3 📚GRADED ITEMS DESCRIPTION🧐
3.1 EXAMS
There are 3 exams:
Exam 1: Manipulations & Visualizations (12 points)
Exam 2: Modeling (15 points)
Final Exam: Comprehensive of all materials (18 points)
All exams are given using Respondus Lockdown Browser during class time and in class as specified in the schedule below. Respondus will require your camera to be on during the entire exam to discourage and monitor any possible form of cheating. Notes, books, phones, and other devices are prohibited during the tests. It is also necessary that you keep your eyes as much as possible to the screen or that you don’t look for long period time away from it. All suspicious activities detected by Respondus will be reported. Please do not put me in the position of reporting cheating behaviors in this class.
Exams can be theoretical, computational, or a combination of both. The focus is not on mere memorization but mainly on understanding of the materials covered.
🗣️ You have the option to replace your final exam with the weighted average score of your other exams. This should be motivation to really do well on the first two exams. If you do well in them and you like your weighted average score, you will not have to take the final and you can simply use the weighted average score of the two exams as your final score! 🚨
No make ups for exams will be granted if the students do not provide a university approved and documented excuse for the absence.
3.2 ASSIGNMENTS
There are 2 assignments with the objective of testing your knowledge on the materials covered and to offer you a simulation (still graded but with less impact) of the exams’ settings and structures.
All assignments are given using Respondus Lockdown Browser during the week specified in the schedule below. Respondus will require your camera to be on during their entire duration to discourage and monitor any possible form of cheating.
🗣️ It is critical for you to show your entire environment before starting the assignment. Your pre-exam video should not be rushed and offer a 360 view of your desk and your surroundings. Notes, books, phones, and other devices are prohibited during the tests. It is also necessary that you keep your eyes as much as possible to the screen or that you don’t look for long period time away from it. All suspicious activities detected by Respondus will be reported (if your pre-exam video doesn’t not clearly show all your surroundings). 🚨
Please do not put me in the position of reporting cheating behaviors in this class. Finally, no extensions or exceptions will be awarded unless the student will prove (e.g., with pictures, please remember not to use the phone unless necessary to show a system failure) that some issues happened during the test.
3.3 SKILL TESTS
There are 2 skill tests throughout the semester, and they will all be completed during class time and in class. The objective of the skill tests is to test your ability to use the software to complete tasks (based on materials covered in class) on real life datasets. More specifically:
The Skill Test 1 will focus on manipulations and visualizations (15 points)
The Skill Test 2 will focus on modeling (20 points)
3.4 LEARNING
My primary focus and concern are your LEARNING. I truly care that all of you understand and master all the materials that we will cover this semester. There are different components that are included in your learning evaluation:
Weekly coding checkups: demonstration of understanding/mastering the weekly materials by completing custom designed coding checkups that will walk you through a semester long and complete data analytics project.
In-class participation: willingness to understanding/mastering by asking questions and/or demonstration of understanding/mastering by answering questions/solving activities during class time.
MS Teams participation: willingness to understanding/mastering by asking questions and/or demonstration of understanding/mastering by answering questions/solving activities on the MS Teams class channel.
Professionalism: attitude towards learning (e.g., being on time, staying engaged, paying attention, being respectful etc.)
Others: participation to other learning enhancement initiatives (e.g., completing surveys, responding to polls etc.)
Your Learning in class can be monitored throughout the semester by monitoring the Dr. B Learning Leaderboard in the course website. Please remember that the leaderboard will be updated as soon as more data are gathered on its different items (usually every one or two weeks). However, keep in mind that some items might receive updates more frequently than others. It is your responsibility to monitor your performance and adjust to improve your learning. Please remember that we are always available to help and support you!
🗣️ Do not expect/pretend a high grade in your Learning portion of the class if you have very few points at the end of the semester or if your learning score is significantly below the class average. Moreover, Dr. B will write reference/recommendation letters only to the top 10% performers in the Dr. B Learning Leaderboard. 🚨