A Reformed Scheme of Teaching Memory Management in Abstract: Operating System Courses

This paper analyzes the existing problems in the teaching of memory management of operating systems, presents a reformed teaching scheme, and introduces its adoption and effects in teaching practices. This teaching scheme consists of a head model, a main body model and a summary model, among which the four-space summary model is the most distinguishable characteristic. The scheme has been implemented in the author's textbook “Operating System principle ” (in Chinese, Tsinghua University Press, Beijing, China, 2000) and is consistent with the whole teaching scheme of operating systems in this textbook. 1 1. The Problem and the Author’s Work Operating system principle is one of the most important courses in computer science, and memory management is one of the complex chapters with many concepts. Currently, there are several problems in the teaching practice of memory management, including: �There are many concepts and the relationship among them is complex. But these relations are not clearly stated and compared, and there is not a unified model to summarize them. �There lacks hierarchy of explanation and relationship between the contents. �The interpretation of “What it is ” and “Why it is necessary ” is commonly ignored.