HOMEWORK and iCLICKER GUIDE
In general, homework will be due 3 times a week. I would estimate that there may be 30 to 40 homework assignments. No late homework will be accepted no matter what the excuse. Extra credit is built into the homeworks so even if you miss 1-2, your overall grade won’t suffer. Also, I will drop 2 of your lowest online HW's, so you have a bit of a cushion. Although, most of the assigned homework will cover material already presented in class, you may be asked to do homework based on material that will be covered on the due date; the objective is to get you to read the text before coming to class. You will get much more out of class if you do this!
There are two types of homework that you will be asked to do. The first type is of the type which is to be handed in, and this will also count towards your grade. The second type of homework is from an online system called Mastering Physics.
In MP make sure that you submit answers using 3 significant figures (except for the occasional MP problem that specifically asks for something else). Otherwise you may be marked wrong even it you do everything else "correct". I will give you unlimited tries to submit each answer. However, there will be a modest penalty for each wrong submission (initially 3%). Bonus points can be earned by not using problem hints (initially 2%). Do not wait until the last minute to go online and work MP. Computers and Websites experience technical problems. You need to work well in advance of the deadlines so that last minute glitches do not cause your homework to be late. Computer problems and Website problems are not a valid excuse for late homework. If you wait until the last minute to work the MP problems you will not have time to get help with the problems.
I will not tolerate students working homework (especially discussing homework together) during class. Students who bother me (and other students) by talking during class or by working on homework during class will be asked to leave the class. I don't like to do this but I have had to ask students to leave class.
Each and every homework problem is important. This course emphasizes problem solving; solving the problems will help you learn physics. I encourage you to work in groups and to talk about the problems (with classmates, with CAPS tutors, with SI, with other tutors, with friends or with me). But when all is said and done, you must know the concept behind each problem and how it is applied to solve the problem.
If you wait until the last minute to attempt the problems or if you merely copy someone’s homework, you won’t succeed. You need to have gone through the sometimes long and frustrating thought processes (correcting many mistakes) in working the problems to really learn the material so you can be successful on the tests.
Class participation (iClickers):
If you do not already own an iClicker, you will purchase one at the bookstore and then register it online via the link I provide on the UNM LEARN page for this class. Please use your BANNER ID # to register your iclicker. The iclicker buttons will allow you to choose answers to questions during class. There may be several questions during a typical class. For every iclicker question in which you participate (I won't grade your answer, I just want to know if you participate) you will receive 1 point. For every correct answer, you will get 2 points on top of your 1 participation point. So you will get 3 points for every correct answer and 1 point for every wrong answer. Your final iclicker total score will be scaled so that the maximum number of points is 100, and will be used as part of your grade.
There will be a severe penalty for both parties if someone brings in an absent student's keypad and uses it to give a participation grade to the absent student.