Instructor: Dr. Shyamal Mitra
Office Hours: TTh 5:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Location: GDC 6.320
E-mail: mitra@cs.utexas.edu
Reference Material:
Recommended Books:
Edward Tufte is regarded as a seminal author in this field, and several
of the concepts that we learn in this course have been distilled from
his works. His books are expensive and are recommended but not required.
It is assumed that all students will have access to a computer where they can install Python packages, access course materials on Canvas, submit assignments on Canvas, and participate in Zoom meetings. Please get a CS computer account as a backup.
When we meet online the lectures and office hours will be on Zoom on Canvas. When we meet in-person we will be meeting in the classrooms listed above.
For online meetings, be sure that you have the latest Zoom and Duo. Login to Zoom using your ut_eid@eid.utexas.edu. The lectures will be recorded. These recordings are confidential and are only for educational purposes. The recordings must not be shared in any form. Any dissemination of the recordings is a violation of the University policies and will be subject to Student Misconduct proceedings through the Office of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity. The office hours will not be recorded.
In this course we will study techniques and algorithms for creating effective visualizations based on principles from graphic design, visual art, perceptual psychology, and cognitive science. The course is targeted both towards students interested in using visualization in their own work, as well as students interested in building better visualization tools and systems.
You should expect to:
You are expected to be in class and participate in class activites like coding and solving problems in visualization. There is a grade associated in being engaged. I will drop the lowest of your two class participation scores.
There will be a quiz every week on Fridays. There will be around three questions in a given quiz. The questions will be from reading assignments of papers, material discussed in class, or material in the assigned online courses. The quizzes will be hosted on Canvas. The quizzes are multiple choice questions. There are no makeup quizzes. I will drop the lowest quiz grade. This number (one quiz) is non-negotiable. This drop will take care of any reasons you may have in missing a quiz.
This course requires some background in statistics in Data Science and Python Data Science packages. To fill in the gaps in this area you will be assigned online courses in Coursera and LinkedIn Learning. These courses are free and fun. Think of these courses as reading assignments. When you finish a course you will upload a screen shot of the fact the you did to Canvas. Our grading will be on a binary scale. You will get full credit if you complete a course and zero if you do not.
There will be weekly programming assignments. These will be exercises posted on Canvas. The assignments will be due on Mondays. We have a two day late period where we will accept your assignment with a late penalty of 10 points per day. We encourage you to work on the assignments in groups of two or three.
The assignments will require a substantial time commitment over several days (an average of 10 to 12 hours per week should be expected). Be sure to budget sufficient time to complete assignments before the deadline.
Turn in your assignments on time. This permits grading to start promptly after the submission deadline so that assignments maybe returned promptly. If you do not finish an assignment by the deadline you have a maximum of two days to turn your assignment in. However, there is a penalty of 10 points (out of a 100 points) per day. Your assignment is one day late until the midnight of the day after it is due, two days late from then until midnight of the second day. We will accept your assignment after two days if there is a compelling reason with a late penalty of 30 points.
Grade Dispute: Scores for assignments will be posted on Canvas. You have one week from the date the assignment grade is posted to dispute your grade. The student assistants will be grading the assignments. Visit the TAs and see if you can resolve your differences. If you cannot resolve your differences, you may visit me to explain the situation. We will not entertain any grade disputes three days after the grades are returned. You may resubmit your assignment for regrading after grades are returned. But the maximum that you can get is 70 points out of 100 points.
How to Succeed
Attending class: The class benefits from the attendance and participation of all students. This class is listed as hybrid, which means we can meet in the classroom or on-line via zoom. Class attendance is mandatory, and we will give you at least one week notice of when we are meeting on-line vs in person in the classroom. When meeting via zoom please plan to have your video on during class and be certain that your display name is your actual name (the one listed in Canvas).
Arriving on time: Please do not hesitate to come to class, even if you are arriving late. We would rather you attend some of class, than miss out altogether. However, if you must arrive late or leave early, please be considerate of others.
Minimizing disruptions: You are invited to participate in class synchronously regardless of the noise-level of your location or the number of people in your background (or foreground). However, please do keep yourself on mute during lecture so as to make sure all can hear. Note that the spacebar can be used to temporarily unmute yourself during Zoom meetings (press to unmute, release to re-mute) on most operating systems.
During drop-in hours and discussion section, please keep mute turned off to allow for a more natural conversation - unless noise levels are high in your location.
Respect: You should act respectfully toward all class participants.
Statement on Learning Success: Your success in this class is important to us. We will all need accommodations because we all learn differently. If there are aspects of this course that prevent you from learning or exclude you, please let us know as soon as possible. Together we will develop strategies to meet both your needs and the requirements of the course. We also encourage you to reach out to the student resources available through UT. Many are listed on this syllabus, but we are happy to connect you with a person or Center if you would like.
Your performance in this class will be evaluated using your scores for class participation, quizzes, assignments, online courses, and project. The weights of each of these components are listed below. There are no extra credit projects or assignments to improve your grade. We do not drop any of the scores to compute the weighted average.
All scores will be entered on Canvas. Check your scores regularly on Canvas to make sure that we have entered them correctly. Remember the average score as shown on Canvas is not correct. It does not weigh the average with weights as shown above. Your final grade will be assigned after we obtain the weighted average according to the weights as given above. We reserve the right to assign grades on a curve, but the grades assigned will not be less than the scheme given below:
Late Policy: In an effort to accommodate any unexpected and unfortunate personal crisis, this is our late policy. Homework assignments and labs are due at midnight. If you are one day late, there is a late penalty of 10 points. If you are two days late, there is a late penalty of 20 points. You do not have to give us reasons if you are two days or less late.
Homework will not be accepted more than two days late without speaking to me regarding the extenuating circumstances. You maybe granted an extension beyond two days with a late penalty of 30 points.
Regrading Policy: It is very important to us that all assignments are properly graded. If you believe there is an error in your assignment grading, please submit an explanation via email to TAs within 7 days of receiving the grade. No regrade requests will be accepted orally, and no regrade requests will be accepted more than 7 days after you receive the grade for the assignment.
Absences: You are responsible for all participation activities assigned during the class, even if you cannot attend the class synchronously. Please check Canvas. Contact us as soon as possible after missing a class.
With these rights come responsibilities:
Keep Learning Resources: This course may be offered in a format to
which you are unaccustomed. If you are looking for ideas and strategies to
help you feel more comfortable participating in our class, please explore the
resources available here:
https://onestop.utexas.edu/keep-learning/
Services for Students with Disabilities: This class respects and
welcomes students of all backgrounds, identities, and abilities. If there
are circumstances that make our learning environment and activities difficult,
if you have medical information that you need to share with us, or if you need
specific arrangements in case the building needs to be evacuated, please let
us know. We are committed to creating an effective learning environment for all
students, but we can only do so if you discuss your needs with us as early as
possible. We promise to maintain the confidentiality of these discussions. Any
student with a documented disability who requires academic accommodations
should contact Services for Students with Disabilities at 471-6259 (voice) or
512-410-6644 (Video Phone) as soon as possible to request an official letter
outlining authorized accommodations. For more information, visit
http://ddce.utexas.edu/disability/about/.
Counseling and Mental Health Center: Do your best to maintain a healthy lifestyle this semester by eating well, exercising, avoiding drugs and alcohol, getting enough sleep and taking some time to relax. This will help you achieve your goals and cope with stress.
All of us benefit from support during times of struggle. You are not alone. There are many helpful resources available on campus and an important part of the college experience is learning how to ask for help. Asking for support sooner rather than later is often helpful.
If you or anyone you know experiences any academic stress, difficult life
events, or feelings like anxiety or depression, we strongly encourage you to
seek support.
http://www.cmhc.utexas.edu/individualcounseling.html
The Sanger Learning Center: More than one-third of UT undergraduate
students use the Sanger Learning Center each year to improve their academic
performance. All students are welcome to take advantage of Sanger Center's i
classes and workshops, private learning specialist appointments, peer academic
coaching, and tutoring for more than 70 courses in 15 different subject areas.
For more information, please visit:
http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/slc or call 512-471-3614 (JES A332).
Other Resources:
BeVocal: BeVocal is a university-wide initiative to promote the
idea that individual Longhorns have the power to prevent high-risk behavior
and harm. At UT Austin all Longhorns have the power to intervene and reduce
harm. To learn more about BeVocal and how you can help to build a culture of
care on campus, go to:
https://wellnessnetwork.utexas.edu/BeVocal.
Important Safety Information: If you have concerns about the safety or behavior of fellow students, TAs or Professors, call BCAL (the Behavior Concerns Advice Line): 512-232-5050. Your call can be anonymous. If something does not feel right then probably it is not. Trust your instincts and share your concerns.
The following recommendations regarding emergency evacuation from the Office of Campus Safety and Security, 512-471-5767, http://www.utexas.edu/safety/
Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated. Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling outside.
Title IX Reporting: Title IX is a federal law that protects against sex and gender-based discrimination, sexual harassment, sexual assault, sexual misconduct, dating/domestic violence and stalking at federally funded educational institutions. UT Austin is committed to fostering a learning and working environment free from discrimination in all its forms. When sexual misconduct occurs in our community, the university can:
Beginning January 1, 2020, Texas Senate Bill 212 requires all employees of Texas universities, including faculty, report any information to the Title IX Office regarding sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking that is disclosed to them. Texas law requires that all employees who witness or receive any information of this type (including, but not limited to, writing assignments, class discussions, or one-on-one conversations) must be reported. I am a Responsible Employee and must report any Title IX related incidents that are disclosed in writing, discussion, or one-on-one. Before talking with me, or with any faculty or staff member about a Title IX related incident, be sure to ask whether they are a responsible employee. If you would like to speak with someone who can provide support or remedies without making an official report to the university, please email advocate@austin.utexas.edu. For more information about reporting options and resources, visit http://www.titleix.utexas.edu/, contact the Title IX Office via email at titleix@austin.utexas.edu, or call 512-471-0419.
Although graduate teaching and research assistants are not subject to Texas Senate Bill 212, they are still mandatory reporters under Federal Title IX laws and are required to report a wide range of behaviors we refer to as sexual misconduct, including the types of sexual misconduct covered under Texas Senate Bill 212. The Title IX office has developed supportive ways to respond to a survivor and compiled campus resources to support survivors.
Emergency Evacuation Procedures: The following recommendations regarding emergency evacuation from the Office of Campus Safety and Security, 512-471-5767, http://www.utexas.edu/safety/
Q Drop Policy: If you want to drop a class after the 12th class day,
you will need to execute a Q drop before the Q-drop deadline, which typically
occurs near the middle of the semester. Under Texas law, you are only allowed
six Q drops while you are in college at any public Texas institution. For more
information, see:
http://www.utexas.edu/ugs/csacc/academic/adddrop/qdrop
Students with disabilities who need special accommodations should contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) Office (471-6259 or 471-4641 TTY).