aoml/archive/2122/other/ideas.md

# Ideas for next year

- Using Kaggle for the competition and making it individual. This would
  definetely make the logistics easier, and the individual part of it would
  probably be much more stimulating. It would also help me better spot who is
  really interested in the course.
- I am thinking about switching from the 3-part approach to the course (
  Simulation-Optimization-ML) to a two part (Optimization and ML). The contents
  would be roughly the same, but the simulation part would be more geared
  towards the serious metaheuristics and we would spend a bit less time in the
  mathematical programming bit. I just realized that, in my mind, I had
  packaged simulation as something completely different from optimization. But
  that is quite silly. Optimization is optimization, no matter if you are doing
  it through Linear Programming or through metaheuristics. The role of
  simulation is to compute the value of a target function in a heuristic
  environment. That's it. Hence, the simulation case then would not be so
  naive, but rather require students to build a genetic algorithm solution to
  tackle a more complex case of optimization, such as a multiechelon inventory
  optimization situation.
- I have also changed my mind on the course grading. I really don't like to do
  the exam. The cases have so much more value when compared to the exam. Some
  of the students let me know that they thought that grading was not balanced
  with the exam having so much weight, and I can't help but agree. I will
  probably try to change the weight, but I still need to find a way to prevent
  free-loaders from going through the course unharmed. I have thought that
  maybe I could make the students work in groups of 2. The chance of having
  free-loaders lowers by a lot. And then I could pull the cases grade up to 75%
  and the exam would only by 25%.
- For the part that is strictly related to mathematical programming, I would
  like to do something with Gurobi materials. That way I can learn about it,
  students learn about Gurobi and Helena will be happy.
- For next year, I want to include a few additional ideas in the first welcome
  class:
    - Publish the grades from Avaldo and show them to the new students.
    - Remind the guys that I am at their service and that feedback at the end
      of the course, although very necessary, won't help improve their
      experience during this year. So, no hard feelings, just let me know
      mid-way through if you believe we could change things for the better.
    - Give a lessons learnt from last year to students (what did successful
      students do, what did students that failed do)
    - Show places where students from last year are today (Iker, Ivan, Marc,
      etc)
    - Perhaps also invite one of them to talk a bit during the first session?
- Having feedback from the student surveys was great, but I can't do anything
  with that if I receive it once I'm done with course. In order to be able to
  act upon the feedback of the students, I'll show a little QR code at the end
  of each lecture that will link to a form where students can drop feedback,
  anonymously or not.