Sun, 8 Sep 2013, 18:24

A student writes:

 
> Dear Professor Patt,
> 
> In class you told us that you did not want more than three people per sheet
> of homework and in a study group, but I was wondering if a group of five
> from a FIG would be ok. During our FIG meeting we were divided into groups
> of five as study groups, and my group and I have been working and studying
> together. We were just wondering if you would like us to split up and turn
> in two sheets or not since there is a rumor that you give groups of four or
> more zeros. We were not sure about the validity of this, and just wanted to
> check.
> 
> Thank You.
> 
> Sincerely,
> <<name withheld to protect the student who thinks five is better than three>>


Actually, what I thought I said (it is certainly possible that my mouth 
may have already started before my brain was fully engaged, although I do
not think so) is that the optimal size of a study group is three or four,
and that five is more like a party.  

However, it does not have to be that way.  A study group of five (or even six)
can work if the students involved are serious about getting the work done.
So, I will not limit you to three or four per study group.  If you have five
or six students who are serious about working and studying together, that is
fine with me.  Let me caution you, however.  My experience over the one or
two years that I have been teaching is that most of the groups of size five
or larger get a lot less done.  But you are in college now, so I leave it up
to you to decide.

Good luck doing extremely well in EE 306.

Yale Patt