CSC/ECE 506: Architecture of Parallel Computers

syllabus: homework & tests

• overview
• homework & tests
• academic integrity

Weighting | Descriptions | Grading turnaround | Appeals | Posting of grades

Weighting

• Homework 50%

  • 4 programs: 32%
  • 3 problem sets: 18%

• Tests 50%

  • Test 1: 10%
  • Test 2: 15%
  • Final exam: 25%

 

Cutoffs for A-s, B-s, C-s, etc. will generally be 90, 80, 70, ... Cutoffs may be adjusted downward 1 or 2 points if necessary so that students with essentially the same performance receive the same grade.

There will be copious opportunities for extra credit, with the stipulation that all activities for which extra credit is given must help other students to learn the course material--either students in the current CSC/ECE 506 class, or students in later classes. Examples of activities that can earn extra credit include—

• contributing useful practice problems via Peerwise,
• doing extra peer reviews of madeup problems submitted to Expertiza,
• suggesting Web or print resources that will help other students write useful madeup problems,
• making outstanding contributions to answering other students' questions on the Piazza message board.

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Descriptions

• Programs
  • There will be four short programming assignments. The first two will be on parallel programming, including GPUs, and the last two will be simulations of cache coherence.
• Problem sets
  • There will be three problem sets consisting of problems similar to the ones in the textbook.
• Peer-reviewed assignment
  • There will be one peer-reviewed assignment to make up a problem similar to the problems assigned for homework. You may submit the peer-reviewed assignment in one of two 2-week periods, depending on which part of the course material your problem is on.
  
  
  • Problems should be similar to homework problems worth 20 to 25 points on the problem sets. The instructor will post a list of topics on which questions are desired; you must sign up for one of these topics, then write your question. We expect you to invest a good deal of effort in coming up with a good problem and a correct solution. You should revise it in accordance with the reviews you receive.
    
    You are encouraged to pair with one other student in creating your problem.
    
    
  • It is your responsibility peer-review two problems, sometime during the semester. Up to two additional reviews may be done for extra credit. (Note: This means up to two extra reviews sometime during the semester.) You may do these reviews in any two-week period that you choose.
  
  
  • Each review must make at least two comments on how the author(s) could improve their work. Reviews that do not include such comments will be given a 0.
• Teaming requirement
  • Students may pair with another student for programming assignments and/or the peer-reviewed assignment. Each student is required to partner with a minimum of 3 other students during the course.
    
    Each student who fails to partner with the requisite number of students will lose 2 points from his/her semester average for each student short of the requirement with whom (s)he partners.
• Quizzes
  • There will be online quizzes before all classes, based on the assigned reading or video for the class. You may take the quiz up to 4 times. If you score 80% on the quiz, it will not affect your grade. (Only the machine-gradable questions count toward your grade.) If you score less than that, 0.5% will be deducted from your semester average for each quiz missed, except that you are allowed to miss one quiz without penalty.
• Tests
  • Two 120-minute midterm tests, worth 10% and 15% respectively, will be given at equal intervals during the semester. The first test will cover Lectures 1 to 10, and the second test will cover Lectures 11-20. Tests will occur in the evening. They will be open notes, but not open book.
• Exam
  • The 150-minute final exam will be worth 25% of your grade. It will be cumulative, but at least half of the points will be based on material covered after the second test (i.e., material from Lectures 21-25).

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Late or Missed Assignments

Late programs will be penalized at the rate of 10% per day, each day that classes are in session, whether or not our class meets on that day. Exceptions will be made only for medical reasons. Missed assignments and exams will be assigned a score of 0 and cannot be made up without an official university excuse. Contact me as soon as possible if you need to discuss reasons for late or missed assignments or exams.

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Posting of grades

The Moodle gradebook will be used to post grades.

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