Grades will be made up of the following components, with approximate weights as shown:

20% - Homework
7.5% - Quiz 1
25% - Exam 1 (midterm)
7.5% - Quiz 2
30% - Course Project
10% - Points earned in bonus & other challenges (aka Pizza Points)

This break down is subject to change depending on resources that will be available to the instructor for grading. Parts of points 1. - 4. below may change accordingly.

As of January 8, 2019, the grading capacity became insufficient for full grading of individual homeworks. Therefore, students do homeworks in groups. The groups, formed by self-organization, will be permanent throughout the semester. Maximum group sizes will be determined by the instructor. Students in a group work together, agree on, and produce a homework solution, then submit the homework as a group. Each student in a group will receive the same grade points for the particular homework unless they state contributions in a proportion different from equal percentage. In each homework, students will state the names of the group members, and the percentages of their contributions if unequal.

The homework grouping does not affect quizzes and exams, which will be done individually and will be graded individually. Class projects, however (see below), will be done in groups. At project time students will be allowed to form project groups different from the home work groups if they want to.

1. Homework
There will be approximately four or five homeworks in the first half of the semester. There will be only one or two homeworks in the second half of the semester, in order to allow time for the Course Project. The assignments themselves will be posted in Canvas. Homeworks will be due, by default, before the beginning of class on the due date as specified in Canvas. Due dates will also be shown in the Course Schedule in a timely manner. Solutions from previous years are off-limit. Partial grading (i.e., grading a randomly selected subset of the homework problems), or other evaluation may be applied depending on the number of students and grading support for the course. You(r group) will be required to upload an electronic copy (a pdf file) to Canvas. You are not required to type everything but if you have parts produced non-electronically you need to scan your hard copy into a pdf file with a reasonably high-quality scanner. A summary of required formats, file names, and other requirements are posted here in a single file for your convenience. I will refer to this file as “Logistic Details”. Please be sure to thoroughly read and follow. You may save the file for your handy reference; or you can always access it at https://www.ece.rice.edu/~erzsebet/ANNcourse/NML502-LogisticsDetails.pdf or in Canvas under Files/ .

2.1 Late Homework policy Homework will be due on the due date and time posted with the Assignment in Canvas. If the deadline indicated in the Course Schedule should be different, then the deadline posted in Canvas applies. After the due date, but before solutions are handed out, homework can be turned in for 50% credit. After solutions are handed out, 0% credit will be issued. Should any circumstance prevent electronic submission to Canvas at any time, please contact me before the assignment is due, and copy the TA(s). We will work with you to solve the problem. However, please let me and the TA(s) know immediately (by phone if necessary) of any problem accessing Canvas.

2. Tests
Quiz 1 and Quiz 2: approx. 45 min, closed notes/books/phones/computers/cheatsheets, planned as electronic “in-class” style quizzes. (An electronic device may be used only for writing and submitting the quiz answers.) The exact implementation (multiple-choice form, questions requiring short typed answers, or combination) will be announced well ahead of time. Exam 1 (midterm): Exam 1 will be take-home, open book and open notes but using restricted time and other resources (such as internet), and you will be required to give the honor pledge. The exact requirements and details will be given with the exams. Test solutions from previous years are strictly off-limit.
The exact dates of these tests will be posted in the Course Schedule in a timely manner, as well as announced in class approximately two weeks ahead of time. The anticipated approximate dates are mid - late February (Quiz 1), mid – late March (Midterm), and early – mid April (Quiz 2). For all tests you will be required to adhere to the Rice Honor Pledge.

3. Course Project
A Project will be done over an approximately four-week period in the second half of the semester. Students will form groups by self-organization. The project groups can be the same or different from the homework groups. Each group will submit a project proposal by approximately March 18 (exact date TBD, will be announced in class and will be posted in the Course Schedule). It is anticipated that by that time the major ANN paradigms will have been discussed in class and students will be able to select a project topic, either devised on their own or sel ected from a list provided by me. I will review and approve each proposal (or discuss necessary modifications) before students start e xecuting plans. Details, requirements and the characteristics of a successful Project are described here.

4. Bonus and other challenges will consist of competitions added to assignments, short in-class surveys (one or two questions in a Google form), and questions I post in Piazza, and can earn you ¿Pizza Points¿ that count toward your final grade. While these challenges are low-risk individually (each counts very little toward your grade) you will benefit from instantaneous feedback and/or class discussion as you are accumulating them.

Missed assignments If you must miss (or be late with) a homework or a test due to an extraordinary circumstance please notify me and the TA(s) as much ahead of time as possible, and make arrangements with me for completing the missed assignment. If, in extreme emergency, you are unable to provide advance notice, please let me know as soon as possible afterwards, and I will work with you on a solution accordingly. Please do not ask the TA(s) for extensions, make-up arrangements, and other exceptions. Address all such requests directly to me (but copy the TA(s)).

5. Some General Requirements are also posted in NML502-LogisticsDetails.pdf . Please read thoroughly. It will save you trouble later.

Expectations Regarding Honor Code, Collaboration, and Citation: In preparing homework, students are encouraged to consult freely any material and anyone. However, each individual (or each homework group) will write and turn in their own solution, which they are expected to understand and be able to reproduce on their own. If the solution is the result of group work, each group will write the names of the collaborators on their solution. For tests, students will be required to work individually, and adhere to the Rice Honor Code. Solutions from previous years are off-limit. In all work, students are expected to be scrupulous about proper citation of sources (where applicable), as required both as a matter of integrity and formally as a part of the Rice Honor Code.

Use of Machines in the Classroom: Cell phones must be turned off during class unless I ask you to use them for class purposes. If you anticipate the need to take an urgent call, please set your phone to vibration and take the call outside the room. Laptops or other small devices may be used only for specific class purposes such as participating via Zoom or taking notes. I strongly recommend limiting the use of computers during lecture as it can be distracting to you as well as to your neighbors!
In case of remote instruction (should it become necessary), please have live camera presence in class if at all possible, or at least a static picture of you in Zoom, and be available for discussion. I will expect students to be punctual, to dress like in the regular classroom, and to refrain from eating or other distractions during class.