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SPIMbot: an engaging, problem-based approach to teaching assembly language programming

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Craig ZillesAuthors Info & Claims

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin, Volume 37, Issue 1

Pages 106 - 110

https://doi.org/10.1145/1047124.1047391

Published: 23 February 2005 Publication History

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Abstract

This paper describes SPIMbot, an extension to James Larus's widely-used MIPS simulator SPIM, that allows virtual robots to be controlled by writing programs in the MIPS assembly language. SPIMbot was written to provide an engaging environment to motivate students to learn assembly language concepts. The SPIMbot tool allows the development of scenarios---in which students must program the robot to perform certain tasks---and provides the means to compete two robots against each other.In our sophomore/junior-level class, we structure the programming component as a collection of structured assignments that produce sub-components for the robot; these sub-components are then used in a final open-ended programming assignment to produce an entry for a SPIMbot tournament. In our experience, this has been an effective means of engaging students, with many students investing time to aggressively optimize their implementations. SPIMbot has been effectively used in large classes and its source code is freely available [7].

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B. G. Davis. Tools for Teaching. Jossey-Bass, San Francisco, CA, 2001.

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E. M. F. III and L. Silvestri. Effects of Rewards, Competition and Outcome on Intrinsic Motivation. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 19:3--8, 1992.

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J. Larus. SPIM: A MIPS R2000/R3000 Simulator. http://www.cs.wisc.edu/ larus/spim.html.

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S. Papert. Mindstorms: Children, Computers, and Powerful Ideas. Basic Books, New York, 1980.

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P. Teller, M. Nieto, and S. Roach. Combining Learning Strategies and Tools in a First Course in Computer Architecture. In Workshop on Computer Architecture Education, held in conjunction with the 30th Annual International Symposium on Computer Architecture, June 2003.

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[7]

C. Zilles. SPIMbot. http://www-faculty.cs.uiuc.edu/ zilles/spimbot.

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Cited By

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Kawash J(2024)Where Do Students Struggle Most in a First Course on Assembly Language?Proceedings of the 26th Western Canadian Conference on Computing Education10.1145/3660650.3660652(1-5)Online publication date: 2-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3660650.3660652
Deras Tabora ILizardo Zelaya N(2020)Assembly language and processor design: an integrated projectDYNA10.15446/dyna.v87n212.7957987:212(57-62)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2020
https://doi.org/10.15446/dyna.v87n212.79579
Otero RAravind A(2018)Teaching Computer Architecture Labs using a MCU PlatformProceedings of the 23rd Western Canadian Conference on Computing Education10.1145/3209635.3209651(1-6)Online publication date: 4-May-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3209635.3209651
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Index Terms

SPIMbot: an engaging, problem-based approach to teaching assembly language programming
1. Social and professional topics
  1. Professional topics
    1. Computing education
      1. Computing education programs
        Computer science education
2. Software and its engineering
  1. Software notations and tools
    1. Context specific languages
      1. Macro languages
    2. General programming languages
      1. Language types
        Assembly languages

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Published In

ACM SIGCSE Bulletin Volume 37, Issue 1

2005

562 pages

ISSN:0097-8418

DOI:10.1145/1047124

Issue’s Table of Contents

SIGCSE '05: Proceedings of the 36th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education
February 2005
610 pages
ISBN:1581139977
DOI:10.1145/1047344
Conference Chairs:
Wanda Dann
Ithaca College
,
Tom Naps
University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh
,
Program Chairs:
Paul Tymann
Rochester Institute of Technology
,
Doug Baldwin
SUNY Geneseo

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 23 February 2005

Published in SIGCSE Volume 37, Issue 1

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Kawash J(2024)Where Do Students Struggle Most in a First Course on Assembly Language?Proceedings of the 26th Western Canadian Conference on Computing Education10.1145/3660650.3660652(1-5)Online publication date: 2-May-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3660650.3660652
Deras Tabora ILizardo Zelaya N(2020)Assembly language and processor design: an integrated projectDYNA10.15446/dyna.v87n212.7957987:212(57-62)Online publication date: 1-Jan-2020
https://doi.org/10.15446/dyna.v87n212.79579
Otero RAravind A(2018)Teaching Computer Architecture Labs using a MCU PlatformProceedings of the 23rd Western Canadian Conference on Computing Education10.1145/3209635.3209651(1-6)Online publication date: 4-May-2018
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3209635.3209651
Sondag TPokorny KRajan H(2012)FrancesACM Transactions on Computing Education10.1145/2382564.238256612:4(1-31)Online publication date: 1-Nov-2012
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/2382564.2382566
Borunda PBrewer CErten C(2006)GSPIMACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/1124706.112141638:1(244-248)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2006
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1124706.1121416
Vollmar KSanderson P(2006)MARSACM SIGCSE Bulletin10.1145/1124706.112141538:1(239-243)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2006
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1124706.1121415
Borunda PBrewer CErten CBaldwin DTymann PHaller SRussell I(2006)GSPIMProceedings of the 37th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education10.1145/1121341.1121416(244-248)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2006
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1121341.1121416
Vollmar KSanderson PBaldwin DTymann PHaller SRussell I(2006)MARSProceedings of the 37th SIGCSE technical symposium on Computer science education10.1145/1121341.1121415(239-243)Online publication date: 3-Mar-2006
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/1121341.1121415
Vollmar DSanderson D(2005)A MIPS assembly language simulator designed for educationJournal of Computing Sciences in Colleges10.5555/1088791.108880721:1(95-101)Online publication date: 1-Oct-2005
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.5555/1088791.1088807
Rivera-Alvarado E(2024)Video Game Technologies Applied for Teaching Assembly Language ProgrammingProceedings of the 26th International Conference on Multimodal Interaction10.1145/3678957.3688622(617-621)Online publication date: 4-Nov-2024
https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3678957.3688622
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