Grades are based on class participation
(5%) homeworks (25%), two mid-term exams
(15% each), a final exam (20%), and an
independent project (20%).
Class participation:
Students are expected to
contribute to learning by asking questions and
making relevant comments in class and on the
class newsgroup. Quality is more important
than quantity. Disruptive activity contributes
negatively. Please make sure all disruptive
devices are disabled while in class. If you have
a good reason for wanting to be disturbed in
class, please contact me to make the appropriate
arrangements.
Homeworks:
Homeworks include programming and
non-programming ones, often mixed. No
collaboration is permitted. You are allowed, and
encouraged, to discuss the problems and solution
strategies at a high level, but the final solution
and details must be your individual work. If you
are unclear on the boundary between permissible
and non-permissible interactions in this regard,
please ask me.
Exams:
All exams are open book, open notes. You
are free to bring with you any resources that
you find useful. However, no communications are
permitted other than between students and me.
The use of computers during exams is strongly
discouraged, but brief use is permitted providedit does not cause a disturbance. You may use the
Internet, but only as a library to look up material
you may find useful. As above, check with me if
you are unclear on what is permitted. The exams
are designed to require no equipment other than
a pen and paper.
Project:
In addition to the programming and other
homeworks, this course features a semester-long
independent project. You may work either
individually or in groups, although I encourage
the latter. The details of the project are
fairly flexible, and you are encouraged to
propose a project that excites you. I will also
propose a few projects that you could use,
perhaps with some of your own modifications.
The main requirement for the project is
that it demonstrate the ability to work
independently and apply the concepts studied
in the course to an application. Projects will
be graded based on a written project report,
the submitted source code, a demonstration,
and a question-and-answer session following the
demonstration. Further details will follow.