CS-31 | Tufts University | Fall 2026 · Tu · Th 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM
Each component (Labs, Weekly Quizzes, etc.) will be graded with a numerical score between 0 and 100%.
Final grades will be computed via the following weighted average:
| Grading | Percent Weight | Item | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Weekly Labs | 24% | 12 Labs, 2% Each | |
| Weekly Quizzes | 52% | 12 Quizzes + 1 Diagnostic, 4% Each | |
| Final Project | 30% | Topic Exploration | 3% |
| Project Proposal | 4% | ||
| Peer Reviews | 3% | ||
| Final Report, Workflow, and Presentation | 20% | ||
| Total | 106% |
When assigning grades, the following numerical scale will be used:
This means you must earn at least an 0.83 (not 0.825 or 0.8295 or 0.8299) to earn a B instead of a B-. Any rounding up will be at the instructor's discretion. You'll notice that the assignment weights add up to greater than 100%. If you get greater than a 100% in the course, you will get an A+.
On Tuesdays, each 75 minute lecture will typically have the following structure:
We will strive to create an exciting classroom with lots of opportunities for students to ask questions and get feedback from the professor and peers.
Each student is responsible for shaping this environment: please participate actively and respectfully!
On Thursdays, each 75 minute lab section will typically have the following structure:
Labs are designed so that you can complete a good portion of the lab in-class, however it's expected that you'll have to finish it over the course of the next week. Generally, labs are due before the start of next week's lab. Labs also come with a required reflection portion at the end.
You will submit labs on Gradescope.
The first 10 minutes of Thursday lab will consist of a quiz of the prior week's material. E.g. Week 2 will have a quiz on what was covered in Week 1 lecture and lab. Week 3 on Week 2, etc. The Week 1 "quiz" will be a diagnostic quiz that is graded for completion to get you familiar with the format. Quizzes are closed book.
Quizzes will cover the content present in the prior week's lecture, lab, and readings. If you skimmed the readings, paid attention in lecture, can do the exercises we performed in lecture without referencing your notes, and were able to mostly follow along with the week's lab, you should be able to get 100% on the weekly quiz.
Each individual quiz is low stakes, so it's OK if you don't perform as well as you expected for one or two. However, the quizzes in aggregate make up a majority of your grade, so if you find yourself not performing well on the first few quizzes you should come to office hours so we can see how we can help!
If you know you are going to miss a quiz, let the course staff know as soon as possible with a private post on the course Piazza (visible only to you and the course staff) so we can schedule an alternate time for you to take it. Tell us before the quiz whenever you can; if something unexpected keeps you out of class, post as soon as you are able.
I do not care if you don't understand a topic exactly one week after we covered it (however that's my hope!). People learn at different rates and in different ways. I only care if you understand it by the end of the course, which is where the final exam comes in. The final exam gives you an opportunity to improve your quiz scores.
The final exam is optional, and gives you an opportunity to retroactively improve your quiz scores.
For each question you attempt, I will take the MAXIMUM score for each version of the question - it is NOT possible for your grade to go down. The final score for each item will replace your original quiz score in the gradebook.
For example, here is a hypothetical example of original Quiz scores, the score to the corresponding item on the final, and the final revised quiz score.
| Question | Original Quiz Score | Final Retry Score | Final Revised Quiz Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q1: Big Picture of AI | 10 | No Attempt | 10 |
| Q2: Intermediate Programming | 8 | No Attempt | 8 |
| Q3: Search | 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Q4: CSPs | 7 | 5 | 7 |
| etc. | … | … | … |
| Q11: Agentic Chatbots | 9 | 2 | 9 |