All homework assignments for this course, as well as the exams, will be generated via the UT Homework Service from a data bank of questions developed specifically for the course. These questions are based for the most part on ones in the text adopted for the course. Each question in the bank is really an algorithm that produces many different versions of the same question, hence is ideally adapted to producing individualized homework assignments and exams.
At the heart of the Homework Service system is a generic, but very sophisticated, computer program written by members of the physics department that takes the data bank and generates homework assignments which you download from the web, work on, and then return your answers again using the web. Answers can be returned one at a time or several at a time. These answers are checked by the computer, and you are then notified immediately of the correctness (or incorrectness!) of your answer. Multiple attempts at answering a given question are allowed, though there is a penalty for incorrect answers (see later comments); a correct answer submitted at a later attempt scores less than one that is correct at the first attempt. After the due date of an assignment, you can download from the web complete worked solutions to your particular version for study in preparation for later parts of the course and for exams. The computer also keeps track of your scores on the various assignments and exams so that you know what your performance is at any stage during the course.
Since the numerical values in the questions in your homework assignment will be different from those in the same assignment for other students, you can work jointly with other students in understanding and solving homework problems. Some homework questions have several parts that lead you through a particular way – frequently the best, but not the only, way - of solving a specific problem.
GETTING STARTED: to provide entry into the Homework Service you need first
Now go to the web site, enter your UT EID and password, and read the student instructions (you may find it convenient to make a hard copy of these). Then register yourself using the unique number and access password. Fill out the form, and click "OK". You are now ready to use the Homework Service.
DOWNLOAD AND SUBMIT HOMEWORK: Log in to the Homework Service (It’s a good idea to bookmark this URL since you’ll be going to use it many times during the semester.) Download your first assignment using "2.1 – pick up homework". Work at least one question and submit it using "3.1 – submit homework". Continue submitting answers until all of the assigned questions have been answered correctly or until the due date for the assignment has expired. Most questions have 5 or more possible answers, but there are some numerical questions requiring a numerical answer. To be scored as correct, a numerical answer must be within 1% of the computer’s answer.
The WWW is notorious for its slowness. It is your responsibility to submit your homework before the due date. Waiting until just before the deadline to submit answers and experiencing network trouble is not an acceptable excuse!
NUMBER OF TRIES ALLOWED: you will be told immediately whether your answer is correct or not. If your answer is wrong, additional tries are allowed as follows
RANDOMIZATION: in each question on a homework (or exam) every student is assigned the same generic question as you, but for other students the specific numerical values in that question need not be the same as yours.
DYSFUNCTIONAL PROBLEMS: while every attempt has been made to eliminate mathematical errors, typos, and ambiguities from questions, such errors will inevitably be found. If you think a problem is dysfunctional, please send E-mail to gilbert@math.utexas.edu. Suggestions for improvements to the system in general, or to specific questions, dysfunctional or not, will be appreciated.