COMP4141 Notices

Final exam now available

Posted by Paul Hunter Tuesday 12 May 2020, 09:43:40 AM.

Hi all,

The final exam is now available on the course website here .

Please make sure you submit before 9am (Sydney time), Wednesday 13 May .

Solutions may be handwritten (and uploaded as jpgs), however, the onus is on you to ensure legibility , so typed prose is recommended. Please only submit a single file (pdf or zipped folder [of jpg/pdf] if necessary), max size 20Mb. You may make multiple submissions, and it is recommended that you make at least one test submission in advance to ensure there are no issues.

A reminder that you are expected to work on this examination on your own . Any existing (written) material including lectures, assignments, tutorials and practice questions is permitted for reference. You are still subject to the University Plagiarism policy and any external resources used should be properly referenced.

I will be around for the next 24 hours to answer (any) questions, though questions related to exam content will likely have limited response.

Outstanding solutions to course content should (hopefully) appear during the day

Paul

Final lecture content

Posted by Paul Hunter Monday 27 April 2020, 08:19:14 PM.

Hi all,

The final lecture for the course will be at 1-3pm (Sydney time) tomorrow (Tuesday). I intend to go over some practice questions (which I will put up later tonight), but the topics I will cover is up to you. I have posted a poll here where you can express the topic(s) you most want covered. I will go through solutions in order of popularity - if I can find the time I will complete the sample solutions in a later recording, but there is no guarantee - so please vote...

Paul

Assignment 7 now available

Posted by Paul Hunter Sunday 12 April 2020, 02:52:53 AM.

Hi all,

Assignment 7 is now available.

Because of the delay getting it out, and the reduced availability this week (i.e. no lecture on Monday) I have pushed back the due date to 5pm Sunday April 19th .

Paul

Outcomes update

Posted by Paul Hunter Monday 30 March 2020, 11:11:58 PM.

Hi all,

You would have received an email from the Acting Dean of UNSW Engineering today regarding adopting a Satisfactory (SY) grading system for assessments in T1 courses. COMP4141 will not be exempted from this, so will be assessed as SY/FL with FL not appearing on student transcripts.

The assessment structure for the course remains in place with assignments contributing 30% toward the SY/FL decision, and mid-term/final exam contributing 70%. The 40% barrier for the final assessment remains in place for now - however pending future decisions this may change.

Paul

Assignment 5 update

Posted by Paul Hunter Friday 27 March 2020, 10:03:44 AM.

Hi all,

I just noticed an error in Q1 of Assignment 5. I have updated the assignment with a corrected version.

Paul

COMP4141 outcomes

Posted by Paul Hunter Thursday 26 March 2020, 09:28:47 PM.

Hi all,

Thank you to those that filled in the poll regarding your attitudes towards a pass/fail outcome for COMP4141.

As I expected, the attitudes of the cohort are quite diverse and divisive making any decision difficult.

After weighing up arguments from both sides, I believe that:

• with existing and ongoing adjustments to assessments, an overall result can be obtained that fairly reflects a students' capabilities in this course despite the disruption caused by COVID-19
• because of the theoretical nature of the course and the fact that assessments are oriented towards understanding and ability rather than knowledge, a (properly designed) take-home exam does not compromise the academic integrity of the course
• given the position of COMP4141 in the undergraduate schedule (late-undergraduate/postgraduate, offered one term a year) students have already invested a lot of time and energy working towards a good grade - especially since we have already had 5 assessments (out of 10). Changing the outcomes of the course at this stage to pass/fail is dismissive of your effort thus far and unfair on you.

Based on this, I have asked the school (who will pass the matter on to the faculty) if COMP4141 can be exempted from the default faculty position and have a graded outcome. I hope to hear next week what the final decision will be. Please bear in mind that I have the luxury of considering this course in isolation; the faculty will almost certainly have considered many of my arguments (and many others) and will make a decision based on the larger, faculty-wide perspective.

A reminder to contact me if you feel any of your weekly assignments were compromised because of COVID-19-related travel - especially Assignments 1 and/or 4.

Paul

COMP4141 lectures, assessments, and grading

Posted by Paul Hunter Thursday 26 March 2020, 03:53:42 AM.

Hi all,

Apologies for the radio silence on COMP4141 matters. A number of recent developments/announcements from the University, Faculty, and School have had some major impacts, and I've been working to gather them all in some sort of coherent manner.

• The University has announced that there will be no more Echo360 recordings from next week. So I will be delivering lectures in an online forum - currently (due to familiarity) this will be through Collaborate, but that may change. For the moment, these will be held at the same time as lectures are scheduled - and students are encouraged to join. The lectures will be recorded in Collaborate. I have procured a webcam setup that allows me to project my note-taking (as lectures have thus far been presented) - so the quality should be much better than the dry run I recorded on Friday evening (available under the recordings in Collaborate). However, based on today's tutorials, there may be internet speed issues during working hours. I will continue to monitor the situation and work to find the solution that works best.
• The University has announced that there will be no in-person examinations this term. In light of this, and based on the experiences of arranging the midterm exam online, I have made the decision to make the final assessment a 24 hour take-home exam (date TBA). In that time you may access any written resources - but any work that is not your own needs to be properly referenced ( here is a reminder of the University's plagiarism policy ). The 40% barrier will likely stay in place, but it will be reviewed.
• The Faculty of Engineering is moving that all Term 1 courses be assessed as pass/fail due to the disruption caused by COVID-19 and the reduction in academic integrity because of the examination situation. Based on preliminary feedback from your Student Representatives, this does not appear to be a popular outcome for COMP4141 students (though I don't know how representative their sample was). I believe I can make a strong case for COMP4141 to have graded outcomes especially if it is critical for exchange and/or postgrad students. I have put up a poll (available until 3pm Thursday [Sydney time]) to get a sense of the importance of the issue. Please take a second to indicate your preference - if you have a strong opinion either way, please let me know (via email or course forum). Note: the assessment structure still stands, with the weightings determined by your choice prior to the midterm.
• Any student that feels they have had an assignment compromised because of COVID-19-related travel (e.g. US students returning home last week or International students unable to arrive in Australia because of the travel ban), please get in touch with me asap.
• Assignment 5 has now been released. With all the turmoil of the past few weeks, I have pushed the deadline back until 5pm Friday 3 April (Sydney time - still daylight savings). It is likely the Friday deadline will continue for the remainder of the term.
• Solutions, grades, and further practice questions are still being worked on - apologies and thank you for your patience.

Paul

Mid-term exam preparation

Posted by Paul Hunter Wednesday 18 March 2020, 02:11:10 AM.

Hi all,

Thank you to those that contacted me with their mid-term preferences.

I have added a field to your "grades" database that indicates your choice - please check that I have the correct information for you.

If you want to change your option (especially if you are feeling unwell), please contact me before 11am . After that time, students will have seen the exam and any requests for Special Consideration will need to go through Student Services.

For students taking the exam remotely, the exam will be available on webCMS at 2pm. You must submit an image of your answers by 3:05pm

Submissions can either be through give or by email to paul.hunter@unsw.edu.au. It is recommended you submit a low-res image via email before the deadline, and then provide a higher-resolution image through give (this can be uploaded after the deadline). Photographed images are sufficient.

Paul

COMP4141 online

Posted by Paul Hunter Tuesday 17 March 2020, 11:42:11 PM.

Hi all,

Following tomorrow's midterm examination, COMP4141 will be moving to online delivery of all content.

Tutorials will be given at the same times on Collaborate. Of course, without the physical constraint of room size there can be a bit more flexibility in tutorial allocation, so please feel free to join any tutorial that is at a more convenient time for you. If we find that tutorial sizes are reducing the quality of staff-student interaction, then we will take action.

The online consultation will remain at 8pm on Wednesdays (with the exception of tomorrow, where there will be no consultation).

The scheduled consultation hour on Mondays will be moved to an additional online consultation hour, but will be moved to Friday morning (10am-11am, Sydney time) so that it is compatible with US time zones. This will be effective from next week.

For the moment, lectures will still be recorded and made available through echo360 shortly after the conclusion of the lecture. In line with social distancing practices, you should not attend these lectures in person. Please make use of the forums to post your questions. Lectures may move to a more interactive platform (e.g. Collaborate) depending on future decisions by UNSW, the Australian government, and any feedback I get from you. In such circumstances, they will still be recorded and I will let you know how to access the recordings. A reminder that there will be no lectures next week (though tutorials and consultations

Assignments will still be delivered and submitted as usual.

Arrangements for the final exam are still to be determined, however I intend for it to be available (in some form) to anyone taking the course.

Paul

Mid-term exam options

Posted by Paul Hunter Monday 16 March 2020, 02:45:52 PM.

Hi all,

In light of the recent COVID-19 developments I have reconsidered my position on the mid-term examination. To encourage the recommended social isolation strategy, I am now proposing alternatives that do not involve coming into UNSW on Wednesday.

• Option 1 : Attend the midterm in your tutorial on Wednesday.
• Option 2 : Take the midterm remotely on Wednesday at 2pm (Sydney time). A midterm paper will be made available online at 2pm. You will need to upload (or email) an image of your answers by 3:05pm. It will be assumed that you adhere to the examination requirements, however to protect the academic integrity of assessment in the course, if you choose this option your final grade will be rebalanced as 30% assignment, 10% mid-term, 60% final exam.
• Option 3 : Forego the midterm entirely. If you choose this option your final grade will be rebalanced as 30% assignment, 70% final exam.

Options 2 and 3 will place an additional emphasis on the final exam - and I am currently unsure of how it will be administered. It will also result in an assessment bias toward the content in the latter half of the course.

You will need to decide which option by 11:59pm on Tuesday.

If you would like to exercise Option 2 or Option 3, please contact me before Wednesday. Students that have already applied for Special Consideration will be presented with Options 2 & 3.

Paul

COVID19 Accommodations

Posted by Paul Hunter Friday 13 March 2020, 02:26:54 PM.

In light of recent developments with regard to COVID-19 I am working to find out what options are available for COMP4141 students that are being advised to return home. The University does not currently have advice for this particular scenario . With the exception of the mid-term assessment and final exam, COMP4141 is accessible remotely - the lectures are recorded, assignments are submitted online, and there is an online consultation weekly (though the time may shift to reflect the preferred timezone(s) of attendees). If the university will arrange remote final examinations, then I am happy to let students continue in the course.

If you have been advised to return home, please comply with the advice you have received. Arrangements can and will be made with regard to the mid-term examination.

I have currently booked a room from 1-2pm on Monday to offer a mid-term assessment for students that cannot make any tutorial on Wednesday - if you are able to make this timeslot and you cannot attend on Wednesday, please let me know. Again, please prioritise any travel advice you have received over trying to attend the mid-term.

Paul

Mid-term exam

Posted by Paul Hunter Thursday 12 March 2020, 01:37:47 PM.

Hi all,

Some information regarding the upcoming mid-term assessment.

• It will be held in your tutorial next week (Week 5). If you cannot make your tutorial, please contact me with the times you can make (tutorials are at 11, 12, 2, 3, and 4 on Wednesday). This applies to anyone that has already made arrangements - just so I can keep track. We will endeavour to accommodate you, but priority is for students in their own tutorial group.
• The exam is 50 mins with 10 mins reading time - starting and ending on the hour. So please be punctual
• The content includes anything up to and including the upcoming lecture this Friday
• It is closed book, but you are permitted one A4-sized paper (double-sided) of your own notes (typed or handwritten). There is content overlap with the mid-term and the final exam, so you can keep your notes so that you may re-use them later.
• A reminder that UNSW has a "fit-to-sit" policy - by attending the assessment you are declaring yourself to be fit to undertake the exam. If you are unable to make the mid-term through illness or misadventure, you will need to apply for Special Consideration.

Week 6 is "flex week". There will be no lecture on the 23rd and 27th of March and no assignment due, but tutorials are currently scheduled. These are primarily for revision purposes and to give feedback on the mid-term.

Paul

Online consultation recordings

Posted by Paul Hunter Wednesday 26 February 2020, 09:11:00 PM.

Tonight's online consultation had some attendees and the session was recorded.

To access the recording:

• Navigate to the course's Collaborate classroom by going to Moodle -> Launch Collaborate
• Under the hamburger menu (≡) in the top left there is a menu item "Recordings"
• From there you can see all the recordings of the sessions.
• I answered questions posted in the chat - to see the chat during a recording playback, select the chevron icon (<<) in the bottom right

Assignment 1 solutions and Assignment 2 now available

Posted by Paul Hunter Wednesday 26 February 2020, 10:05:08 AM.

Hi all,

Assignment 2, due Tuesday March 3rd, 17:00 is now available on the course website.

Sample solutions and a marking guide for Assignment 1 have been posted. Your marks should be available shortly.

Paul

Assignment 1 now available

Posted by Paul Hunter Thursday 20 February 2020, 03:18:19 AM.

Hi all,

Assignment 1 is now available, apologies for the delay. It is due at 5pm (Sydney time) on Tuesday Feb 25. No extensions will be offered.

Submission is online, through webCMS or give. Submit a single pdf file, max size 4Mb.

Prose should be typed, not handwritten. Use of LaTeX is encouraged, but not essential. I have added a sample LaTeX document to the course website which you can use as a scaffold.

In the future, assignments will be made available on Tuesday evenings.

Paul