Coursework
This page gives an overview of the work you will do during the course.
Theory assignments
The theory assignments test your understanding of the concepts, models and algorithms presented in the course.
The diagnostic quizzes help you check your understanding of the video lectures. Each quiz is a timed multiple-choice test that you complete on your own. To get credit, you must complete the quiz before the relevant teaching session and during a single attempt. There are six quizzes per unit, each worth up to 5 points.
The in-class assignments let you explore the course material in more depth together with your coursemates. You complete these assignments in small groups. To get credit, you must attend the teaching session when the assignment is given. There is one assignment per unit, worth up to 6 points.
Laboratory assignments
The laboratory assignments or “labs” train you in implementing and evaluating the models and algorithms presented in the course. You work on these assignments in pairs and get help and feedback from the tutors.
The basic labs focus on the central concepts, models, and algorithms presented in the course. They come with step-by-step instructions and pre-written code. Each lab asks you to explain, modify or write code and to run and analyse experiments. There is one basic lab for each unit.
The advanced labs explore more challenging concepts, models, and algorithms. They are open-ended and come with little or no pre-written code. You will need to design and implement your own solutions, evaluate your work, and interpret the results. There are two advanced labs: one in Unit 2 and one in Unit 4.
Lab portfolio
At the start of the course, you will create a Git repository to serve as your virtual portfolio for your work on the lab assignments. You will then use the portfolio throughout the course to collect:
- The drafts and final versions of the labs you work on.
- The feedback you receive from your tutor.
- Your notes on how you used that feedback to improve your work.
At the end of each week, you will upload your current lab to Lisam. Your tutor will review your lab and provide written feedback through Webreg. If you need clarification or additional oral feedback, ask in one of the lab sessions. Make sure to add the written feedback and a summary of any oral feedback to your portfolio, along with a note on how you incorporated that feedback into your work.
Oral exam
In the final week of the course, you will take an oral exam based on your portfolio. The exam will be individual and last 15 minutes. If you are aiming for a higher grade, you will take an expanded exam of 25 minutes.
During the exam, you will present two tasks from the basic labs:
- One from a list of tasks you propose when you register for the exam.
- One task chosen by the examiner.
For each task, start with a brief explanation of the context and background, then explain your solution as you developed it during the lab. Highlight how you worked with the feedback from your tutor. You will have access to your portfolio on the examiner’s computer. Keep your presentation to 5 minutes per task.
If you are aiming for a higher grade, you will additionally deliver a 5-minute presentation about your work on the advanced labs and then answer follow-up questions from the examiner.
Project assignments
The project assignments are centred around a small research project. You can choose to work on a pre-defined project or propose one independently. The total time budget for the project is 80 hours of work per person, evenly divided between group work and individual work.
The group work will be done in teams of 4–6 students, and most of the joint effort will be concentrated during the two weeks before re-exams week. The individual work will mostly happen during re-exams week and exams week. Each part is assessed on the basis of several deliverables, which are explained below.
You can get help and feedback on your project from the examiner. We recommend scheduling at least one meeting to pitch your project idea, but you are welcome to book additional appointments as needed.
Group deliverables
Project presentation
The main group deliverable is a 10-minute oral presentation of your project at the “course conference”, which will take place during re-exams week.
Your presentation should answer the standard questions also answered in a research article:
- What have you done in this project?
- What question did you want to answer with it?
- What was your method?
- What results did you obtain?
- What conclusions do you draw from these results?
Project abstract
Before the presentation, you will submit a one-paragraph project abstract. The main purpose of this abstract is to announce your presentation ahead of the course conference.
Project description
After the project presentation, you will submit a more detailed project description that should answer the same questions as your group presentation. You can view it as a written summary of your presentation.
This project description is a group deliverable, but each team member can reuse it as the foundation for their individual post-project paper. To make this easier, the project description should use the same document format as the post-project paper: the *ACL Paper Style, commonly used in major NLP conferences. The project description should be no longer than 2 pages in this format, including the abstract.
Individual deliverables
Peer feedback
Each of you will be assigned three other group presentations to provide peer feedback on. You will submit this feedback through an online form with the following questions/prompts:
- What did the other group do in their project?
- What was the most interesting result?
- State one thing about the presentation that you really liked.
- State one thing about the presentation that can be improved.
- What new knowledge do you take away from the presentation?
Post-project paper
The main individual deliverable is a short paper (4 pages in the *ACL Paper Style, excluding references) where you reflect on what you have personally learned from the project. The paper should:
- Set the stage by describing your project, answering the same questions as in your group presentation.
- Examine your project, focusing on the aspects that were most significant for your personal learning.
- Articulate what you have learned, how you learned it, and why this learning is meaningful to you.
You can reuse the project description your group submitted earlier as the foundation for the first section of your paper. However, you may want to adapt or revise this text to fit smoothly with the rest of your paper. For additional guidance, refer to the Guide to the post-project paper.
Along with your paper, you will also submit a self-assessment form. This form will help us focus our feedback on areas where our evaluation differs from yours. It also allows you to review your paper against the assessment criteria before submission.