Re: [Phys-l] Online Homework Assignments and Grading

["Jeffrey Schnick" <JSchnick@Anselm.Edu>]

See insert below.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [mailto:phys-l-
> bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of Anthony Lapinski
> Sent: Wednesday, July 22, 2009 6:09 PM
> To: Forum for Physics Educators
> Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Online Homework Assignments and Grading
>
> ...
>
> Each teacher has a different system for assigning/grading homework.
I'd
> like to hear ideas/opinions from others regarding this issue.

I teach an introductory calculus-based physics course and part of my
goal is to get freshmen used to reserving some time on each of at least
3 days a week, every week for doing outside-of-class work for a given
college course.  I collect solutions to 3 problems each Monday,
Wednesday, and Friday during the semester.  All the solutions are posted
in advance, some in video form and some as scans of pencil on paper.
Students are supposed to attempt each problem in pencil and make
corrections as necessary, in ink, and then rate their work 0-5 according
to the extent to which they did the problem on their own.  A 0 means
they simply copied my solution and a 5 means they solved the problem
completely on their own and when they looked at my solution they judged
theirs to need no corrections.  Their rating of their work does not
affect their grade.  They get a 1 or a 0 for each solution as determined
by their final product.  Early on there are a lot of zeros, even though
they have access to the solutions, as it takes students a while to
realize that when I say things like: "you are being graded on the
solution and not the answer", "you are required to solve each problem
algebraically in terms of symbols prior to substituting values with
units," and "when a diagram is called for (e.g. a free body diagram) you
are required to provide the appropriate diagram with the appropriate
annotations," I actually mean those things.  After about the first week
however, most students get a 1 for each problem that they do and a 0
means they didn't do it.  One of the effects is that when the first test
comes around, the students know what is expected of them in terms of a
solution to a problem.  Some students really get into it.  I'll get a
note in the middle of a solution saying, "got stuck here, used your
solution to get unstuck and solved the rest of the problem on my own."
Sometimes I'll get a note saying asking why I did such and such in my
solution.  Occasionally a conscientious student will hand in a set of
three solutions rated 0.  This tends to mean they got into a big time
crunch due to tests or papers in other courses.  Normally, I have
feedback for students but I get into time crunches too so sometimes the
students get a "Done = 1" for a solution I didn't really look at
carefully.  

The homework grade becomes part of the multiplicative grade that I use
for must do tasks.  I give about 108 problems in the semester and
students are required to get a 1 on 90 of them.  For each 0 after 18
zeroes, the multiplicative grade for the course is reduced by a third of
a percent.  It starts out at a 100% and for any reasonably diligent
student it is 100% by the end of the course.  The course average of
tests, quizzes, projects, and lab reports, is multiplied by the
multiplicative grade in arriving at the final grade for the course.

The problems and solutions are available at:
< http://www.anselm.edu/internet/physics/cbphysics/ >
Look under 1st Semester Downloads or 2nd Semester Downloads

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