Grading criteria

Published

January 13, 2025

This page specifies the grading criteria for the individual assignments in the course.

Theory assignments

The theory assignments are graded as Pass or Fail. To pass, you need to score at least 24 points in each unit. Points can come from quizzes (up to 30 points) and in-class assignments (up to 6 points). If you do not have enough points in a unit, you can retake the quizzes for that unit during the final week of the course.

Laboratory assignments

The laboratory assignments are graded on a scale of 3–5, based on a balanced assessment across several criteria. Below, we provide descriptors that outline the expectations for grades 3 and 5. If your work exceeds the expectations for grade 3 but does not fully meet those for grade 5, you will receive a grade of 4.

The laboratory assignments contribute 50% to your overall grade.

Grade 3

For grade 3, you must produce a portfolio and pass the oral exam. Your portfolio should:

  • Include completed versions of all basic labs. You should have worked on each task and be prepared to explain your process and results during the oral exam.

  • Clearly show how you incorporated feedback into your work. Include the written and oral feedback provided by your tutor for each lab, along with notes on how you applied that feedback.

  • Demonstrate a professional level of effort. This means using academic language, appropriate terminology and ensuring your writing is clear and free of grammar mistakes.

  • Reflect your own contribution and learning growth. Every team member must be able to individually explain and discuss the entire portfolio during the oral exam.

Grade 5

For grade 5, your portfolio must also contain completed versions of the advanced labs, and you must pass the extended version of the oral exam.

Project assignments

The project assignments are graded on a scale of 3–5, based on a balanced assessment across several criteria. Below, we provide descriptors that outline the expectations for grades 3 and 5. If your work exceeds the expectations for grade 3 but does not fully meet those for grade 5, you will receive a grade of 4.

The group part of the project assignments contributes 20% and the individual part 30% to your overall grade.

Grade 3

For grade 3, you must complete all required project deliverables. The expectations on your group presentation and individual post-project paper are as follows:

Group presentation

For grade 3, your group presentation should:

  • Provide a clear account of your project. Explain the project idea, the results you obtained, and how you interpreted them. Your presentation should be clear enough for any student in the course to follow.

  • Demonstrate a reasonable approach, and support your claims with evidence, such as experiments, basic analysis, or references to related work. Your interpretations should be mostly accurate and logical.

  • Show some understanding of the research literature by referencing relevant work. While your discussion does not need to be in-depth, it should explain how the literature connects to your project.

  • Connect your project to the course material by referencing relevant ideas from the lectures and labs. The scope and depth of your project should reflect the amount of time allocated to it.

Post-project paper

For grade 3, your post-project paper should:

  • Provide a clear account of your project. Explain the project idea, the results you obtained, and how you interpreted them. Your presentation should be clear enough for any student in the course to follow.

  • Reflect on how specific ideas and skills from the course emerged during the project. Focus on those aspects that were particularly important for your own individual learning and growth.

  • Clearly articulate what you learned from the project, how you learned it, and how it has improved your ability to identify, assess and make use of NLP research literature.

  • Demonstrate a professional level of effort. This means using academic language, appropriate terminology and ensuring your writing is clear and free of grammar mistakes.

Grade 5

The expectations for grade 5 are as follows:

Group presentation

For grade 5, your presentation should:

  • Be so clear that even students who have not taken the course could easily follow. As your audience, imagine students from your Master’s profile who have taken the obligatory courses.

  • Demonstrate a thoughtful approach, with claims supported by thorough experiments, analysis, or relevant related work. Your interpretations should be logical and convincing.

  • Show a deep understanding of the research literature by providing a detailed discussion that compares methods or results. Your presentation should highlight how your work fits within the existing research.

  • Go beyond the course material by presenting and explaining new ideas. The scope and depth of your project should go significantly beyond what is expected for a passing grade.

Post-project paper

For grade 5, your post-project paper should:

  • Be so clear that even students who have not taken the course could easily follow. As your readers, imagine students from your Master’s profile who have taken the obligatory courses.

  • Reflect on how the project has deepened your understanding of the course material or helped you explore related topics beyond the course. Highlight specific insights you gained through research literature.

  • Place your learning in a broader context by explaining its relevance to current research or practical applications. What can other researchers and professionals learn from your project?

  • Reflect effort and care. The writing should be polished. References should be complete and consistently formatted. Technical terms should be used with precision and integrated seamlessly into the writing.