(16-824) Visual Learning and Recognition: Assignments

Grading breakdown: 15% Blog Posts + 20% Presentation + 15% Assignment 1 + 15% Assignment 2 + 15% Assignment 3 + 20% Project

Blog Posts

For each regular class, you are required to make at least one post on Piazza about the reading before the next class. Please don't just summarize the paper, but instead try to engage in a discussion with your classmates.

Here are some things to think about

• What might be the limitations of the approach and its assumptions: where might it fail, even if all of its components work as intended?

• What might this paper have done that was previously impossible?

• What are broader take-aways from the paper that can be applied elsewhere?

• What's the most important part of the paper or the method?

• Do the experiments justify the paper's argument?

Remember also that while criticizing (especially in hindsight) is often easy, it's equally important to defend a paper.

Presentation

In groups of two, you will summarize one paper during the semester in class in a 10 minute presentation.

Programming Assignments

The two assignments will be

• Assignment 1: Out Feb 13, Due Feb 27

• Assignment 2: Out Feb 27, Due Mar 20

• Assignment 3: Out Apr 05, Due Apr 19

We will announce details for each when it is closer to the assignment date.

Course Project

This is an opportunity to try out the ideas discussed in the class. We are looking for projects that get you to think about things differently: a well-motivated and well-executed crazy idea that experiments show doesn't work as well as existing methods will receive a higher grade than adding predictable features to an existing method and getting a performance gain.

An ideal project should

• Be different. Take this as an opportunity to try something new and exciting that might not work.

• Be the result of a considerable amount of effort in terms of thinking and working. You should be able to explain why you're doing what you're doing.

• Be described by a polished report and presentation. Remember: we see the report and presentation and not your code and the hours you put in.

Timeline:

• Feb 15, Noon: One page project proposal due.

• Mar 29, Noon: Two page mid-term report due.

• May 1/3, Class: Final Project Presentations.

• May 5: Four page final report due. Use CVPR/ICCV format (Latex+Word Templates here).