** NOTE: In case of a difference between the syllabus found on https://student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~cs492/24Spublic_html/ and the syllabus posted on https://outline.uwaterloo.ca, the outline taken on https://student.cs.uwaterloo.ca/~cs492/24Spublic_html/ will be taken as correct.
This page contains elaboration on the structure of the CS492 offering in Spring 2024, including sections on lectures, the marking scheme, the late policy, assignments, and role-playing exercises. Information on University policies (such as academic integrity) can be found here.
Lectures are scheduled for two eighty-minute slots per week (TR 8:30-10:00am (001), TR 11:30-12:50pm (002)). The class will be run more like a discussion seminar than a standard lecture. Students are expected to do the preparatory readings (as listed in the timetable) in advance; discussion will commence using those readings as a base. The instructor may communicate for five minutes here and there in order to set the stage, make a technical point, summarize, or concentrate attention. Student participation is important not only to facilitate the learning process but because marks are assessed for class participation.
Final_Participation_Grade = ROUND(MIN(25, (sum_all_attendance_in_class)/2 + 1
+ MIN(15, (sum_all_participation_in_class
+ MIN(10, ((num_piazza_posts-num_ITN_posts)/3 + num_ITN_posts - nerf))/2))), 2)
where attendance is marked binary - did you sign the attendance sheet or not for the given day, participation is graded binary for one meaningful comment per class, number of piazza posts is normalized over 3 to emphasize ITN posts more, and 'nerf', usually 0, which is used to deduct from your grade if you're attempting to grade hack (for example, if you're spamming 'me too' posts on Piazza or if you haven't contributed in 11 weeks and then only started contributing in large volumes during the last week of classes, then there may be a deduction to your grade.) Basically 'nerf' is meant to reward students who contribute throughout the term. I have framed this as a negative because codifying 'participation throughout the course' is difficult whereas codifying 'large spike in participation at once' is quite easy. Note that a "Piazza post" is any post you make (either a question, comment, follow up discussion, student answer) excepting the ones we emphasize for In The News purposes.
Each team will take the role of a particular group with concerns in that area; the teams will typically have conflicting or opposed views. The initial scenario will be outlined by the instructor. Groups have the latitude to make adjustments to the initial scenario, including the exact wording of each side's position. Both sides must agree with the final wording and the revisions must be approved by the TA. This means that both sides should have a clear agreement as to the topic of the RPE. If the group elects to revise the wording of the scenario, it must post revised scenarios to Piazza no later than one week prior to the RPE.
For RPEs held on a Tuesday, each team will prepare a position paper (about 1500 to 2000 words) for 4pm the previous Friday.
For RPEs held on a Thursday, each team will prepare a position paper (about 1500 to 2000 words) for 4pm the previous Monday.
This will generally involve background research; it is also possible to conduct interviews with actual members of the groups being represented. Students will post a PDF of their position paper to Piazza (in the Folder for your RPE). Format the document to leave room for comments from the TA.Other students are expected to read the refined scenario and position papers in preparation for the in-class exercise. They are expected to be in class during the RPE to be part of the discussion and to consider posing questions for the teams. When the class time for the RPE begins, each team will be asked to briefly present their position in a twelve-minute timeslot; the TA will randomly choose either team A or team B to begin. These presentations should not simply repeat points in the position papers, but should lead naturally into the discussion to follow. Then a question-answering phase will begin, where students who are not presenting that day will be invited to ask a question in the manner of a public forum, to be answered either by team A or team B or both. The TAs will decide who is invited to ask a question. This task requires the RPE teams to think on their feet. The quality of the questions asked in class time will be used to judge the class participation of the audience members (rest of the class). Towards the end of the class time, each team will then be asked to provide their concluding remarks, 4 minutes each per team. This should be an effort to clearly articulate to the audience the position being taken and its overall worth.
Note that this role playing exercise is explicitly not a debate (and vitriol should not be directed towards the other team). Instead, each side portrays a position and adheres to that position.Please note that it is also important to allow all team members an opportunity to demonstrate their skill in communication, either in helping to provide the team's initial remarks, in responding to questions from the audience or in delivering the final conclusion.
Taking into account the points made in class, the teams are required to go off and produce a single joint communique for both teams combined outlining what they can agree on and a common course of action (similar to a Union Negotiation). Include your RPE number and which team you were on in the paper. This communique will be posted to Piazza (in the Folder for your RPE). We are looking for some effort to have the two sides articulate clearly where they have found a middle ground. There is no set limit for this document, but it is expected to be moderate in size, on the order of a page. The due dates for the joint communique are as follows:
For RPEs held on a Tuesday, the joint communique will be due on the immediately following Friday by 11:59pm.
For RPEs held on a Thursday, the joint communique will be due on the immediately following Monday by 11:59pm.
After reading the joint communique, students who want to provide feedback on the newsgroup should do so no later than the Friday following the posting date of the joint communique. A mark will be assigned to the presenters, based on the position papers, the discussion in class, and the final communique on the points of:
The 25 marks for the RPE will break down as: 10 for oral presentation, 12 for position paper and 3 for joint communique.
It is expected that all members on one side will receive the same mark, but exceptional circumstances may be brought to the attention of the TA, so that team members who do not contribute can potentially lose marks. The teams presenting on opposite sides on the same date do not necessarily receive the same mark.
Any questions about anything course related should be posted to Piazza publicly if possible and privately otherwise.
Students are always allowed to post to the RPE folder with comments,
following the uploading of the Joint Communique, up to certain deadlines
which are posted in the Structure document.
For RPEs where you are the audience, we allow you to post
to the newsgroup if you are ill; for RPEs where you are a
presenter, we allow the RPE to proceed if at least one
team member is present. We have dates towards the end of
term that we can use to reschedule RPEs in the extreme situation where all teammates are ill. If you are individually ill for your RPE time, an oral exam may be given in place in lieu of your oral performance at the end of the term. For class discussions, some of these are online
and you can hopefully still be "in class" if at home and
if you are too ill to do so, then we will also allow you
to post to Piazza afterwards with your comments (one post please, for the non-RPE dates).