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Re: [Phys-l] Cramster et al.



No one took the bait on my "no homework and no exams - self assessment" posting - what a dull bunch.

Yes I give exams, homework , and reading quizzes. We use "Mastering Physics" for on-line homework. We went to that because of solutions for all textbook based homework being posted online. I found this semester that even the randomized online homework has a simple workaround. My lowest performing student on exams had a remarkably short log-on time for Mastering Physics - about a half hour for a 90 minute assignment - yet his homework scores were average or above. He let me in on how he managed it when he withdrew from the course. He would sit with an advanced student and follow all the solutions that the better student submitted. Then he would log on and follow the correct methods for solution with the new randomized numbers. Basically he copied the better student's work but redid the arithmetic.

Bob at PC

________________________________________
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu [phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf Of chuck britton [cvbritton@mac.com]
Sent: Monday, May 10, 2010 6:15 PM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] Cramster et al.

I'm surprised that no one has mentioned the web based homework
options such as Web-Assign.
Each problem has the numbers 'individualized'. The feedback is
instant. Custom problems can be added.
Painless for the instructor. Not perfect. Kids can still 'hire'
someone else to do the work.
I found it to be an excellent way to convince parents that the effort
was not there.


At 10:59 AM -0400 5/8/10, David Craig wrote:
I've seen a smattering of it in the past, but this year, the
existence of services like cramster.com et al. really hit my
upper-level courses in force. Seems they have pretty thorough
coverage of most popular texts. (Even for books that aren't
available at cramster, a quick google search turned up downloads of
the solutions manuals for every single quantum mechanics text I'm
contemplating using next Fall.)

I've always rewarded homework pretty heavily because doing it is
where most of the real learning comes from in junior and senior
level mechanics, qm etc. I am loathe to change this approach. I
am, however, being forced to consider alternatives.

It's a bummer. Either I go to writing all the problems myself
(maybe not a bad idea in principle, but a MASSIVE time sink), or to
choosing books just for their obscurity, or to devaluing homework
and just giving a bunch of tests. The latter doesn't really seem
much of an option .. I don't generally find students will do
anything that isn't actually required, no matter how much they
"ought" to. They just wait until the tests to realize they don't
understand how to do it.

Anyway ... as I contemplate what I'm going to be doing with my
quantum course in the Fall, how are the rest of you coping with
cramster.com and the rest?

David Craig
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