Teaching Style
I know the situation you're in: there's some strange professor with a name that you have never heard of before teaching a course you're interested in taking, but you have no idea what this person is going to be like. You've had your share of good and bad professors, and you're wary of new ones as a result.
Only taking the class will prove anything, of course, but I thought it may be beneficial to outline my teaching style, so you can judge based on how closely it matches your learning style. At least then you'll have some knowledge of the situation.
Lecture Format
- I begin each lecture (save the first, of course) with a fast review of the previous lecture's material.
- I favor intuitive presentations over excessive formalism.
- I favor broader coverage of topics over deeper in class.
- I then give assignments that require you to fill in the depth.
- The result: you build a knowledge base that is both broad and deep. This can not be done the other way around.
- I employ PowerPoint and other aids to the extent that they facilitate imparting knowledge. If I feel that they are not serving that goal well, I will drop them.
- I structure my lectures such that one lecture primes required intuitions for subsequent ones. Don't be surprised if I point out connections to previously learned concepts as I present new ones.
- You will occasionally be asked to drop everything you know and come up with an intuitive idea (for sorting a pile of money by bill value, for instance). I would then give a name to your intuition, but only after you yourselves had derived the algorithm. In the case of the bills, most people would derive pigeonhole sort.
- In other words, I try to facilitate self-discovery of the material. The details go, but the intuition will stick.
Attitude Towards Students
- I treat students with kindness and respect by default.
- I expect students to be responsible people who actually wish to learn the material. Maybe the course you're taking isn't your favorite topic, but the required courses are considered foundational knowledge in your field. In this case, you're stuck in it anyway, so you may as well make an effort to learn the material.
- I assume that you know how to find and use available resources, such as Google, Wikipedia, and the Sun Java SDK. This is a vital programming skill, as you will often be asked to learn and use unfamiliar libraries and code.
- I see no shame in asking questions. It is not a sign of weakness; it is a sign of a working mind.
- I do not tolerate dishonesty whatsoever. Cheating means at least automatic failure of the course on the first offense. If you cannot earn a degree honestly, you do not deserve one.
- One of the first things I will do is ask what your goals are. I will then attempt to structure the course around the dual goals of imparting the required material and giving you tools to pursue your own goals further.
Workload
- Moderate: Typically 5 assignments (combinations of programming and theory) and a project or the better of two exams.
- I complete all assigned work myself prior to assigning it, so I have an idea of how feasible it is.
- However, if the class as a whole is struggling with it, I will grant reasonable extensions.
- I'd prefer not to have this happen; ideas flow best when material is challenging, but not overwhelming.
Grading
- Overall, I'm probably a fairly easy grader.
- Your grade reflects how well you've demonstrated mastery of the concepts taught in the course.
- Grades include a class participation component. This is not a free A. If you don't participate, your participation grade will be poor. Be bold. Ask questions when you don't understand. If the class gives you an idea, present it.
- Programming assignments are graded on the basis of completeness, correctness, performance, and style. Avoidable compiler warnings will cost you between .5 and 2 points each, as well.
General Temperment
- I can become very passionate about certain topics. This passion tends to spill over into my lectures. Please bear with me if I begin waxing poetic about hash tables.
- I encourage extraction of principles beyond the immediate subject of a lecture and will often explicitly point them out.
- I may speak too fast or with too much levity at times. Feel free to tell me to slow down.
- I believe that learning knowledge does you no good unless you know why you are learning it. Science and philosophy go hand-in-hand. Your goals are important to me.
