The dark side of PhDs...
Published by Marian on Wednesday, January 03, 2007 8:14 PM
Here is the e-mail I just sent to the SoC dean and secretary:
Hello,
I was not aware that not participating in the feedback exercise will result in 5 days postponement of the results. Nevertheless, I would like to provide some feedback for the QE exams - if this thing is possible.
The main thing I would like to point out is the lack of interaction between SoC and the graduate students. The only (online) places (at least that I know of) students can access this information is the modules' websites and the (relatively new) PhD Corner. We have Prof. Wei Tsang Ooi to thank for the updated information on the PhD Corner and the CS5202 module. However, things are different for CS5201.
Like other graduate students, I got the information for CS5201 from the module site:
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~cs5201/Quals/
Also, additional information is available at:
https://mysoc.nus.edu.sg/admin/general/info/graduate/phdgp_currQE.htm
(the file can be found at: http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/graduateprog/CS5201.pdf).
Please pay attention at:
D. Logic and Formal Reasoning: The students will be tested on the fundamentals of logic and deduction as well as their use in computer science. In particular, they should have an in-depth understanding of proof systems and semantics for propositional and first-order logic. They also need to develop basic understanding of program verification, Floyd-Hoare logic as well as modal/temporal logics.
Reading Materials
D. Logic and Formal Reasoning: Logic in Computer Science by Huth and Ryan, Cambridge Univ Press 2nd Edition, 2004.
After receiving the QE results I was a little puzzled about the Logic question results (as I was about the questions also), and I asked other students about it. Some were also puzzled about it, but I also found out from a fellow graduate that I have been reading all the time the wrong book! As it turns out, there is a (updated) page for the CS5201:
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~abhik/CS-QE/
where there is no "Logic and Formal Reasoning" at all:
D. Logic and Artificial Intelligence: The students will be tested on the fundamentals of logic and deduction as well as their use in computer science. The students should be familiar with the syntax and semantics of propositional and predicate logic, and be able to do inferences in such logics with a good understanding of the concepts involving unification, forward chaining, backward chaining, conjunctive normal form, resolution (completeness of resolution and resolution strategies). They also need to develop basic understanding of program verification and Floyd-Hoare logic.
Reading Materials
D. Logic and Artificial Intelligence: Relevant portions of "Artificial Intelligence: A modern approach" by Russell and Norvig, 2nd Edition, 2003.
Well ... I guess that explains why the QE question was entitled "Logic and Artificial Intelligence" (I did not gave it much thought in the middle of the exam).
I'm sorry my e-mail got so long, it is not intended to be a complaint (if I would want that, I would have applied for a review). However, I would like a better interaction between the school and the students. I would like that at the next exam I will not have to read "Artificial Intelligence: A modern approach" to find out after the exam that the book was changed again. Even though there is almost no posting from the students on PhD Corner for example, this does not mean that we do not read it. If information is updated, the official module page should be the first place to post it, not some duplicate page that nobody knows about.
In the end, I must also point out that some subjects were not so well formulated - for example the Architecture question was using a notation different from the book and the Operating System question was somewhat assuming that we know the unix manpages in depth.
With respect,
Marian Mihailescu,
Graduate Student, SoC, NUS.
P.S.: A Happy 2007!
On 29 Dec 2006, at 11:02 AM, Jane Lim wrote:
Hi,
This is because you did not participate in the feedback exercise. Hence, you will only be able to access results via the internet five days after the release of the examination results.
regards,
Jane
Hello,
I was not aware that not participating in the feedback exercise will result in 5 days postponement of the results. Nevertheless, I would like to provide some feedback for the QE exams - if this thing is possible.
The main thing I would like to point out is the lack of interaction between SoC and the graduate students. The only (online) places (at least that I know of) students can access this information is the modules' websites and the (relatively new) PhD Corner. We have Prof. Wei Tsang Ooi to thank for the updated information on the PhD Corner and the CS5202 module. However, things are different for CS5201.
Like other graduate students, I got the information for CS5201 from the module site:
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~cs5201/Quals/
Also, additional information is available at:
https://mysoc.nus.edu.sg/admin/general/info/graduate/phdgp_currQE.htm
(the file can be found at: http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/graduateprog/CS5201.pdf).
Please pay attention at:
D. Logic and Formal Reasoning: The students will be tested on the fundamentals of logic and deduction as well as their use in computer science. In particular, they should have an in-depth understanding of proof systems and semantics for propositional and first-order logic. They also need to develop basic understanding of program verification, Floyd-Hoare logic as well as modal/temporal logics.
Reading Materials
D. Logic and Formal Reasoning: Logic in Computer Science by Huth and Ryan, Cambridge Univ Press 2nd Edition, 2004.
After receiving the QE results I was a little puzzled about the Logic question results (as I was about the questions also), and I asked other students about it. Some were also puzzled about it, but I also found out from a fellow graduate that I have been reading all the time the wrong book! As it turns out, there is a (updated) page for the CS5201:
http://www.comp.nus.edu.sg/~abhik/CS-QE/
where there is no "Logic and Formal Reasoning" at all:
D. Logic and Artificial Intelligence: The students will be tested on the fundamentals of logic and deduction as well as their use in computer science. The students should be familiar with the syntax and semantics of propositional and predicate logic, and be able to do inferences in such logics with a good understanding of the concepts involving unification, forward chaining, backward chaining, conjunctive normal form, resolution (completeness of resolution and resolution strategies). They also need to develop basic understanding of program verification and Floyd-Hoare logic.
Reading Materials
D. Logic and Artificial Intelligence: Relevant portions of "Artificial Intelligence: A modern approach" by Russell and Norvig, 2nd Edition, 2003.
Well ... I guess that explains why the QE question was entitled "Logic and Artificial Intelligence" (I did not gave it much thought in the middle of the exam).
I'm sorry my e-mail got so long, it is not intended to be a complaint (if I would want that, I would have applied for a review). However, I would like a better interaction between the school and the students. I would like that at the next exam I will not have to read "Artificial Intelligence: A modern approach" to find out after the exam that the book was changed again. Even though there is almost no posting from the students on PhD Corner for example, this does not mean that we do not read it. If information is updated, the official module page should be the first place to post it, not some duplicate page that nobody knows about.
In the end, I must also point out that some subjects were not so well formulated - for example the Architecture question was using a notation different from the book and the Operating System question was somewhat assuming that we know the unix manpages in depth.
With respect,
Marian Mihailescu,
Graduate Student, SoC, NUS.
P.S.: A Happy 2007!
On 29 Dec 2006, at 11:02 AM, Jane Lim wrote:
Hi,
This is because you did not participate in the feedback exercise. Hence, you will only be able to access results via the internet five days after the release of the examination results.
regards,
Jane
4 comments:
I'm a fellow SoC grad ... I have to agree with your complaint about Logic/AI question in CS5201. The architecture figure had me stumped too (I later found something matching it deep in the depths of the textbook's dungeons (appendices) :-).
As far as the feedback is concerned, check the email that intimated you of the feedback. The 5-day delay is mentioned in it. I wish they'd highlighted this point prominently though.
Well, I suppose getting through a thing makes it clear not to do the same "mistake" again.
I believe I am not the only one to send my feedback to Mrs. Lim. So if you have not do that already, please join the club :-)
I'm a SoC professor and I glad to see that students are getting involved. I hope the student feedback mechanism is working too, so that we can deal with QE problem setting problems for subsequent semesters. I think for this semester (Sem II 2006/07), the 5201 exam website is a bit more detailed now and does have the requisite reading materials. I know for a fact that the 5201 questions are set to be in line with the CS 5201 webpage. So please spread the word about it. I see that IVLE also has the same correct information. I've read Claudia's comments on the exam too, and it seems that the word about the 5201 webpage may not have circulated to PhD students widely enough. Anyways, these are my personal comments, and shouldn't be construed as any official position or announcement.
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