How this class is run

Important pointers

This is a flipped class

This course is a flipped class. All of the class material is available online through edX. Lecture time will be devoted to reviewing the material and answering questions. You are expected to watch the videos and attempt the problem sets and the programming assignments before lecture time.

The course operates on a weekly basis, On thusrday at 6pm the material for the following week will be released. Quizes, problem sets and programming assignments will be due by 6pm on the following thursday. To get the most out of lecture time review the material before class on the following tuesday.

Programming assignments are written in Python and use Jupyter notebooks. The submissions for programming assignment are made in the form of answers to edX questions regarding the results from running the notebook. It is possible, but not recommended, to complete the PA and answer the questions using a different language or platform.

Some tips on how to succeed in this course

  • Find other students and form a study group. Asking questions and explaining answers is one of the best ways to make sure you understand. If you feel lost or clueless, it is likely that others feel the same, discussing helps. In many cases, you can get each other unstuck. Even when you cannot get unstuck there is a significant benefit to discussing because after discussion you can ask a specific question.
  • Attend class, discussions and office hours. While attendance is not required, it is helpful to take part in questions and answers and discussions. It deepens your understanding of the material and improves your confidence.
  • Ask questions. Good questions are at least as important as good answers. A good question illuminates a gap. Filling this gap is very satisfying both to the person providing the answer as to the person receiving it. Make your questions specific. Questions of the type “I am confused about this subject” or “How do you solve question A3?” does not identify a gap in understanding. Instead, it suggests to the other person that they should repeat an explanation or give an answer, both of which are unlikely to improve your understanding of the material.
  • Participate in the discussion forum. We will use Piazza for both administrative and educational matters. You can sign up to to this piazza site through this link.
  • Install the coding platform early. Learners often stumble at the first point in the course when coding is required. So by the end of this week, be sure to follow our instructions on setting up Jupyter to run on your machine.
  • Play with the code. Throughout the course, we’ll be walking through notebooks we’ve provided you. Please work along with us and feel free to make changes, try out new ideas, and just generally play around with the code.

Online materials

Videos, Quizes, Problem sets and Programming assignments will be provided on a weekly basis through the Class edX.edge website. Each student should receive an email with a link to their account. If you did not receive such an email please contact the teaching staff through Piazza.

Installing Jupyter Notebooks

Directions for installing Jupyter notebooks on different platforms are available from DSE200 here: https://mas-dse.github.io/startup/

Grading

The final number grade will be on the scale of 0-100.

  • 20 points for the average of 9 quizes. Lowest grade quiz will be dropped from the average.
  • 30 points for the average of 8 problem sets. Lowest grade problem set will be dropped from the average.
  • 20 points for the average 0f 10 Programming Assignements. Lowest grade PA will be dropped from the average.

  • 30 points Final Exam

  • There will be no Midterms.