1. COSC 4335 Assignment3 Spring 2016
Christoph F. Eick

2. Feedback Assignment3 Report
April 7, 2016
Feedback Assignment3 Report
Next Status Report (April 11)
Give more details about the dataset you use
Identify the approaches (classification, maybe preprocessing,?!) you actually use (can be different from the previous report)
Mention Metrics used to compare performance of different approaches
Be more specific with respect to project outcomes/milestone
If dataset creation has some challenges, make it a project objective
Some mentioned clustering methods—if you plan to use those specify what their role will be.

3. More Feedback Based on Assignment3 Report 4/11
The Reports of the groups that perform the schooling and soccer project are not very detailed at the moment  consequently, I cannot give you a lot of feedback…
If dataset creation has some challenges (e.g. for the animal adoption(maybe), soccer, and the schooling project (maybe) this might be the case), make it a project objective and write in your final report about it
Some datasets contain categorical attributes that represent some challenges for using kNN (e.g. you need to define your own distance functions or convert the categorical attributes into numbers) and SVMs.
One group run into difficulties in defining their homegrown distance function…
Suggestion: define the framework you use to compare the different algorithms asap; otherwise, your results might not be comparable!
Several groups claim they plan to shed light on what attributes are important for the classification task at hand, but this seems to be a difficult task!
If you use, interesting preprocessing techniques—the group Green seems to do so—sell those contributions as project results

4. Presentations and Evaluation
Each presentation has 14 minutes—not longer than 15 minutes, not shorter than 13 minutes. Group Red with 4 members has 17 minutes for their presentation!. There will be 4 minutes for questions! The event will take place in our classroom on Thursday, April 21.
One group member of each group will serve as presentation judge, evaluating the presentations of the other groups. Please select a presentation judge by Tuesday. There will be 4+Can Cao+Dr. Eick=5 judges per presentation.
All group members should participate in the presentation; however, the participation of each group’s presentation judge is optional.
Presentations count 33% towards the Project3 grade and will be judged based on:
Content (does the presentation have a clear story/message to tell? Scientific Quality? Is the project technically sound?)
Form (is the presentation understandable, quality of slide, quality on how the content was delivered, time management)
Topic (is the topics interesting?)
Scoring System: 1-10 (10 is outstanding; 1 is very very poor; the expected average score for such events is typically between 6 and 7; moreover, ‘-’ abstain should be chosen, when evaluating your own group.
The remaining 66% of the project will be evaluated based on (using the same 1-10 scale)
Technical Quality and Content of the Project (weighted by 3)
Amount of Work
Form and Quality of the report
Interestingness of the chose topic
Finally we will added up the 7 scores (with 90 being the maximum score).

5. 2016 Project Report
Assignment3 Final Reports are due on Mo., April 18, 11p (5% bonus), but we still accept reports until Tu., April 19, 11p.
Reports should have 7-9 pages and should use NIPS format: The submitted report should follow the following organization:
Abstract (about 1/4 page)
Introduction
Problem Specification and Methods Used
Experimental Evaluation
Conclusion
References
You can add additional sections to your report, if you feel this is beneficiary. Moreover, feel free to introduce subsections in your report, if helpful. Finally, you might use appendices for material that is too space consuming to be included in the report.

6. Dr. Eick’s Thoughts on Presentations
speak loudly and freely --- do not read!
make a plan for your presentation.
Give a brief overview of your presentation at the beginning
Introduce the topic of your presentation clearly.
In general, a presentation consists of: introduction, main-part, conclusion.
Finish your presentation with a conclusion that summarizes your results/findings: never skip the conclusion.

7. Thoughts on Presentations2
Establish goals for your presentation --- what is / are the message / messages of your presentation?
Prepare the presentation taking the viewpoint of a person that will listen to your presentation.
Make a "proud presentation" --- if you aren't, pretend to be proud.
Interact with the audience; keep the audience awake (make a joke,
Tell a story, challenge / tease / reward / punish / surprise the audience, use funny examples, ask questions.
Try to refer to previous presentations.
Establish contexts and context shifts clearly.
Don't get lost in technical detailsunless they are important for the message of your talk.

8. Thoughts on Presentations3
If you get completely lost in your presentation --- take a deap breath pause for a 20 seconds, and continue (?!?).
Use transparencies and/or the blackboard.
Do not write too much on a transparency (about 5-12 lines;
does not apply to examples). Use large fonts.
Use Large Fonts! Use Color!!
Unreadable transparencies are unacceptable! Don't put unrelated things on the same transparency!
Use examples; general descriptions of algorithms or concepts are very hard to understand.
A picture is worth more than 1000 words!!
Answer questions politely! You need not to answer questions immediately. Don't let questions mess up your presentation. You are allowed to postpone answering questions.

9. Thoughts on Presentations4
Important things should be said more than once.
Take your time --- do not hurry through your presentation (unless near the end).
Make a schedule for your presentation; check the schedule during your presentation. Subdivide your presentation into mandatory parts and optional parts (parts that can be skipped if you run out of time).
Practice your presentation --- entertain your cat / grandmother /
Don't stand in front whatever you present.
Keep eye-contact with the audience! Try to read the audience reaction to what you are presenting and use this know for the remainder/next presentation.
Smile from time to time --- this is not a funeral!
Be emotional in the sense that the audience feels that you identify yourself with the contents of your presentation --- you have something important to tell! Try to convince the audience!
Try to entertain!