CS 5650/6650
Visual Perception from a Computer Graphics and Visualization Perspective

Assignments -- fall 2016


Main class web page.

10/23/2016: minor corrections to assignment weighting for final grade.

All written assignments should be submitted in PDF format via Canvas by the due date/time. Assignments include:

  • Discussion of readings (49% of final grade)

    The answers to the following questions are due no later than 9:00am on the date in which a reading is to be discussed. (Answers for chapter 1 should be turned in no later than 9:00am on the third class day, with answers for chapter 2 turned in no later than 9:00am on the fourth class day). Discussions turned in after the deadline but within 24 hours of the deadline will be penalized 20% of the total possible points. Discussions turned in more than 24 hours late will not be graded, except for compelling reasons.

    Organize your responses into the four categories listed below, with section headings as given.

    • Most important point:

      What is the single most significant point made in the chapter? Justify your answer by explaining why you think the point you describe is significant and the criteria you are using for significance. Your answer should reflect your own analysis of the topic, rather than just restating the authors' claims of significance.

    • Other key points

      What are the other key points of the reading? Why are they significant? Which of these points were most surprising to you? Emphasize key points rather than just summarizing the chapter as it appears in the text. This information should be written in your own words and express your own understanding of the material. It should not be a paraphrase of the chapter and should not include exact text from the chapter or from other sources without appropriate citations. Limit your answer to no more than five other key points.

    • Perceptual issues

      What perceptional issues in the readings have the most relevance to computer graphics, and why? Note that this is not asking what issues are unique to computer graphics. PSY 6951 students should indicate the perceptional issues in the readings that have the most relevance to their research interests.

    • Unanswered or confusing

      What questions were left unanswered by the reading? What parts of the reading were hopelessly confusing?

    For most chapters, a well written overview will run about 200-350 words, depending on the length and complexity of the chapter. This is only a guideline, it is neither a necessary nor sufficient condition.

    For chapter discussions, a grade of 8 indicates a response that fully satisfies the requirements; a 10 indicates either an exceptionally thorough answer or a response that raises some particularly interesting issue; a grade of 6 indicates that key points are partially missing; and a grade less than 6 indicates some serious deficiency in the answer. 

    Samples of discussion of readings, only available to class members and only posted after the the particular assignment is due.

  • Papers/presentations (51% of final grade)

    Two written reports will be required, covering one or more papers cited in the readings or related papers relevant to both visual perception and computer graphics.  For CS 5650 students, the reports should consist of a substantive summary of the paper or papers. For CS 6650 students, a similar summary of the paper or papers should be included, but it should make up no more than half of the report, with the remainder being an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses, and implications of the paper or papers.  Requirements for PSY 6951 students are as for CS 6650 students, except that need to choose papers directly relevant to computer graphics will be relaxed. A 10-12 minute in-class presentation will be required for one of the reports, to be followed by a brief discussion involving all class members.  A maximum of 10 presentation slides will be allowed for this talk. Prior approval from the instructor is required for the paper or papers reported on in the in-class presentation.

    Written reports should be in your own words and express your own understanding of the material. They should not be a paraphrase of the original paper and should not include exact text from the original paper or from other sources without appropriate citations.

    The first report is due no later than 11:59pm MDT on October 28, 2016. The second report is due no later than 11:59pm MST on December 2, 2016. A late penalty of 10% of the total available points will be assessed per day or portion thereof if these deadline are missed, but in no case should either paper be turned in later than 11:59pm MST, December 7, 2015.  Extensions to these deadlines will be given for (good) cause, but except in extraordinary circumstances must be negotiated in advance.

    For CS 5650 students, a well written report will run about 2000 words. For CS6650 students, 3000 words or more may be required to do a comprehensive job. These are only guidelines, they are neither necessary nor sufficient conditions.

Plagiarism is unacceptable in professional, academic, and most other contexts. Chapter discussions that include plagiarized materials will receive a grade of zero, with repeated offenses resulting in a failing grade for the course. Papers that include plagiarized materials will receive a grade of zero, with particularly egregious examples of plagiarism resulting in a failing grade for the course. More information on what constitutes plagiarism can be found here.