This course will be run utilizing a "flipped-classroom" model. In this model, students will complete reading assignments at home in an online format. The online portion of this course is intended to replace your weekly lecture meetings. Instead, students will meet once a week on-campus with the instructor in gatherings that are devoted to exercises, projects, and discussion.
The primary advantage to this model is that it allows an instructor to spend less time simply lecturing to students and more time working with them on questions and thoughts they have on the material. We believe that it will truly enhance the learning experience in this and in future courses.
For each week's worth of material, the sequence will run roughly as follows:
- The week runs from Monday to Sunday.
- Each week you will have an online assignment on the NU Online Blackboard. This replaces the usual 3-hour lecture. There will also be a reading assignment in one or another of the textbooks. You must complete this material during the week and come to class prepared to discuss it. As you go through these materials, you are sure to have questions. Please post them on the discussion board in Piazza.
- The weekly assignment will may also include some Guided Practice exercises. You must do these exercises. These exercises are due at 6pm on Sunday at the end of the week. Follow the submission instructions that will be included with each exercise.
- On Wednesday or Thursday, we will have a class meeting of approximately 90 minutes, which will be devoted to questions and answers, and clarification or review of material that needs more attention. Be prepared to be called on during lecture [VIDEO]. Some classes may last longer, especially if the material for the coming week needs more introduction than is contained in the online materials.
- Each week, starting the week of January 13 you will have a problem set. Problem sets will generally be published on Monday will be due the following Monday, 7 days later.
- On the Tuesday and Wednesday following the due date of each
problem set, you will give an oral presentation of approximately
15 minutes on your solution. We call these presentations
"codewalks." You will do this in groups of 4 students.
During this presentation, you will be questioned by a TA on selected aspects of your solution. These presentations are critical for the learning process and they are key to our evaluation of your progress.
These sessions will take place on Tuesdays and Wednesdays in locations to be announced later.
You will be issued a personal, private URL that you can use to set your code walk time slot preferences. There is online help available within the web-based tool. Please try to keep your "flexibility" score as high as you can: doing so maximizes the chances you are assigned a slot you will be happy with.
Every Friday at 11.59pm we will take a snapshot of your preferences and compute a code walk schedule for the following Tuesday. You will be sent email (to your @ccs.neu.edu account) informing you of your time slot for the week.
If you lose your URL, contact the course staff.
Last modified: Mon Jan 6 08:20:02 EST 2014