CSC 495 - Course Description & Grading (Devon M. Simmonds, Instructor)

The course will be conducted as a series of seminars, where each student will make two or more presentations on assigned topics. Students are required to do independent research on each topic. The course is organized into two parts. In part 1, students will read, analyze, write a summary and make presentations on assigned research articles.

In part 2, students will research an assigned project topic, do the necessary research, write a five page paper and make a class presentation. Each presentation will be evaluated by the instructor and by all students in the class. However, the final grade will be determined solely by the instructor. The format of the five-page paper should follow the format of typical technical articles in computer science as follows:

Name of author and affiliation

Abstract

Introduction

Major sections of paper

Discussion

Conclusion and future work

Each presenter must prepare a Powerpoint presentation which must be submitted to the instructor at least 24 hours before their presentation. A schedule of papers, project topics and dates of presentations will be generated at the start of the course.   Details on the format of these presentations will be provided in class. Outside of class, you will need to complete assigned readings, do the necessary research, prepare presentations and write a paper.

Presentation Dress Code: Formal attire is required for all presentations.

Class Attendance/Participation

Regular class attendance is mandatory. A student who misses two or more classes without instructor approval will forfeit the portion of the class grade assigned to class attendance. Completion of assignments will entail completing assigned readings, researching various topics germane to the course, preparing electronic presentations, making oral presentations and participating in class discussions.  Expect to spend several hours researching and formulating your topics to lead a class presentation and discussion.  

Paper Summaries

Students are required to submit a two page summary of each paper presented in class. The summary should include:

1. The basic points presented by the author.

2. An evaluation of these points from the student’s perspective.

3. A list of questions for in-class discussion.

Format of Summaries

Name of student

Course number

Summary for <Title of Paper>

//actual summary

Important questions arising from the article

Evaluation

Grades will be determined on the basis of students’ performance on project and examinations. Final grades will be based on the following distribution:

COURSE ITEM	GRADE PERCENT
Class presentations (2*30)	60%
Term paper	20%
Paper summaries	10%
Class attendance & participation	10%

Grades will be assigned based on the following grading system

• 90% or above A
• 80% - 89% B
• 65% - 79% C
• 50% - 64% D
• below 50% F

Honor Code

It is the responsibility of every student to follow the UNCW Academic Honor Code (see Section V of your Student Handbook). You violate the honor code when you represent someone else's work as your own.

Students with Disabilities

If you have a disability and need reasonable accommodation in this course, you should inform the instructor of this fact in writing within the first week of class or as soon as possible. If you have not already done so, you must register with the Office of Disability Services in Westside Hall (extension 3746) and obtain a copy of your Accommodation Letter. You should then meet with your instructor to make mutually agreeable arrangements based on the recommendations of the Accommodation Letter.