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Instructor | David Ferry, Homepage |
Course Web Site | http://cs.slu.edu/~dferry/courses/ignite/ |
Course meeting times | 9:00 AM section: Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 9:00 am - 9:50 am, Spring Hall 141 10:00 AM section: Monday, Wednesday, & Friday from 10:00 - 10:50 am, Spring Hall 134 |
Midterm exam |
TBD |
Final exam |
9:00 AM section: Thursday, December 14th, 8:00 am - 9:50 am 10:00 AM section: Thursday, December 14th, 12:00 am - 1:50 pm |
Office hours | See my schedule |
Contact | You may contact me in person during office hours or during class time, or you may email me at dferry@slu.edu. I am also available to meet by appointment, see my schedule. |
Since the dawn of modern computing, thinkers have asked what the limits of mechanical processes really are. What is it that truly separates the intellectual domain of the human mind from problems that can be solved by an algorithm? Computers are inherently machines that carry out instructions mindlessly and repeatedly, so surely there must be some difference between what that mechanical process can achieve and the boundless creativity of the human mind. And yet, the mechanical thinking machines have slowly but steadily expanded what they can do, and simultaneously encroach on what we once considered to be uniquely human. Where does this process stop- will there be something left that separates man from the machines?
"Two possibilities exist: either we are alone in the Universe or we are not. Both are equally terrifying."
- Arthur C. Clarke
Course "Big Questions"
The major elements of this course are class meetings, readings, reflections, programming assignments, a course programming project, and a research project. Lectures are our time together for instruction on programming concepts and discussion of class readings. Out of class readings allow you to access concepts beyond what we have time for during class, and also give you time to digest and reflect on ideas before class discussion. Reflections are out of class activities along with written journal entries that allow us to experience class concepts in the real world. Programming assignments are computer programs I ask you to write to learn programming concepts and demonstrate mastery. The course programming project is a semester-long project where you will implement a "chat bot"- a program that attempts to converse with a user as though it is human. The research report asks you to examine one of our main course questions from a domain of your choosing.
Programming Topics Outline:
Course Concepts Outline:
Known as "Ignatian" because it is rooted in the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), the five elements together comprised (and continue to comprise) the essential components of Jesuits' meditative practices and became integrated with the Jesuits' approach to education in the schools they established around the world.
Our goal in this course is not to master material or learn skills, but rather to cultivate informed, well-rounded opinions on a difficult subject that has no definite answers. We also seek to develop in each student their own personal approach to inquiry- you will find that some arguments are meaningful and persuasive, while others are not, and that is a good thing to understand about yourself. I will also ask that you have the patience to understand those arguments you do not find persuasive, and understand why others do find them persuasive.
The cyclic structure above hints at, we will attempt to engage our course topic multiple times and in multiple ways. We will intersperse our reading, discussions, and programming with activities and reflections that ask us to continually evaluate and re-evaluate the opinions we are forming.
Readings- We will do readings out of our course text as well as from other sources. These are to be completed by class on the day they are listed on the schedule, as they may form the basis for the activities in class that day.
Class Discussion- A substantial component of our course will be wrestling with readings and concepts together in community. Our courses' Big Questions are inherently tied to the human experience, so more human experiences are a broader base for understanding!
Reflections- I will periodically ask you to produce short written reflections on specific readings, concepts, or course Big Questions. These are an opportunity for you to take stock of your own thoughts and feelings and put these into words.
Programming Assignments- A major experiential learning component of this course is for each student to do substantial programming activities themselves. A technical understanding of how computer programs are constructed will help inform the student as to how machines do their "thinking," or lack thereof.
Programming Project- Our programming assignments all feed into a substantial individual project- building a chat-bot that is designed to interact with (and potentially fool) people into thinking that it is a real person. Discussion of chat-bots and what they mean will be a major element in this class.
Research Project- A culminating presentation for the course will be to research and present a unique take on humanity, the human/computer experience, or how humans interact with computers. This presentation asks you to approach one of our Big Questions from a perspective outside of computer science and programming: biology, psychology, philosophy, religion, etc. In lieu of a final exam you will present this perspective during the last week or two of class.
The Saint Louis University Core is an academic program intentionally structured to facilitate student achievement of both holistic and component-level student learning outcomes (SLOs). SLU’s Course Syllabus Policy requires that learning outcomes appear on all syllabi. Below, you will find a table with the University Core and Core Component SLOs indicated. Please copy the boilerplate below and insert it into your syllabus.
Ignite Seminar
This course is part of the Saint Louis University Core, an integrated intellectual experience completed by all baccalaureate students, regardless of major, program, college, school or campus. The Core offers all SLU students the same unified approach to Jesuit education guided by SLU’s institutional mission and identity and our nine undergraduate Core Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs).
Ignite Seminar is one of 19 Core Components. The University Core SLO(s) that this component is designed to intentionally advance are listed below: |
University Core Student Learning Outcomes The Core SLO(s) that this component is intentionally designed to advance are: |
SLO 1: Examine their actions and vocations in dialogue with the Catholic, Jesuit tradition |
SLO 2: Integrate knowledge from multiple disciplines to address complex questions |
SLO 3: Assess evidence and draw reasoned conclusions |
SLO 5: Analyze how diverse identities influence their lives and the lives of others |
Additionally, the Core Component-level Student Learning Outcomes are listed below: |
Component-level Student Learning Outcomes Students who complete this course will be able to: |
· Recognize that both personal and social context shapes all learning. |
· Characterize how the experience of learning through a distinct disciplinary or interdisciplinary mode of inquiry shapes knowledge of ourselves, our communities, and our world. |
· Reflect on learning experiences to arrive at a deeper understanding of who they are as scholars and citizens. |
· Evaluate the ways in which new knowledge illuminates routes towards future action, and identify possible actions one might take in the service of humanity. |
· Identify, evaluate, and utilize a variety of SLU library source materials to complete a course assignment. |
Catalog Description:What does it mean to be human, and how close can a computer get? This class explores the theory of what is and is not computable, as well as definitions for what it means to have conscious human thought, and how those two concepts relate. This course also serves as an introduction to computer programming and asks that the student experience and reflect on how people interact with computers to solve complex, modern problems as well as how computing is shaping the human experience.
Please see the instructor if you're uncertain about your preparation for this course.
Date | Day | Topic | Readings | Homeworks | |
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Aug 23 | Wed | Class Intro | |||
Aug 25 | Fri | The Imitation Game Syllabus (this site) |
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Aug 28 | Mon | Lecture - Ways of Thinking, Answering Big Questions |
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Aug 30 | Wed | Book Discussion - Chapter 1 | The Most Human Human - Chapter 1 The Most Human Human |
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Sep 01 | Fri | Lecture - Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm | |||
Sep 04 | Mon | Programming 1- Welcome to Python |
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Sep 06 | Wed | Lecture - Doing the Ignatian Paradigm | |||
Sep 08 | Fri | Book Discussion - Chapter 2 | The Most Human Human - Chapter 2 Authenticating |
Programming 1 Due | |
Sep 11 | Mon | Out sick - no class | |||
Sep 13 | Wed | Programming 2 - Word Problems |
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Sep 15 | Fri | Perspective - Meet the chatbots | |||
Sep 18 | Mon | Programming 3 - Loops | Programming 2 Due | ||
Sep 20 | Wed | Book Discussion - Chapter 3 | The Most Human Human - Chapter 3 The Migratory Soul | ||
Sep 22 | Fri | Chapter 3 Reflection What makes us human? |
Reflection Homework 1 | ||
Sep 25 | Mon | Programming 4 | Programming 3 Due | ||
Sep 27 | Wed | Book Discussion - Chapter 4 | The Most Human Human - Chapter 4 Site-Specificity vs. Pure Technique |
Reflection 1 Due | |
Sep 29 | Fri | Chapter 4 Reflection | |||
Oct 02 | Mon | Search Problems - Maze Solving | |||
Oct 04 | Wed | Search Problems - Maze Solving | Programming 4 Due | ||
Oct 06 | Fri | Book Discussion - Chapter 5 | The Most Human Human - Chapter 5 Getting Out of Book |
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Oct 09 | Mon | Programming 5 | |||
Oct 11 | Wed | Chapter 5 Reflection Chess Game AI |
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Oct 13 | Fri | Minimax Tic Tac Toe Plan & Design |
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Oct 16 | Mon | Minimax Tic-Tac-Toe Game State & Player Input |
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Oct 18 | Wed | Minimax Tic-Tac-Toe Rules and Win Conditions |
Programming 5 Due | ||
Oct 20 | Fri | Minimax Tic-Tac-Toe Game AI |
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Oct 23 | Mon | Project Introduction and Topic Discovery | AI has arrived in your doctor’s office. Washington doesn’t know what to do about it. Can AI Chatbots Ever Replace Human Therapists? If AI becomes conscious, how will we know? How Generative AI Helped Me Imagine a Better Robot |
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Oct 25 | Wed | Topic Discovery | Reflection Homework 2 | ||
Oct 27 | Fri | Book Discussion - Chapter 6 | The Most Human Human - Chapter 6 The Anti-Expert |
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Oct 30 | Mon | Programming 6 | |||
Nov 01 | Wed | Machine Learning and AI | |||
Nov 03 | Fri | Model Based Learning | |||
Nov 06 | Mon | Model-Free Reinforcement Learning | Programming 6 Due |
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Nov 08 | Wed | Diffusion Image Generation | Reflection Homework 3 | ||
Nov 10 | Fri | Book Discussion - Chapter 10 | The Most Human Human - Chapter 10 High Surprisal |
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Nov 13 | Mon | Reflection 3 Due | |||
Nov 15 | Wed | Large Language Models & ChatGPT | |||
Nov 17 | Fri | Book - Epilogue | The Most Human Human - Epilogue The Unsung Beauty of the Glassware Cabinet |
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Nov 20 | Mon | Research Presentations | |||
Dec 14 | Thursday | Research Presentations |
All homeworks will be submitted via individual course Git repositories that are housed at SLU. You will find your repository already has a directory structure that provides a place for all lab and studio assignments. Your work must be in the appropriate location for the instructor to find it and count it for credit.
A short guide to using SLU's git resources
Required Course Book: The Most Human Human by Brian Christian.
Activity | Grade Percentage |
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Attendance | 10% |
Homeworks | 50% |
Reflections | 10% |
Programming Project | 15% |
Research Presentation | 15% |
Grading is done on a straight scale (uncurved). The following scores are guaranteed. The grading scale may be curved upwards (in your favor) at the discretion of the instructor.
Most work assigned in this course, is expected to be completed individually. The sharing of written work or significant portions of code between students is strictly prohibited.
Successful students attend all or mostly all class sessions. This is true in my experience and has been demonstrated in large scale studies as well. In that study, even students who attended nine out of ten class periods had measurably lower class performance than those who attended all classes. However, there is no attendance requirement for this class, and you do not need to get permission when you do miss class. You are an adult and have the freedom to manage your time in whatever way you feel is most useful. Job interviews, conferences, tests in other courses, etc. are all reasonable cases for being absent.
Attendance grade will be determined by taking roll call at the start of class. For credit, you must be in class and respond when your name is called. This will happen approximately 10 times over the course of the semester.
Note that in-class assignments such as tests or quizes cannot be made up outside of class without prior approval from the instructor. All such activities will be listed course schedule with ample time to prepare (i.e. there are no "pop quizes").
If you do miss class you should refer to the course schedule to see what was missed and arrange to get course notes from another student. I am always happy to answer questions but I do not repeat full class periods in office hours.
Student Success Center
The Student Success Center (SSC) supports students in reaching their goals in and out of the classroom. Providing a variety of resources, the Student Success Center houses both the Center for Accessibility and Disability Resources (CADR) and Academic Support, which includes Tutoring, Supplemental Instruction, University Writing Services, and Student Success Coaching. The Student Success Center is located in the Busch Student Center, Suite 331, and students can make an appointment with any SSC resource via EAB Navigate. To learn more about the Student Success Center and its resources, please visit: https://www.slu.edu/life-at-slu/student-success-center/index.php
University Writing Services
University Writing Services offers one-on-one consultations with trained writing consultants who help with everything from brainstorming, outlining, and proposing research questions to documenting sources, revising, and implementing feedback. These consultations can take place in-person, asynchronously, or via Zoom and can be scheduled through EAB Navigate – Student. Getting feedback benefits writers at all skill levels on different writing projects (including but not limited to class assignments, conference papers, cover letters, dissertations, group projects, multimedia assignments, personal statements, senior capstone projects, short answer questions on applications, speeches, and theses). For additional information, visit https://www.slu.edu/life-at-slu/student-success-center/academic-support/university-writing-services/index.php or send an email to writing@slu.edu.
University Counseling Center
The University Counseling Center (UCC) offers free, short-term, solution-focused counseling to Saint Louis University undergraduate and graduate students. UCC counselors are highly trained clinicians who can assist with a variety of issues, such as adjustment to college life, troubling changes in mood, and chronic psychological conditions. To make an appointment, call 314-977-8255 (TALK), or visit the clinic on the second floor of Wuller Hall. For after hours needs, please press #9 after dialing the clinic number.
Wellness
All students experience stressors and challenges at some point, and seeking support is beneficial. Such challenges may be the result of academic concerns (such as those related to particular assignments or content in a course), or they may be more personal in nature (such as concerns related to relationships, mental health, loss, identities, alcohol or drugs, housing or food security, or finances, among other things). If you experience these or other difficulties, please consider seeking support from the resources available to you.
For concerns related to this course, please contact me. I am invested in your success and will support your success in the ways I can.
Additionally, you have access to the many resources SLU provides in support of your personal wellness. You will find a list of available resources onthe Well-being page of the SLU website.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis: please consult the Crisis Support and Warning Signs on the University Counseling Center website.
In the spirit of cura personalis, the University sees your academic success as connected to your health and well-being and provides resources to support your holistic wellness.
Students experiencing food insecurity, housing insecurity, and any other challenges that are impacting their personal and/or academic wellbeing are encouraged to contact the Dean of Students Office for support. Students can submit an intake form, email deanofstudents@slu.edu, or call 314-977-9378 to connect with their office. Students may also communicate directly with their instructors about any challenges they are experiencing to receive support and resource referrals.
Academic integrity is honest, truthful and responsible conduct in all academic endeavors. The mission of Saint Louis University is “the pursuit of truth for the greater glory of God and for the service of humanity.” Accordingly, all acts of falsehood demean and compromise the corporate endeavors of teaching, research, health care, and community service through which SLU fulfills its mission. The University strives to prepare students for lives of personal and professional integrity, and therefore regards all breaches of academic integrity as matters of serious concern. The full University-level Academic Integrity Policy can be found on the Provost's Office website at: https://www.slu.edu/provost/policies/academic-and-course/academic-integrity-policy.pdf.
Additionally, each SLU College, School, and Center has its own academic integrity policies, available on their respective websites.
The School of Science and Engineering Academic Integrity policy may be found at: https://www.slu.edu/science-and-engineering/_pdfs/sse-temporary-academic-integrity-policy.pdf
Students with a documented disability who wish to request academic accommodations must formally register their disability with the University. Once successfully registered, students also must notify their course instructor that they wish to use their approved accommodations in the course.
Please contact the Center for Accessibility and Disability Resources (CADR) to schedule an appointment to discuss accommodation requests and eligibility requirements. Most students on the St. Louis campus will contact CADR, located in the Student Success Center and available by email at accessibility_disability@slu.edu or by phone at 314.977.3484. Once approved, information about a student’s eligibility for academic accommodations will be shared with course instructors by email from CADR and within the instructor’s official course roster. Students who do not have a documented disability but who think they may have one also are encouraged to contact to CADR. Confidentiality will be observed in all inquiries.
Saint Louis University and its faculty are committed to supporting our students and seeking an environment that is free of bias, discrimination, and harassment. If you have encountered any form of sexual harassment, including sexual assault, stalking, domestic or dating violence, we encourage you to report this to the University. If you speak with a faculty member about an incident that involves a Title IX matter, that faculty member must notify SLU’s Title IX Coordinator that you shared an experience relating to Title IX. This is true even if you ask the faculty member not to disclose the incident. The Title IX Coordinator will then be available to assist you in understanding all of your options and in connecting you with all possible resources on and off campus.
Anna Kratky is the Title IX Coordinator at Saint Louis University (DuBourg Hall, room 36; anna.kratky@slu.edu; 314-977-3886). If you wish to speak with a confidential source, you may contact the counselors at the University Counseling Center at 314-977-TALK or make an anonymous report through SLU’s Integrity Hotline by calling 1-877-525-5669 or online at http://www.lighthouse-services.com/slu. To view SLU’s policies, and for resources, please visit the following web addresses: https://www.slu.edu/about/safety/sexual-assault-resources/index.php.