Course Schedule, Fall 2020

Lectures will be a combination of pre-recorded (asynchronous) videos, and live Zoom sessions at the scheduled MW lecture time for questions, problem-solving, and discussion. Lectures will be recorded for students in other time zones. Recitations will take place live by Zoom on Fridays at the scheduled times, with possible schedule adjustments if necessary to accommodate time zones.

24.901 will be held synchronously at the scheduled time (MW 11-12:30pm Eastern). Classes will be recorded for asynchronous viewing and lecture slides will be uploaded after class, with edits that reflect class discussion.

Synchronous attendance is required. It is the best way to participate in the class, to get a sense of what you do and don’t understand. Your questions help other students and they provide feedback and frequently new ideas to the instructor. We will discuss norms for Zoom communication during the first class.

Students whose individual circumstances make it difficult to attend synchronously should discuss their situation with the instructor (Donca Steriade, steriade@mit.edu) by the end of the first week. If you miss a class or part of one, you must view the recorded class and read the slides before the next class.

Online office hours will be available by appointment with the instructor and the TA.

Course requirements include 8 assignments, 3 short quizzes, a midterm and a final. All exams are open book.

24.902 will meet via Zoom for classes at the scheduled time (TR 2:30-4:00pm Eastern). Classes will be recorded, but regular synchronous attendance is expected for any student viewing from a continental North American time zone. We recognize, however, that these are extraordinary times, and we know that students' individual circumstances will differ. Any student who wishes to take 24.902 but knows that they cannot attend some or all of the synchronous classes should discuss their situation with the instructor by the end of the first week of the semester. A student who needs to miss an individual synchronous class should view the recording before the next class session.

An optional but strongly recommended weekly TA-led recitation will be scheduled in the first week of the semester, and there will be regular office hours with the instructor and TA available at more than one time, to accommodate students in multiple time zones.

Assignments will include weekly homeworks and a final research project written in the form of a linguistics paper (approx. 10 pages) on a topic of the student's choosing.

It may occasionally be useful to have a tablet or other stylus device available to facilitate class discussion of syntactic structures, but this is not required.

VIRTUALLY BY ZOOM at the scheduled time.

ATTENDANCE:
- All students are expected to attend all class meetings synchronously.
- Unexcused absences, late assignments and lack of preparation for class will significantly affect your final grade.
- If you have a medical excuse or a counseling dean’s approval, please make sure that I am informed by a dean in S∧3.
- All cell phones must be “off” during class.
GRADING
-1/3 class participation
-1/3 homework assignments
-1/3 final project

Classes will be held online at the scheduled times, and recorded and made available for asynchronous viewing. I won't take or require attendance, but there will be occasional in-class activities, which I'll warn students about in advance. There won't be a final exam. That's my initial plan, but part of the goal is also to be receptive to students' particular needs and ideas about how the class should go; if it turns out that my students are in such a big range of time zones that it's impractical for them to come to scheduled classes, for example, I will start offering optional supplemental meetings at a range of times.

24.931 will be held synchronously at the scheduled time (MW 11-12:30pm Eastern). Classes will be recorded for asynchronous viewing and lecture slides will be uploaded after class, with edits that reflect class discussion.

Synchronous attendance is required. It is the best way to participate in the class, to get a sense of what you do and don’t understand. Your questions help other students and they provide feedback and frequently new ideas to the instructor. We will discuss norms for Zoom communication during the first class.

Students whose individual circumstances make it difficult to attend synchronously should discuss their situation with the instructor (Donca Steriade, steriade@mit.edu) by the end of the first week. If you miss a class or part of one, you must view the recorded class and read the slides before the next class.

Online office hours will be available by appointment with the instructor and the TA.

Course requirements include 8 assignments, 3 short quizzes, a midterm and a final. All exams are open book.