During each task, you will complete a Python template file which
you will download from Moodle, e.g. tick1.py. Some of
the code is filled in for you. In general, what you need to do is
fill in the empty functions. Please do not edit any of the data
files or util files as the pretester assumes you are using the
versions supplied. Do not submit any text files - this will cause
compilation failure. We will internally deal with all files other
than your specified tick script.
Ideally, you should aim to get each tick in the session when it is announced, although there are some tasks where you might need a little bit more time.
You are advised to wait until after the lecture to start the practical, because there is no guarantee that everything will be obvious from the material available online before the lecture. Even if your code passes the automated assessment, you may fail to satisfy the demonstrator and not get the tick.
At the same time, please do not leave it last minute to get your submissions checked by a demonstrator. We encourage students to do this as soon as they pass the automatic tester.
Make sure you saved your own copies of all submission files. If your solution re-uses your code from previous practicals, you will have to re-submit the appropriate files.
A certain proportion of students will be randomly sampled; these students need to get a tick from a demonstrator. Once your code has successfully passed the automatic tester on Moodle, you may write your name on the whiteboard to let the demonstrator know you are ready to get your tick. The whiteboard is a queue that the demonstrators work off. Around 15 minutes before the end of each session, the whiteboard will be closed (indicated by a bell), meaning that you can't put your name on the whiteboard after this point (and you won't be able to get the tick on that day).
You can also ask to be ticked voluntarily. We try to give ticks to everybody who announces readiness for a tick, but we cannot guarantee it, particularly if you announce late in a ticking session. While waiting, you may start work on the next task if it's already announced. For some tasks there are open-ended, harder exercises to do (starred ticks) exist. You can do these if you like and have them checked from a demonstrator too (voluntary).
Each ticking session starts with you showing your lab book. During a ticking session, you may be asked to run your code through the tester again and make changes. In case you decide to wait with ticking until later, you can achieve up to 3 ticks per ticking session (but please re-familiarize yourself with what you did in the earlier ticks in a tick bundle so ticking can proceed smoothly). After you achieved a tick, please note name (crsid) of the demonstrator and the time you achieved the tick, in your lab book.
Your DoS has the ability to check your progress with respect to pretester status and ticks (by a method not visible to you). The deadlines are an indication to yourself and your DoS of whether you are keeping up.
In many of the tasks, there is information you are asked to find out. Please keep such information in a lab book, which can be either physical or digital. In your lab book, you should take notes of your results and anything you think it will be useful to refer back to, for isntance details of parameters and algorithms (things you tried out). The demonstrator may ask for such information, even if you haven't been asked to formally submit the lab book to the system.
Any important announcements about the practicals will be sent to this forum. Please make sure you monitor it. Posting is restricted to staff, everyone is subscribed.
You may post requests for help here (anonymously if you like). This may also be used for reporting infelicities in the practicals.
The mechanism for getting help from demonstrators are the timetabled lab sessions, and email and/or the Help Forum if you have a valid reason for not being able to come to sessions (e.g. sickness). The main purpose of the Help forum is to allow you to get help from fellow students between sessions. It will also be monitored by demonstrators, but we cannot guarantee immediate response on the Help Forum.
If you do help someone, short code snippets are fine, but please don't post complete solutions.
MLRD is not group work, but an individual practical.Demonstrators have been instructed not to respond to email about the course. If you have serious problems, your supervisor may be able to help. You may also contact one of the lecturers or talk to your DoS, of course.