Final Presentation Rubric

Final presentation description and rubric for COSC 373: Distributed Algorithms

Here, you will find the main criteria for assessment of your final presentations for Distributed Algorithms. As stated in the final project announcement, each group will give a 15 minute presentation on a topic of their choosing related to distributed computing. The presentation should focus on a single feature of the topic, such as a computational model, algorithm, or application. You should plan on the talk being 15 minutes long, and you should be prepared to answer a few questions about your topic after the talk. If you would prefer, your talk can be pre-recorded, though the Q&A session should be live.

Your target audience for the presentation is your peers in class. Your main goals in the talk are to (1) motivate your topic, (2) describe some of the challenges in addressing the topic, (3) explain at a high level how those challenges were addressed and what results are known, and (4) connect the topic to applications and/or the broader picture of distributed computing. You should focus on conceptual content over technical detail, though some formal details should be included.

Content. (3 points)

  • Describes a topic relevant to distributed computing or distributed systems (broadly interpreted)
  • Describes formal, empirical, or technological challenges in addressing the problem
  • Gives a high-level description of how these challenges are addressed in the literature
  • Connects the topic to the material encountered in our course and/or the broader discipline of distributed computing

Organization. (3 points)

  • Introduction clearly motivates the topic being discussed
  • Middle section provides details on the topic (e.g., specific model, algorithm, techniques, etc.)
  • Conclusion that includes directions for further learning/study/research and relates topic to a “bigger picture”

Clarity. (3 points)

  • Motivation clearly connects to examples encountered in class and/or examples from common experience
  • Provides concrete details for an example, model, or algorithm

Peer review. (3 points)

Approximately 5 of your peers will be asked to provide feedback on your talk. Their review will address the following questions:

  1. What aspects of the talk (content, presentation, examples, etc.) were particularly effective in furthering your understanding of the topic presented?

  2. What aspects of the presentation could be improved?

  3. What was your overall impression of the talk?