Integrating high performance computing into a Tanzanian IT engineering curriculum

Integrating high performance computing (HPC) into a Tanzanian computer engineering curriculum poses a number of challenges. Those challenges arise partly from the students´ educational background, and the country´s educational history. In this research, the challenges of integrating HPC into Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) in Tanzania was studied from an educational point of view, and especially from the viewpoint of the students. A mixed-methods approach was used to collect both qualitative and quantitative data about students´ perceptions of the biggest challenges in learning HPC, and about their improvement suggestions. The results reveal the students´ perceptions about the challenges, pinpointing a number of improvement needs in the teaching and learning environment. The most acute improvement needs include improved teaching that is based on project-based and problem-based approaches, and developing teaching of the prerequisite topics required to learn HPC. This study provides important practical suggestions for developing the teaching of HPC in this and other institutions, and points future research directions for improving the teaching of HPC.