CSE
141 (Spring 2008) - Course Syllabus
Course
Topics | Grading | The
Book | Homework | Exams
| Academic Integrity
Computer System Performance
Single-Cycle Processors
Multi-Cycle Processors
Pipelining
Caches
Multi-core (if time permits)
Your grade will be based on the weighted average of your scores on written homework, weekly quizzes, one small project, one midterm, and a final. Class participation also accounts for a portion of your grade. The final grade will be weighted as follows:
project 30%
homework 10%
surprise quizzes 8%
class participation 8%
midterm 20%
final 24%
You have exactly 7 days after the return of graded exams to ask for a regrade. The request must be submitted, in writing, to the TA. After one week, the grade becomes final. Because of the relatively small weight, there will be no regrades on homeworks.
The
book is useful and easy to read. You should do the
reading covered by the lecture before attending class. The lecture
will not cover everything in the book and visa versa. Both the book
and lecture are fair game for homeworks and exams.
A
very small number of written (usually non-coding) homework will be
assigned, mostly from the questions following each chapter. You may discuss
problems after you have already tried them, but the writeup of the problem should be your own.
You should not look at another student's written solutions before writing up your own.
I highly encourage you to also work on and discuss non-assigned problems with others in the
class. There will be, on average, one homework assigned per week.
Doing just the assigned problems will probably not be sufficient to
prepare you for tests. You should plan to do all the suggested
problems as well to ensure that you are prepared. Homework will be
graded on a statistical basis. That is to say that only a certain
(unannounced) subset of the required problems will be graded. Homeworks
will be
collected at the classroom right before the class starts (no later
submission allowed).
There
will be onr midterm exam at a time and place to be announced. The
final is scheduled for 12/11/2008 at 3:00pm.
Exams will be inclusive of all course material--including material
presented in class but not in the book. Exams will be closed book,
closed notes.
Weekly quizzes will be given on thursdays of each week, except the week of the midterm and week one. The quizzes will cover the past week's lecture and reading content. They will last 10 minutes and be geared such that students who read diligently and complete the homeworks should have no problem receiving full credit.
A small project will be assigned early in the quarter. The project will involve the creation of a personal ISA. Each group will give a short presentation making the case for design decisions.
There
will be onr midterm exam at a time and place to be announced. The
final is scheduled for 12/11/2008 at 3:00pm.
Exams will be inclusive of all course material--including material
presented in class but not in the book. Exams will be closed book,
closed notes.
You must work independently on exams, and you should not look at another student's homeworks before you have done the assignment yourself.
However, you are HIGHLY encouraged to study in groups. Explaining problems to others is one of the best ways to learn. I know. I do it for a living.
Use of
solutions manual and/or web or others' material:
A solutions
manual, meant only for instructors, exists for this text. Obtaining
or using this or other materials (such as other faculty's posted
solutions to book problems) IS CHEATING. We know what the
solution manuals' answers look like. We will be able to tell if you
copy them or use them to guide your answer. Don't. Homework is
only 12.5% of the grade and only exists to help you study for tests.
Cheating WILL be taken seriously. It is not fair to honest students to take cheating lightly, nor is it fair to the cheater to let him/her go on thinking that is a reasonable alternative in life.
Penalties: Anyone copying information or having information copied during a test will receive an F for the class and will not be allowed to drop. They will be reported to their college dean. If you can prove non-cooperative copying took place, your grade may be restored, but you must prove it to the dean--I don't want to be involved. Anyone caught cheating or falsely representing the work of others on the homework will not be allowed to turn in further homework. Your grade will be based exclusively on the tests with a penalty of 25% OR GREATER applied.