CSE370 Workload and Grading

Workload

The course consists of the following elements:
  1. Lectures: There will be 31 lecture hours including five in-class quizzes (20-30 minutes per quiz).
  2. Reading: We will be covering most of the Katz text. The reading will be assigned with the homework handouts.
  3. Assignments: Nine problem sets involving digital-logic analysis and design, to be solved without and with the use of computer-aided design tools. These assignments may include design projects that span two or more weeks.
  4. Class Exams: Five in-class quizzes.
  5. Final exam: None. There will be a makeup quiz for excused absences, taken during finals week.
We will try to ensure that the workload is typical for a three-credit course: Namely, six hours per week outside of the lectures. If we do not succeed, please let us know.

We have intentionally structured the course so that spending an hour or two per day will maximize your efficiency. You will work this way in the real world—you cannot cram a three-month design assignment into the last night—so you may as well work this way now. Plus, you will understand the material better. If you leave the homework for Thursday night, then you will not have time to study for the quizzes, and you will not have time to ask questions when (not if) the software misbehaves. The staff will be much more receptive to questions asked during the middle of the week than to those asked on Thursday evening.

Software tools frequently consume more time then they should. The assignments should get you up to speed gradually (over the period of a few weeks), but undoubtedly there will be some start-up cost (as with any new tool). Essentially, you are learning a new language, a compiler, and getting familiar with a process. Every tool imposes a certain model: Your frustration can be high until you assimilate that model and learn to use it. Be sure to ask for help, use the tutorials, and do not spend countless hours making no progress. Ask us for help during the week. We do not count tool-learning time as part of workload above.

You are expected to turn in legible assignments. We strongly urge you to use the graphical and word processing tools you have available to you. This includes a schematics editor, state diagram editor, waveform display, word processor, etc.

We will post solutions for the assignments and quizzes in a timely fashion. 

Grading

We will compute your course grade as follows: We will grade all your assignment and quizzes numerically, 20 points per assignment, 40 points per quiz. At the end of the term, we will drop your lowest assignment and quiz grades, leaving 8 assignment grades and 4 quiz grades. We will sum the total points, normalize the sum, and assign a final numeric grade as follows:

We will not post final grades; rather, we will post X and Y at the end of the term, and you can compute your own grade. We will round up or down using standard conventions: 3.84Þ 3.8; 3.85Þ3.9.

The instructor and TA will grade the quizzes and weekly assignments together. Please review the solutions before questioning a grade with either the instructor or teaching assistant.

Assignments

The weekly assignments are due at the beginning of class on the assigned due date. Assignments handed in during or immediately after class will incur a 10% penalty. We will not accept assignments after we have left the classroom.

If you miss an assignment as a result of unavoidable circumstances, send the instructor a one-line email asking for an extension, the reason for your request, and the date you anticipate handing in the asignment. You know which circumstances are avoidable and which are unavoidable.

If you have a reasonable, but avoidable, reason for requesting an extension, send email to the instructor at least 24 hours before the assignment is due, citing a reason for the extension as above. Assume the extension is granted, unless the instructor responds to the contrary. Avoidable extension requests made after the assignment is due will generally be rejected.

Quizzes

There will be no makeup for missed quizzes. If you miss a quiz, you will receive a score of zero.

If you miss a quiz as a result of unavoidable circumstances, send the instructor a one-line email stating the reason. You will be given the option of taking a makeup quiz during finals week. You know which circumstances are avoidable and which are unavoidable.

If you have a reasonable, but avoidable, reason for missing a quiz, send email to the instructor at least 24 hours before the quiz, citing a reason as above. Assume the request is granted, unless the instructor responds to the contrary. You will be given the option of taking a makeup quiz during finals week. Avoidable requests made after the quiz was taken by the class will generally be rejected.
 

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