This space is for general course discussions. Please set off your comment with separators above and below, and sign your comment. New posts should go at the top of the Discussion section. You should be able to edit this page by logging in with your prism login and password, but let me know if you have any trouble. Please keep this section intact.

Hello, question 7.4 from the problem set refers to Table 7.1 which also appears to be missing. — Michele Illuminati 2009/02/11 18:27

Lab 4 has been posted to the Documents page.

Review problem set is up on the Announcements page. — Andrew Eckford 2009/01/26 15:26

All due dates are hereby changed to the last day of class in the fall term. — Andrew Eckford 2009/01/20 08:34

I have just confirmed that I am allowed to change the marking scheme, as long as I give everyone the option of reverting to the old marking scheme. The only change I want to make is the following: Lab 4 (when I post it) is now optional. If you complete Lab 4, you will be graded under the old marking scheme. If you do not complete Lab 4, your three labs will be worth 5 1/3% each (for a total of 16%), and the rest of the marking scheme remains the same.

As far as the quizzes are concerned, I envision Quiz 3 as a refresher quiz, to be held in the second class after the break. I'll be giving a problem set within a couple of days just in case we are back in class next week (unlikely in my uninformed opinion).

Are we supposed to cover all the material in the course outline? I understand assigning extra assignments would help, but some of us are taking 4 other courses and I highly doubt we're gonna have that much time. Plus we still have a lot of projects due as well. The fact that its only 13 days of school, thats too short. Exams will probably be right away too. — Abdullah H Merei 2009/01/08 08:50

• Officially we are required to cover all the material in the course outline. The more in-depth material will have to be curtailed, but the only major topic we have left is error detection and correction. — Andrew Eckford 2009/01/10 10:16
  • Would it be possible for you to post optional assignments for people who can use the practice? It couldn't hurt… and for those who have more course work, it's always optional and doesn't contribute towards any heavy homework loads. — Neela Maharaj 2009/01/20 09:42

From what I'm aware of you are actually allowed to change the marking scheme during the remediation period as long as students can opt for the original marking scheme. Having said that I'm wondering if the following is possible; Cancel the 4th lab (possibly add some more content to the 3rd and have it due near the end of the term) seeing how we will only have 13 days (around 2 weeks) when we return. Combine the final 2 quizzes as you suggested. Maybe play around with the weights of the final 2 quizzes and the final exam - maybe the final quiz can be more like a mini test? — Hamdi Roumani 2009/01/06 19:58

• I don't like the idea of a “mini-test”. Although I like the idea of taking the 4th lab out and making the 3rd lab beefier. — Dominik Swierad 2009/01/06 22:24
  • These are good suggestions. If it's true that I can change the marking scheme as long as students have the option of the old marking scheme, then Lab 4 will end up being optional. — Andrew Eckford 2009/01/10 10:16

By the way, clicking the “signature” button at the extreme right above the edit panel, or Ctrl-Y, will insert an automatic signature. — Andrew Eckford 2009/01/05 20:03

• Try this to reply to a post.
  • Try this to reply to a reply.
    • Etc.

Depending on how many lectures we have, we might be able to do a review. That might not work if the schedule is super compressed, because we still have to get through some material in the course descripton. Otherwise I could assign some extra problem sets or something. Thoughts? — Andrew Eckford 2009/01/05 20:00

A review will help. But I am almost sure that the schedule will be super compressed (probably we will be allowed only 4 - 5 lectures to catch up). In which case I think the best way is to assign a lot of extra problem sets with the solutions so we can study them on our own time. — azwar A khalid 2009/01/05 20:42

• Any review would be probably very fast, and might not serve anything beyond “well this is what we did”. A few problem sets to do on our own time, though, that would be much more beneficial. — Dominik Swierad 2009/01/05 20:42
  • I'll try to post some problem sets shortly. — Andrew Eckford 2009/01/10 10:16

We will have to either make the next covered material more brief or cut some course material due to the catch up period. One problem also is that our memory from the course is getting vague since I've been out of school for 2 months. But lets hope all will work out fine at the end. Are we going to have to submit all the material right away though? — azwar A khalid 2009/01/05 20:42

• I'm going to relax the due dates as much as possible. — Andrew Eckford 2009/01/05 20:04

Nothing specific, as long as everything isn't due right away. I imagine some of the quizzes/labs will need to be shorter/adjusted to fit in the remaining timeframe — Tim Crawford 2009/01/05 17:48

• I'm thinking about combining quizzes 3 and 4. — Andrew Eckford 2009/01/05 20:06

Any suggestions for remediation after we get started again?

There is one thing that is not negotiable: unless the senate changes its regulations, the marking scheme must remain the same, i.e., we must have all quizzes, labs, and tests called for under the marking scheme, and their values cannot change.

— Andrew Eckford 2009/01/05 17:07