email: patsymc@physics.utexas.edu
A. Introduction to the Homework Service
B. Getting Started -- the UT EID
C. Download the Instructions
D. Get Copies of the Problems
E. Set Up Grading
F. Create a Homework
G. The Classwork System -- 'Clickers' in the Classroom
H. Create a Test
I. Off Campus Testing
J. Identify Bad (Dysfunctional) Problems
K. Edit Problems
Five banks are available for use on homeworks and tests. In the spring of 2004, the following were available:
There are two sides to the Homework Service--the student side and the faculty side, both accessed via a UT EID login at the URL https://hw.utexas.edu/. You need to be familiar with the student side so you can help your students when they have problems. Student instructions are available at the URL http://hw.utexas.edu/bur/studentInstructions.html and faculty instructions at the URL http://hw.utexas.edu/instInst.html. You need to be logged into the EID system to access the instructor's instructions.
The EID system does not support all browsers. See the 'common difficulties' page at hw.utexas.edu/bur/commonProblems.html. Internet Explorer on the MAC will work with the EID system, but not with our encrypted pages.
Help screens are available from the View documentation link in the admin section of the menu on the Faculty Home Page.
Output from the Homework Service is in one of two formats: pdf or ps files. You will need to download and install one (or both) of the following as a plugin or helper application to view and print the downloaded files from the Homework Service. Downloading instructions are on the appropriate Web page. Installation occurs when you first try to open a document of the appropriate type.
There is little you can do without a UT EID.
If you are a new user, follow the directions at the URL
https://hw.utexas.edu/bur/instrGuestEID.html
It essentially gets you started with the following steps:
Students will go to the https://hw.utexas.edu/bur/guestEID.html page for their instructions.
None of the faculty menu options are available until you set up grading.
Log into the Faculty Page https://hw.utexas.edu/ , select a class, choose 2.7 set up grading in the grades section of the menu, and follow directions.You must SET UP GRADING first.
You can download both the Table of Contents and the problems tied to the individual chapters from the homework service. The problems are available one section at a time or a chapter at a time. You may also order the homework books using the order form on the Web.
You can access the books several ways from the faculty menu of a class:
The Table of Contents is the first link in the table, followed by the volumes of the books and finally the individual chapters.
You can access a table correlating high school math courses and the Mathematics Table of Contents.
Problem names are determined by the creator: they can be generic, topical, or in some cases specify the source. Additional information is under the problem name in the books:
Perpendicular Diplacements
04:01, trigonometry, numeric, > 1 min, normal
04:01 -- chapter and section in the table of contents
trigonometry -- level of difficulty
numeric -- student inputs calculated answer (units were specified in the problem);
multiple choice -- student inputs the number of the choice
randomization information
You must SET UP GRADING first -- WWW should be used for homeworks.
Multiple choice questions are available for homework, but many of the questions used for homework are numeric, requiring a student to input his answer (there is a 0% tolerance unless specified otherwise). Students receive immediate feedback and are allowed to resubmit answers.
WWW -- As soon as you POST the homework assignment, students can download their unique problem set, start working the problems, and submit answers. Resubmission of answers is allowed. Once the due date is past, they can download the complete solutions, personalized with their random values.
Currently the only "clicker" that may work in the HWService is the old blue IR clicker from eInstruction. The downloadable Classwork Software has some RF selections, but because of new hardware changes, the software no longer works correctly with ANY of the RF clickers.
You must SET UP GRADING first -- BUB should be used for exams.
You can use the homework service to create tests, if you wish. All questions become multiple choice in nature and resubmission of answers is not allowed. (Resubmission IS an option for in-class quizzes if you are using our Classwork module for submission of answers instead of bubblesheet submission.) A different version of the same test can be used for makeup tests. BUB is the option in set up grading for in-class quizzes, tests; otherwise students have access as soon as you post it.
BUB -- Students cannot access anything until after the due date. Once the due date is past, they can download their unique solutions.
You can collect student answers via bubble sheets and scan them with our downloadableScanUtility program, or you can use the Classwork system and the IR or RF devices to collect student answers. You can also manually grade the exams and input grades into the system by choosing the input grades from a manually-graded assignment link in the grades section of the faculty menu.
You may also use preprinted bubble sheets for your exams; in this case each student has a different version of the test (all problems are multiple choice). You may scan these bubble sheets on your campus (scanner must be interfaced with a computer); the scan file is then uploaded into the system and incorporated into the grading side of the system. This option requires a special full-page scan sheet and a scan file (written for special bubble sheets that can be ordered from UT) you can download from our system; information and instructions are found in the help pages.
Details are at the page https://hw.utexas.edu/bur/bubble.html
There are two steps to identification of bad problems from the Faculty Home Page:
You must use one of the editors on our machine: pico or vi for Windows; pico, vi, emacs, or vim for Unix or Mac.
The Editing Instruction start-up page contains details on obtaining an editing account and getting into an editor (pico is the most commonly used).
The Editing Style page addresses some specifics for TeX and C.
I have a VI Editor page that addresses a few of the 'gotchas' I have discovered over the years.
Some new features of our system will be incorporated in all new problems we create and will gradually be implemented in existing problems:
Go back to my teacher home page.
Last update 08/02/05