Transparency & Purpose

8.02 Physics II: Electricity & Magnetism

The intended learning outcomes of this course are to tease out the laws of electromagnetism from our everyday experience, using specific examples of how electromagnetic phenomena manifest. You will be able to:

• describe, in words, how various concepts in electromagnetism come into play in particular situations
• represent these electromagnetic phenomena and fields mathematically in those situations
• to predict outcomes in other similar situations.

Example: Transparent assignment description (9.85 Infant and Early Childhood Cognition, L. Schulz, Fall 2022)

Assignments
The class assignments are intended to give you experience with all of the things you would do if you become a research scientist. Thus you will recommend readings and discussion questions, propose methods for answering research questions, analyze the structure of an empirical article, create an educational brochure or talk for the general public, present a scientific poster, write a literature review, and design and write an original research experiment. (And if you don’t become a scientist, you will still have the experience with diverse ways of understanding and communicating scientific findings.)

Anatomy of a research article – (10 points)
The goal of this assignment is to help you understand the internal argument structure of the Introduction and General Discussion sections of a paper so that it will be easier for you to write your own (which you will do for the final class assignment). You will be assigned a short empirical paper on [the LMS] on the third day of class. The structure of this paper will be similar to the papers you will write yourselves. There are two parts to this assignment. In Part 1, you will provide short (50-150 word) answers to 11 questions about the structure of the paper. Part 2 is a coloring assignment. Consider it an “anatomy coloring book” for the structure of a scientific paper. You’ll color code each of the 11 components of the paper and underline the key sentences that make each point. By the end of the assignment, you should understand how to structure a scientific argument in writing.

6.033 Computer System Engineering

The description of the design project is streamlined in the syllabus, with a link to a detailed design project page that provides detailed descriptions of how assessments are graded, including descriptions of grading criteria, examples of past student work, and rubrics:

• The preliminary report will be evaluated according to a grading rubric and assigned a letter grade. Students are provided with two examples of preliminary reports from students in a previous iteration of the course.
• The oral presentation will receive a grade of check, check+, or check-. A check+ will move your preliminary report grade up one letter, a check- will move it down one letter, and a check will not change it. (E.g., if you receive a B on the preliminary report, and a check+ on the presentation, your “preliminary report + presentation” grade is an A.)
• For the final design report, students are provided with a detailed handout that outlines characteristics of a good evaluation as well as the rubric that will be used to assign a letter grade. Students are also provided with two examples of final design reports from students in a previous iteration of the course.

*This is a summary of resources in the syllabus rather than a direct excerpt from the syllabus.

(K. LaCurts. 6.033 Computer System Engineering, Spring 2018. MIT OCW. CC BY-NC-SA)

2.007 Design and Manufacturing I (A. Winter, Spring 2024) clearly outlines the expectations for the time students dedicate to the class and ways to succeed: Time Commitment and Expectations
The units for an MIT subject correspond to the time that an adequately prepared student is expected to spend in a normal week. This is divided into three numbers associated with the subject (X-Y-Z) with X being class time, Y being laboratory time, and Z being work outside of class. The numbers associated with 2.007 are (3-4-5) making this a 12-unit subject. We have taken care to pace the load of the class, understanding that the first half of the semester will require significant time for homework, and the second half will be primarily focused on your competition robot.

There is a wide variation of time that students commit to 2.007. Some do the minimum required and spend less than 12 hrs/week. Some decide they want their 2.007 robot to be an expression of their ambition, passion, and creativity, and devote much of their spare time to working on it. In teaching you design, we want to train you to operate as a successful, efficient designer who can: get a job done, do it well, combine analysis + synthesis, leverage your own creativity, and have a lot of fun along the way! We don’t want you to equate time devoted to the class with a specific grade; you can earn an A in the class by making a tractable, well-executed robot that can be completed within 12 hours/week dedicated to the class, or by spending a lot more time making a more ambitious machine. Learning how to allocate resources (e.g. your time) is an important lesson of this course.

15.401 Managerial Finance (L. Schmidt, Fall 2023) includes tools and resources throughout the syllabus that can help students succeed in the class, including:

• MBA Tutoring Program. The MBA Program Office coordinates a peer tutoring program for full time MBA students who need extra assistance. This is only available for first year MBA students. All other students should contact their program office to inquire about tutoring available through their program. To find a tutor, please visit: [web address]
• Class Notes and Recitation Notes. Notes will be available on the course website. They contain material not found in [the course textbook], and provide alternate perspectives on the major themes of the course.
• Online courses (e.g., Excel, PowerPoint, Financial and Valuation Modeling, Interview Prep, etc.) are available through www.wallstreetprep.com.
• Four additional recommended texts with text commentary about their utility (e.g., B. Malkiel, A Random Walk Down Wall Street, 2020. – This best-selling introduction to investing is now in its 12th edition and is as popular as ever because of its entertaining style and sage advice. This is a great way to ease into financial markets, particularly for those who are not financially inclined. ISBN: 9780393358384)
• Staying Up to Date. You are strongly encouraged to follow financial and macroeconomic news in the Financial Times, Wall Street Journal, or The Economist.

16.01 Unified Engineering provides general advice and a sample problem to provide guidance for students completing problem sets, such as:

• Review your recitation notes. Sample problems are often done in the recitations which can prepare you well for the actual homework problems.
• See if there is a similar problem worked out in the textbook or in the notes.
• Start the problem set early! Start the problem set early! Start the problem set early!
• Attend office hours if you have a problem with the material in general.
• Make a clear sketch. A well drawn figure can save a tremendous amount of time.
• Work carefully through the problem. It is better to work slowly but get the right answer than to work faster and make unnecessary mistakes.
• To avoid a round-off error, do not round numbers too early in the calculations.
• Make sure that all answers to a problem are consistent. For example, percentages should add up to 100% and so on.
• If you made a mistake at the end, don’t erase what you did before or rewrite everything. Just mark what you found to be wrong and restart at the end. This shows the grader that you checked what you had done.
• Present the answer in the form asked for. For example, if a velocity (which has magnitude and direction) is asked for, do not just give the speed (the magnitude of the velocity).

See all tips and strategies as well as the sample problem here.

(M. Drela, et al. 16.001 Unified Engineering. Fall 2005. MIT OCW. CC BY-NC-SA)

2.007 Design and Manufacturing I

“Lecture” Sessions
There are two 1.5 hour “lecture” sessions each week on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 11:00-12:30. The word “lecture” is in quotes because we do not intend for these sessions to be dominated by what you normally think of as lecturing. These “lecture” sessions are different from the lab times since we will all be together in the same room at the same time. The “lecture” sessions will be used to introduce new material, to amplify with examples, to do interactive exercises, and to provide feedback on homework assignments and exams. We expect you to be present at these sessions and to participate thoughtfully, but we will not take roll call or enforce attendance.

“Lab” Sessions
You will be assigned to one 3 hour “lab” session each week. The word “lab” is in quotes because the session is a mix of fabrication, electronics, programming, experimentation, peer group meetings, and oral reports. These “lab” sessions vary to some degree from section-to section, but mostly follow a pattern described in a set of documents describing the deliverables and expectations for each week.

(D. Frey, D. Gossard. 2.007 Design and Manufacturing I, Spring 2009. MIT OCW CC BY-NC-SA)

8.02 Electricity and Magnetism

This course is taught in the TEAL/Studio Physics format. This course format differs substantially from the lecture/recitation format. In this format, classes are held three times a week, twice in a two-hour block, and once in a one-hour block. Students sit at tables of nine in a specially designed classroom, with three groups of three students at each table. Mini-lectures are interspersed with desktop experiments and group problem solving and discussion. The one-hour session on the third session of the week is reserved entirely for problem solving.

The course design is based on the following premises:

1. Interaction between teacher and student is an important factor in promoting learning;
2. Interaction among students is another;
3. Active learning is better than passive learning;
4. Hands-on experience with the phenomena under study is crucial.

During class sessions, questions are posed to the class to stimulate discussion and indicate how concepts are going over. Students “vote” on answers electronically (formerly using the Interwrite™ PRS system) and their answers are tallied.

(Physics Dept. 8.02 Electricity and Magnetism. Fall 2007. MIT OCW. CC BY-NC-SA)

12.425 Extrasolar planets: Physics and detection techniques

Class Participation
This is a discussion-based and problem-solving-based class. Over half of the class time will be spent problem-solving in small groups or in class discussion. In addition, your questions and comments are extremely valuable. Discussions during class time are especially appropriate given the lack of an exoplanet textbook. Discussion is highly encouraged to fill gaps in the lecture material, to guide the pace of the class, and for you to inquire about the meaning, relevance, and importance of lecture material.

(S. Seager. 12.425 Extrasolar planets: Physics and detection techniques, Fall 2007. MIT OCW. CC BY-NC-SA)

Example: Rationale for late policy (21L.006 American Literature)

Because of the writing-intensive nature of this course and the swift reading pace, extensions may be granted only in extreme situations (illness, family crisis, or other equally difficult circumstances). You will need to contact me at least 24 hours before the paper is due in order to receive an extension. See more policies from the course here.

(W. Kelley. 21L.006 American Literature. Spring 2013. MIT OCW. CC BY-NC-SA)

15.280 Communication for Leaders;
15.401 Managerial Finance, L. Schmidt, Fall 2023

15.280 AI POLICY. Learning to use AI is an emerging skill and we expect that you may use AI (ChatGPT) in this class. If you use AI with any assignment, please include the following in an ‘Appendix’ of the assignment explaining 1) what you used the AI for and 2) what prompts you used to get the result. Failure to do so violates academic honesty policies. You are responsible for accuracy. Be careful about anything AI says. Assume facts or numbers are wrong unless you verify the information. Be mindful about when AI is useful. We value your original thinking and work.

15.401 Generative AI policy. Generative AI tools may be used for preliminary or exploratory elements of the coursework, including inspiration, ideation, brainstorming, “feedback,” summarizing (e.g., asking about a finance concept or a way of applying it), outlining, etc., but may not be used in the production of final deliverables, such as essays or reports. All submitted work must be solely produced by the student, and any use of AI tools for preliminary elements must still be disclosed and acknowledged.

21M.260 Music since 1900, S. Iker Fall 2023

Students with diverse learning styles and needs are welcome in this course. In particular, if you have a physical, psychological, medical, or learning disability or health consideration that may impact your coursework and/or require accommodations, please feel free to approach me. If you have not yet been approved for accommodations, please contact Student Disability Services at sds-all@mit.edu. This office will work with you to determine what accommodations are necessary and appropriate. All information and documentation are confidential, and every effort will be made to give you agency over disclosure of your disability status.

Subject materials can be provided in alternate formats with sufficient advance notice.

2.007 Design and Manufacturing I, A. Winter, Spring 2024

Help Outside Lecture and Lab:
Each week throughout the first half of the course (corresponding to when homeworks are assigned), the TAs will hold recitations twice per week (time and location will be emailed and announced on Canvas). You may attend these sessions to receive extra help related to homework problems, lecture content, computer-aided design skills, and the design of your robot.

Many students have questions that they would like clarified in a timely manner. Chances are if you have a question, one of your classmates has the same question too. To minimize email traffic, we will use Slack to answer questions related to many common topics. When you have a question, please first review the related Slack channel to see if it has already been asked. If not, post it. The 2.007 Slack channels will be reviewed and updated by the teaching staff continuously. For extraordinary circumstances that affect your participation in the class (such as health or family emergencies), email Prof. Winter and Prof. Kim directly, as well as your lab instructor.

Note: The syllabus also includes contact information and office locations for all members of the teaching staff.

9.85 Infant and Early Childhood Cognition, L. Schulz Fall 2022

I will have standing office hours Thursday after class, 2:30-3:30 for which you do not need to make an appointment. If I’m with someone, you can listen to that person’s question. If you need to speak to me in private, email me for a time. I also strongly encourage you to meet with the TAs and writing tutors.

Note: The syllabus also includes contact information, office hour times, and office locations for all members of the teaching staff.