Lectures:

Prof. David Tennenhouse dlt@lcs.mit.edu NE43-508 3-6005

Dr. Christopher Lindblad cjl@lcs.mit.edu NE43-504 3-6042

Course Secretary:

Logan logan@tns.lcs.mit.edu NE43-508 3-4719

Grades:

Course grades will be based on formal assignments and class participation.

There will be four types of assignments:

* Single Page Reports. There will be two or three of these. These are individual assignments that address questions arising from course readings.

* Mock Area Exam. Each student will be expected to write one paper that is similar in style to that of a CS area exam paper.

* Short Group Project. This is a 2 week group assignment. Each group should assemble one or more infrastructure tools that could be used to support a systems project/experiment. Each group will submit a 3-5 page report.

* Large Group Project. This is an 8 week group assignment in which we expect each group to complete a significant systems project/experiment. Each group will submit and 8-10 page written report.

Class participation means more than just attendance at course meetings. We expect you to read the assigned papers, dissect them, and participate in class discussions. You will also be expected to participate in the preparation and/or delivery of two group presentations.

In computing the final grade, we will weigh the components as follows:

participation ~ group projects ~ (area paper + one page reports)

Two observations:

(i)We will be pleased if everyone in the course earns an `A'. However, by the end of the course we will have collected plenty of information to separate `A's from `B's (and worse).

(ii)To achieve a high grade, you must do well in all three components.

Policy on Collaboration

* Do the right thing.

* Individual assignments are just that. Although you may discuss them with fellow students, your report should reflect your own work. It should reflect your thoughts and you should write it yourself. If you build on insights gained through discussions with others you should acknowledge their contributions and distinguish them from your own work.

* We expect you to collaborate on group projects. In some cases cross-group collaboration may also be in order. Contributions by other groups and people outside your group should be acknowledged in reports and presentations.