Work in this class will primarily consist of a semester-long project. At various checkpoints during the semester, you will be asked to prepare a written proposal, one or two progress reports, and a final paper.
In addition, you will give frequent informal oral presentations during class, and at least one formal oral presentation. Also, at the end of the semester there will be a poster session where you will present your project to a campus-wide audience.
I expect that most of you will work in groups of two, although one and three are also acceptable for special reasons. If you do not already have a project, there are several ways to go about finding one:
The total course load is intended to be 12 hours per week (including class time). We will spend 3 of those hours in class together. It is up to you to SCHEDULE an additional 9 hours per week that will be dedicated entirely to work on your project. I will ask you to keep a journal of the time you work and the progress you make.
Grading: Final grades are determined by the quality of your project work, by the effort you put into it, by written quizzes and assignments, and by your participation in in-class discussions. As the project progresses, I will try to give you feedback about possible final grades.
Exams: There are no exams scheduled, but there may be written quizzes on some of the lecture topics. There is a final exam slot reserved for this class. Please keep it free; I have not decided yet how we will use it.
Assignments: There may be written assignments on some of the lecture topics.
Reading: There is no textbook for this class, but you will be expected to review literature relevant to your project, and I will distribute readings on some of the lecture topics.