Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Exam procedure for Thursday

Midterm examinations take place on Thursdays, Oct. 2 and Nov. 13.

  1. You will have 60 minutes for each midterm exam

  2. and the exams will be available between 12:05 PM (lunchtime) and
    11:59 PM (the midnight oil).

  3. So you must schedule a one hour block of your time starting after lunch and before 11:00 PM, if you want the full hour to take the exam.


You will take the exam online, inside Webcourses, a lot like the mini-quizzes, only longer. So work out your schedule to be in front of a good computer for the test.

Exam 1 this Thursday, chapters 2-6

Your first online midterm exam is this Thursday, covering concepts and a few calculations in chapters 2-6.

Your review plan should include:
  1. chapter 2, concept guide and mini-quiz for starters.
  2. chapter 3, concept guide and mini-quiz
  3. chapter 4, concept guide and mini-quiz
  4. chapter 5, concept guide and mini-quiz
  5. chapter 6, concept guide and mini-quiz


Note: Even though you have chapter 7 to work on this week, the exam will only cover material we finished last Saturday, up to chapter 6. So get in some work on chapter 7 as a break for exam prep, but make doubly sure to be ready on chapters 2-6 by Thursday, and then finish chapter 7 stuff after that.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Concept guide, Chapter 6 ready to roll.

Concept guide chapter 6 is good to go. Look in Learning module for week 5. Sorry, it is about 48 hours late.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Concept guide is UP for Chapter 5, Gravitation.

The Learning Module for Week 4 is now up and running. It has
  1. concept guide for chapter 5
  2. mini-quiz
  3. writing assignment which will appear when you snag 18 points or more on the mini-quiz
  4. and a new Flash file with audio of some extra practice with subtracting vectors
  5. plus a PDF version of the same file, with narration notes instead of audio.

Saturday, September 13, 2008

Do over

I think a significant percentage of you did not understand the wording of Writing Assignment C's question.

So I reworked it and set up a new version, due Wednesday night, 10 PM, "Writing Assignment C, no messing around version."
  1. Click into the no messing around version and carefully read the new wording in red lettering.
  2. It is just a rewording of the original, so you might be able to re-cycle the wording of your initial attempt.
  3. To nab your initial attempt from the old version, just click into Assessments, and select "View Submission" for Writing Assignment C. I have set the initial version to allow you to do this.
  4. But as always, we want you to think about the question, so read those red letters carefully.
  5. And for paybacks, I will give everybody an extra point, a bonus point. So a perfect sentence would go down as 6/5 instead of 5/5. SWEEEEEEEEET.
  6. ALSO: We won't be grading the stinky initial version, only the new no messing around version.

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Grading on writing tasks begins this week.

My two TAs for the semester just got hired in last Friday, so we are now getting ready to work on all tasks in the online exams. You will see, for example, that our writing tasks start getting graded. Also, new study tools will be put in place, lots of new stuff. Stay tuned here to Announcements.

Chapter 4 concept guide is UP.

Your learning module for this week is now UP and ready. Right now you can look over the concept guide for chapter 4. On Monday morning, the mini-quiz will open up, and when your mini-quiz score is greater than or equal to 10, the writing assignment C for this week will appear.

Look in Learning Modules in Webcourses.

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Writing tasks synchronized with mini-quizzes

Some of you complained about the Writing Task A being due before the mini-quiz to which it refers. I have now fixed that for all the writing assignments, A - D. the mini-quiz that refers to each writing task is now due at the same time as its writing task.

Ch. 2 mini-quiz also extended until Thursday morning

OK, I just extended the due date for Writing Task A and the chapter 2 mini-quiz until Thursday morning, 8:00 AM.

You guys with textbook troubles, it might be a strategic move right now to get yourself chapter 2 and chapter 3 as i-chapters (PDF), from the Course Smart textbook site. The link is on the home page (and right here!), then on Course Smart, page down to the "More Info" link for purchasing the individual i-chapters etc. They are pretty good. I have tried them myself, and $4.49 is not too expensive.

Course Smart site
Physics: A World View, 6th Edition