Description of summarization homework
As described in the syllabus, some readings must be summarized in a
specific format before we discuss them in class. We will practice
three different ways of summarizing readings: (i) paragraph, (ii)
bullet points, and (iii) slides. This page describes the precise
requirements for each type of summarization homework. Regardless of
which summarization style is being used, the objective is the same in
each case: to communicate the main ideas of the reading as clearly as
possible, to an audience that has some knowledge about the philosophy
of artificial intelligence, but no knowledge of the particular reading
being summarized.
All summarization homework must be submitted electronically via
Moodle before the start of the class in which it is due.
Paragraph summarization
Write a single paragraph of approximately 300 words, describing the
main ideas in the reading. The paragraph should be written in
high-quality, formal prose, using correct punctuation and grammar.
Bullet point summarization
Write a list of 3-10 bullet points describing the main ideas in the
reading. The total number of words in your summary should be
between 100 and 200. Grammatically correct sentences are not
required, but your notes should be comprehensible to another person
reading them. The main objective is to summarize the reading
briefly, but accurately.
You may use sub-points if you wish. A sub-point is a
bullet point that provides additional explanation for one of the
main bullet points. Sub-points are indented to distinguish them from
the main bullet points. An example of a possible list of bullet
points for Boden's paper is provided: boden-bullet-points.pdf.
Prepare your bullet points in a suitable word processing program,
such as Open Office, Microsoft Word, or Google Documents. You must
then convert your document into PDF format. Finally, upload your PDF
file to Moodle.
Slide summarization
Write set of 4-10 slides describing the main ideas in the
reading. The slides must obey the following formatting rules:
- Text only -- no figures, diagrams, or pictures
- Each slide consists of
- A main heading, in a large font at the top of the
slide,
consisting of a short, single sentence of no more than 25
words (and preferably about 10-15 words)
- A small number of bullet points (say, 2-5 of them)
explaining the main
heading. Each bullet point should be brief (no more than
about 30 words, and preferably much less than that).
Sub-bullet points may be used if necessary.
- No more than 100 words on any slide
- The bullet points on the first slide must correspond exactly
to the main headings on the subsequent slides. In other words,
each bullet point on the first slide gets expanded into a
full slide with its own bullet points.
- If desired, any other slide may also be expanded so that its
bullet points become the headings of some subsequent slides.
Two examples are provided. In the first example, only the first
slide gets expanded. In the second example, one of the
later slides is also expanded.
Prepare your slides in a suitable presentation program, such as
Microsoft PowerPoint, Apple Keynote, or Google Docs. You must then
convert your document into PDF format. Finally, upload your PDF
file to Moodle.