Course structure#
What happens in/outside of our class meeting?#
It is my strategy to assign short, but very frequent exercises for you to work on outside of class. These will revolve around Python Notebooks (on Google Colab, which can be used in the browser and free). These notebooks are an ideal tool for course activities, as they allow both code and formatted explanatory text to co-exist.
During most lectures, we will work on a Python Notebook together to perform some simple calculations, solve a problem, and/or produce graphs to explore a concept.
I will also make presentations (still more often than I’d like – suggestiong on how to make these more interactive are very welcomed!) on the board and on slides (which are available in advance in the content section of the course website).
Outside of class, you will have to complete the notebook, which includes doing additional work in them (labelled “at home”).
Your collection of notebooks will become your course “portfolio”.
When and How will your work be evaluated?#
Portfolio of notebooks#
Each notebook will be evaluated with a “Satisfactory/Not yet” mark, according to a set of pre-defined criteria (see RubricNotebook.md).
For the first X weeks of the semester, each notebook will be evaluated in a 2-step process. You have ~1 week to complete each notebook. I will then take a day to assess them according to the rubric and provide feedback. You will then have about a week to submit a revision.
For the reminder of the semester, I will allow X revisions per students.
The notebook will be submitted through Gradescope – see the submission instructions NotebookSubmission.md.
Oral mid-term and final#
Both mid-term and final examinations will be oral and one-to-one. A(two?) week(s) before the exam, I will post a list of questions (conceptual and problems) covering the material. During your examination, you will draw a set of questions and answer them – this is similar to a thesis proposal or thesis defense, but knowing the questions that can be asked in advance.
The mid-term and final will be evaluted with a “Excellent/GoodEffort/NeedsWork” mark, according to a set of pre-defied criteria (see RubricOral.md).
What if I need an extension?#
I will allow a few deadline extension per student. They are automatic, but you need to fill in this form before the due date: https://forms.gle/q9CJjZonPPUcmSYh6
How will your final grade be determined?#
Letter grade:#
Your final grade will be determined according to this table:
Grade |
Portfolio |
Final Oral |
|---|---|---|
A |
13 Satisfactory notebooks |
Excellent |
B |
10 Satisfactory notebooks |
Excellent |
C |
7 Satisfactory notebooks |
GoodEffort |
D |
<7 Satisfactory notebooks |
GoodEffort |
F |
<7 Satisfactory notebooks |
NeedsWork |
To earn a given letter grade, both columns must be satisfied.
Example 1: The class cannot be passed without a “GoodEffort” grade on the Final Oral, even if all of the Notebooks have earned a “Satisfactory” grade.
Example 2: A letter grade of C will be earned if < 10 notebook have been completed, even if the Final Oral grade is “Excellent”.
Letter grade modifier (+ or -)#
Once your letter grade (A,B,C,D) have been determined, then a modifyer will be applied based on the Mid-Term Oral grade:
“+” if the Mid-term Oral grade is “Excellent”
no modifier if the Mid-term Oral grade is “GoodEffort”
“-” if the Mid-term Oral grade is “NeedsWork”
You can think of the Mid-term Oral as a practice to the Final Oral (as in, you can still earn an A or an A- even if is does not go so well), but with a small incentive to take this Mid-term Oral seriously enough that is will be a meaningful practice.