CS458 - Administrivia

Handouts, announcements, etc.

All handouts will be distributed on the course web page. This will include lecture notes/slides, assignments and other handouts. You are responsible for all material and announcements posted on the class web page, so please check it regularly. If this is a problem for anyone, feel free to come talk to me. For time critical announcements, I will use e-mail.

Coursework

Grade calculation
- 25% assignments
- 15% homeworks
- 30% exams (15% midterm, 7.5% for 2 quizzes)
- 25% final project
- 5% participation
Assignments - There will be around four assignments, approximately every 2 weeks. The assignments will cumulatively build up an IR system from the ground up. The programming assignments will generally be in Java.
Homeworks - For most weeks during the first half of the course, there will be a written homework that will complement the assignment.
Exams - There will be one midterm covering material through the first half of the course and will be scheduled in the evening. For the last half of the course, there will be two quizzes approximately every three weeks. The quizzes will be in-class and will not be cumulative. Dates for the exams are posted on the course web page.
Final project - During the last month of the semester, you will complete a final project in small groups. The project must extend our basic IR system that we will build with the assignments and will be your chance to add the bells and whistles to the system. As a class, we will all work on a single system, so some coordination will be required. You will submit your code and a written document discussing your addition including experimental validation. In addition, your team will give a final presentation.
Participation - Participation consists of attending class regularly and of giving evidence that you are actively engaged with the material (asking/answering questions in lecture, coming to office hours, etc).

Late policy

You have two late days that you may use on any of the homeworks/assignments in the course. Using a late day give you a 24 hour due date extension to the assignment (you don't need to ask me to use a late day). You may use both days on the same assignment or on two different assignments. Beyond this, except under very extenuating circumstantces, I will not accept late assignments.

Honor code and collaboration

I take the honor code and academic honesty very seriously.

You are encouraged to get together in small groups to discuss material from the lectures and text. However, the work that you turn in must be done independently, unless an assignment is explicitly designated as one in which collaboration is allowed.

In particular, your work must not be based on information obtained from sources other than those approved for the course (i.e., the text, web pages linked from the course web page, and materials provided in lecture). You should never copy another students code or solutions, exchange computer files, or share your code or solutions with anyone else in the class until after an assignment is due. You may, however, use any code that we provide to you or that comes from the textbook, as long as you acknowledge the source. Additionally, the tutors are allowed to help you with your code.

If you are working with others on an assignment, I suggest the following procedure: spend as much time as you need working with others to understand the problems. When you're ready to start on your own take a break and then go back and write your programs without the notes you used while working with the others. This will help ensure that you follow both the letter and the spirit of the honor code.

If you are ever unsure about what constitutes acceptable collaboration, please ask!

Computer use during class

Class will be held in a classroom with computers. You may use these desktops (or your laptops) during lecture to take notes. Please resist the temptation to use the computers for other purposes (e-mail, IM, web browsing, games, etc.).

Disabilities accomodations

Students with documented disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact me as early in the semester as possible to ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Assistance is available to eligible students through the ADA Office. Please contact Jodi Litchfield, the ADA Coordinator, at litchfie@middlebury.edu or 802-443-5936 for more information. All discussions will remain confidential.