Lectures and Tutorials

Traditional Lectures

Before the lecture

The students are expected to prepare for the lectures. The preparation includes a reading assignment and often also simple (possibly written) preparation tasks which will be used for class-room activities.

During the lecture

A typical lecture consists of two elements:

1. The Lecturer presents an overview over the topic, summarizes the main aspects of the reading assignment, and provides additional information if required.
2. The Lecturer presents concept questions, for which students individually log answers via a clicking system. Then students discuss their answer with a fellow student, after which all students again log their answers. This approach is termed peer-instruction.

Flipped Class Room with Recorded Lectures

Before the in-class lecture

The students are expected to watch the recorded lecture, answer the posed conceptual questions, and do the reading assignments requested within the recorded lecture no later than midnight before the corresponding in-class lecture.

During the in-class lecture

1. Based on the answers to the conceptual questions, the Lecturer brings up concept and derivations that caused problems during the recorded lecture; 
2. Concept questions are subsequently posed for the material presented in the recorded lecture, and answered using peer-instruction;
3. Student questions can be raised, discussed, and be subject to peer-instruction.

Tutorials

A set of typical problems will be assigned for each tutorial session, and as preparation you are asked to prepare a solution before arriving at the session. During a tutorial, the teaching assistant (TA) will lead a discussion among the students on how to solve each problem in the problem set. The problems are usually chosen from a collection of old exam problems.

Ticking Sessions

Three “ticking” sessions will be held during this course. The class will be divided into three groups (Group A-C). In a ticking session a set of three problems are handed out a week before the session. You are then expected to attempt to solve these problems such that you are able to go to the board and explain your solution approach. You do not have to get the correct results; however, you must be able to explain and justify your approach to solve the problem and to lead a discussion with the other students as to how the problem is to be solved. You can work together with other students in order to prepare for the sessions; however, at the board you present your solution approach as an individual.

Before a session you tick off the problems that you are willing to explain at the board. By the end of the three ticking sessions you will have collected at most nine ticks. Based on your ticks, you will be credited with bonus points on the exam and re-exams as follows:

 If it is clear to the instructor that you have not prepared for the session, your ticks for that session will be erased. Note that in this case you will not be able to collect more than 6 ticks, which correspond to 0.5 bonus points on the exam. You are allowed to use any bonus you have been awarded on all exams in this course attempted during the academic year 2014/15.