer Organisation
 52 223 Low Level Programming
Introduction
CS305_01/20
Recommended Reading/References
1. Computer Organization and Design: The
Hardware/Software Interface, Fourth Edition
<http://tinyurl.com/PandH4th>
David Patterson, University of California, Berkeley
John Hennessy, Stanford University
2. 52.139 (Duncan's version) Lecture Notes
Available (restricted access) from:
<local.cis.strath.ac.uk/teaching/ug/classes/CS.305/d
ownloads/>
3. 52.223 Lecture Notes
Available (restricted access) from:
<local.cis.strath.ac.uk/teaching/ug/classes/52.223/d
ownloads/>
Introduction
CS305_01/21
Exam Stats
 Out of curiousity I have analysed the exam results
from the first diet CS305 exams for past cohorts.
 In particular, I was curious to see if the attendances at
lectures and tutorials were a good predictor of
performance in the exam. So, here are the raw stats
so you can draw your own conclusions.
 Key:




Introduction
#l = number of lectures
#s = number of students
#t = number of tutorials
#p = number of students passing the first diet exam
CS305_01/22
Exam Stats – AY 2006/2007 - Details
 By lecture attendance






#l
23
21-22
16-20
9-15
<9
#s
13
20
23
8
9
#p
13
19
17
4
3
Mean
69.3
65.1
60.0
44.7
34.3
Std.Dev
17.2
14.5
21.4
15.9
22.0
Mean
67.8
53.8
41.1
Std.Dev
16.2
19.0
21.9
 By tutorial attendance




Introduction
#t
8-9
5-7
<5
#s
28
28
17
#p
27
21
7
CS305_01/23
Exam Stats – AY 2007/2008 - Details
 By lecture attendance






#l
23
21-22
16-20
9-15
<9
#s
16
16
21
16
2
#p
16
14
17
5
1
Mean
64.5
47.0
48.0
32.6
27.0
Std.Dev
12.8
10.8
12.8
13.2
24.0
Mean
56.3
48.8
41.6
31.0
Std.Dev
16.0
13.2
14.9
12.9
 By tutorial attendance





Introduction
#t
9
8
5-7
<5
#s
25
19
21
5
#p
22
17
13
1
CS305_01/24
Exam Stats – AY 2008/2009 - Details
 By lecture attendance






#l
22
20-21
15-19
10-14
<10
#s
7
23
23
5
5
#p
6
20
21
5
2
Mean
57.6
60.3
55.6
62.6
51.5
Std.Dev
13.9
16.1
15.6
12.2
9.5
Mean
64.8
59.5
54.9
58.1
46.2
Std.Dev
13.5
16.9
13.2
14.6
12.6
 By tutorial attendance






Introduction
#t
10
9
8
5-7
<5
#s
12
17
14
12
8
#p
12
15
12
11
4
CS305_01/25
Exam Stats – Summaries
 AY2006/2007 – 73 Students:
 Number of students that passed at first attempt: 56
 Number of students absent from exam: 4
 Average exam mark: 57.1%
 Std. dev. of exam marks: 20.8
 AY2007/2008 – 74 Students
 Number of students that passed at first attempt: 53
 Number of students absent from exam: 4
 Average exam mark: 47.6%
 Std. dev. of exam marks: 17.2
 AY2008/2009 – 63 Students:
 Number of students that passed at first attempt: 54
 Number of students absent from exam: 3
 Average exam mark: 58.1%
 Std. dev. of exam marks: 15.4
Introduction
CS305_01/26