Discussion Rules and Grading Criteria: CS/ECE 560 Spring
2011
Sanjay Rajopadhye
The discussion problems arre usually simple "lead-in" questions that get you
going with the Homework assignments. The goals of the discussion are
two-fold. The first is to get you to articulate your problem solving
processes, and for us to make sure you are on the right track. The second
goal is to develop some collaborative skills, especially with the on-line
students who don't have direct access to the labs, the instructors and/or the
TAs. The discussion counts for 5% of your total course grade, so it is
important, and it is not a difficult set of points to get. It simply requires
you to be organized and be on the ball.
Grading Policy and participation rules
In each HW assignment, and possibly at other times, we will post problems for
you to discuss. Each discussion will be worth 10 points. Your posts will be
classified as follows:
- A significant post is one that either poses a solution to a
problem or poses a new in interesting question.
- A standard post is one that either extends a previously posted
solution or comments on a previous post or causes the discussion to take a
turn.
You are required to make at least one significant and
several standard posts to the discussion. In addition, you
must initiate discussion at least 24 hours before the deadline. The
points are tentatively as follows: 2 points for initiation, 4 points for a
meaningful post, and 2 points for a standard post. Scores for multiple posts
are added up (so two significant posts and an initiation will get you the full
10 points). You can make up for a missed initiation by additional other
posts, but you cannot recover points for a missing significant post.
Sanjay Rajopadhye 2011-1-25