Each week, the learning team meetings will make incremental progress towards a final class project (paper and presentation) as described in the module. All work must be turned in each week, but only the final paper and presentation will be graded. Note that learning team assignments are cumulative. Assignments should be submitted both softcopy (electronically) and hardcopy (paper). We will adapt the final project as the course evolves to account for students' interests.

Week #1: Microsoft's Windows CE Operating System

• Write two to three pages (350 words per page) plus references that describe the important features of Window CE.

• Complete the Learning Team log.

Week #2: IBM's MVS Operating System

• The team should write three to five pages (350 words per page) plus references that describe the important features of IBM's MVS operating system.

• Complete the Learning Team log.

Week #3: Linux and the Unix Family of Operating Systems

• The team should write three to five pages (350 words per page) plus references that describe the important features of the UNIX family of operating systems, which includes Linux. UNIX comes in many flavors and has an extensive family tree (given the brief history of computer science). You should start with a background section that sets historical context such as early UNIX versions from the University of California at Berkeley and ATT Bell Laboratories. From there, describe the important features common to most UNIX flavors. Discuss Linux and its relationship to UNIX. Finally, conclude with your thoughts on the future of Unix and Linux.

• Complete the Learning Team log.

Week #4: Learning Team Final Presentation and Paper

1. Prepare a final presentation that compares and contrasts three of the operating systems discussed during the course.  The module suggests Windows CE, Windows 2000/XP (similar), and Unix/Linux (similar). At your  option, you may substitute MVS for any of the above provided three operating systems are covered. The presentation should be 10 to 15 minutes per team. Ideally, each team member should present a section, but I understand that this may not be practical. So, it is OK if one or two do not present as long as they have a substantial role in preparing the learning team assignment.
2. Write a 3 to 7 page (350 words per page) final paper that describes the important features of Windows 2000 operating system.  You can use chapter 15 as a guide, but be sure to include content from other sources.  The intent is to provide new content for Windows 2000, while preparing a deliverable that, when gathered with the other deliverables, rounds out the course. Pick any two topics per person (this way smaller teams do less work than larger teams).

• Historical context (i.e., NT/2000/XP evolution path) and future plans for this OS product line.

• Windows 2000 architecture (e.g., user mode vs. kernel mode)

• Process management (e.g., multithreading)

• Memory management

• Disk management

• File management

• Input / Output manager

• The Registry

• Boot process (incl. starting processes)

• Device and peripheral support

• Security

Complete the Learning Team log.