Introduction to IEE

376 Online
Michael Clough, PhD
Course Setup

• Homework Assignments through McGraw-Hill Connect (10%, lowest

dropped)
• Quizzes through Canvas (10%, lowest is NOT dropped)
• Two Midterms through RPNow on Canvas (20% each)
• Final Exam through RPNow on Canvas (25%)
• AMPL Project (3 Phases, Each Phase worth 5%)
• Team based! But you could do it individually
Homework

• Practice is important to prevent mistakes!

• Techniques in this class are detail oriented
• Although memorization isn’t expected, the more you practice the methods
the faster you’ll finish them
• You can do it as many times as you want!
• The highest score is kept
• If you put in the work, this is a free 10%!
Quizzes

• Quizzes are administered online through Canvas

• Each quiz covers a specific topic introduced during the week
• They are timed, open book and open note
• Quizzes are there for you to practice under constrained time in
preparation for the exams
Exams

• Administered through RPNow

• Be sure to take the Practice Test in Module 3 if you’re unfamiliar with RPNow
• Open book & open note
• Closed software, though
• Calculators are allowed
• Covers previously introduced topics in open answer & multiple-choice
format
AMPL Project

• Team based assignment

• You can pick your own team, or complete it individually
• Designed to be difficult!
• Broken down into three phases
• Phase I: Modeling of the problem
• Phase II: Programming your model in AMPL
• Phase III: Answering questions & producing a final report
My Expectations of You

• Stay on top of the material!

• This class ramps up very quickly
• Participate on Piazza if you can
• Keep up with the due dates
• Homework due dates are flexible, though
• Re-watch any lectures you are struggling with
• Rumor has it 1.5 speed works pretty well
My Expectations of Me

• Reply to emails within 12-18 hours

• Weekends might be hit or miss, though
• Respond to all unanswered Piazza posts within 12-18 hours
• Again, weekends…
• Grade deliverables within 48 hours
• I’m usually pretty good at this one…
• Post weekly reminders
Some Tips!

• Do not graze over the Simplex method

• This method is the crux of many questions in this class!
• Modeling is difficult, but the more models you see the better
• I will be holding a Zoom session on Thursday about modeling
• Do not wait until the end to complete the homework
• As I said before, this class requires practice!