October 27, 2023
Dear Hardware-Oriented Security and Trust (HOST) ECE 4156/6156 Students:
ECE 4156/6156 CHES is a synchronous lecture and asynchronous lab (unscheduled lab hours) course in Spring 2024. I have taught this course in the Spring 2023, Spring 2022 and Spring 2021 Semesters as a hybrid course with every single lecture provided live in the classroom. Approximately 50% of the class attended in-person with the rest attending remotely via Zoom/BlueJeans or listening asynchronously to the recording of the synchronous class. My aim is to continue this method of multi-mode delivery, although I highly recommend in person attendance as the best technique for learning with remote attendance as second best (using the recordings as a primary method to learn the material is not recommended due to educational research showing that the ability to ask questions to a live professor seems to greatly increase comprehension).
To the extent that I am able to do so, all classes in Spring 2024 will be broadcast on Zoom and recorded with Kaltura Capture. Lecture videos are typically posted to the Media Gallery in Canvas within 24 hours of the live class. I have actually been recording my lectures for all 20+ years of my teaching career. Students who choose to attend class in person will be fully supported. Other than exams and lectures involving lab support (e.g., passing out FPGA boards), students may attend lectures and office hours live via Zoom but not in person (i.e., not actually present in the lecture classroom). Therefore, other than exams and special classes devoted to the labs, in person class attendance will not be required nor strictly monitored, but it is highly encouraged. Class attendance will be required for all exams (two midterms and the final exam); remote taking of exams will not be provided. Please also note that the recording and broadcast technology sometimes fails (e.g., the audio system may have minor or even serious problems); students are still responsible for everything covered in class. I do want to emphasize that this is not a distance learning class and hence full-time support staff are not immediately available to come to the classroom to help solve video and audio problems; instead, I have to fill out help requests on-line and await a response. Therefore, please be prepared to come to lecture the first week of classes and anytime thereafter when video and/or audio broadcast capabilities are disrupted (e.g., by failure of in-classroom electronics -- this has happened in the past!).
I do have a request for students attending lectures live via Zoom but not in person (i.e., not actually in the classroom). Since it is very difficult to monitor facial expressions and body language (e.g., raising one's hand), please ask your questions out load. Zoom should be linked into the audio system of the classroom, so everyone will be able to hear your question. Please accept my apologies if I miss your question in the chat box of Zoom; please instead go ahead and interrupt verbally with your question!
I have posted the first six powerpoint lecture slides. The direct link is
http://mooney.gatech.edu/Courses/ECE4156/lectures/index.html
and you may want to peruse these lecture notes to obtain an idea regarding how I prepare powerpoint slides for lectures. However, do please read the lectures website especially the following comment:
"Please note that important parts of the explanations may not be on the slides initially, and thus alone the slides will typically be insufficient to learn the material."
Another way of stating the previous point is that the powerpoint lectures slides are not designed to be clearly understood independent of the lectures. Therefore, in order to understand the slides, you should listen to the lectures.
Now for some more details about my teaching style. First of all, as can be seen from the course website
http://mooney.gatech.edu/Courses/ECE4156/index.html
the plan is to have a homework or a lab due each week for a grade. Therefore, this class is fast paced with continuous involvement of all students. I plan to post around 25% of the lectures from the previously made recordings, e.g., from the Spring 2023 lectures. Therefore, in the T/Th 2pm-3:15pm lectures I plan to use around 25% of the time for problem solving, e.g., going over old homework problems with active class participation. The other 75% of the lecture time will be spent giving new lecture material.
Sincerely,
Assoc. Prof. Vincent Mooney