ECE 462 Grading, Fall 2010

Attending lectures is required. Important information (such as the topics in an exam) is announced in class. Please post class-related questions in Blackboard. Do not use email. Use email for only private communication (such as making an appointment).

If you use anything (code, algorithm, formula, ...) that is not provided in this course (lectures, textbook, assignments, on-line discussion. office hours ...), you must cite the source of the materials. This class has zero tolerance of dishonest behavior.

Grade Calculation

• 15 points from IPAs: 3 individual programming assignments (IPA), 5 points each
• 20 points from GPAs: 4 group programming assignments (GPA), 5 points each

All programming assignments are graded in Linux. Please ensure that your programs can run on the computers in EE 306. You can use scp (secure copy) to transfer files and ssh (secure shell) to execute programs remotely. You may develop the programs on your personal computer.You can install Virtualbox to run Linux on Windows. Please follow this tutorial. Do not use Microsoft Visual Studio.

Do not send your code to the instructor or the teaching assistant and ask them to debug for you. Such email is always ignored. If you need help, you have to use the office hours. If you need help outside the office hours, you can make an appointment.

• 45 points from midterm exams: three 50-minute midterm exams, 15 points each. Open book and open notes. You can bring any book (or books)..
• 15 points from one take-home final exam. You will have 24 hours to finish the exam.
• 4 written assignments (WA), 1 point each.
• 2 points for evaluations and surveys
• up to 5 points from in-class quizzes. There will be more than 5 quizzes, 1 point each.
• up to 4 points from contributing to Rhea. This is self-reported in the final exam. You need to self evaluate your postings. Each posting is classified into three categories: significant, moderate, and response.
  • A significant posting provides elaborate information useful to the class and you will receive 1 point. For example, you scribe a lecture or you find a bug in the code provided by the instructor, you provide evidence showing the problem, and you also provide a correct solution.
  • A moderate posting provides some useful information and is 0.5 point. For example, you find a bug in the code provided by the instructor and provide evidence showing the problem.
  • A response is short and provides less information. Each response gets 0.3 point. For example, you say, "Yes, I think that is a bug in the instructor's code."

Course Outcomes

A student who successfully fulfills the course requirements will have demonstrated:

1. an ability to write object-oriented programs of moderate complexity in C++. [3,4;e]
2. an ability to write object-oriented programs of moderate complexity in Java. [3,4;e]
3. an understanding of the concepts of inheritance and polymorphism. [3,4;k]
4. an ability to use template classes and the standard template library in C++ and Java. [3,4;k]
5. an ability to overload operators in C++. [4;c,e,k]
6. an understanding of the difference between function overloading and function overriding. [3,4;k]
7. an ability to incorporate exception handling in object-oriented programs. [3,4;k]
8. an ability to write programs with multiple threads and use synchronization among threads. [3,4,k]

To receive a passing grade (D- or above), a student must pass all outcomes.

Outcomes 1 and 2 are evaluated by the first two individual programming assignments. Outcomes 3-8 are evaluated by exams 1-3. No outcome will be tested in the final exam. Passing all outcomes is a necessary (but not sufficient) condition to receive a passing grade. Exam 4 will be held as the second and last chance to pass outcomes. Exam 4 is for passing outcomes only; no point will be added to the total score.

Letter Grades:

The total score is 110.

Your total score will be round up to the smallest integer (for example, 72.1 becomes 73). 

Your grade does not depend on any of the following factors. These factors are subjective and cannot be used for grading.

• How much time you spend studying or doing assignments.
• How much you enjoy the course.
• How much you know beyond the exam questions.
• How much you have learned. There is no good way checking how much you have learned during a semester.
• Whether your programs work in your computer. If it does not work on the computers in EE 306, you receive no point.

Your grade is determined by you, not by the instructor.  The instructor does not negotiate grades. If your score is 59, you will receive F. Do not ask the instructor to "bump you up." Do not ask the instructor to give you A to keep 4.0 GPA. It is your responsibility to earn the grade.

Submission Procedure

Some programming assignments are graded by computer programs. You must meet the specifications precisely without any deviation. If your program has a different output format, you may lose most points.

If the program is automatically graded, you will receive a grade soon after your submission.  You can submit as many times as you wish before the deadline.  The highest score is used as your grade. Research has shown that allowing unlimited submissions discourages learning.  Some students would submit aimlessly and wish to be lucky sometimes. You should not submit code to test your luck.  Instead, you should understand and do each assignment carefully. If you need help, please talk to the instructor or the teaching assistant.

It is your responsibility to check whether you submitted correct files. Please double check your submission. Submitting wrong files is a common mistake.  Your programs are tested using Linux.

• The instructor and the teaching assistant will never enter your account for grading. Do not send your password to the instructor.
• The instructor and the teaching assistant will never grade on your personal computer. Do not say "I can show you on my computer."
• The instructor and the teaching assistant will never change anything you submit.  Do not say "If you delete that line or add this file, everything works."

Late Submissions

Each assignment is due at 9:59AM on the corresponding deadline.

• Before the deadline, you can submit and resubmit as many as 10 times.  If you submit multiple times, your score is the highest among all submissions.
• The time is determined by the server's clock, not your watch.
• You must submit early. Sometimes the Internet can be slow. If you wait until a few minutes before the deadline, it is very likely that you will miss the deadline. Another common mistake is submitting wrong files when the deadline is too close.
• Do not send your assignment by email because it is late. Email submission is ignored.
• Every assignment has a no-penalty extension of 6 hours. The extension is not a new deadline. The extension is provided to accommodate unexpected problems, such as slow network. The extension should be sufficient for you to come to school and submit an assignment, if your home computer breaks.
• If Purdue cancels classes on a submission deadline, the deadline is extended to one day after classes resume.
• If the server is down within 12 hours of the deadline, the deadline will be extended by 24 hours.

Q: Why is the submission deadline set to 10:59AM?  Some students are in lectures at that time.

A: If the grading server breaks, ECN may provide timely assistance to solve the problems. If you have a lecture, please submit earlier.

Q: I submit before the deadline and obtain 3 points.  I submit again 8AM the next day and obtain 5 points. What is my score?

A: Your second submission becomes 4 points due to the late penalty. Since it is higher than 3, your score is 4.

Q: If I am sick for a whole week, can I receive an extension?

A: If you provide appropriate documents showing that it is impossible to do the assignment, an extension may be granted.

Q: My computer breaks. My apartment loses power. Can I receive an extension?

A: You have no-penalty for 6 hours (from 10:59AM to 4:59PM) on the due day. This should be sufficient for you to come to school and submit your assignment.

Q: I have an emergency (for example, traffic accident). Can I receive an extension?

A: If you provide appropriate documents (such as a police report), an extension may be granted.

Q: The university declares an emergency. What should I do?

A: If the university declares an emergency, the deadlines will be postpones appropriately.

Q: The submission site is down.

A: If the site is down, an appropriate extension will be given.

Regrading Procedure

Regrading is requested by sending email to the instructor. Please explain clearly why you deserve more points. If you request regrading a programming assignment, please check your submission first. Submitting wrong files is a common mistake. Your grade is determined by what you actually submit, not what you intend to submit.  Neither the instructor nor the teaching assistant can modify anything you submit.

Make-up Exam

If you are unable or unwilling to take an exam at the specified time, you must make an arrangement with the instructor and take the exam earlier. You cannot take an exam late. Exceptions are given to emergencies only. If you miss an exam, you will receive zero, not the average of the other exams. To request an exception, you must present the document showing an emergency.

Policy about Dishonesty

This class has zero tolerance for cheating.

If you obtain any useful information outside this class, you must cite the source and how it is used.

It is cheating if you copy code from the Internet or any book other than the textbook without citing the source.

You must not share code with anyone for the individual programming assignments.

You can work with your group mates for the the group assignments. If you obtain useful information from anyone other than your group mates, you must explain whom you talk to, what information is obtained, and how it is used.

Dishonest behavior will be reported to the associate head of ECE and you will receive F. All cheating cases will be reported. There is no exception.

You must protect your own code, including the printout of your code. Keep all printouts until the semester ends. Do not throw away the printout of your code in a computer room. If you give someone your code, you also violate the honesty rules and will received F. If your code is used by someone else, you must provide evidence showing that you have taken reasonable actions protecting your code.

You may be expelled from Purdue if you cheat. If you are an international student, you may lose your student visa and must leave USA.

Advanced software tools are available finding similar code. These tools can detect programs with similar structures.

Copying code can lead to jail time, as in the Cadence-Avanti case. 

If you need help, please talk to the instructor or the teaching assistant before the deadline.  Do not ask your classmate to give you code. Do not give your code to anyone.

Do not intend to find any excuse for cheating. Students have used many excuses. The following are some examples. None was accepted and all students involved received approriate penalties.

• "I was sick and could not do the assignment."
• "My parents were sick and I had to take care of them. I did not have time doing the assignment."
• "My parents' business failed. I had to earn tuition and had no time doing the assignment."
• "The student sitting next to me showed me the answer during the exam. I wanted to show my appreciation and copied the answer. This is not my fault. You should punish the person that gave me the answer."
• "I accidentally found this program on line. I accidentally discovered that it was similar to the requirements of the assignment. I accidentally took it as mine and accidentally submitted."
• "XXX gave me this code to study. I really wanted to learn. I submitted the code by mistake."
• "Look, this doesn't even work. Why would I submit anything that is not mine and is not working?"

Even if you receive zero in an assignment, you may still be charged for cheating. Cheating means you submit something that is not your work, regardless of the score of the submission. This is the same as charging a person for (intended) murder even though the victim is still alive.

If you need any help, please contact Counselors in the Office of the Dean of Students.

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