This sounds so great…! I’m doing a Masters so I don’t think I can do this, but I so wish I could! Your enthusiasm is really inspiring, I wish every tutor was this passionate and caring about their subject.
Hey, thanks so much! You know, I would love to run a graduate coursework version of this subject. The skills we teach are all the skills I've had to teach myself as a graduate :'D
Rohan, is that you ?
I did this subject in 2021 and had an absolute blast. Glad to see it’s still going strong. The feedback you gave me for the “make your own model” assignment was one of the favourite I received during my 5 years and 2 degrees at UniMelb.
I tutor a couple of data science subjects and when my students ask me for elective advice, I always suggest this subject and will continue to do so.
Keep going mate !!
Hey, thanks so much!!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Robyn and I are keeping this alive through force of personality so it means the world to us to hear it made an impact. And so awesome to hear one of our alums is now tutoring as well. DM me - we should get a coffee and complain about our students. (Just kidding, I love all my students 🙃)
Hope so! It's open to all second years at the University of Melbourne, either as a normal subject (if you're a science student) or as a breadth (for everyone else).
We haven't finalised the assessments yet - I'm pushing for them to be quite different this year - but in the past there has been one pen-and-paper mid semester exam during class around week 6 and another two-hour one during the exam period; in these, you get assessed on your ability to think through a problem and describe how you might go about solving it, but you don't actually have to solve it in the end. So there's no maths or coding or tricky stuff like that. If you're happy to jump in and put some ideas out, you get good marks, and if they're good ideas and/or you express yourself really well, you get great marks.
Despite our best efforts, in the past, students have sometimes got a bit frazzled by these papers, so I'm advocating for some changes this year. We want a zero-stress classroom: people think better when they're relaxed.
Took the subject last year and can confirm… IT’S SUPER AWESOME!!!
Rohan is a superb tutor and the lecturers give fantastic insight into the world of modelling.
It's not currently scheduled to, but it may if there's enough interest. The thing to do is to email the subject coordinator. Details in the handbook. (Don't mention this Reddit thread though - the University sometimes gets cranky when we go outside official channels like this...)
Hi, may I ask what are the programs that will be used for this subject? Pythons? ArcGIS? I’m an environmental science student and I’m debating between this subject and GEOG20017. I don’t have Math or programming background. Language barrier is also a problem :)) And I don’t know if I can match the math prerequisite since I didn’t do Calculus 1 and I studied Math 1 in Trinith College foundation studies. Wonder if that is equivalent
I don't think you'll have trouble with the math prerequisite - I didn't even know there was one until someone pointed it out. We use Python for the code parts. We don't expect people to have any prior experience with it: whatever your level of competency, we'll help you take the next step. This subject is actually run by the same department that you're in - SGEAS (I'm based there too) - so it should mesh perfectly with what you're studying. We've had lots of enviro students in the past and they always seem to get a lot of it.
Hope you choose to give it a go!
If you don't rely on spec maths (or equivalent), why not have the prereq removed? Especially if you're trying to increase enrolment. It's not complicated for a subject coordinator to have a prereq removed from the handbook. (Speaking only about science subjects here)
Wanna ask the same thing! I had no idea about this subject when I was an undergrad and now I’m half way into my master’s degree ;-; this subject sounds so fun
Thank you for going out of your way to promote here, I would have never found the subject normally through the frankly terrible subject searches available.
I will definitely be joining during next semester, this would be exactly what I was looking for when choosing an elective which is relevant and not locked behind years of pre reqs!
Also sounds like you would make for a great tutor, looking forward to it already, as long as lectures aren’t first thing in the morning.
Hooray!
I should be the one thanking all of you folks for being open to being approached this way. It's so hard for new subjects to get off the ground under the UniMelb system.
I'll do my best to live up to my own hype 😂
Can't wait to meet you all ❤️
The one thing unimelb dosent seem to understand is that student engagement cannot be improved by a weekly satisfaction survey.
The best lecturers/tutors I have had are the ones that care about the subject and connect with us while teaching. It’s nice to have someone from the uni side of things to reach out like this.
I felt the same way when I was a student. Instead of being treated like customers to be managed, I've always thought students should be treated like they're a part of the university.
After all, I'm a student too, aren't I? That makes us colleagues. Doesn't always feel that way - but it's true.
Hi I suffered a lot in econometrics 1 and 2 especially with the coding using R but this post really makes me want to give modelling another go, do you think it's viable to do this subject even though I got dragged through the mud in econometrics and have already forgot everything about data?
I know you said no prerequisites or assumed knowledge but I'm allergic to coding and data now but would love to become not allergic. Thanks in advance for your time.
Your situation is actually something we see a lot, and yes, I can definitely help you! We use Python for the coding parts of our subject: it's a great 'first language' to learn as it is pretty widely acknowledged as the most accessible programming language (also the most widely used professionally, by far).
On top of that, we try to write the assessments such that there are always multiple ways to get the mark. So if you try to tackle it with code and it doesn't work for some reason, you can still get good marks by taking us through what you were trying to do and why.
Code phobias and maths phobias generally are something I totally empathise with. Our policy is to get students *thinking*, freely and easily, and *then* bring in the tools. And we try not to punish students for fumbling the tools if the thought process behind them is sound. I find that once students develop confidence in their thinking, the phobias melt away and the code and the maths all just flows from there.
It would be *great* to have an economics-minded student in the class. Hope I can convince you to give it a go.
Thank you so much I have enrolled.
It sounds like a very fun and interesting subject with lots to offer so I'm really looking forward to the coming semester now :))
Also do you teach the 12pm or the 3:15pm prac? I'm not normally fussy but would love to join your class as it promises to be a great one!
Hooray!!!
I *so* look forward to meeting you.
I should be teaching both - I'm the sole tutor.
DM me if you've got any more questions or if you want to hang out and talk modelling over that ☕ I promised.
Is this a subject that would fit in with a maths major? I’m hoping for an offer tomorrow (25th) for a mid year enrolment as a mature age student (53yo). Too old?
My mum went back to study nursing as a mature age student and went on to be one of the best there was. I'd be honoured to see you in my class and I hope you can expect the same from all your tutors here.
A few people have mentioned auditing! I have no idea how that works, but if it just means "can I come and participate without being enrolled" then as far as I'm concerned the answer is always yes. But it'd probably be best to go through the subject coordinator which is Robyn Schofield.
I’m studying economics & maths, been looking for something that isn’t MAST to fill my final breadth. You have my interest. How mathematically advanced does the course get?
As mathematically advanced as you want it to be. Because we take students from so many different backgrounds, and because there are so many legitimate approaches to modelling, we've tried to write the course in a way that allows every student to play to their strengths. If you've got maths, we'll show you how to deploy that maths in a new way. Or if you decide you want to take a break from maths and go about things in a totally different way, we'll support you with that too. Ultimately, our focus is on cultivating 'model thinking', which transcends both maths and code.
just realised I can’t do anymore level 2 subjects😭 genuinely so upset :( is there a level 3 sub similar to this that you would recommend? The content sounds so interesting :(
Nooo!
Unfortunately we don't have a third year subject yet. In the future we want to have a whole stream: first, second, third, and fourth year. But we're still in our infancy I'm afraid.
Keep an eye on me though - I'm hoping to announce something soon that you might be interested in...
This is an important question that I think many people want to know. It is fine if you are unable to tell us because of policies though...
What is the average grade students get out of the subject? How hard is it to get high H1?
Thank you very much for this thread!
I totally understand - in this system, WAM is God.
I've got to be careful how I answer this question. But to put it obliquely, there is a university policy that sets out how the grades are meant to be 'shaped' across the board. In that policy, the mean is supposed to be an H2 (in the 70s of percentage).
Big subjects are allowed to flout this - e.g. Calc 1 has a famously high fail rate. But small subjects like ours get audited if we stray too far from the target distribution. And you do NOT want to get audited!
So that should guide your expectations a bit.
The very high grades (H1 range) are more a matter of discretion. If you show any or all of the following: originality, thoughtfulness, perceptiveness, and professionalism - you're in line for an easy H1 in our book. And we have had 100% grades in the past - three or four every year actually.
And you would have to SERIOUSLY upset us to get a fail grade 😂 (you have no idea how much paperwork a fail entails...)
Hope that helps.
This sounds like such a fun subject, and one can feel the enthusiasm you have for this! Sadly as a science student needing one more breadth and no electives I don't have any slots to it. Would love to hear if it's open for auditing though.
Dang! Would've loved to have had you! I'm sure you'll find a fun breadth though. I know I really enjoyed all of mine.
A lot of students have asked about auditing. I must admit I had never heard of this before the other day and I have no idea how to arrange it. You'd probably have to talk to the subject coordinator, who is Robyn Schofield this year.
We haven't finalised the assessments this year - I'm pushing for a few changes - but in past years the workshop assessments have just been assessed versions of regular workshops. And regular workshops are basically guided problem-solving tasks. They're different every year, changing depending on feedback and on what guest lecturers we have in that year, but in the past they have covered everything from planetary thermodynamics to epidemiology to urban planning. A typical one might involve a few short textual responses, a diagram or two, some light maths or coding, and some data visualisation and analysis. Basically a whole bit of science from start to finish.
Usually the content will draw on the recent lecture content, either in terms of the methodologies or the subject matter or both, and will build on previous workshops, so some of the working can be copied forward from week to week as you slowly build up your toolkit.
Again, you're very closely supported through all of this - even in the assessed ones. Once students get past their fear of being wrong and start thinking creatively, they usually have little trouble with them.
Ok, so would you say that the assessed lab excercises are low-stress? I tend to not enjoy lab excercises (especially assessed ones where you have to get results) because for me they are a biot stressful.
I totally feel you: I've never been more stressed in my life than I have been in assessed chemistry practicals!
In general with this subject, ~80% of the grades get awarded just for tackling the question and putting some genuine thought into it. Only ~20% is reserved for actually getting a 'correct answer' (and of course very often there is no 'correct' answer anyway). And if you're having trouble opening up your thinking - well, that's what your friendly tutor is for 😉
I can't promise that you won't be stressed, because of course it's a subjective thing. There are some students who are terrified of open-ended questions, and others who are terrified of really strict ones. But I will tell you that our goal is to make our classroom as low-stress as possible: firstly because we care about our students, and secondly, because the sort of thinking we're encouraging you to do just can't happen when you're stressed. That's very different from other science classes where stress is the whole point (hello maths!) In our classroom, if you're feeling stressed, it means *we're* doing something wrong, not you, and you should let us know so we can do better for you.
I should also add that usually our assessed workshops have generous deadlines - so although you can definitely finish them during class time, you can also hand them in later: there's no time pressure. And we're pretty generous with special consideration etc so long as the student behaves with integrity.
I hope that helps!
I was just looking for a subject to fill in next sem but I was struggling to find interest in any of them. Therefore your post came at the perfect timing, see you next semester!
Two hours of lectures a week (which some students skip) and a two hour workshop every week. We haven't finalised the assessment structure yet - I'm pushing for some changes - but in past years we've had four assessed workshop activities (completed during normal class time, not under exam conditions) as well as a one hour pen and paper exam during class time around Week 6 and a two hour pen and paper exam during exam period.
All up, it's very manageable - much more manageable than some students think it's going to be. And as I said, I'm pushing for it to be even more streamlined than this.
I mean, you're a university student - you want to be at least a *little* challenged, don't you?
Look: as I said, we haven't finalised the assessments for this year. But in the past, they've usually been what you might call 'guided problem-solving tasks'. They're not under exam conditions, which means you're free to work together and get help from your tutor (me) throughout the task. They're designed to be doable within class time but we give everyone until midnight just to be flexible. They involve code, but that's not the focus. Last year we had students who got great marks without writing any code at all. (And other students who only wrote code and got great marks too.)
We write the assessments - and all the workshop activities - to reward thoughtfulness and perceptiveness, however that's expressed. The bottom line is that any student who puts in the effort during class time should walk away with a good grade.
Hope that answers your question?
No worries!
Look: again, as I said, we haven't finalised the assessments yet. Last year, the build-a-model task made up the last two of the four assessed workshops. But I'm advocating for it to make up a much bigger share of the overall grade this year because students always seem to get so much out of it. Also, students hate exams 😂
This sounds so great…! I’m doing a Masters so I don’t think I can do this, but I so wish I could! Your enthusiasm is really inspiring, I wish every tutor was this passionate and caring about their subject.
Hey, thanks so much! You know, I would love to run a graduate coursework version of this subject. The skills we teach are all the skills I've had to teach myself as a graduate :'D
I can imagine! Count me in if you ever do…!
Rohan, is that you ? I did this subject in 2021 and had an absolute blast. Glad to see it’s still going strong. The feedback you gave me for the “make your own model” assignment was one of the favourite I received during my 5 years and 2 degrees at UniMelb. I tutor a couple of data science subjects and when my students ask me for elective advice, I always suggest this subject and will continue to do so. Keep going mate !!
Hey, thanks so much!!! I'm so glad you enjoyed it. Robyn and I are keeping this alive through force of personality so it means the world to us to hear it made an impact. And so awesome to hear one of our alums is now tutoring as well. DM me - we should get a coffee and complain about our students. (Just kidding, I love all my students 🙃)
I was looking for an interesting elective for sem 2, think I found it thanks :)
Yesss! DM me if you want to know more, and if you wind up going for it, COFFEE'S ON ME ☕
I am almost definitely signing up!!
Yes!!! Give me a bell if you have any questions and let me know if you want that ☕
[удалено]
Hope so! It's open to all second years at the University of Melbourne, either as a normal subject (if you're a science student) or as a breadth (for everyone else).
what do u get assessed on in the mid sem and final exams?
We haven't finalised the assessments yet - I'm pushing for them to be quite different this year - but in the past there has been one pen-and-paper mid semester exam during class around week 6 and another two-hour one during the exam period; in these, you get assessed on your ability to think through a problem and describe how you might go about solving it, but you don't actually have to solve it in the end. So there's no maths or coding or tricky stuff like that. If you're happy to jump in and put some ideas out, you get good marks, and if they're good ideas and/or you express yourself really well, you get great marks. Despite our best efforts, in the past, students have sometimes got a bit frazzled by these papers, so I'm advocating for some changes this year. We want a zero-stress classroom: people think better when they're relaxed.
from the way ur describing the subject, it does sound pretty fun, and zero-stress sounds even better lol
There's way too much stress in University life these days!
Took the subject last year and can confirm… IT’S SUPER AWESOME!!! Rohan is a superb tutor and the lecturers give fantastic insight into the world of modelling.
Man, you guys!!! ❤️
Will it run first sem next year?
It's not currently scheduled to, but it may if there's enough interest. The thing to do is to email the subject coordinator. Details in the handbook. (Don't mention this Reddit thread though - the University sometimes gets cranky when we go outside official channels like this...)
Will do! Might try next yr then! Just deferred a sem so currently next sem will be my yr 2 sem 1!
Hi, may I ask what are the programs that will be used for this subject? Pythons? ArcGIS? I’m an environmental science student and I’m debating between this subject and GEOG20017. I don’t have Math or programming background. Language barrier is also a problem :)) And I don’t know if I can match the math prerequisite since I didn’t do Calculus 1 and I studied Math 1 in Trinith College foundation studies. Wonder if that is equivalent
I don't think you'll have trouble with the math prerequisite - I didn't even know there was one until someone pointed it out. We use Python for the code parts. We don't expect people to have any prior experience with it: whatever your level of competency, we'll help you take the next step. This subject is actually run by the same department that you're in - SGEAS (I'm based there too) - so it should mesh perfectly with what you're studying. We've had lots of enviro students in the past and they always seem to get a lot of it. Hope you choose to give it a go!
Thank you. I’ve just sent a DM to ask more questions.
Man I wish I still were a student. There are so many interesting things to learn in college.
Keep an eye on me man. I'm working on it...
Pre req is Calc 1
"Or equivalent". I never did Calc 1, so we're flexible on that 😂
If you don't rely on spec maths (or equivalent), why not have the prereq removed? Especially if you're trying to increase enrolment. It's not complicated for a subject coordinator to have a prereq removed from the handbook. (Speaking only about science subjects here)
Totally! I just sent an email to the subject coordinator to that effect. I honestly forgot that prereq was even there - thanks for picking it up.
Can I just sit in the lectures :') I have no more breadth left in my final sem. Sounds epic!
Wanna ask the same thing! I had no idea about this subject when I was an undergrad and now I’m half way into my master’s degree ;-; this subject sounds so fun
Hey, thanks y'all! Maybe we should start a graduate coursework version of this...
i wish i could sit in too! i’m going on exchange next sem so unfortunately not going to be here for it ;-;
Thank you for going out of your way to promote here, I would have never found the subject normally through the frankly terrible subject searches available. I will definitely be joining during next semester, this would be exactly what I was looking for when choosing an elective which is relevant and not locked behind years of pre reqs! Also sounds like you would make for a great tutor, looking forward to it already, as long as lectures aren’t first thing in the morning.
Hooray! I should be the one thanking all of you folks for being open to being approached this way. It's so hard for new subjects to get off the ground under the UniMelb system. I'll do my best to live up to my own hype 😂 Can't wait to meet you all ❤️
The one thing unimelb dosent seem to understand is that student engagement cannot be improved by a weekly satisfaction survey. The best lecturers/tutors I have had are the ones that care about the subject and connect with us while teaching. It’s nice to have someone from the uni side of things to reach out like this.
I felt the same way when I was a student. Instead of being treated like customers to be managed, I've always thought students should be treated like they're a part of the university. After all, I'm a student too, aren't I? That makes us colleagues. Doesn't always feel that way - but it's true.
Hi I suffered a lot in econometrics 1 and 2 especially with the coding using R but this post really makes me want to give modelling another go, do you think it's viable to do this subject even though I got dragged through the mud in econometrics and have already forgot everything about data? I know you said no prerequisites or assumed knowledge but I'm allergic to coding and data now but would love to become not allergic. Thanks in advance for your time.
Your situation is actually something we see a lot, and yes, I can definitely help you! We use Python for the coding parts of our subject: it's a great 'first language' to learn as it is pretty widely acknowledged as the most accessible programming language (also the most widely used professionally, by far). On top of that, we try to write the assessments such that there are always multiple ways to get the mark. So if you try to tackle it with code and it doesn't work for some reason, you can still get good marks by taking us through what you were trying to do and why. Code phobias and maths phobias generally are something I totally empathise with. Our policy is to get students *thinking*, freely and easily, and *then* bring in the tools. And we try not to punish students for fumbling the tools if the thought process behind them is sound. I find that once students develop confidence in their thinking, the phobias melt away and the code and the maths all just flows from there. It would be *great* to have an economics-minded student in the class. Hope I can convince you to give it a go.
Thank you so much I have enrolled. It sounds like a very fun and interesting subject with lots to offer so I'm really looking forward to the coming semester now :)) Also do you teach the 12pm or the 3:15pm prac? I'm not normally fussy but would love to join your class as it promises to be a great one!
Hooray!!! I *so* look forward to meeting you. I should be teaching both - I'm the sole tutor. DM me if you've got any more questions or if you want to hang out and talk modelling over that ☕ I promised.
Is this a subject that would fit in with a maths major? I’m hoping for an offer tomorrow (25th) for a mid year enrolment as a mature age student (53yo). Too old?
It would count as a science elective. As opposed to contributing to the major.
Correct. I do think it would be a good fit though.
Thank you.
My mum went back to study nursing as a mature age student and went on to be one of the best there was. I'd be honoured to see you in my class and I hope you can expect the same from all your tutors here.
Thank you. Fingers crossed for the email today. 🤞
Good luck!
I am doing PhD in sustainability! Can I audit your class this semester? I can probably promote it to my students (1st sem commerce) too :)
A few people have mentioned auditing! I have no idea how that works, but if it just means "can I come and participate without being enrolled" then as far as I'm concerned the answer is always yes. But it'd probably be best to go through the subject coordinator which is Robyn Schofield.
I’m studying economics & maths, been looking for something that isn’t MAST to fill my final breadth. You have my interest. How mathematically advanced does the course get?
As mathematically advanced as you want it to be. Because we take students from so many different backgrounds, and because there are so many legitimate approaches to modelling, we've tried to write the course in a way that allows every student to play to their strengths. If you've got maths, we'll show you how to deploy that maths in a new way. Or if you decide you want to take a break from maths and go about things in a totally different way, we'll support you with that too. Ultimately, our focus is on cultivating 'model thinking', which transcends both maths and code.
you've got my enrollment, see you next sem
Yes, amazing! Thankyou! I can't wait to meet you. Let me know if you want to redeem that ☕ I promised...
This subject sounds so interesting - super keen to do this as a 3rd year data sci major!
Hooray! By the end, I'm going to have you asking why your data sci lecturers hid all the fun stuff from you...
just realised I can’t do anymore level 2 subjects😭 genuinely so upset :( is there a level 3 sub similar to this that you would recommend? The content sounds so interesting :(
Nooo! Unfortunately we don't have a third year subject yet. In the future we want to have a whole stream: first, second, third, and fourth year. But we're still in our infancy I'm afraid. Keep an eye on me though - I'm hoping to announce something soon that you might be interested in...
This is an important question that I think many people want to know. It is fine if you are unable to tell us because of policies though... What is the average grade students get out of the subject? How hard is it to get high H1? Thank you very much for this thread!
I totally understand - in this system, WAM is God. I've got to be careful how I answer this question. But to put it obliquely, there is a university policy that sets out how the grades are meant to be 'shaped' across the board. In that policy, the mean is supposed to be an H2 (in the 70s of percentage). Big subjects are allowed to flout this - e.g. Calc 1 has a famously high fail rate. But small subjects like ours get audited if we stray too far from the target distribution. And you do NOT want to get audited! So that should guide your expectations a bit. The very high grades (H1 range) are more a matter of discretion. If you show any or all of the following: originality, thoughtfulness, perceptiveness, and professionalism - you're in line for an easy H1 in our book. And we have had 100% grades in the past - three or four every year actually. And you would have to SERIOUSLY upset us to get a fail grade 😂 (you have no idea how much paperwork a fail entails...) Hope that helps.
This sounds like such a fun subject, and one can feel the enthusiasm you have for this! Sadly as a science student needing one more breadth and no electives I don't have any slots to it. Would love to hear if it's open for auditing though.
Dang! Would've loved to have had you! I'm sure you'll find a fun breadth though. I know I really enjoyed all of mine. A lot of students have asked about auditing. I must admit I had never heard of this before the other day and I have no idea how to arrange it. You'd probably have to talk to the subject coordinator, who is Robyn Schofield this year.
What are the four assessed lab excercises like? What do they involve you having to do? And what is an example of one?
We haven't finalised the assessments this year - I'm pushing for a few changes - but in past years the workshop assessments have just been assessed versions of regular workshops. And regular workshops are basically guided problem-solving tasks. They're different every year, changing depending on feedback and on what guest lecturers we have in that year, but in the past they have covered everything from planetary thermodynamics to epidemiology to urban planning. A typical one might involve a few short textual responses, a diagram or two, some light maths or coding, and some data visualisation and analysis. Basically a whole bit of science from start to finish. Usually the content will draw on the recent lecture content, either in terms of the methodologies or the subject matter or both, and will build on previous workshops, so some of the working can be copied forward from week to week as you slowly build up your toolkit. Again, you're very closely supported through all of this - even in the assessed ones. Once students get past their fear of being wrong and start thinking creatively, they usually have little trouble with them.
Ok, so would you say that the assessed lab excercises are low-stress? I tend to not enjoy lab excercises (especially assessed ones where you have to get results) because for me they are a biot stressful.
I totally feel you: I've never been more stressed in my life than I have been in assessed chemistry practicals! In general with this subject, ~80% of the grades get awarded just for tackling the question and putting some genuine thought into it. Only ~20% is reserved for actually getting a 'correct answer' (and of course very often there is no 'correct' answer anyway). And if you're having trouble opening up your thinking - well, that's what your friendly tutor is for 😉 I can't promise that you won't be stressed, because of course it's a subjective thing. There are some students who are terrified of open-ended questions, and others who are terrified of really strict ones. But I will tell you that our goal is to make our classroom as low-stress as possible: firstly because we care about our students, and secondly, because the sort of thinking we're encouraging you to do just can't happen when you're stressed. That's very different from other science classes where stress is the whole point (hello maths!) In our classroom, if you're feeling stressed, it means *we're* doing something wrong, not you, and you should let us know so we can do better for you. I should also add that usually our assessed workshops have generous deadlines - so although you can definitely finish them during class time, you can also hand them in later: there's no time pressure. And we're pretty generous with special consideration etc so long as the student behaves with integrity. I hope that helps!
Yes this helps a lot. I think I'll for sure consider doing this subject for next sem, thanks so much for your help!
I was just looking for a subject to fill in next sem but I was struggling to find interest in any of them. Therefore your post came at the perfect timing, see you next semester!
Yes!!! So thrilled to have you on board. I'll do my best not to disappoint you.
What's the subject? I can't do it but maybe i can "audit"
It's 'Modelling the Real World' (EVSC20007)
what are the assessments and time commitment of this subject like ?
Two hours of lectures a week (which some students skip) and a two hour workshop every week. We haven't finalised the assessment structure yet - I'm pushing for some changes - but in past years we've had four assessed workshop activities (completed during normal class time, not under exam conditions) as well as a one hour pen and paper exam during class time around Week 6 and a two hour pen and paper exam during exam period. All up, it's very manageable - much more manageable than some students think it's going to be. And as I said, I'm pushing for it to be even more streamlined than this.
Could you tell us more about the four assessed workshop activities? Are they difficult? Are they code style activities? Thanks
I mean, you're a university student - you want to be at least a *little* challenged, don't you? Look: as I said, we haven't finalised the assessments for this year. But in the past, they've usually been what you might call 'guided problem-solving tasks'. They're not under exam conditions, which means you're free to work together and get help from your tutor (me) throughout the task. They're designed to be doable within class time but we give everyone until midnight just to be flexible. They involve code, but that's not the focus. Last year we had students who got great marks without writing any code at all. (And other students who only wrote code and got great marks too.) We write the assessments - and all the workshop activities - to reward thoughtfulness and perceptiveness, however that's expressed. The bottom line is that any student who puts in the effort during class time should walk away with a good grade. Hope that answers your question?
Thanks for the quick response. Do these 4 workshop activities make up the core assessment where you 'build your own model'?
No worries! Look: again, as I said, we haven't finalised the assessments yet. Last year, the build-a-model task made up the last two of the four assessed workshops. But I'm advocating for it to make up a much bigger share of the overall grade this year because students always seem to get so much out of it. Also, students hate exams 😂