WebGPU: A scalable online development platform for GPU programming courses

Abdul Dakkak, Carl Pearson, Wen Mei Hwu

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

The popularity of computer science classes offered through Massive Open On-line Courses (MOOCs) creates both opportunities and challenges. Programming-based classes need to provide consistent development infrastructures that are both scalable and user friendly to students. The «Heterogeneous Parallel Programming» class offered through Coursera teaches GPU programming and encountered these problems. We developed WebGPU - an online GPU development platform - providing students with a user friendly scalable GPU computing platform throughout the course. It has been used as the CUDA, OpenACC, and OpenCL programming environment for large Coursera courses, short-running summer schools, and traditional semester-long graduate and undergraduate courses. WebGPU has since replaced our traditional development infrastructure for the GPU classes offered at UIUC. This paper presents the original, revised, and upcoming WebGPU designs that address the requirements and challenges of offering sophisticated computing resources to a large, quickly-varying number of students.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationProceedings - 2016 IEEE 30th International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium, IPDPS 2016
PublisherInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.
Pages942-949
Number of pages8
ISBN (Electronic)9781509021406
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 18 2016
Event30th IEEE International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium Workshops, IPDPSW 2016 - Chicago, United States
Duration: May 23 2016May 27 2016

Publication series

NameProceedings - 2016 IEEE 30th International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium, IPDPS 2016

Other

Other30th IEEE International Parallel and Distributed Processing Symposium Workshops, IPDPSW 2016
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityChicago
Period5/23/165/27/16

Keywords

  • CUDA
  • GPU
  • Massive open online courses
  • Online education
  • OpenACC
  • OpenCL
  • Programming education

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Computer Networks and Communications

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