microMachine

Grading Criteria

Determining the Final Grade

It is important that you understand how final grades will be determined in this class.  Five components will be considered:

• 50 % -- Exams and Quizzes
• 50 % -- Compiler project                   
•          --  Lab exercises        
•          --  Journal                                
•          --  Professionalism

Your final grade will be determined by the percentages listed above.  Notice that the exams and the compiler project receive equal weight.  However, also note this important point:  You cannot receive a grade that is higher than the level at which the final version of your compiler performs (A, B, and C levels as discussed below).  You have control over how far you take your compiler, so this should not be a burden.  Also note carefully that if the Journals and other observations make it clear that you are not contributing to the project at the level of your other partners and your grades on your exams indicate that you haven't been investing the necessary time to learn the subject well, you will receive the lower of your exam and compiler project grade rather than an average of the two.  That is, you must continue to perform in a professional manner and not expect to ride the work of your partners to a higher grade than you have legitimately earned.

The lab exercises, the journal, and your professionalism will change your grade only if you neglect them, or do a poor job on them, in which case they will lower your score.  If you complete these three aspects of the course well they will ensure that you receive the grade you have earned on the exams and the compiler project.

Exams

Exams will be scored and grades assigned by a curve.  The grades will be assigned so that the grade point average for the class will be about 2.7-2.8 (about a B-), depending on overall class performance.

Compiler Project

The grade on the compiler project will be assigned based on whether your compiler has reached Level A, Level B, Level C, or lower performance standards.

Lab Exercises

You will be given regular in-lab exercises to complete.  You must complete these exercises as a team, so you are expected to be in lab to help your team with the exercises.  The purpose of the lab exercises is to give you experience with the tools and techniques that you will need to complete the project.  Lab exercises are not tests or quizzes (although we might give you a test or quiz to complete in the lab, which, if we do we will announce it ahead of time).  That is, you should use your partners, the TA, the Internet, and other resources that may be available in order to learn the material.  Lab exercises will normally be marked as having been completed.  Not completing the lab exercises will drop your grade.

Journal

Each student is to keep a journal, which will be described in more detail elsewhere.  Not completing the journal in a professional manner according to the directions will lower your grade.

Professionalism

As seniors and graduate students, you are expected to exhibit a high degree of professionalism.  Class participation, not disrupting class, being a responsible team member, and so forth are all aspects of professionalism that will be considered.

A Final Note

You would have to do almost nothing to do poorly in this class.  If you just keep organized and disciplined, you will learn a lot, have fun, and get a good grade.  However, notice that you could get perfect scores on all exams and still fail the course by not completing the project to level C.  You could also fail the course by failing the exams, even if you reached level A on your project.  On the other hand, if you do well on both the exams and the project you have no chance of failing.