Course activities

Course activities are structured tasks or exercises designed to facilitate the acquisition of knowledge, skills, and understanding in an educational context. They are intended to promote active engagement, deepen understanding, and support the achievement of specific learning objectives.

Course activities are classified into three categories: graded activities, bonus points activities, and non-graded activities.

This chapter explains what course activities are and how they are organized in practice.

Graded activities

Graded activities evaluate understanding, analytical reasoning, computational work, interpretation of results, and professional communication. Homework assignments provide space to practice and prepare for exams; exams evaluate course topics under a structured time frame. Students are expected to start homework early and keep detailed notes throughout the semester.

Most graded activities include a Written component and an Oral component. The final exam \(E_F\) has only a Written component.

Activity Written component Oral component
\(H_1\), \(H_2\) DataLab notebook or required evidence completed by the homework deadline. Homework presentation after the Written component is completed.
\(E_1\), \(E_2\) Remote exam notebook completed during the scheduled exam period. Oral defense after the Written component is submitted.
\(E_F\) Remote final exam notebook completed during the scheduled final-exam period. Not applicable.

The team marks are calculated as explained in Evaluation.

Written component. The Written component is completed in DataLab, normally through a .ipynb Jupyter Notebook file distributed through Blackboard. Students may use all available resources while producing the Written component, subject to the official rules.

Oral component. The Oral component consists of explaining and defending the Written component version that was completed by the homework deadline or submitted during the partial-exam period. Students prepare the oral explanation, not a new document: they do not upload a separate presentation document, corrected notebook, slide deck, or improved version for the Oral component. Homework deadlines, exam dates, and oral presentation or defense dates are listed in Schedule. Oral sessions may take more than one class session depending on enrollment, number of teams, and class format. Once a team is scheduled or selected to present, the team decides whether one, several, or all members present, unless I give different instructions. I will normally display the submitted homework or partial-exam answer on screen, and students explain their work from that displayed version only. I will normally give feedback in front of the class so that the feedback can also support the learning of other students. A weak Written component can still lead to a strong Oral component if the team clearly identifies mistakes and explains precisely how to correct or improve them. A strong Written component does not guarantee a strong Oral component if the team cannot explain the work clearly.

Non-presenting teams during oral sessions. During oral presentation or oral defense sessions, a team that clearly knows it is not scheduled to present in the corresponding session or block has three options: remain in the classroom as audience members, complete a Campus Contribution Mission, or leave the classroom to organize, practice, or work on its own Oral component. Remaining in the classroom can help students learn from other teams, observe the questions I ask, and listen to the feedback given to others. Campus Contribution Missions and team oral preparation are non-graded alternatives described below and regulated in Activity rules and consequences.

Questions about feedback. Students who have difficulty understanding their mistakes or feedback are expected to contact me for clarification.

Official rules. The complete rules for graded activities are stated in Activity rules and consequences. Students are responsible for reading them carefully.

Bonus points

Bonus points activities are optional and individual. You do not lose points if you do not complete them, but you can earn additional points if you complete them on time. Bonus points apply directly to the next scheduled exam, either a partial exam or the final exam, according to Schedule.

DataCamp certifications. DataCamp bonus activities are based on certifications selected for the course. The specific certifications may change depending on the course topic and semester. There are normally three DataCamp certification opportunities during the semester: one applied to the first partial exam, one applied to the second partial exam, and one applied to the final exam. Each certification completed on time adds 10 points to the student’s corresponding exam mark. The deadline for each certification is listed in Schedule, where these activities are marked with the bonus points tag. It is not necessary to send evidence unless I explicitly request it, because DataCamp records completion automatically.

The wheel of fortune. I may spin a virtual wheel of fortune during the semester to randomly allocate bonus points to selected students. There are normally three wheel-of-fortune opportunities during the semester: one applied to the first partial exam, one applied to the second partial exam, and one applied to the final exam. Attendance in these sessions is required to claim the bonus points if you are selected by the wheel.

Exceptional class performance. In extraordinary cases, I may assign bonus points at my discretion for outstanding performance or participation during class. This is not common and should not be expected as a regular part of the course; for example, I did not use this option during the previous semester.

Others. Other bonus points opportunities may be listed in Schedule or announced during the semester.

Non-graded

Non-graded activities are optional learning, participation, or class-logistics activities that may be suggested during the semester. They are intended to support preparation, practice, class interaction, or academic community, but they do not contribute to the final grade.

UN CC:Learn activities. Students are encouraged to explore UN CC:Learn, the One UN Climate Change Learning Partnership, as an optional non-graded learning activity. UN CC:Learn is a United Nations learning platform developed through collaboration among multilateral organizations, with courses and resources on climate change, green economy, circular economy, climate action, and related topics. These activities are not required and do not affect the course grade. Their purpose is to give students an opportunity to explore current global issues that are increasingly relevant for finance, business, risk management, public policy, and sustainability. Some UN CC:Learn courses address topics closely connected to sustainable finance, climate finance, environmental risk, and the transition toward low-carbon and socially inclusive economies. Students may choose any UN CC:Learn course according to their own interests. If a student completes a course and obtains a certificate, they may keep it as evidence of complementary learning for their CV, LinkedIn profile, or professional portfolio. Course availability, certificate conditions, and possible certificate fees depend on UN CC:Learn and may change over time.

Campus Contribution Mission. During oral presentation or oral defense sessions, students in a non-presenting team may complete a Campus Contribution Mission instead of remaining in the classroom. A Campus Contribution Mission is a brief good deed or positive action completed on campus for someone, for a university space, or for the university community. This option recognizes that some students may use the time productively by contributing directly to the campus community. This activity is non-graded: it does not add points and it does not replace any graded Written or Oral component. Because it is used as an attendance alternative during class time, students must follow the evidence and attendance rules stated in Activity rules and consequences.

Team oral preparation. During oral presentation or oral defense sessions, a non-presenting team may leave the classroom to organize, practice, or work on its own Oral component. This option is non-graded, does not add points, and does not replace the team’s graded Oral component. No evidence needs to be submitted for this preparation option.

Pet introduction. Especially during Zoom sessions, students may briefly introduce their pet to the class and tell us its story. This is a playful, optional, non-graded activity intended to help us know each other a little better and make the class environment warmer. All kinds of pets are welcome, but students are not expected to participate if they do not have a pet or prefer not to share.

Activity mechanics

This section explains how homework assignments, exams, oral sessions, and related course activities are organized in practice. The enforceable rules and consequences are stated in Course policies.

Schedule and exam duration. Exam dates follow the university’s official calendar and are listed in Schedule. Homework deadlines and oral presentation or defense sessions are also listed in Schedule. \(E_1\) and \(E_2\) are 1.5-hour scheduled exam activities during official class time and may be completed remotely. \(E_F\) lasts 2 hours and may also be completed remotely.

Activity files and coevaluation links. Homework instructions will be available in Blackboard with sufficient advance notice as Jupyter Notebook (.ipynb) files. Each team must download the notebook and upload it to the correct team workspace in DataLab. Exam instructions are also distributed through Blackboard as Jupyter Notebook files; they normally become available 5 minutes before the scheduled start of the exam so teams can download the file, upload it to DataLab, and work in the correct team workspace during the exam period. After \(E_1\) and \(E_2\), a Google Forms link will appear in Blackboard for the corresponding coevaluation: one for \(H_1\) and \(E_1\), and one for \(H_2\) and \(E_2\). The coevaluation deadline depends on when the oral defenses for that partial exam are completed and will be stated in Blackboard or Schedule.

Oral presentation and defense selection. I may use a random draw, schedule, or other class procedure to determine which team presents or defends during an Oral component session. Once a team is selected or scheduled to present, the team decides whether one, several, or all members present, unless I explicitly state otherwise. This internal decision does not change the team’s responsibility for understanding and defending the submitted work.

Non-presenting teams during oral sessions. During oral presentation or oral defense sessions listed in Schedule, a team that is not scheduled to present in a given session or block may choose one of three options during class time: remain in the classroom as audience members, complete a Campus Contribution Mission, or leave the classroom to organize, practice, or work on its own Oral component. Students may complete a Campus Contribution Mission individually or with classmates of their choice. If a team leaves for oral preparation, no evidence needs to be submitted. If students leave the classroom for either option, they may remain outside for the rest of the session unless they are scheduled to present in a later block or I give different instructions.

Final exam timing. The final exam \(E_F\) is the last graded activity of the semester. No extra activities are planned after \(E_F\) to increase marks or pass the course. The \(E_F\) date may be moved earlier for administrative reasons in the case of graduating students.