WeBWorK

Section 9 WeBWorK

I have made an account for you on a program called WeBWorK that you will access through D2L. Each week there are practice problem sets and quizzes that you are required to complete online using WeBWorK. The topics that we cover in a week have exercises that are typically due Sunday at 11:59PM, but can be worked on much earlier. You may submit answers any time before their due date.

Why are we using WeBWorK?

Traditionally, homework comes from textbook problems that students would do on paper, and then turn in in to the instructor. One drawback of this is that students get no feedback at all until up to a week later, and at that point the student may be no longer actively thinking about material from two weeks ago. Another issue is that it is not possible for a student to do the appropriate amount of homework and for the instructor to give quality feedback for every single exercise. Often an instructor is only able to give feedback for a small subset of the exercises. Using WeBWorK brings the following advantages over traditional homework.

Cost: WeBWorK is free, unlike many online homework programs.
Timely Feedback: Rather than waiting a week for written feedback from your instructor, you get instant feedback from WeBWorK.
Quality Feedback: WeBWorK will do more than just tell you if you are right or wrong. For example, it will usually tell you if you haven't completely simplified an answer or forgot to include units when they are required. Sometimes it will do even more.
Ease of Communication: WeBWorK encourages you to write me as your instructor for help. I can provide even higher quality feedback based on your message and your previous attempts.
Unlimited Attempts: On paper, when you submit an answer, that's the end of it. With WeBWorK you might get a problem wrong on your first attempt, but you are encouraged to figure out your mistakes and try again.
Efficient Use of Class Time: As your instructor, I can monitor the whole class and see in real-time which problems and concepts are causing the class difficulty.
Extra Practice: I have set things up so that you can retry each problem with new random numbers involved. Just click on the blue Show Me Another button and a new tab will open with another problem for practice. If you are unsure if you have mastered a skill, this gives you a way to keep practicing.
Example Problems: You can use the blue Show Me Another button also to see an example solution. Once you see the new example, just click on the blue “Solution” link under the problem and it will give you some explanation and sometimes even a fully worked-out solution.

Logging in to WeBWorK.

In D2L, there is a link to log yourself into WeBWorK in the navigation bar for the course.

Homework Sets Menu.

This shows you the assignments that have been assigned to you and when they are due. You may:

click on an assignment and begin working on problems online
check the box next to an assignment and click Download Hardcopy to get the assignment as a .pdf file which you may then print to work on away from a computer.

When you click on an assignment, you will see a screen with the problem numbers listed. Off to the right is a message for you that might have specific instructions or information about the assignment. You should always look for and read this message.

Emailing for Help.

When you are stumped when working on a practice problem, you can click the Email Instructor button at the bottom of any problem. Write me a message explaining what you have tried and if possible, include the work from your calculations. WeBWorK will send me as your instructor an email with helpful information (like all of the incorrect attempts you have tried) and I will get back to you soon with a response. When I respond, it will be with an email, so you must remember to check your email.

Math Achievements.

As you complete more problems through the term, you will win badges for various “achievements”. For example, the “On One Hand” badge is for completing a homework set with fewer than five incorrect submissions. Both earning badges and just plain answering questions correctly will earn you “achievement points”. As you gain more achievement points, you will level up. Each time you level up, you earn an item that can be used to affect your grade.

Level 1: Lesser Rod of Revelation: Give yourself 50% credit on one problem.
Level 2: Potion of Forgetfulness: Drop the number incorrect attempts down to \(0\text{.}\)
Level 3: Tunic of Extension: Extend the due date of a currently open homework for \(24\) hours.
Level 4: Cupcake of Enlargement: Double the weight of one problem.
Level 5: Box of Transmogrification: Change a single problem to be a (newly randomized) copy of a different problem on the same homework set.
Level 6: Greater Rod of Revelation: Give yourself 100% credit on one problem.
Level 7: Robe of Longevity: Extend the due date of a currently open homework for \(48\) hours.
Level 8: Scroll of Resurrection: Reopen a homework set (even a closed one) for an additional \(24\) hours. All problems will be re-randomized.
Level 9: Greater Tome of Enlightenment: “Earn” 100% on every problem in a single homework set.
Level 10: Cake of Enlargement: Double the weight of an entire set.