CS190 - Administrivia

Coursework

Your coursework for this class will fall into two main parts: 1) paper reading and presentations and 2) thesis project preparation.

Paper reading and presentations

Each week we will have a research paper we will be reading and discussing. Each person will present two papers throughout the semester in a group. The presentations should be no more than 30 minutes. We will then have 30 minutes of discussion.

If you are presenting: Read through the paper early. Read the paper again :) Sit down with your presentation group and discuss the paper. Setup a meeting with Prof Kauchak to talk about the paper/presentation (optional). By 5pm of the day before the presentation, post discussion topics/questions on the sakai forum for the paper. Practice presentation at least once as a group and show up 10 minutes before class and setup.

If you're NOT presenting: Read through the paper early. Read any confusing parts again. By 5pm of the day before the presentation, post on the sakai forum for the paper. Possible things you might post about include: a summary of the paper (if you're the first to do this), something you found confusing about the paper, an answer to a previous question, something you found interesting about the paper, etc. I don't expect your posts to be a 10 page essay, however, it should show that you read the paper, thought about it and put some time and effort into participating on the forum.

Project preparation

During the fall semester you will be performing the first steps in your thesis project, including:

Proposing initial projects and advisors
Initial project description
Annotated bibliography
Extended abstract
Literature review

See the Guide to the Senior Exercise for more details on each of these and see the course web page for deadlines.

Grade calculation

40% Research paper presentations
15% Sakai posts
15% Class discussion
30% Senior project work:

5% Initial project description
5% Annotated bibliography
5% Extended abstract
15% Literature review

Colloquium

The Pomona College Computer Science Department hosts approximately bi-weekly colloquia on Thursdays at 4:15 pm. Attendance is required for majors during both semesters of the senior year. If for some reason you must miss a colloquium, contact the instructor (in advance!) and arrange to attend an alternate talk. Colloquium Schedule.

Attendance

Class attendance is required. Two absences, with advance notice, are allowed. Each subsequent absence will result in a one grade point (on a 12 point scale) deduction from the final grade.