Policy & Grading

AI Policy

We embrace the use of AI tools as collaborative partners in this course. There are no restrictions on using any AI tools for your coursework. You may use AI to help you write code for your final project, to summarize and explain papers you are preparing to present, or even to brainstorm potential project ideas.

However, you are fully responsible for all work you submit/present. Whether produced by you, by AI, or through a combination of both, your submissions will only be treated as your own. This means you are accountable for the accuracy, quality, and effectiveness of everything you turn in. If AI misinterprets a paper, it is your responsibility to correct it. If AI suggests a trivial project idea and you pursue it, that decision reflects your own judgment.

Think of AI not as a replacement for your thinking, but as a powerful collaborator or research assistant, a tool that can help you gain knowledge quickly and accelerate your productivity. At the same time, do not let it constrain your imagination or diminish your creativity.

Remember: "garbage in, garbage out." AI is only as valuable as the insight and curiosity you bring to it. To truly unlock its potential, you must engage with it critically, bringing your own knowledge, creativity, and intellectual rigor into the collaboration (which is also one of the core skill we wish to teach in this class).

Grading Component

The class will be graded with the following component:

Attendence (10%)
Paper Presentation (2 presentations per student, total 20%)
Project Proposal (20%)
Final Project (50%)

Attendence

We expect you to attend class to gain the full value of the course, engage in in-class activities, and support and learn from your classmates. We understand, of course, that absences happen. Take care of both your mental and physical health and that of the class. Full attendance credit will be awarded if you miss fewer than two classes with prior notification.

Paper Presentations

Each class will consist of a 75-minute lecture by the instructor, followed by a 75-minute paper presentation by students. Each week, we will cover 3–4 papers on a selected topic, and students will present these papers. Each student is expected to give two presentations during the semester.

A paper presentation should summarize the paper’s main ideas, provide critical comments on its strengths and weaknesses, and highlight aspects that are inspiring or influential. Each presentation will be followed by a short Q&A session.

Grading Criteria

Your presentation will be assessed based on:

Clarity in conveying the paper’s main ideas
Quality of discussion on the paper’s strengths and weaknesses
Thoughtfulness of your own insights and connections to relevant research topics
Ability to handle questions during Q&A

Project Proposal (20 Points)

Week 7: Initial Proposal & Teaming (2 Points)

Deliverable
- One-paragraph proposal describing the concrete problem you plan to address.
- If working in a team of two, include a justification for collaboration (why two people are needed).
Deadline: October 17, 10:00 PM
Evaluation
- 2 points – Full credit for on-time submission.
- 0 points – If missed deadline.

Week 9: Project Proposal Presentation (12 Points)

Format
- 5-minute presentation + 2-minute Q&A with instructor.
- Upload slides by October 31, Friday, 10:00 PM.
Required Content
1. Problem Statement – What problem are you solving, and why is it important? (1–2 min)
2. Novelty – How is your project different from existing work, or why existing work not sufficient to solve your problem? (1 min)
3. Proposed Approach – What is your plan or methodology? (1–2 min)
4. Teamwork (for team of two) – One slide showing how tasks are divided between team members.
Rubric

Criterion	Points	Description
Clarity of Presentation	4	Is the idea clearly and effectively communicated?
Novelty	3	Does the project demonstrate originality and distinction from prior work?
Timing	2	≤ 5 min (full points), > 5' (–1), > 5'30'' (–2, hard cutoff at 6'00'')
Q&A Handling	3	Are questions addressed thoughtfully and effectively?

Weeks 10–12: Weekly Reports (6 Points Total)

Deliverable
Submit a short weekly report (2–3 sentences). Each report should include:
1. What you accomplished this week.
2. Plan for next week.
3. Any blockers or challenges.
Deadline: Each Friday by 10:00 PM (corresponding week).
Evaluation
- 2 points – Full credit for on-time submission.
- 0 points – If missed deadline.

Final Project (50 points)

Deliverables

Title and Abstract (one paragraph)
Final Project Presentation (with slides)
Final Project Report (write-up, video demo, and/or code)

Important Dates

Title & Abstract (5 points)
- Submit 3 days before the final presentation.
- Due: December 1, 10:00 PM
- For grouping purpose, full credit for on-time submission.
Final Project Presentation
- Date & Time: 3:30–7:30 PM
- Format: 8-minute presentation + 2-minute Q&A
- Attendance Mandatory (equivalent to the final exam)
Final Project Report
- Official Due Date: December 5, 10:00 PM
- Hard Deadline (no late submission accepted): December 12, 10:00 PM

Final Project Presentation

Structure

Problem Definition (1–2 min)
- What problem are you solving?
- What effect do you want to achieve?
- What is novel about your project?
- (if applicable) Why existing method (like a ChatGPT call) is not enough?
Approach (2–3 min)
- What model(s) or AI tools did you use?
- What is your system structure?
Demonstration of Results (3–5 min)
- Showcase the most exciting part of your work:
  - Live demo
  - Pre-recorded video demo
  - Data visualizations
  - Tables or analysis

Final Project Report

Templates

1-column Word Submission Template
1-column LaTeX (also on Overleaf). Use:
\documentclass[manuscript]{acmart}

Final Project Report Structure (no page limit)

Introduction

Problem definition and motivation.
Why did you choose this project and why is it important?

Related Work & Differentiation

What similar work exists?
How did others approach the problem?
How does your project differ?

Results or Demonstration

Include a link to video demos (if applicable).
Provide tables, graphs, or data analyses.

Discussion & Future Directions

Summary of your work.
Limitations of your current approach.
Future directions and possible extensions.

Contributions (if two people)

Clearly specify each person’s contributions in detail.

References

References to the work you mentioned in the report.

Final Project Grading Rubric

(Grading will be holistic and based on both presentation and report)

Category	Points	Bonus	Description
Presentation & Clarity	7	—	Is the presentation clear and engaging? Is the report detailed enough for others to reproduce the work?
Novelty & Significance	10	+5	Is the idea original? Does it address an important problem? Could the tool be impactful in real life?
Results & Demonstration	10	+5	Are the results impressive? Is there a “wow” factor? Does the project meet its goals with good completeness? Is the results supporting the claim?
Workload	10	+5	Is the engineering effort thoughtful and well-designed, or it is simply a "LLM Wrapper"? If done by two people, is the workload sufficient and split fairly?
Discussion & QA	8	—	Is Q&A handled effectively? Does the report present thoughtful discussion and inspire future directions?

Total: 45 Points (with up to +15 bonus points possible) (Best Project Award will be given based on the total point of final project, not the total point of class.)