Toy CPU: An innovative curriculum design

University education is vitally important to all students. However, the traditional university education has some defectives, especially in education of science and engineering. For example, the teachers' indoctrinating lecture model and students' passive study lead to students' lack of self-learning and innovation ability, which will do harm to students' understanding of abstruse knowledge. In this paper, we discuss characteristics and advantages of an innovative curriculum design pattern based on introducing a simple CPU model design process according to the course of Computer Organization, hoping to promote the reform of university education to a certain extent. The education reform can bring a positive effect on improving teaching quality, enhancing students' learning interests and training students' research ability.