CSC/ECE 506: Architecture of Parallel Computers

syllabus: homework & tests

• overview
• homework & tests
• academic integrity

Weighting | Descriptions | Grading turnaround | Appeals | Posting of grades

Weighting

• Homework 48%

  • 3 programs: 27%
  • 3 problem sets: 21%

• Tests 52%

  • Test 1: 10%
  • Test 2: 15%
  • Final exam: 27%

 

Cutoffs for A-s, B-s, C-s, etc. will generally be 90, 80, 70, ... Cutoffs may be adjusted downward 1 or 2 points if necessary so that students with essentially the same performance receive the same grade.

There will be copious opportunities for extra credit, with the stipulation that all activities for which extra credit is given must help other students to learn the course material--either students in the current CSC/ECE 506 class, or students in later classes. Examples of activities that can earn extra credit include—

• contributing useful practice problems via Peerwise,
• suggesting Web or print resources that will help other students write useful madeup problems,
• making outstanding contributions to answering other students' questions on the Piazza message board.

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Descriptions

• Programs
  • There will be four short programming assignments. The first two will be on parallel programming, including GPUs, and the last two will be simulations of cache coherence.
• Problem sets
  • There will be three problem sets consisting of about 3 problems similar to textbook problems.
• Teaming requirement
  • Students are encouraged to pair with another student for the programming assignments. Unlike during the spring semester, there is no requirement to pair with a specific number of students.
• Quizzes
  • There will be online quizzes before all classes, based on the assigned reading or video for the class. You may take the quiz up to 4 times. If you score 80% on the quiz, it will not affect your grade. (Only the machine-gradable questions count toward your grade.) If you score less than that, 0.5% will be deducted from your semester average for each quiz missed, except that you are allowed to miss one quiz without penalty.
• Tests
  • Two 120-minute midterm tests, worth 10% and 15% respectively, will be given at equal intervals during the semester. The first test will cover Lectures 1 to 9, and the second test will cover Lectures 10-18. Tests will be open book, open notes.
• Exam
  • The 150-minute final exam will be worth 27% of your grade. It will be cumulative, but at least half of the points will be based on material covered after the second test (i.e., material from Lectures 20-26).

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Late or Missed Assignments

Late programs will be penalized at the rate of 10% per day, each day that classes are in session, whether or not our class meets on that day. Exceptions will be made only for medical reasons. Missed assignments and exams will be assigned a score of 0 and cannot be made up without an official university excuse. Contact me as soon as possible if you need to discuss reasons for late or missed assignments or exams.

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Posting of grades

The Moodle gradebook will be used to post grades.

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