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EduPar-25: 15th NSF/TCPP Workshop on Parallel and Distributed Computing Education

EduPar-25: 15th NSF/TCPP Workshop on Parallel and Distributed Computing Education

In conjunction with the 39th IEEE International Parallel & Distributed Processing Symposium (IPDPS), Milan, Italy, June 04, 2025

https://tcpp.cs.gsu.edu/curriculum/?q=edupar25

Submission deadline: January 17, 2025

Submission site: https://ssl.linklings.net/conferences/ipdps/

Link to Technical Program: TBA

Parallel and Distributed Computing (PDC) has become integral to modern computing, including personal devices and web/cloud services. It enables tackling data-intensive challenges in various fields. PDC influences both "explicit" user programming and "implicit" everyday tool usage. As PDC becomes ubiquitous, it's crucial that computing curricula incorporate these topics. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into PDC has further enhanced its capabilities. AI algorithms and models can be leveraged to optimize resource allocation, improve load balancing, and automate task distribution in parallel and distributed systems. AI-powered predictive analytics can also help anticipate resource demands and dynamically adjust PDC configurations. Additionally, AI-driven fault tolerance mechanisms can enhance the reliability of PDC environments. The rapid advancements in hardware, software, and applications pose ongoing challenges in keeping educational programs up-to-date. Preparing students for careers centered around PDC and is vital in this evolving landscape.

The EduPar workshop is organized in collaboration with the NSF/TCPP curriculum initiative on Parallel and Distributed Computing (http://tcpp.cs.gsu.edu/curriculum) and the Center for Parallel and Distributed Curriculum Development and Educational Resources (CDER). Hosted alongside IPDPS (www.ipdps.org), EduPar gathers participants from academia, industry, and various educational and research institutions to discuss new ideas, challenges, and experiences in PDC pedagogy, curricula, and workforce development.

EduPar invites unpublished manuscripts from individuals or teams in academia, industry, and various educational and research institutions worldwide. These manuscripts should focus on teaching PDC topics within Computer Science and Computer Engineering curricula, as well as domain-specific computational and data science and engineering programs. Researchers, scholars, and practitioners are encouraged to submit their work for consideration in one of two paper tracks, or for poster or Peachy assignments sessions. assistant EduPar seeks unpublished manuscripts from individuals or teams in academia, industry, and various educational and research institutions globally. These manuscripts should address the teaching of PDC topics in Computer Science and Computer Engineering curricula, as well as in domain-specific computational and data science and engineering programs. Authors are also encouraged to submit work demonstrating use of generative AI and large language models (LLMs) to enhance instruction, foster deeper understanding, and prepare students for the evolving landscape of parallel and distributed computing. Researchers, scholars, and practitioners are invited to submit their work for consideration in one of two paper tracks, or for poster or Peachy assignments sessions.

Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the following areas:

  • Exploration of emerging PDC, Big Data, Data Science, and Energy topics to contribute valuable insights to TCPP and associated educational initiatives
  • Development of models for integrating PDC topics into fundamental computing curricula, focusing on curriculum design
  • Examination of pedagogical challenges associated with incorporating PDC topics into computing courses
  • Sharing experiences integrating PDC topics into core computing courses, new curricula/courses, or other practical applications
  • Evaluation and discussion of pedagogical tools, programming environments, infrastructures, languages, and projects designed for PDC
  • Innovative approaches to teaching PDC topics, including informal learning environments
  • Employers' perspectives and expectations regarding PDC proficiency in new graduates and training curricula for their employees
  • Educational resources based on higher-level programming languages and directives like Chapel, Haskell, Python, Cilk, CUDA, OpenCL, OpenMP/OpenACC, Pthread, Hadoop, and Spark
  • Exploration of educational resources and techniques for online pedagogy, e-learning, e-laboratory, Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC), and Small Private Online Courses (SPOC)
  • Exploration of integrating generative AI and LLMs into teaching PDC topics in computing curriculum
  • PDC experiences at non-university levels, including secondary schools, postgraduate education, industry, and the diffusion of PDC knowledge
  • Parallel and distributed models of programming/computation suitable for teaching, learning, and workforce development

Track 1 - Educational Research: For this track, we welcome researchers unpublished 6-8 page manuscripts from individuals or teams from academia, industry, and other educational and research institutes from all over the world on topics about the teaching of PDC topics in the Computer Science and Computer Engineering curriculum as well as in domain-specific computational and data science and engineering curricula. This track emphasizes conducting pedagogical research related to PDC education and evaluating it within classroom or other settings.

Track 2 - Research to Education: For this particular track, we welcome IPDPS researchers to submit 3-4 page manuscripts discussing their innovative experiences in integrating their research, as well as associated methods, tools, models, simulations, or datasets, into educational settings, with a focus on undergraduate or K-12 levels, or fostering broader community engagement. Submissions do not need to include an assessment of teaching techniques or in-class evaluations. Following is a list of sample PDC research topics but not limited to: parallel algorithm visualization and interactive learning tools, resource allocation simulations, fault tolerance demonstrations, multi-core programming exercises, gpu computing introductions, programming models and frameworks, software performance engineering, emerging technologies integration, such as, quantum computing basics, edge computing scenarios, machine learning parallelization. Early career faculty, including those applying for or already having CAREER awards from NSF or other agencies, are especially encouraged to submit.

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

We are accepting submissions for Track 1 Full Papers (6-8 pages), Track 2 Short Papers (3-4 pages), Posters (2-page abstracts), and Peachy Parallel Assignments (2-page abstracts). Please see the details below for each category of submission. All entries must be submitted via the Linklings submission site (https://ssl.linklings.net/conferences/ipdps/). Please ensure that submissions adhere to the IEEE format (https://www.ieee.org/conferences/publishing/templates.html), featuring single-spaced, double-column pages with proper inclusion of figures, tables, and references.

If accepted, regular and short papers will be published in the workshop proceedings and included in the IEEE Xplore digital library, and authors will present their work in a technical workshop session. Authors of accepted Posters and Peachy Assignments will present their work during the workshop poster sessions. Summary papers of all accepted posters and all accepted Peachy Assignments will also be published in the workshop proceedings. Proceedings of the workshops are distributed at the conference and will be included in the IEEE Xplore Digital Library after the conference. Summary papers will be written by the Poster and Peachy Assignment chairs and will include, as co-authors, all Poster and Peachy Assignment authors. In addition, all individual abstracts, posters, and preprints of papers will be published on the EduPar-25 CDER website.

Papers: Authors are asked to submit 6-8 page papers in pdf format for Track 1 and 3-4 page papers in pdf format for Track 2. Submissions will be reviewed based on the novelty of contributions, impact on the broader undergraduate curriculum, particularly on the core curriculum, relevance to the workshop's goals, and, for experience papers, the results of their evaluation and the evaluation methodology.

Posters:High-quality poster presentations are an integral part of EduPar. We seek posters (2-page abstracts) describing recent or ongoing research.

Peachy Parallel Assignments: Course assignments are integral to student learning and also play an important role in student perceptions of the field. EduPar will include a session showcasing "Peachy Parallel Assignments" - high-quality assignments, previously tested in class, that are readily adoptable by other educators teaching topics in parallel and distributed computing. Assignments may be previously published, but the author must have the right to publish a description of it and share all supporting materials. We are seeking assignments that are:

  • Tested - All submitted assignments should have been used successfully in a class.
  • Adoptable - Preference will be given to widely applicable and easy-to-adopt assignments. Traits of such assignments include coverage of widely taught concepts, using common parallel languages and widely available hardware, having few prerequisites, and (with variations) being appropriate for different levels of students.
  • Cool and inspirational - We want assignments that excite students and encourage them to spend time with the material. Ideally, they would be things that students want to show off to their roommates.
  • Assignments can cover any topics in Parallel and Distributed Computing. Preference will be given to assignments aimed at students in the early courses. Submissions (2-page abstracts) should describe the assignment and its contextual usage and include a link to a web page containing the complete set of files given to students (assignment description, supporting code, etc.). The document should cover the following items: What is the main idea of the assignment? What concepts are covered? Who are its targeted students? In what context have you used it? What prerequisite material does it assume they have seen? What are its strengths and weaknesses? Are there any variations that may be of interest?

IMPORTANT DATES

  • Papers, Posters, and Peachy Assignments due: January 17, 2025
  • Author Notification: February 17, 2025
  • Camera-ready papers due: March 6, 2025
  • Final versions of Poster abstracts and Peachy Assignments due: February 24, 2025
  • Best Paper Award: All submitted papers will be peer-reviewed and considered for the Best Paper Award.

KEYNOTE:

Speaker: Prof. Keshav Pingali

Topic: TBA

COMMITTEES

Program Committee

  • Joel Adams - Calvin University
  • Kishwar Ahmed - The University of Toledo, United States of America
  • Neelima Bayyapu - Manipal Institute of Technology Manipal Academy of Higher Education, India
  • Steven Bogaerts - University of Michigan
  • Chris Bourke- University of Nebraska Lincoln
  • David Brown - Elmhurst University, United States of America
  • David P. Bunde - Knox College
  • Katharine Cahill - New Jersey Institute of Technology, United States of America
  • Crockett, April - Tennessee Tech
  • Debzani Deb - Winston-Salem State University
  • Samantha S. Foley- University of Wisconsin, La Crosse, United States of America
  • Sheikh Ghafoor- Tennessee Tech University, National Science Foundation (NSF), United States of America
  • Charlotte Gruner- Casper College
  • Anshul Gupta - IBM Corporation
  • Gannod, Jerry- Tennessee Tech
  • D. Brian Larkins- Rhodes College
  • Tia Newhall - Swarthmore College
  • Charlie Peck - Earlham College
  • Satish Puri - Missouri University of Science and Technology, United States of America
  • Apan Qasem - Texas State University, United States of America
  • Erik Saule - University of North Carolina Charlotte, United States of America
  • Elizabeth Shoop - Macalester College
  • Mary L. Smith - Hawaii Pacific University
  • Jaime Spacco - Knox College
  • Xiaoyuan Suo - Webster University
  • Alan Sussman - University of Maryland, United States of America
  • Shubbhi Taneja - Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI)
  • George K. Thiruvathukal - Loyola University
  • Jerry L. Trahan - Louisiana State University
  • Ramachandran Vaidyanathan - Louisiana State University
  • Charles Weems - University of Massachusetts, Amherst, United States of America
  • Jiayin Wang - Montclair State University
  • Michelle Zhu - Montclair State University

Conference Committee

  • Workshop Chair: Sushil Prasad (University of Texas at San Antonio)
  • Program Chair: Srishti Srivastava (University of Southern Indiana)
  • Program Vice-Chair: Satish Puri (Missouri University of Science and Technology)
  • Poster Chair: Shubhi Taneja (Worcester Polytechnic Institute)
  • Peachy Assignments Chair: David Bunde (Knox College)
  • Proceedings Chair: Buddhi Ashan Mallika Kankanamalage (University of Texas at San Antonio)
  • Past Program Chair: Mary Smith (Hawaii Pacific University)
  • Webmaster: Buddhi Ashan Mallika Kankanamalage (University of Texas at San Antonio)

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