Syllabus for COS-451-OL
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Artificial Intelligence (COS-451-OL) is an introduction to how Artificial Intelligence (AI) methods solve problems that are difficult or impractical to solve with other methods. The focus of the course is on learning how to determine when an AI approach is appropriate for a given situation, being able to select an AI method, and implementing it. AI methods will be chosen from heuristic search and planning algorithms, formalisms for knowledge representation, and reasoning techniques and methods applicable to expert systems and games. Advisory: Students should be familiar with computer hardware and software as provided in an introductory computer science course and they should have the sophistication of understanding material as demonstrated by successfully completing courses such as discrete math, discrete structures, or computer architecture or having similar practical experience. It is recommended, but not required, to have taken a course in computer programming. However, the course will not require programming.
When you have successfully completed this course, you will be able to:
Required Course Materials You will need the following materials to complete the work of the course. They are available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.
Note: By clicking the navigation link on the left called Errata, you will come to a list of textbook errata that the developer of this course has compiled. Note that in order to view and print these errata, you will need to download a software program called Adobe® Reader®. You may download this program for free from: http://www.adobe.com. Once on this page, click the "Get Adobe® Reader®" image and follow the downloading instructions. At the time of this posting, the link for the reader is along the left side of the Adobe home page. Supplemental Course Materials
To participate fully in course activities, you need to have daily access to a personal computer and command of certain basic computer skills, including the ability to send and receive e-mail with attachments. In addition, your computer system must meet the following minimum specifications:
Artificial Intelligence is a three-credit online course consisting of textbook readings, five (5) written assignments, ten (10) graded online discussions and an ungraded "Introductions" forum, modular review postings, a proctored midterm examination, and a final project. The course also includes quizzes for every assigned chapter in the text. Take the relevant chapter quizzes after you have completed the learning activities for each study unit in the Assignment Modules area of the course. The quizzes will help you master concepts and prepare for some midterm examination questions. You will find the quiz for each assigned chapter within the Quizzes area of the course Web site. For the course's assignment modules, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. See also the course Calendar.)
You will find PowerPoint presentations, prepared by the author of your text, for each of the chapters covered in this course. One way to access these presentations is through links within the Assignment Modules area. All of the presentations can be found together in the Slide Shows area of the course. To view the presentations, you will either need to have Microsoft PowerPoint installed on your computer or you will have to have downloaded the free viewer from Microsoft. (A link for this download is provided with each presentation.) To view the presentations, keep the following points in mind:
In addition to an ungraded "Introductions" forum, Artificial Intelligence requires you to participate in ten (10) graded class discussions. Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct activities: an initial response to a posted question (discussion thread) and subsequent comments on classmates' responses. You will be evaluated both on the quality of your responses (i.e., your understanding of readings, concepts, and ideas as demonstrated by well-articulated, critical thinking) and quantity of your participation (i.e., the number of times you participate meaningfully in the assigned forums). Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful. Meaningful participation in online discussions is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. For additional information on online discussions, see Online Discussions in the Online Student Handbook. Review Forums Each module of this course includes at least one Review Forum. This provides you with the opportunity to work collaboratively with your classmates to review material. This activity is carried out on the class Discussion Board. Directions for the activity are found in the Assignment Modules section of the course.
Artificial Intelligence has five (5) written assignments. For the assignment topics and questions, see the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. Take the time to familiarize yourself with this area of the course Web site, and read through the written assignment questions before you begin each reading assignment. Prepare your written assignments using whatever word processing program you have on your computer. Include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled. Before submitting your first assignment, check with your mentor to determine whether your word processing software is compatible with your mentor's software. If so, you can submit your work as you prepared it. If not, save your assignment as a rich-text (.rtf) file, using the Save As command of your software program. Rich text retains basic formatting and can be read by any other word processing program. Please identify any text, online, or other sources you may use in the completion of these written assignments. When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the
>>View/Complete Assignment link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and submit your assignment file. This course requires you to take a proctored midterm examination and to complete a final project. Midterm Examination The exam is open-book. This means that you may bring only your course textbook to the exam site and refer to it during the exam, but you are not permitted to have with you or to consult your Student Lecture Companion: A Note-Taking Guide or any other notes of any kind (including graded or ungraded assignments), any solutions manuals, study guides, or any other reference sources or sources of information. The course textbook must be an original bound hard copy; electronic textbooks (or printouts) are not allowed. Consult the course Calendar for the scheduling of this midterm examination. You may take the exam only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site). If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor. For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook. Final Project If you use any text, online, or other sources as you prepare these problems and essays, be sure to give appropriate credit to the source. This final project is located in the Midterm Exam/Final Project area of the course site. It will be activated and made available to you at the bottom of the Final Project page at the start of final project week (see course Calendar). You may complete the project any time during the last week of the semester, but you must submit it no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time) of that week. If you are on a course extension, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to submit the final project. When satisfied that your answers represent your best work, submit the final project to your mentor by means of the
>>View/Complete Assignment link provided at the bottom of the page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and submit your final project file. Your grade in the course will be determined as follows: Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and the midterm exam and final project are based on the following numerical grades: To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, projects, papers, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. You may find the following resources helpful as you move through this course. None of the following are required resources, however, and material from them will not be tested in the examinations. First Steps to Success Study Tips |
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