6.962: Graduate Seminar in CommunicationsEvaluation Feedback, 13 December 20001) What were the three aspects of the class (e.g. format, topics, style of presen-tation, etc.) you most liked?1. Summaries available beforehand (7)2. Tutorial-like format of talks (4)3. Discussions - informality (4)4. Discussions - interactive (3)5. Presentation quality (3)6. Freedom of presenters to choose own topic (3)7. Topics - Depth and Breadth (3)8. Faculty presence (3)9. Presenting a topic not familiar with (2)10. Papers available 1 wk beforehand11. Topics – learning about current research areas12. Student Driven13. Organization of topics into 3 or 4 topic areas. worked well14. Iterative coding talks15. Concentrated effort (week presented) and ability to leverage other’s knowledge otherweeks.16. Flexibility – even if had to miss meeting, could pick up ideas through summary andover lunch.2) What three changes could help make the class even better?1. Cookies and drinks. (4)2. Less lecture, more informal discussion, (50-50) (3)3. Use blackboard rather than slides (3)4. Make sure papers available at least 1 week beforehand. (2)5. More tutorial approach. (2)6. Sometimes faculty dominated discussion (tough call since we also benefited from hearingtheir words of wisdom.) (2)7. Emphasis on presenting the main ideas intuitively though examples rather than a lotof results. (2)18. Recruit more widely in department.9. If people volunteer for unfamiliar topics.10. Broader array of topics - control or signal processing.11. Limit presentation time to 30 min, then informal discussion.12. Get rid of post-lecture report13. Concentrate on smaller number of ideas within in each paper.14. More people read papers before coming to class15. Practical bent - what are people designing and why?16. More discussion during talks17. More non-DSPG students18. Get rid of summaries so people can focus on developing simple examples for presentation.19. Encouraging more interaction amongst the students20. Make sure at least one survey talk in each topic area3) Of the above changes, if you could make only one change for the next timethe class is held, which would it be?1. Cookies and drink.2. Change time so SSG (Wilsky’s Group) students can attend3. The faculty should be more involved in terms of choosing the papers or even the outlineof the content. This would encourage me to choose a topic that I am not familiar with.4. Cancelling summaries and investing time in examples instead.5. At least three sessions on each topic area.6. Fewer topic areas.7. Present tutorial on subject before delving into paper.8. Recruiting more widely from department.9. Wider array of topics.10. Think about involving additional faculty.4) What topics would you recommend for future classes?1. The important thing is that people present what they like (2)2. Theme can vary according to the interests of the participants, and need not be focussedon communications;3. Interaction between physical layer and higher layers.24. I think a repeat of the topics would be fine.5. Object recognition, other topics on image processing, video compression.6. Computer networks / internet issues. How does akamai work? Signal / image / speechprocessing.7. Susbpace methods (music, esprit ...), blind methods for detection, source separationetc.., cyclostationarity and use for equalization, coding.8. Speech, video, optical communications.9. Turbo code implementation issues, spread spectrum, CDMA.10. Similar to this time: Info Theory/Coding/Wireless.11. Estimation Theory not in 6.432.12. Detection and Estimation, Wavelets, maybe something about Networks.13. Wireless networks, Simulation techniques, Random matrices, Linear and non-linear op-timization, Learning theory, Digital watermarking, Historical anecdotes about Shannon,Gallager, etc., Chess (dynamic programming)5) Assuming there is faculty and departmental support, would you sign up for asimilar course if it were held next semester?1. Yes (8)2. Undecided (3)6) Assuming the course is held again (and you decide to take it), would you beinterested in helping with the organization? (E.g. reserving the room, updatingthe website, etc.)1. Yes (6)2. Undecided