General information about the course
This is an online course. Zoom links for all meetings will be posted on Canvas. PrerequisitesGraduate standing. This page serves as the syllabus for this course.
There is no course textbook. Readings will be from texts that are
announced on the schedule page. These readings will either
be freely available online, or they will be made available from Canvas. Course GoalWord meaning in context is incredibly flexible. In some cases, it
is difficult to clearly specify sense boundaries -- which raises the
question how we should think of word meanings, how we should represent
them. Problems of word meaning in context have been considered in
different disciplines, with quite different perspectives: in formal
semantics, cognitive semantics, psychology, and computational
linguistics. The difficult puzzles of word meaning in context have been
around a long time. But recently a multitude of new formalisms have been
proposed for representing word meaning. Some of them cross disciplines
and combine ideas from formal semantics and cognition. And many of them
have been inspired by ideas from probability theory and machine learning
-- areas that are particularly good at dealing with phenomena that
involve fuzziness and uncertainty. In this
seminar, we look at the puzzles of word meaning in context, as well as
formalizations that seek to address them. We will discuss papers from
formal semantics and cognitive semantics, psychology, and computational
linguistics. The seminar is designed to be accessible to students from
linguistic as well as computational backgrounds, and designed to to
engender discussions across discipline boundaries. To that end, the
seminar includes "background" sessions that provide the necessary
high-level background on linguistic, cognitive, or computational
material. The seminar is divided in three main
topic blocks: Phenomena, Representation, and Challenges. Topics that
will be discussed include:
RequirementsThis class has no exams. Grades will be determined based on a course paper, with percentages as follows:
Due dates for all components of the course project will be posted on the schedule page. Grading policyGrading will be based on the course requirement listed above. This course does not have a final exam or midterm exam. The course will use plus-minus grading, using the following scale:
Safety and Class Participation/MasksWe will all need to make some adjustments in order to benefit from in-person classroom interactions in a safe and healthy manner. Our best protections against spreading COVID-19 on campus are masks (defined as cloth face coverings) and staying home if you are showing symptoms. Therefore, for the benefit of everyone, this is means that all students are required to follow these important rules.
If a student is not wearing a cloth face-covering properly in the classroom (or any UT building), that student must leave the classroom (and building). If the student refuses to wear a cloth face covering, class will be dismissed for the remainder of the period, and the student will be subject to disciplinary action as set forth in the university’s Institutional Rules/General Conduct 11-404(a)(3). Students who have a condition that precludes the wearing of a cloth face covering must follow the procedures for obtaining an accommodation working with Services for Students with Disabilities. Sharing of Course Materials is prohibitedNo materials used in this class, including, but not limited to, lecture
hand-outs, videos, assessments (quizzes, exams, papers, projects,
homework assignments), in-class materials, review sheets, and additional
problem sets, may be shared online or with anyone outside of the class
unless you have my explicit, written permission. Unauthorized sharing of
materials promotes cheating. It is a violation of the University’s
Student Honor Code and an act of academic dishonesty. I am well aware of
the sites used for sharing materials, and any materials found online
that are associated with you, or any suspected unauthorized sharing of
materials, will be reported to Student Conduct and Academic Integrity in
the Office of the Dean of Students. These reports can result in
sanctions, including failure in the course. FERPA and Class RecordingsClass recordings are reserved only for students in this class for educational purposes and are protected under FERPA. The recordings should not be shared outside the class in any form. Violation of this restriction by a student could lead to Student Misconduct proceedings. COVID guidanceTo help keep everyone at UT and in our community safe, it is critical
that students report COVID-19 symptoms and testing, regardless of test
results, to University Health Services, and faculty and staff report to the HealthPoint Occupational Health Program (OHP) as soon as possible. Please see this link
to understand what needs to be reported. In addition, to help
understand what to do if a fellow student in the class (or the
instructor or TA) tests positive for COVID, see this University Health Services link. Notice about students with disabilitiesThe University of Texas at Austin provides upon request appropriate academic accommodations for qualified students with disabilities. Please contact the Division of Diversity and Community Engagement, Services for Students with Disabilities, 5121-471-6259. Notice about missed work due to religious holy daysA student who misses an examination, work assignment, or other project due to the observance of a religious holy day will be given an opportunity to complete the work missed within a reasonable time after the absence, provided that he or she has properly notified the instructor. It is the policy of the University of Texas at Austin that the student must notify the instructor at least fourteen days prior to the classes scheduled on dates he or she will be absent to observe a religious holy day. For religious holy days that fall within the first two weeks of the semester, the notice should be given on the first day of the semester. The student will not be penalized for these excused absences, but the instructor may appropriately respond if the student fails to complete satisfactorily the missed assignment or examination within a reasonable time after the excused absence. Emergency Evacuation Policy
Occupants of buildings on The University of Texas at Austin campus are
required to evacuate buildings when a fire alarm is activated.
Alarm activation or announcement requires exiting and assembling
outside. Familiarize yourself with all exit doors of each classroom and
building you may occupy. Remember that the nearest exit door may not be
the one you used when entering the building. Students requiring
assistance in evacuation shall inform their instructor in writing during
the first week of class. In the event of an evacuation, follow the
instruction of faculty or class instructors. Do not re-enter a building
unless given instructions by the
following: Austin Fire Department, The University of Texas at Austin
Police Department, or Fire Prevention Services office. Information
regarding emergency evacuation routes and emergency procedures can be
found
at http://www.utexas.edu/emergency. Behavior Concerns Advice Line (BCAL)If you are worried about someone who is acting differently, you may use the Behavior Concerns Advice Line to discuss by phone your concerns about another individual's behavior. This service is provided through a partnership among the Office of the Dean of Students, the Counseling and Mental Health Center (CMHC), the Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and The University of Texas Police Department (UTPD). Call 512-232-5050 or visit http://www.utexas.edu/safety/bcal |