CISC 280 Lab Module Note, March 18, 2002

This is a further explanation of the CISC 280 grading system. It includes precise deadlines. Recall the basic fact that learning programming involves introducing more and more techniques into your repetoire with each new item building on the previous ones. For this reason CISC 280 grading is based on accomplishment, not on partial credit with gaps and misses here and there. At this point in the course (March 18, 2002) you should have completed labs A thru F. That means that for each lab
  1. You have submitted homework and had it returned graded. Graded homework either passes or is subject to revision.
  2. During a lab session you have submitted topper(s) for the lab and received a "Pass" response.
  3. If called for, you've submitted revised homework, and had it returned graded. Graded revised homework either passes or is subject to further revision.
  4. ...Submitted revised revised homework, if called for, and had it returned graded.
Timeliness: Revised homework should be submitted to the TA immediately, preferably within two days of receiving it, so that you may have it returned in lab the following week. Submit revised homework in Ray Kozlowski's mailbox in 214 Smith Hall.

For those who are behind, now is the time to catch up. All homework and toppers for labs A-F, must be submitted by Monday, March 25 in lab. Failure to do so will result in forbidding you to work on (and thus to receive project credit for) the Painters project until these first 6 labs are completed. Toppers for labs D, E, F will be provided to do in lab March 25. If you need to complete toppers for A, B, or C, contact Saunders.

This may be a good time to review the course grading system.
Midterm I, 12.5%
Midterm II, 12.5%
Final, 25%
10 Lab modules, 40%
Project, 10%

There are 10 Lab modules, each of which counts 4% of the course grade. However you only get credit up to the first one you don't complete. Thus if you have done A, B, C, D, E, G, H, and J successfully, but never got a topper done for F (or didn't return the revised F homework, say). Then your lab module grade is 20%, because only labs A thru E are counted. This puts an absolute premium on completing the early labs.