HOMEWORK and I-CLICKER/KEYPAD GUIDE
In general, homework will be due twice a week. I would estimate that there may be about 30 homework assignments. These homework assignments will be done on-line using Mastering Physics (MP). You will be able to receive immediate feed-back on your answers with MP. You should start the MP homework before coming to class. That way, you will know what is going on in class and you will find you learn the material better. 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% for numerical answers, but a larger fraction for multiple choice). There are hints for each problem that you should use if needed. There is no penalty for opening the hints. 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.
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). The companion course P167 will be conducted in a small group format
with the groups working on the homework problems. 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 (Keypads): The I-Clicker/keypad system should help you learn physics. Research shows that this system has significant payoff for student learning. As a side benefit it gives you the opportunity for an easy class participation grade. Here is the plan: You will purchase a keypad at the bookstore and then register it online. The keypad system will allow you to choose answers to questions during class. There may be one or several questions during a typical class. If you participate (I won't grade your answer, I just want to know if you participate) for all the questions during a class then you will receive a 10 for that class. If you respond to 1 of 2 questions in a class where there are two keypad questions, you may receive a lower score and your score for no participation for a class will be a ZERO. If I see that some students are not taking the keypad classwork seriously then I may give keypad quizzes where your score is based on getting the correct answer.
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.