Course Syllabus

Correspondence 

Please use Piazza for all routine correspondence (questions about assignments, class logistics, etc.). Questions regarding assignments or material are probably of interest to other students and should not be posted as private questions. Questions posted to "Instructors" will be visible by me and all TAs, which is acceptable for most questions regarding semi-confidential matters, like concerns about grading.  If you need to contact just me with a confidential issue, direct the question solely to "Bill Siever"

Resources

This course does not require a text book, but it will require you to purchase electronic components.  The required resources are different than those used in CSE132 and, unfortunately, they are not available in the book store.  

You may work together in groups of 2 to help defray costs. Immediate hardware costs are ~$90 for a kit and ~$20 for an additional processor.  Another purchase of ~$20 for an additional wireless product may be needed later in the semester. You will be notified of the required resources approximately 2-3 weeks before they are needed and are expected to ensure you have them by the time they are needed.

In addition, if you choose a course project that requires resources not included in the kit there may be additional expenses.  Instructors and TAs can work with you to try to minimize costs and may be able to loan some resources.  In past semesters additional expenses have been relatively small ($15-50). 

Grading Policy

Your course grade will be based on a weighted average of the following components:

Type % of Grade
Studio work 10%
Assignments 40%
Project 20%
Exams & Quizzes 30%

Studio work (10%)

Studios are designed to give you exposure to tools and topics that are critical to the course. Your work in studio will typically be undertaken in small groups. You must arrive on time and be present and focused in studio to receive full credit and you must have your work cleared by the TA or Instructor before leaving. You are not graded on how far you get, but on how well you explore the issues you are investigating.

Many studios will require group collaboration. You are expected to be professional and courteous in your work with others - failure to do so may result in a reduced grade on the studio(s) involved. If there are problems that you are not able to resolve notify either me or a TA.

Assignments (40%)

Assignments are designed to provide practical experience with central topics of the course. For each assignment you will have a conference with the TA or Instructor to explain and demonstrate your work and this presentation is a component of your grade. Assignments will have a rubric to provide guidance on how the work will be graded.

There expected to be 5-10 assignments (probably 8). They will be equally weighted unless otherwise stated on the assignment .

Project (20%)

The course will culminate in a multi-week project. The project will be broken into several phases and feedback will be given on each phase.

Exams & Quizzes (30%)

There will be two exams, a midterm (~15%) and a final (~15%), to evaluate your understanding of the concepts. A few quizzes may be given throughout the semester to see if you are keeping up with the topics.

The exams will be given in the evening.  The midterm exam will be Oct. 19th from 6pm-8pm and the final will be Dec. 14th from 6pm-8pm.

Extra Credit

Some assignments may contain extra credit opportunities and extra credit assignments may be given.  Don't ask for individual extra credit opportunities;  extra credit opportunities will only be given to the class as a whole. 

Small extra credit rewards may be given for significant contributions to the course.  Examples of notable contributions include things like: making many helpful contributions to the user forums; making one or two exceptional contributions to the user forums; developing new content not covered in the course material (for example, if working with a technology or tool not covered in class preparing a small tutorial on the topic and sharing with the class).

Grade Assignment Scheme

Final grade assignments will not be higher than:

Grade Range
A+ See Below
A 93-100
A- 90-92
B+ 88-89
B 83-87
B- 80-82
C 70-79
D 60-69
F below 60

Grades on individual assignments will be recorded on Canvas. Please check periodically to be sure everything is correct.

If you have concerns about your grades or grading inaccuracies see the instructor or contact the TA.

An A+ may be given if: 1) the earned credit is greater than 95% of the possible points, 2) there is a sustained recored of exemplary work, and 3) there is a significant focus on learning that far exceeds the course requirements. 

Missed Work and Late Policy

Exams & Quizzes

If you will be missing class on the day of a scheduled exam you should contact the instructor at least one week in advance to make arrangements to make up the exam.

Make up opportunities for unexpected absences will only be given in the event of a serious, unavoidable absence (sudden illness, death, etc.). The time, place, and means of a make up exam or quiz are at the instructor’s discretion.

Assignments

Start assignments right away so you have time to complete them and submit them by the due date. If you wait until the last minute and get stuck, you may have trouble getting help. Also, by finishing assignments on time, you will be ready to start each new assignment as soon as it is assigned.

The deadline for any assignment may be extended at the discretion of the instructor. There may be brief outages of services used for assignments. Brief outages are to be expected and will not normally result in an extension.

Two late coupons: Each student is issued two virtual late coupons for use during this semester. A coupon can be used to extend the time of an assignment by exactly two class sessions. This is usually a week unless we have a holiday. No penalty will be assessed for the late assignment, but the virtual coupon will be consumed. Using a late coupon is the only mechanism for submitting an assignment late, and at most one coupon can be spent on any assignment.

If you are working on an assignment with a group, each member of the group must contribute a late coupon for an assignment to be accepted late.

Projects

Individual phases of Projects will be accepted up to 24hrs late with a 10% grade penalty on that phase.

Studios

Studio sessions are required. You can miss one studio during the semester without penalty. No make up studios are allowed.

Submitting Work

Follow the submission guidelines given in the individual assignment. Unless otherwise stated, components of assignments will be submitted via Canvas. Assignments must be both submitted and demoed before the deadline to be considered on-time. Materials should be submitted before you demo.  There may be a small penalty if you submit them during the demo and no grade will be assigned if they are not submitted at all.

Attendance Policy

Attendance is not required, but class sessions are the only opportunity to demonstrate studios and assignments for credit, so your attendance is expected. Some assignments may require access to resources that are only available during class time.

Collaboration Policy

Honestly represent your work. The material you turn in for course credit must be a fair representation of your own work. Copying another’s work is strictly prohibited.

Give help appropriately. When helping someone, it is important not to simply give them a solution, because then they may not understand it fully and will not be able to solve a similar problem next time. It’s always important to take the time to help someone think through the problem and develop the solution. Often, this can be accomplished by asking them a series of leading questions.

Give credit for help received. If you receive help from people (besides the TA and the instructor), you must list their names in the material you submit.

Work individually or in groups. Studio work is collaborative and is always performed in small groups. Working in groups can be beneficial because you can discuss design options and catch each other’s mistakes. Group work may be allowed on some assignments. In such cases:

  1. You must work as a group on the entire assignment.
  2. Each individual is responsible for understanding the entire assignment and the group’s work.
  3. Each individual is also responsible for ensuring the other members of the group understand all aspects of the assignment and submitted work.
  4. Each person should take an equal part working on the assignemnt.
  5. You may NOT divide up the assignment and each do part of it.

There is zero tolerance of Academic Dishonesty. I will be actively searching for academic dishonesty on all coursework. If you are guilty of cheating on any assignment or exam, you will receive and F in the course and be referred to the School of Engineering Discipline Committee. In severe cases, this can lead to expulsion from the University, as well as possible deportation for international students. If you copy from anyone other student both parties will be penalized, regardless of which direction the information flowed. This is your only warning.

Please refer to the University Undergraduate Academic Integrity Policy, for more information. If you suspect that you may be entering an ambiguous situation, it is your responsibility to clarify it before the professor or TAs detect it. If in doubt, please ask.

University Support Policies

Accommodations based upon sexual assault:
The University is committed to offering reasonable academic accommodations to students who are victims of sexual assault.  Students are eligible for accommodation regardless of whether they seek criminal or disciplinary action.  Depending on the specific nature of the allegation, such measures may include but are not limited to: implementation of a no-contact order, course/classroom assignment changes, and other academic support services and accommodations.  If you need to request such accommodations, please direct your request to Kim Webb (kim_webb@wustl.edu), Director of the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center.  Ms. Webb is a confidential resource; however, requests for accommodations will be shared with the appropriate University administration and faculty.  The University will maintain as confidential any accommodations or protective measures provided to an individual student so long as it does not impair the ability to provide such measures.

If a student comes to me to discuss or disclose an instance of sexual assault, sex discrimination, sexual harassment, dating violence, domestic violence or stalking, or if I otherwise observe or become aware of such an allegation, I will keep the information as private as I can, but as a faculty member of Washington University, I am required to immediately report it to my Department Chair or Dean or directly to Ms. Jessica Kennedy, the University’s Title IX Director.  If you would like to speak with directly Ms. Kennedy directly, she can be reached at (314) 935-3118jwkennedy@wustl.edu, or by visiting theTitle IX office in Umrath Hall.  Additionally, you can report incidents or complaints to the Office of Student Conduct and Community Standards or by contacting WUPD at (314) 935-5555 or your local law enforcement agency. See: Title IX

You can also speak confidentially and learn more about available resources at the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center by calling (314) 935-8761 or visiting the 4th floor of Seigle Hall.  See: RSVP Center

Bias Reporting:
The University has a process through which students, faculty, staff and community members who have experienced or witnessed incidents of bias, prejudice or discrimination against a student can report their experiences to the University’s Bias Report and Support System (BRSS) team.  See:  brss.wustl.edu

Mental Health:
Mental Health Services’ professional staff members work with students to resolve personal and interpersonal difficulties, many of which can affect the academic experience. These include conflicts with or worry about friends or family, concerns about eating or drinking patterns, and feelings of anxiety and depression.  See:  shs.wustl.edu/MentalHealth

Course Summary:

Date Details Due