WeBWorK Demo Workshop Prof A, University of X Prof B, University of Y Lexington, KY August 3, 2011 1

WeBWorK Demo Workshop

Prof A, University of XProf B, University of Y

Lexington, KYAugust 3, 2011

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Schedule 9:00-9:15 Introductions

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How to put on a WeBWorK Demo Workshop 5

2. Why others like WeBWorK:

• Show a list of users, including faculty like your participants

• Display a couple of testimonials

• Refer briefly to assessment results

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Introductions 1

Presenters and participants

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Sample WeBWorK Demo

What follows is a guide & template that you can customize as you see fit.

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Key features of WeBWorK 1

WeBWorK's Goal :

Making homework more effective and efficient

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It increases the effectiveness of traditional homework as a learning tool by:

Providing students with immediate feedback by giving them the opportunity to correct mistakes while they are still thinking about the problem. As one student said, “I can fix my mistakes while [the] problem is fresh in my mind ”

Providing students with individualized versions of problems so instructors can encourage students to work together; yet each student must develop an answer to his or her own version of the problem

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It increases the efficiency of traditional homework by:

• Providing automatic grading of assignments

• Providing information on the performance of individual students and the course as a whole

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Using WeBWorK, instructors can ask most questions typically found in mathematics and other scientific textbooks, as well as more advanced interactive questions.

Students persist with WeBWorK. As one professor said: "My students are finally doing homework!”

WeBWorK's National Problem Library contains more than 25,000 questions covering trigonometry, college algebra, pre-calculus through calculus, linear algebra, differential equations, vector calculus, complex variables, probability, statistics, and other subjects.

Hosting for small mathematics courses (<100 students/institution) is available through the MAA on a free limited trial basis for one year. Paid hosting at very reasonable rates is available after that.

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The reasons others like WeBWorK 1

First, figure out how to display who is using WeBWorK

• If internet is available, maybe use the Google map?

• If internet is not available, maybe use a snapshot of the Google map?

• The Google search for the exact phrase

"Welcome to WeBWorK" site:edu

yields hundreds of results

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Here is a partial list of institutions using WeBWorK:

http://webwork.maa.org/wiki/WeBWorK_Sites

Here is a list of WeBWorK courses on MAA’s server:

http://courses.webwork.maa.org/webwork2

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Snapshot of Google map

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From John Curran, Assistant Professor, Eastern Michigan University

There is a great variety of technology that can be used in teaching mathematics courses…. In my opinion, the WeBWorK system provides the greatest improvement in student learning among these technologies. I have taught the same courses with and without WeBWorK. Based on this, I know that WeBWorK increases students' motivation when working on homework. In addition, it increases the amount of discussion between my students and me about an assignment. That discussion is of higher quality… and it is more conceptual and detailed than it otherwise would be.

* The above is a great quote. On the next page is a more typical email from a first-time user.

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from: David Hobby to: Arnold Pizer date: Tue, May 25, 2010 at 10:24 AMsubject: Re: WeBWork pilot?

Hi. You set up WebWork for my Calculus 1 this Spring. My students liked it a lot, so I'll be using it when I teach a small class this Summer. I think I can just remove the old students, and add new ones, so you don't have to do anything.

But please don't remove the course? Thanks!

--David

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Problems sets for the demos 1

We have a number of collections of problems (mostly real problems from real courses and mostly coded using MathObjects) in the templates directory of each course. More precisely, we have setdefinition files for thesecollections. The pg problems reside in a library the way they normally do. In addition to the Orientation set, Demo set, etc., only one or two other sets will be assigned initially. What set(s) are initially setup will depend on the anticipated audience.

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Problems sets for the demos 2

The sets, each containing 15-25 problems, are:

o Orientation, Demo, Set 0, MAAtutorial o College Algebra o Pre-calculus o Calculus I o Calculus II o Vector Calculus* o Differential Equations* o Linear Algebra* o Complex Variables* o Various (covering all areas)

*These sets don’t exist yet. NOTE: The demo set is probably best for demos.

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Trying out the student roleHave participants login as a student (using the course/login given on their card).

Have participants select a set and go through a few problems working as a student.

Have them download a hardcopy of one or two sets so they can get a overview of the problems. Often students do this, work on the problems, and them come back and enter their answers. Usually, most assigned problems are too difficult to do without pencil and paper.

Point out that WeBWorK typesets student input, e.g. 1/x+2, so students can see what they are entering. The Preview button is especially useful if attempts are limited.

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WeBWorK & mathematical notation 1

Point out that WeBWorK understands standard mathematical notation, e.g.

• 5sin(7t) or (x+1)(x+2) or (x+1)*(x+2)• arcsin(x), asin(x) and sin^(-1)(x) are all equivalent• sin^2(x) and (sin(x))^2 are equivalent• exponentiation: x^2 or x**2• constants: e, pi• grouping; can use (, [, and/or {: for example {[3x^2+5x]/[(2x+1)(4x-7)]}^3

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WeBWorK & mathematical notation 2

WeBWork accepts any correct answer (if allowed by problem author). For example, the derivative of 3x^2+7x can be entered as

6x+7 or cos^2(x)+5x+6+ln(e^x)+sin^2(x)

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WeBWorK & student entriesTo input answers, students need to know precedence of operations. The Orientation set covers this topic very well.

WeBWorK responds to input errors, e.g., o (3x^2+5x/(2x+1) o (2x+2]^2 o Response depends on the context

WeBWorK will try to make sense of a student's input. Things we do not tell students: o sin 3 o sin x o sin3 o sinx o sinpie

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More benefits to studentsStudents can return to a problem (a minute, a day, or a week later) Their last answer is already filled in, so it is easy to make simple changes.

WeBWorK tells students if their answer is equivalent to a previous answer, e.g. (x+1)(x+2) and x^2+3x+2.

This helps convince students not to continue changing the form of a wrong answer. When students first start using WeBWorK, they may think that WeBWorK just isn’t recognizing their correct answer, which almost never turns out to be the case.

WeBWorK understands units (more important for physics problems). 21

Transition to instructor interface 1

WeBWorK student interface features can be demonstrated when a participant logs in as a professor, so it is up to you to decide when you want them to switch from student to professor.

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Transition to instructor interface 2

There are differences between the student and professor interface (even when acting as a student). For this reason it is a good idea to set up a bogus student account and use that to see exactly what their students are seeing. These difference include:

Instructor Tools

Name and path to the .pg file

“Show correct answers,” “solutions,” etc. (Always visible when viewing problems)

Messages: e.g., “This set is visible to students”

Hardcopy download (much more complicated for professors)

Edit problem button

Past answers are not stored for professors, so “Show Past Answers” is empty for professors

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Using the instructor interface 1

At this stage, have participants login as a professor (using the course/login given on their card)

Note the Instructor Tools, etc. under the Main Menu (we'll look at these soon).

Have them view a problem. They will see additional options:

"Edit this problem," "Show correct answers," "Show past answers"

We will also look at these soon. 24


Typical tasks for a WeBWorK professor:

Creating a Problem set:

o Importing from a set definition file

o Using the Library browser

o Assigning sets to students

http://webwork.maa.org/wiki/Homework_Sets

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Editing an existing problem set:

o Changing open, due, and answer dates

o Making visible and invisible

o Header files

o Adding and deleting problems

o Changing weights, number of allows attempts, etc

o What to do if a problem is wrong, too hard, etc., after a set opens

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Adding students:

- Adding a few students by hand

- Creating and importing a classlist

- At institutions with several WeBWorK courses, often this step is handled by a WeBWork administrator

- Validating students by ldap, using Moodle or Blackboard

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Viewing student progress:

o How to do this

o Look at some actual data (with student names, id’s removed)

o Now here's the data for Student Progress

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Scoring sets

Emailing students (mail merge)

Responding to a student's email

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Acting as a student

Giving an individual student an extension

Giving a student a new password, changing student status, etc

Editing problems and writing new ones

Integration with course management systems (Moodle, Blackboard)

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Options for getting started

• Having courses hosted at MAA for < 100 students/institution

- Easiest way to start and one of the best

- Fill out request form

http://forms.maa.org/r/webwork/add.aspx

• Setting up your own WeBWorK system

- More complicated, e.g., you need a server

- See "Installation" at webwork.maa.org31

Time for Questions, Comments, Ideas and General

Discussion

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Documents

WeBWorK Demo Workshop Prof A, University of X Prof B, University of Y Lexington, KY August 3, 2011 1