Quizzes

Table of contents
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  1. Purpose
  2. General information & FAQ 
  3. How to prepare  
  4. Typical grading yardsticks  

Purpose

This course covers a broad range of important, and sometimes difficult, material. It has been proven time and time again that the only way to succeed in this course is to invest regular study time and to stay up-to-date with the material covered. With this in mind, the quizzes serve three main purposes:
  1. To encourage regular and timely completion of assignments, lab work and class work, with comprehension of the materials.

  2. To encourage regular presence & participation in class and lab.

  3. To provide continuous assessment of your work, without the usual stress of exams.
In this class, the quizzes collectively have a large impact on your final grade. However, I would like to point out that the quizzes are also the best bargain -- if you invest regular study time, with diligence, you should be able to ace them all!

 

General information & FAQ

How to prepare

The quizzes are not intended to require any major preparation effort beyond ordinary study discipline. However, my ordinary expectations may be different from yours! So... to prepare for the quizzes you should keep up with the following ordinary expectations:
  1. Attend every class and followup on things you don't understand.
  2. In class and lab, make a good faith effort to participate in thinking and working on assigned problems.
  3. Complete the posted reading assignments and prep exercises before each class.
  4. Complete your homework exercises on time, comprehending the solution process & reasoning, and show all your steps!
  5. Seek help when you have trouble with homework problems.

The following are some general pointers on how I prepare quiz questions:

  • I review the examples we covered in class, and the homework and practice problems that were assigned.
  • I look for questions that focus on a key concept, or (even better!) that combine multiple concepts, or that reinforce some basic proficiency, or that would be challenging for someone who has missed class or neglected homework or lab!
  • Sometimes I pick an exact homework or practice problem and put it on the quiz.
  • Sometimes I extend, or modify, a homework exercise (or class example) and create a related quiz question.
  • I try to ensure that if you have been attentive in class and lab, done your homework & readings diligently, with comprehension, you should find the quiz straightforward.

Typical grading yardsticks

Each quiz will be graded on a scale of "n" points, where "n" is to be determined later. For the purpose of illustration, let's assume the scale is 10 points (n=10). Out of this, about 0.5-1.5 point will be given for any reasonable attempt made. The remaining points will generally be distributed evenly between the key solution steps and/or different parts of the question. It is very important to fully understand what this means: If you get the correct answer, but show minimal solution details you'll make 0.5 to 1.5 point (out of 10). If you don't get the right answer, but work through all the steps correctly, you'll make a substantial % of the full 10 points (usually 8 points or more).

I strongly encourage students to get into the habit of viewing the solution as a process rather than a specific/correct answer.