Instructor Insights

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Instructor Insights

Below, Prof. Michael Sipser describes various aspects of how he taught 18.404 Theory of Computation in Fall 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic.

OCW: For the uninitiated, what is computation theory? And how does it help us understand the world?

Michael Sipser: This subject explores the fundamental capabilities and limitations of computer algorithms, according to various computational models and measures.

The mathematics community has a tradition of sharing materials so that we help each other.

— Prof. Michael Sipser

OCW: What big ideas do you hope students take from this course?

Michael Sipser: I hope that students appreciate the theoretical depth and beauty of computation and that it is a vibrant area of ongoing research.

OCW: How do you think about teaching complex topics like computation theory? How do you make content like this digestible and transferrable?

Michael Sipser: I try to focus on the big picture and the intuition. I give examples and specific cases which capture the essence of the material and let students see for themselves how to generalize these concepts.

OCW: What is the role of creativity in computation theory, and in the course?

Michael Sipser: Creativity is essential for doing research in this area and for solving the problem sets that I assign.

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Assessment

Grade Breakdown

The students' grades were based on the following assessment elements:

 
The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by problem sets. 35% Homework (6 problem sets)
The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by quizzes. 25% Quizzes
The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by the midterm exam. 15% Midterm exam
The color used on the preceding chart which represents the percentage of the total grade contributed by the final exam. 25% Final exam

Curriculum Information

Prerequisites

Requirements Satisfied

Offered

Every fall semester

Student Information

About 250 students took this course when it was taught in fall 2020.

Enrollment

Increasing in recent years, from about 120 to about 250 students.

Breakdown by Major

Approximately 40% EECS majors, 25% EECS graduate students, 20% math majors, 5% physics majors, and 10% others.

 

How Student Time Was Spent

During an average week, students were expected to spend 12 hours on the course, roughly divided as follows:

Lecture

3 hours per week

Met 2 times per week for 1.5 hours per session; 26 sessions total; mandatory attendance

 

Recitation

1 hour per week

In recitations, teaching assistants reviewed material covered in the lectures, guided students through practice problems, and answered questions.

 

Out of Class

8 hours per week

Outside of class, students completed problem sets and studied for exams.

 

Semester Breakdown

WEEK M T W Th F
1 No classes throughout MIT. lecture session scheduled. No session scheduled. lecture session scheduled. recitation scheduled.
2 No classes throughout MIT. lecture session and quiz scheduled. No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. recitation scheduled.
3 No session scheduled. Lecture session and quiz scheduled and an assignment due. No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. recitation scheduled.
4 No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. recitation scheduled.
5 No session scheduled. Lecture session and quiz scheduled and an assignment due. No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. recitation scheduled.
6 No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. No session scheduled. Lecture session and quiz scheduled and an assignment due. recitation scheduled.
7 No classes throughout MIT. No session scheduled. No session scheduled. lecture session and exam scheduled. recitation scheduled.
8 No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. recitation scheduled.
9 No session scheduled. Lecture session and quiz scheduled and an assignment due. No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. recitation scheduled.
10 No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. recitation scheduled.
11 No session scheduled. Lecture session and quiz scheduled and an assignment due. No classes throughout MIT. lecture session and quiz scheduled. recitation scheduled.
12 No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. recitation scheduled.
13 No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT.
14 No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. No session scheduled. Lecture session and quiz scheduled and an assignment due. recitation scheduled.
15 No session scheduled. lecture session and quiz scheduled. No session scheduled. No classes throughout MIT. No classes throughout MIT.
Displays the color and pattern used on the preceding table to indicate dates when classes are not held at MIT. No classes throughout MIT
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when lecture sessions are held. Lecture session
Displays the symbol used on the preceding table to indicate dates when problem set is due. Problem set due
Displays the symbol used on the preceding table to indicate dates when quizzes are scheduled. Quiz
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when no class session is scheduled. No class session scheduled
Displays the color used on the preceding table to indicate dates when recitations are scheduled. Recitation
Displays the symbol used on the preceding table to indicate dates when exams are scheduled. Exam
 
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