Linguistics 3804: Human and AI Language Models

Learning Outcomes: The course has the following expected learning outcomes:

1. understand the basic mechanisms by which AI language models work;
2. be able to explain what AI language models can and cannot do.

Instructor: William Schuler

• Office: Oxley 101A (or by Zoom, see Carmen)

• Email: (William's last name)@ling.osu.edu

• Office hours: Wednesday 2:30--3:30pm (by zoom), Thursday 2:30--3:30pm, or by appointment (just email)

Prereqs: N/A

Web site: http://www.ling.osu.edu/~schuler/courses/3804. The updated syllabus, assignments, slides, etc. will be posted here, so check it regularly.

Course Content:

Wk	Due Monday 11:59PM	Lecture: Tuesday	Due Wednesday 11:59PM	Lecture: Thursday
1		1/13 LN01: biological neurons		1/15 --- PS1 handout LN02: simple sequence models
2		1/20 (cont'd)		1/22 LN03: associative memory
3	1/26 PS1 due	1/27 --- left-corner parsing step-through LN04: syntactic structure		1/29 --- PS2 handout LN05: models of learning
4		2/3 (cont'd)		2/5 LN06: backpropagation
5	2/9 PS2 due	2/10 LN07: attention models		2/12 --- PS3 handout (cont'd)
6	McCoy et al., 2019	2/17 discuss reading	Bender and Koller, 2020	2/19 discuss reading
7	2/23 PS3 due, Piantadosi and Hill, 2022	2/24 discuss reading	Bubeck et al., 2023 intro, conclusion and two other sections	2/26 --- PS4 handout discuss reading
8	(no class)	(no class)	McCoy et al., 2024	3/5 discuss reading
9	3/9 PS4 due	3/10 review session 1		3/12 midterm 1
10	(spring break)	(spring break)	(spring break)	(spring break)
11		3/24 --- PS5 handout LN08: logic	(no class)	(no class)
12		3/31 (cont'd)		4/2 LN09: formal reasoning
13	4/6 PS5 due	4/7 LN10: compositional meaning	Wei et al.,2022	4/9 --- PS6 handout discuss reading
14	Webb et al., 2023	4/14 discuss reading	Chen et al.,2023	4/16 discuss reading
15	4/20 PS6 due	4/21 review session 2		4/23 midterm 2

Successful course participation involves:

• Regular attendance and active participation (10% of grade).

• Completing six problem set assignments (handed out about a week and a half before they are due, see schedule), handed in through Carmen (10% each, 60% total). Late assignments are only accepted if extensions are requested and granted, and are penalized 20% on a per-question basis, so try to submit as many questions as possible on time.

• Two non-cumulative midterm exams, administered during the course meeting time (15% each, 30% total).

Faculty feedback and response time:

• Assignments: you can generally expect feedback within 7 days.
• Email: I will reply to e-mails within 24 hours on work days.

Student participation requirements: Consistent engagement is expected. If any problems arise relative to attendance, please contact the instructor as soon as possible. Communication is important. You are encouraged to participate during class, ask questions, work on in-class problems in small groups, and share your experiences relative to the subjects and discussion that day.

Attendance and active participation often impacts your performance in a meaningful way, so it will be beneficial for you to attend this course synchronously as much as possible. The lecture slides will be posted on CarmenCanvas, so if you do miss a lecture, you are expected to view the missed material before the next lecture.

Academic Misconduct: It is the responsibility of the Committee on Academic Misconduct to investigate or establish procedures for the investigation of all reported cases of student academic misconduct. The term “academic misconduct” includes all forms of student academic misconduct wherever committed; illustrated by, but not limited to, cases of plagiarism and dishonest practices in connection with examinations. Instructors shall report all instances of alleged academic misconduct to the committee (Faculty Rule 3335-5-48.7 (B)). For additional information, see the Code of Student Conduct.

Students with Disabilities: The university strives to maintain a healthy and accessible environment to support student learning in and out of the classroom. If you anticipate or experience academic barriers based on your disability (including mental health, chronic, or temporary medical conditions), please let me know immediately so that we can privately discuss options. To establish reasonable accommodations, I may request that you register with Student Life Disability Services. After registration, make arrangements with me as soon as possible to discuss your accommodations so that they may be implemented in a timely fashion.

If you are ill and need to miss class, including if you are staying home and away from others while experiencing symptoms of a viral infection or fever, please let me know immediately. In cases where illness interacts with an underlying medical condition, please consult with Student Life Disability Services to request reasonable accommodations. You can connect with them at slds@osu.edu; 614-292-3307; or slds.osu.edu.

Mental Health Services: As a student you may experience a range of issues that can cause barriers to learning, such as strained relationships, increased anxiety, alcohol/drug problems, feeling down, difficulty concentrating and/or lack of motivation. These mental health concerns or stressful events may lead to diminished academic performance or reduce a student’s ability to participate in daily activities. The Ohio State University offers services to assist you with addressing these and other concerns you may be experiencing.

If you or someone you know are suffering from any of the aforementioned conditions, you can learn more about the broad range of confidential mental health services available on campus via the Office of Student Life’s Counseling and Consultation Service (CCS) by visiting http://ccs.osu.edu or calling 614-292-5766. CCS is located on the 4th Floor of the Younkin Success Center and 10th Floor of Lincoln Tower. You can reach an on-call counselor when CCS is closed at 614-292-5766 and 24 hour emergency help is also available 24/7 by dialing 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

Religious Beliefs: Ohio State has had a longstanding practice of making reasonable academic accommodations for students' religious beliefs and practices in accordance with applicable law. In 2023, Ohio State updated its practice to align with new state legislation. Under this new provision, students must be in early communication with their instructors regarding any known accommodation requests for religious beliefs and practices, providing notice of specific dates for which they request alternative accommodations within 14 days after the first instructional day of the course. Instructors in turn shall not question the sincerity of a student's religious or spiritual belief system in reviewing such requests and shall keep requests for accommodations confidential.

With sufficient notice, instructors will provide students with reasonable alternative accommodations with regard to examinations and other academic requirements with respect to students' sincerely held religious beliefs and practices by allowing up to three absences each semester for the student to attend or participate in religious activities. Examples of religious accommodations can include, but are not limited to, rescheduling an exam, altering the time of a student's presentation, allowing make-up assignments to substitute for missed class work, or flexibility in due dates or research responsibilities. If concerns arise about a requested accommodation, instructors are to consult their tenure initiating unit head for assistance.

A student's request for time off shall be provided if the student's sincerely held religious belief or practice severely affects the student's ability to take an exam or meet an academic requirement and the student has notified their instructor, in writing during the first 14 days after the course begins, of the date of each absence. Although students are required to provide notice within the first 14 days after a course begins, instructors are strongly encouraged to work with the student to provide a reasonable accommodation if a request is made outside the notice period. A student may not be penalized for an absence approved under this policy.

If students have questions or disputes related to academic accommodations, they should contact their course instructor, and then their department or college office. For questions or to report discrimination or harassment based on religion, individuals should contact the Civil Rights Compliance Office. (Policy: Religious Holidays, Holy Days and Observances.)

Intellectual Diversity: Ohio State is committed to fostering a culture of open inquiry and intellectual diversity within the classroom. This course will cover a range of information and may include discussions or debates about controversial issues, beliefs, or policies. Any such discussions and debates are intended to support understanding of the approved curriculum and relevant course objectives rather than promote any specific point of view. Students will be assessed on principles applicable to the field of study and the content covered in the course. Preparing students for citizenship includes helping them develop critical thinking skills that will allow them to reach their own conclusions regarding complex or controversial matters.