Goals

• Learn about cutting edge research in the field of machine learning with limited supervision.

• Gain practice and expertise in reading and reviewing research papers in Computer Vision and Applied Machine Learning fields.

• Conduct a semester long research project with a team leveraging concepts from the course.

Structure

The first two classes will introduce you to active research topics in learning with limited labels for computer vision. This includes unsupervised learning with generative models, self-supervised learning, transfer learning, domain adaptation, and few-shot learning.  The goal is to provide a sufficient overview of problems in learning with limited labels for computer vision to enable an informed decision regarding the course project topic. You will work on the project through the semester as part of a team of 3-4 students (depending on enrollment).

After the introductory classes, you will read and review a paper (listed in the schedule) prior to each class. Each lecture will start with a  discussion of the paper that was reviewed. The discussion will be led by two students -- one highlighting the strengths of the paper, and the other highlighting the weaknesses.

Each class will include a paper discussion and research focused exercises as indicated. Four class sessions will be devoted to teams project presentations. The goal is to have enough time for discussion and brainstorming. Each team will present on their project 3 times over the course of the semester including a final project presentations.

Feedback is very welcome. If you have any questions or concerns about the class or the requirements, please be sure to discuss them with the instructor early on.

No laptops, cell phones or other distractions in class please.

Summary:

•  paper reviews (lowest 7 dropped)

• ~1 discussion in favor or against a paper

• 3 project presentations (problem proposal, approach/experiments proposal, final presentation)

• 1 project spotlight video

NOTE: There will be no final exam!

Auditing the class: We are not allowing auditing students this semester.

Pass/Fail - Students are required to submit reviews for 7 papers of their choice from the list of papers in the schedule. Students should attend all lectures and participate in discussions. Students need not lead discussions or do a project.

Resources and Policies

This course will the following online tools:

• Canvas

• Bluejeans (remote lecture attendance)

• Gradescope

• Piazza

Academic Integrity

Georgia Tech aims to cultivate a community based on trust, academic integrity, and honor. Students are expected to act according to the highest ethical standards.  For information on Georgia Tech's Academic Honor Code, please visit http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/policies/honor-code/ or http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/rules/18/.

Any student suspected of cheating or plagiarizing on a quiz, exam, or assignment will be reported to the Office of Student Integrity, who will investigate the incident and identify the appropriate penalty for violations.

All students must follow the academic integrity and Georgia Tech Honor Code.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities

If you are a student with learning needs that require special accommodation, contact the Office of Disability Services at (404)894-2563 or http://disabilityservices.gatech.edu/, as soon as possible, to make an appointment to discuss your special needs and to obtain an accommodations letter.  Please also e-mail me as soon as possible in order to set up a time to discuss your learning needs.

Participation

Class participation points are given to encourage your active class participation and discussion. You will be rewarded with a perfect score as long as you frequently come to class and actively contribute to the class discussion during lectures.

The course format is highly interactive. Class participation can take the form of contributing to paper discussions, providing feedback to your classmates during their project presentations, and participating in small group discussions.

Collaboration & Group Work

• Paper Reviews

  • May be discussed with any other student in the class. Group discussions are acceptable. However, the review needs to be written individually.

• Project

  • The project will be completed as a group. You will sign up as a team and work together throughout the semester. Your team is welcome (and encouraged) to discuss your project with other members of the class. Research is highly collaborative and exchanging ideas is expected. However, you must implement your ideas, design experiments to test your ideas, and create your project presentations within your group.

  • We allow and encourage any outside reading material, blog posts, related work, and use of open-source software for use within your project. Your proposed problem, approach, experiment implementation and project presentation slides should be the original work of your project group.

Extensions, Late Assignments

No late assignments are accepted. Only the top scoring 15 paper reviews will be included in your final grade. If you are unable to present during one of the pre-defined presentation days please contact the instructor to coordinate a solution.

Student-Faculty Expectations Agreement

At Georgia Tech we believe that it is important to strive for an atmosphere of mutual respect, acknowledgement, and responsibility between faculty members and the student body. See http://www.catalog.gatech.edu/rules/22/ for an articulation of some basic expectation that you can have of me and that I have of you. In the end, simple respect for knowledge, hard work, and cordial interactions will help build the environment we seek. Therefore, I encourage you to remain committed to the ideals of Georgia Tech while in this class.

Student Use of Mobile Devices in the Classroom

Use of Mobile Devices, Laptops, etc. During Class. As research on learning shows, unexpected noises and movement automatically divert and capture people's attention, which means you are affecting everyone’s learning experience if your cell phone, pager, laptop, etc. makes noise or is visually distracting during class. That said, many students find it useful to have a mobile device on hand to access course materials.

With this in mind, I allow you to take notes on your laptop, but request that you turn the sound off so that you do not disrupt other students' learning. In addition, if you are doing anything other than taking notes or looking at course materials on your laptop, please sit in the back row so that other students are not distracted by your screen.

Additional Course Policies

Institute-Approved Absences

As per Georgia Tech policy, you are permitted to be absent from class to participate in athletic events, official field trips, and religious observances. For planning purposes, please provide me with written notice of your upcoming absence at least two weeks before the event, and ideally within the first two weeks of class. When I receive this notice, you and I will discuss opportunities to make up work you will miss in your absence.

Please see http://catalog.gatech.edu/rules/4/ for more information about receiving official notice from the Registrar about the nature and timing of your upcoming Institute-approved absence.