Assignments and Evaluations

Assignments

Assignments form your main learning tool. Since there is no textbook, you should plan on spending quite a bit of time on each assignment. Overall, assignments will be graded the same check system:

• ✔+: (115% in gradebook) Exercises are complete. Every task was attempted and answered, and most answers are correct. Work on the final problem shows creativity or is otherwise exceptional. We will not assign these often.
• ✔: (100% in gradebook) Exercises are complete and many answers are correct. This is the expected level of performance.
• ✔−: (50% in gradebook) Exercises are less than 70% complete and/or most answers are incorrect. This indicates that you need to improve next time. We will hopefully not assign these often, but subpar work can expect a ✔−.

There is an implicit 0 for any assignment not turned in on time. If you have only partial work, then turn that in for some credit. We are not checking each line and we do not expect perfection; rather, the assignments are your main tool to learn. Also note that a ✓ does not require 100% success. You will sometimes get stuck with tricky algebra that you can’t solve, or the demands of pandemic living might occasionally become overwhelming. We are looking for good faith effort. Try hard, engage with the task, and you’ll get a ✓.

You may work together on the assignments, but you must turn in your own answers. You will turn these assignments in class or via D2L.

Paper

This class is a bridge toward your research career. Accordingly, you should work hard on writing. The paper is your main output in the course.

• ✔+: (55 points (≈115%) in gradebook) Project is phenomenally well-thought-out and uses advanced techniques. The project discusses some important story that is not readily obvious. I will not assign these often.
• ✔: (50 points (100%) in gradebook) Project is fine, answers a question clearly, and discusses concepts from the course. This is the expected level of performance.
• ✔−: (25 points (50%) in gradebook) Project is missing large components, is poorly written, does not answer a relevant question, and/or states falsehoods. This indicates that you need to improve next time. If you receive this grade, you may revise your paper.