Re: Vague Specs

Ed Casas (edc@ece.ubc.ca) Sun, 27 Feb 2000 18:04:35 -0800 

Date: Sun, 27 Feb 2000 18:04:35 -0800
From: Ed Casas <edc@ece.ubc.ca>
Subject: Re: Vague Specs



On Sun, Feb 27, 2000 at 11:39:38AM -0800, Shawn O'Neill wrote:

> I would like to add my 2 cents and say that from the level of
> confusion that seems to exist over these assignments and labs
> that, I agree, the specifications are not worded well. Once I
> get them figured out by asking questions through the grapevine,
> or Dr. Casas, it seems to me it would make things a lot easier
> if what we are supposed to be doing was better specified.

I would disagree (but maybe I am a bit biased).  I see confusion
as a natural and unavoidable part of the learning process.

As a teacher, my main job is to come up with these "confusing"
problems.  Your job as a student is to figure out the answers.
In the process you will, hopefully, learn something useful (if
you don't then the process has been a waste of time and you can
blame me -- but past experience indicates it won't be).

The other, less important, part of my job is to give you the raw
information you need to work through your confusion.

But I certainly don't want things to get so difficult that you
get discouraged or stressed out.  Please ask as many questions as
you need to.  Asking questions is also an essential part of
learning.

Unfortunately, it appears that a fundamental concept (the
encoding of assembly language into machine language instructions)
was not covered in EECE 259 last year which may account for a
higher-than-expected level of confusion about the purpose and
contents of the ROM in Assignment 3.

-- 
Ed Casas   edc@ece.ubc.ca   http://casas.ece.ubc.ca   +1 604 822-2592