The Laws of Homework

1. When a homework asks for hand-evaluation, make sure

   • to include the requested steps
   • to arrange them in a neat and proper manner,
     including linking the expressions with "=" (since they are indeed equal)
   • that DrScheme evaluates intermediate expressions
   • ... and that the answers are the same. (Otherwise you made a mistake.)
   Here is a sample.

2. When a homework problem asks for a program,

   1. formulate the necessary data defininition(s)
      or point to some other problem on the same homework set
      or point to a page in the Lecture Notes.
      
   2. formulate a contract and header for each function
   3. show with examples what the function is expected to produce for sample inputs; you may wish to add comments that explain how to get from the input to the output;
   4. define the program
   5. include tests
   Here is a sample.

3. When the problem asks for templates, provide them, too.

4. Format code properly. You must read code in the book to learn when to introduce line breaks. If you use line-breaks properly, DrScheme can assist with the rest. Typing return places the cursor at the proper spot on the next line. You may also use the Indent choices under Scheme to format programs. For more information about indenting review the grading guidlines.

   Use DrScheme's block comments #| ... |# to include supplementary material, like the data analysis, program examples, contract, etc.

   Neat work is likely to be good work. Ugly work is bad work. To ensure that you acquire a proper taste for indentation and presentation, we will assign F's for ugly homeworks, i.e., homeworks that significantly deviate from the norms set by the code in the Lecture Notes.

5. List both your names near the top; somewhere you should acknowledge help from all non-class-staff who assisted you. Staple all pages together. [reiterated from general info sheet:] You and your partner should submit exactly one solution. If you turn in multiple copies, you will get the lower of the two scores.

6. Looking back on your homeworks later, you'll find that answers w/o questions are useless. Please provide context -- either repeat the question, or (preferable) staple the assignment-sheet to the front or rear of your solutions.

To get an idea of how the graders will evaluate your homeworks, see the grading guideline.

As the course progresses, the homework and even some exam problem will be intentionally or unintentionally ambiguous. Ambiguity is an important aspect of the real world with which you will have to deal. It is critical for you

1. to recognize ambiguity,
2. to understand the alternatives,
3. to discard obviously silly alternatives,
4. to evaluate your support for (opinion on) the various alternatives, and
5. to choose a good one.

Homework Partners

You should work on your homework in a self-selected team of two people. Learning to work with peers is critical for your professional career. Someone who doesn't understand needs to learn how to ask a team leader or co-worker. Someone who understands a problem better than his partner will learn that teaching someone else significantly improves one's own understanding.

Please choose a partner by August 31 (fri). You will work with your partner for the entire semester. If any problems come up with this arrangement or if your partner drops the course, contact the Lab Coordinator immediately. You and your partner should be in the same lab session (meaning you and a friend can both give the same preferences when enrolling in labs, or you can go to lab and meet somebody there to partner with). If you decide, for whatever reason, that you should do the homework alone, please come and explain your reasoning to one of the instructors.

Of course, your homework partner should have study habits similar to yours. Some things to ask a prospective homework partner:

• Do you prefer working on homeworks in the afternoon, evening, or night?
• Do you usually start homeworks early, or do you tend just start the day before?
• How important is comp210, compared to other classes? (Are you determined to get an A, or are you content with a B?) Are you thinking of taking the course pass/fail?

Doing homework in teams does not mean that one of you rests and the other one works. You should both be engaged in thinking and discussing the material, and all typing should be done jointly. A solid understanding of the homework material is critical for the exams. If you don't understand how to do the homeworks, you will not understand the exam material either.

This page originally developed by Matthias Felleisen; modified by Kathi Fisler, Keith D. Cooper, Ian Barland.