12-Week Course Curriculum
Structured curriculum for integrating LLM API gateway concepts into academic courses:
Weeks 1-2: API Fundamentals
- Introduction to REST APIs and HTTP protocols
- API authentication methods (API keys, OAuth, JWT)
- Request/response cycles and status codes
- Hands-on: Build first API client
Weeks 3-4: LLM Integration Basics
- Understanding large language models and their APIs
- Text generation, embeddings, and chat completions
- Rate limiting and quota management
- Hands-on: Build a simple chatbot
Weeks 5-6: Gateway Architecture
- What is an API gateway and why use one?
- Request routing and load balancing
- Caching strategies for API responses
- Hands-on: Deploy a basic gateway
Weeks 7-8: Advanced Gateway Features
- Request/response transformation
- Authentication and authorization at gateway level
- Monitoring, logging, and observability
- Hands-on: Implement custom middleware
Weeks 9-10: Security & Best Practices
- API security vulnerabilities and mitigation
- Input validation and sanitization
- Cost optimization and resource management
- Hands-on: Security audit exercise
Weeks 11-12: Final Projects
- Student-designed projects using LLM APIs
- Code reviews and best practice discussions
- Presentations and peer feedback
- Final project showcase
Ready-to-Use Assignments
Structured assignments designed for progressive learning:
Assignment 1: Basic API Client
Build a command-line tool that queries an LLM API.
- Difficulty: Beginner
- Duration: 1 week
- Skills: HTTP requests, JSON parsing
Assignment 2: Rate-Limited Client
Implement intelligent rate limiting with retry logic.
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Duration: 1 week
- Skills: Error handling, async programming
Assignment 3: Caching Layer
Add semantic caching to reduce API costs by 40%.
- Difficulty: Intermediate
- Duration: 2 weeks
- Skills: Database design, caching strategies
Assignment 4: Multi-Provider Gateway
Build a gateway supporting multiple LLM providers.
- Difficulty: Advanced
- Duration: 3 weeks
- Skills: System design, API abstraction
Pro Tip for Instructors
Scaffold assignments with starter code templates. Provide students with partial implementations that focus their attention on key concepts rather than boilerplate setup.
Teaching Resources
Comprehensive resources for instructors:
| Resource Type | Description | Format |
|---|---|---|
| Slide Decks | Ready-made presentations for each week's lecture | PowerPoint, PDF |
| Code Examples | Annotated sample code demonstrating key concepts | Python, JavaScript |
| Lab Exercises | Step-by-step hands-on tutorials | Markdown, Jupyter |
| Assessment Rubrics | Standardized grading criteria for assignments | |
| Video Tutorials | Recorded demonstrations of complex topics | MP4, YouTube |
| Test Cases | Automated test suites for grading | Python unittest |
Assessment & Grading
Grading Breakdown
- Weekly Assignments (40%): Four graded assignments building progressively
- Midterm Project (20%): Intermediate checkpoint demonstrating gateway basics
- Final Project (30%): Comprehensive project integrating all learned concepts
- Participation (10%): Code reviews, discussions, and peer feedback
Rubric Criteria
- Functionality (40%): Does the code work as specified?
- Code Quality (25%): Clean, maintainable, well-documented code
- Error Handling (20%): Robust handling of edge cases and failures
- Documentation (15%): Clear README, comments, and usage instructions
Automated Grading Support
Leverage CI/CD pipelines to automatically test student submissions. Provide instant feedback on code correctness while reserving manual grading for design decisions and code quality.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completing this course, students will be able to:
- Design and implement RESTful API clients with proper authentication and error handling
- Integrate LLM APIs into applications for text generation, analysis, and conversational interfaces
- Deploy and configure API gateways for request routing, rate limiting, and monitoring
- Implement security best practices for API integration and data protection
- Optimize API usage through caching, batching, and intelligent routing strategies
- Evaluate and compare different LLM providers for specific use cases