Lab Sessions and Etiquette
Last updated
Last updated
There are weekly (on-campus) Lab sessions where Teaching Assistants (TAs) will be available to answer questions, help you with your assignments, and handle assignment submission requests (→ "hand-in").
Information about the schedule and rooms for the Lab sessions can be found on the Canvas page. You will need to sign up for a Lab day through the associated group on Canvas (in the "People" tab). While you may still go to the Lab sessions on the other days, your questions or submission requests will get a lower priority in those sessions. That means that if the overall load is low, you may still get help, but if the load is high your questions or submission attempts may not be handled at all.
On the day of your Lab, you are free to go to any of the available rooms. We will (try to) indicate the load of each room, so check Canvas for that information. Generally, rooms in NU tend to be busier than those in other buildings.
Please note that the Lab sessions are intended for the above-mentioned purposes. If you only start/continue working on the assignments during the Lab sessions you will very likely not be able to finish them in time. This practical part requires a significant amount of time and effort from your side outside of the designated sessions. If you have questions outside of the Lab sessions you may use the Discussion board on Canvas to get help from your colleagues (but keep in mind to not share any solutions and avoid any form of plagiarism, as indicated in the ). Any personal messages to the teaching team will be ignored.
Before asking a question during the Lab, we expect you to have read this Manual, including the , and the associated book chapters. If you are unable to answer the question with these resources you are free to ask a TA, but please refrain from asking questions that you can find answers to by yourself to allow other students to make better use of the available time with the TAs.
You will only get points for an assignment after it has been checked and accepted by a TA during one of the Lab sessions. Passing the automated tests on CodeGrade alone does not count as a completed assignment.
TAs are there for the purposes mentioned above. They are not there for things like problems with your laptop and software, problems with your login/account, disputes about deadlines or Lab course rules, possible exceptions (e.g., due to illness on your part), problems with Lab course enrolment, ... For any of those issues, please use the communication channels as indicated on Canvas or go to the IT Desk on campus for help.
Note that the work you hand in during the Lab is subject to certain rules and quality guidelines. The rules and guidelines are listed explicitly for this course as part of the . You are expected to check your work prior to handing it in for review. The Lab TAs will only consider work that is in full compliance with the stated rules and guidelines.