3 📚GRADED ITEMS DESCRIPTION🧐

3.1 EXAMS

There are 2 exams:

Midterm Exam: Manipulations & Visualizations (18 points)
Final Exam: Comprehensive of all materials but major focus on Modeling (27 points)

All exams are given using Respondus Lockdown Browser during class time and in class as specified in the schedule below. Respondus will require your camera to be on during the entire exam to discourage and monitor any possible form of cheating. Notes, books, phones, and other devices are prohibited during the tests. It is also necessary that you keep your eyes as much as possible to the screen or that you don’t look for long period time away from it. All suspicious activities detected by Respondus will be reported. Please do not put me in the position of reporting cheating behaviors in this class.

Exams can be theoretical, computational, or a combination of both. The focus is not on mere memorization but mainly on understanding of the materials covered.

No make ups for exams will be granted if the students do not provide a university approved and documented excuse for the absence.

3.2 ASSIGNMENTS

There are 2 assignments with the objective of testing your knowledge on the materials covered and to offer you a simulation (still graded but with less impact) of the exams’ settings and structures.

All assignments are given using Respondus Lockdown Browser during the week specified in the schedule below. Respondus will require your camera to be on during their entire duration to discourage and monitor any possible form of cheating.

🗣️ It is critical for you to show your entire environment before starting the assignment. Your pre-exam video should not be rushed and offer a 360 view of your desk and your surroundings. Notes, books, phones, and other devices are prohibited during the tests. It is also necessary that you keep your eyes as much as possible to the screen or that you don’t look for long period time away from it. All suspicious activities detected by Respondus will be reported (if your pre-exam video doesn’t not clearly show all your surroundings). 🚨

Please do not put me in the position of reporting cheating behaviors in this class. Finally, no extensions or exceptions will be awarded unless the student will prove (e.g., with pictures, please remember not to use the phone unless necessary to show a system failure) that some issues happened during the test.

3.3 SKILL TESTS

There are 2 skill tests throughout the semester, and they will all be completed during class time and in class. The objective of the skill tests is to test your ability to use the software to complete tasks (based on materials covered in class) on real life datasets. More specifically:

The Skill Test 1 will focus on manipulations and visualizations (15 points)
The Skill Test 2 will focus on modeling (20 points)

3.4 ENGAGEMENT

My primary focus and concern are your LEARNING and creating a positive, engaging experience for everyone this semester. I truly care that all of you understand and master the materials we will cover, and that you are active participants in our class community. Your engagement score is designed to give a clear, consistent picture of how you are developing as a learner and contributing to our class dynamic.

Engagement makes up 15% of your overall course grade. This portion is calculated out of 100 points, distributed across four main categories, with activities spaced throughout the semester:

Weekly Coding Checkups (WCC) – 40 points (40% of engagement):
Throughout the semester, you will complete coding checkups designed to build mastery of each week’s core concepts and to help you progress step-by-step toward a complete data analytics project.

You can earn up to 4 points per coding checkup:

4 points: Perfect score (100% accuracy).
3 points: Most tasks completed accurately (~75% accuracy).
2 points: Partial completion and/or some errors (~50% accuracy).
1 point: Limited completion and/or major errors (~25% accuracy).
0 points: Not attempted, or task completed with only errors (0% accuracy).

Note

Your actual score per WCC will directly reflect your percentage accuracy. For example, if you achieve 95% accuracy, you will receive 3.8 points for that coding checkup.

Participation (in class & on MS Teams) – 20 points (20% of engagement): Consistent, meaningful participation is expected each week, either in the classroom, on MS Teams, or both. Participation includes asking or answering questions, collaborating on activities, contributing ideas, engaging with classmates, and acknowledging professor communications (such as liking or responding to posts on MS Teams).

You can earn up to 2 points per week:

2 points: Full, active participation (in class, MS Teams, or both). Example: Asked thoughtful questions in class and replied to a peer on MS Teams.
1 point: Partial participation (some engagement but limited in depth or frequency). Example: Commented on one MS Teams post only.
0 points: No meaningful participation that week (neither in class nor on MS Teams). Example: No activity in either environment.

Professionalism – 20 points (20% of engagement):

Professionalism measures your punctuality, attentiveness, and respectful conduct toward me, your peers, and our learning environment. Positive attitude and professional behavior are essential both in class and in MS Teams.

You can earn up to 2 points per week:

2 points: Always punctual, attentive, and respectful throughout the week.
1 point: Generally professional, but with occasional lapses (e.g., late once, minor distraction).
0 points: Frequent issues (habitual lateness, distraction, disrespectful behavior).

Learning Enhancements (challenges, surveys, polls) – 20 points (20% of engagement):

Throughout the semester, you will have the opportunity to participate in activities that enrich your learning, such as challenges, and surveys, or polls that provide feedback, broaden your experience and support your growth.

You can earn up to 2 points per learning enhancement activity:

2 points: Fully completed the activity (on time with thoughtful responses/full effort).
1 point: Activity completed late or with minimal effort.
0 points: Missed or skipped the activity.

Important

How does the math work?

We expect about 10 activities per component, but the actual number may adjust slightly depending on how the semester plays out. If the number of activities changes (either increases or decreases), the point value for each activity will be recalculated to ensure that each engagement component keeps its intended overall weight. This way, your score will always accurately reflect the engagement component breakdown, maintaining fairness and transparency. (See the Engagement Grade Table below for reference.).

Engagement Grade Table

Component	# Activities	Activity Points	Total Points	% Score
Coding Checkups	10	4	40	40%
Participation	10	2	20	20%
Professionalism	10	2	20	20%
Learning Enhancements	10	2	20	20%
Total	40	—	100	100%

How Engagement Points Affect Your Overall Course Grade

Your engagement score is out of 100 points and counts for 15% of your total course grade. To calculate how much your engagement contributes, multiply your engagement score by 0.15.

Example:

If you earn 85 points in engagement, your contribution to the final course grade is: 85 × 0.15 = 12.75 points (12.75%).

How to Monitor Your Engagement:
You can check your progress at any time on the Dr. B Engagement Leaderboard posted on our course website. This leaderboard is updated regularly (typically every 1–2 weeks as new data comes in), though some items may update more frequently than others. It is your responsibility to keep track of your performance and seek support/clarifications early if you need it. The teaching team is always here to help!

Important

🗣️ Consistent effort in all areas is required to earn a good engagement grade. Students with very few points or points significantly below the class average should not expect a high engagement score. In addition, Dr. B writes reference or recommendation letters only for the top 10% of performers in the Engagement Leaderboard. 🚨