WebAssign General Info
The purpose of doing the online assignments has several facets:
1) First, the WebAssign system provides immediate feedback for their answers to numeric problems in physics. This ability is the most important aspect of the system. When a student opens the assignment they can view and print (if desired, I certainly encourage this) the assignment. They have as much time as they need to work the questions, within the timeline for the assignment. Each student is given a partially unique set of questions. Verbally answered concept questions are identical from student to student while numeric problem solving is generally distinct, meaning each student receives a similar problem with a different answer. Students are allowed to input answers multiple times* after downloading the assignment. The first has no penalty (allowing for corrections and tutoring if needed), while the final input locks the graded answer and allows for further, ungraded practice. Most problems have a “practice another version” option that allows you unlimited, ungraded practice while checking your solutions, before you go on to your graded problem.
*4 – 5 submissions in for Gen Phys 1
2) WebAssign provides accountability for all students. While there is no reason that you can’t use this system to do legitimate group work with your peers, it makes outright copying and cheating difficult, thus ensuring that student scores are truly representative of what they have accomplished and learned.
WebAssign FAQ’s
1. I can’t log in. My account is set up, but my login does not work.
Email Mr. B (). I will send you your login info and a new password. I may get back to you right away, but I may also not get your email until the next day. Be prepared to wait, and keep track of your login info to avoid this problem.
2. Can I use my mobile device for WebAssign?
Usually yes. There may be exceptions for certain operating systems, but WebAssign uses a primarily HTML interface that should work with most mobile devices. Can you use them in class? Only at appropriate times.
3. How do I do online HW?
Ans: The same way you would do regular, paper HW. At the beginning of each unit you should
1) Log in.
2) Print all the assignments for that unit if you wish. Many students find it helpful to see the problems on paper.
3) Use what we have covered in class, your brain, your notes, my notes, your book to solve the problems. Show your work when you solve the problems. Soon the problems will reach a level of complexity where few, if any, could do them without writing stuff down. Your “work” will be graded on quizzes and tests.
4) Log back in. Input your answers, check your work.
5) For questions you missed: collaborate with peers, come to the help lab, come to office hours or fix yourself if you can figure out what you did. Re-input your answers.
4. How will my grade be determined?
First, stop worrying about your grade. HW is an opportunity for learning and practice. I wouldn’t grade it at all if you would all do it, but experience tells me otherwise. I generally omit one or two practice items from the points total on each assignment to take into account challenging problems. Each assignment is unique in this regard. Try your best to do the whole thing. See details on the grading of concept questions in FAQ number 5.
5. What is a concept question?
Concept questions test your qualitative understanding of something we cover in the course. It may be as simple as a definition, or requiring an in-depth explanation of some event or process. In WebAssign the “concept” questions are the questions that are NOT multiple choice and NOT a numeric answer. They usually have a large text box that requires you to type in a few words or sentences.
6. How will I know if the concept questions are correct?
The concept questions (see FAQ number 5 above) are NOT graded by the computer. You should know whether they are correct based on what we cover (or will cover) in class or by critically analyzing the scenario that is presented. I will not grade these questions, but you should still do them to stretch yourself in the class.
7. Why aren’t I getting points for my concept questions?
The answers to many of these questions can be easily found in online databases—verbatim. In other cases a quick google search can lead to good info that will satisfactorily answer the question. While these items are not being scored by the online system the questions are important questions that will help you develop your thinking about physics concepts. Some could even end up on your exams in some form.
8. I can’t log on because of a technical problem at WebAssign (e.g., server overload).
First, it is not acceptable to abandon your assignment…EVER. What to do if technical problems are encountered:
1) Wait a few minutes and try again. Wait an hour and try again. Repeat.
2) Try a different time of the day.
3) Still can’t get in? Try again the next day (assuming you still have time left on the assignment).
4) STILL can’t get in? Email me and bring me your HW on paper (see FAQ number 2 above).
9. I can’t finish my HW because of a technical error.
If the problem is at your end (i.e., your computer) it is your responsibility to either take care of your machine or get to another machine to complete the assignment. If the problem is on the WebAssign end this is a little different and requires some discrimination on my part. First, although HW may not be due until a certain day, you have multiple days to work on it. While we will not have covered everything you need to complete every problem on the first day of a unit, we will have covered some material. If you choose to wait until an hour or even a day before the HW is due to even START the assignment and you encounter technical problems I am not going to be terribly sympathetic. You should work on your HW almost every day for a few minutes at a time and spread it out.
If you cannot log in or cannot submit your work electronically due to a WebAssign error you can always bring it to me on paper (assuming you printed it earlier in the unit, see FAQ # 2).
The lesson: GET STARTED EARLY! If you wait until the last day to start, much less the last hour, you are out of luck in the event of technical hurdles.
10. My assignment keeps changing every time I log in.
Concept questions are always the same. Some numeric problems and multiple choice questions change for each student, for each log in UNTIL you have saved an answer. Once you have input an answer, right or wrong, your question is “locked.”
11. I worked on my HW with a friend and I put in the answers we got but they are all wrong.
That is probably because you and your friend had the same questions, but with slight variances. The way you SOLVE the problem is the same (i.e., the thinking and the math), but the answer (i.e., the number you type in) will be different. See FAQ # 8 for more details. It is fine to work on your work in a small group, as long as everyone is doing each problem. If you are just doing part and swapping papers you are not learning/practicing what you need to be successful.
12. How do I enter an answer scientific notation?
Refer to the help tutorial in WebAssign, but basically, it is just like using the “E” feature in most calculators.
13. Do sig-figs matter?
I rarely grade for sig-figs in physics, except on lab work. However, if you round correctly using the right number of sig-figs you will be in the appropriate range for a “right” answer. So, yes, you should consider sig-figs. Occasionally on questions with very large or very small numbers a rounding error could cause WebAssign to score your work wrong.
14. I should have gotten credit for a question but it keeps counting it incorrect.
Sometimes answers in webassign are wrong. Sometimes there are technical issues with certain problems. It happens. Let me know and sometimes I can fix the problem. In all cases I will ensure that you (and your classmates) get the points you deserve.