If you have any questions or concerns about these course policies, please don't hesitate to ask in lecture, during office hours, on the course newsgroup, or by email.
- Signing up: A presentation schedule will be posted on the door of Siebel 3303 by Monday. Each group must sign up for a presentation slot before Wednesday morning. Most presentations will be on Wednesday and Thursday, but if the schedule becomes full, we will open additional time slots on Friday. Because the three TAs have different schedules, it is not possible to reserve a permanent slot; each group must sign up for a new slot every time.
- Time limit: Each group will have 30 minutes to present all three problems to the TA. Due to the large number of presentations, we will strictly enforce this limit. The TA will help the group manage time by offering reminders 10 and 20 minutes into the presentation, and by recommending the group move on to other problems if they are not making progress. If a group spends more than 15 minutes on a problem, the TA may require that they move on to the next problem. A group earns no points for problems that it does not present. We strongly suggest that you practice your presentation beforehand!
- Scoring: All members of the same group will receive the same grade. Grades will be available only after all groups have presented. Each numbered problem is worth a maximum of 10 points.
- Structure: The TA will roll a die to randomly determine the order in which problems are presented. For groups with n members, the first n problem presentations will consist of a leader phase followed by a group phase, each worth 5 points. The TA will roll a die to randomly determine the leader for each problem; no student will be a leader for more than one problem.
- In the leader phase, the leader is responsible for presenting the group's solution and answering the TA's questions. The leader may receive small hints from others in the group (for example, to jog the leader's memory), but substantial help is not permitted. At any time, the group may choose to end the leader phase and begin the group phase. At the conclusion of the leader phase, the group earns up to 5 points of leader score based upon the leader's presentation.
- In the group phase, all members of the group may participate in presenting the group's solution and answering the TA's questions. At any time, the group may choose to end the group phase and begin presentation of the next problem. At the conclusion of the group phase, the group earns up to 5 points of group score based upon both phases of presentation. The group score is at least as large as the leader score.
Once every student in the group has been a leader, any remaining problems can be presented by the entire group for the full 10 points each. Of course, if a group has only one member, there is no difference between the phases.
- Attendance: For purposes of assigning leaders and assigning grades, the group includes only those members who actually show up to present solutions. Thus, if a group has three members but only one shows up, that member will be asked to present all three problems for up to 30 points; the other two members will receive a score of zero.
- "We don't know." The group may choose to say "We don't know" at the start of a problem's presentation and earn the standard 25% partial credit as per course policy. (If the leader says "I don't know", the rest of the group must agree before the TAs will accept that answer.) Once the group has begun presenting a solution, this option is no longer available.