Course syllabus

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COMPSCI 289

2020, S2

Research Seminar in Computer Science

 

Course Overview

An introduction to research topics in Computer Science. This course provides a wide-ranging overview of the research which is undertaken in Computer Science with an emphasis on the top research groups within the school. Research groups will provide an overview of major themes and directions for the future as well as selected publications which will provide insight to current research ideas. Research groups will present on: Artificial intelligence and machine learning; Computational biology; Computer networks, internet and mobile computing; Computer vision and computer graphics; Computing education; Cybersecurity; Human-computer interaction; Parallel and distributed computing; Software engineering; and Theoretical computer science. The course emphasizes the skills for analyzing research literature in Computer Science. Students will prepare and deliver an oral presentation on an advanced topic in Computer Science, as well as reviewing a fellow student's presentation, and will prepare a research report on a Computer Science topic.

Course Requirements

Prerequisite: COMPSCI 110, 120 and 130 and a minimum GPA of 5.0

15 points

 

Instructors

Tutors

  • Shalini Banerjee, sban346@aucklanduni.ac.nz
  • Xinglong (Luke) Chang, xcha011@aucklanduni.ac.nz
  • Yan Kolezhitskiy, ykol002@aucklanduni.ac.nz
  • Roger Su, rsu050@aucklanduni.ac.nz

Class Rep

  • Etienne Naude, enau831@aucklanduni.ac.nz

 

Delivery

  • Lectures
    • Monday lecture: 9:00am-11:00am in G15, Maths&Physics building
    • Tuesday lecture: 10:00-11:00am in G15, Maths&Physics building

 

Lecture Schedule and Readings (Subject to change)

 

Assessment

There are three major components to your assessment in this course

  • Individual seminar (worth 30% and due on 23 August)
    • Each student will present a seminar based on a research article (from a set provided by the school's research groups). This will be a 20 minute presentation followed by 10 minutes of questions and discussion. You will provide a set of slides for the presentation as well as a 1-page handout for the students in the class.
    • Each student should have a comprehensive understanding of the article, and should present the idea clearly to the class. The presentation should cover some motivation, background knowledge, and the problem presented in the article. The solution presented in the article should be explained based on your understanding. The core idea should be clear, and you are expected to explain some details of the proposed technique in a way that can be easily followed by your classmates.
  • Seminar review (worth 10% and due by 30 October)
    • Each student also needs to review three assigned presentations within a week of that presentation. In your review you will justify which points were explained clearly, which points were not clear, and what important points were missing in the presentation. Your review should not exceed one page for each presentation.
  • Group report (worth 60% and due on 23 October)
    • In a group of two you will provide an 8-10 page written report that will demonstrate your critical understanding of at least 4 research articles. The report can be supported by up to 10 research articles providing the background to the research area under study. Alongside the report you will provide a poster describing the research area and identified research results.

 

Workload Expectations

This course is a standard 15 point course and students are expected to spend 10 hours per week involved in each 15 point course that they are enrolled in.

For this course you can expect 36 hours of contact hours, 70 hours assessments, and 42 hours self-directed learning. 

 

Special Circumstances

If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.

 

 Grades and Late Policy 

This course follows the University of Auckland letter grade policy.

The Late Policy for assignments is one letter grade step deducted per 24 hours after the deadline. For example, a student who handed in an assignment 48 hours late and who originally was marked at a B+ will receive a B-.  


Capabilities Developed in this Course

Capability 1: Disciplinary Knowledge and Practice
Capability 2: Critical Thinking
Capability 3: Solution Seeking
Capability 4: Communication and Engagement
Capability 5: Independence and Integrity
Capability 6: Social and Environmental Responsibilities
Graduate Profile: Bachelor of Advanced Science

Learning Outcomes

  • Analyse research literature in Computer Science (Capability 1, 5 and 6)
  • Prepare and deliver an oral presentation on an advanced topic in Computer Science (Capability 1, 4, 5 and 6)
  • Review an oral presentation on an advanced topic in Computer Science (Capability 2, 4 and 5)
  • Learn how to prepare a research report on a Computer Science topic (Capability 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6)
  • Recognise and interpret recent research advancements in Computer Science (Capability 1 and 6)

 

Course summary:

Date Details Due