Download WeBWorK - Pace University

WeBWorK: An environment to
deliver web-based homeworks
and more
Dr. Christelle Scharff
Research Day
Wednesday, May 2 2002
Agenda
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Presentation of WeBWorK
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General presentation
Educational advantages
Features – Students/Instructors
User feedbacks
Creation of homeworks
WeBWorK at Pace
WeBWorK and Oliver
Perspectives
What is WeBWorK?
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http://webwork.math.rochester.edu/
WeBWorK is a software freely available to
educational institutions.
Developed by University of Rochester
It is a web-based environment to deliver and
check homeworks.
Mainly used in Mathematics (algebra,
calculus) and Physical Science (physics,
chemistry, astronomy)
Who is using WeBWorK?
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30 institutions around the country
University of Rochester
Columbia University
Harvard University
McGill University
SUNY Stony Brook
Pace University
Other Course Management
Systems
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General CMS:
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WebCT
Blackboard
Specialized in mathematics
questions:
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e-grade
WebAssign
Prometheus
Educational advantages of
WeBWorK
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Immediate feedback on homeworks for
students.
The overwhelming majority of students
complete all of their homework correctly -(sometimes after several attempts).
It's possible to capture detailed information
about students' approaches to homework.
This suggests possibilities for early
intervention.
WeBWork Features - Students
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Easy of access – Internet connection
and browser.
Each homework can be printed.
Immediate feedback as to whether the
answer is correct.
Every problem has a Feedback button
which sends an e-mail message directly
to the instructor.
WeBWork Features Instructor
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Easy of access and use – Internet connection,
browser, editor.
Management of the course:
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Create problem sets (with solutions)
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Initial class list, passwords and permissions
Add and remove students
Change passwords, login names
Due date
Individualized version of the problem for each
student.
Create and administer an exam
WeBWorK Features –
Instructor (continued)
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Monitor the progress of the students:
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All the class
Monitor the problems of a particular
student
Email to students
Automated grading and delivery of
solutions at a specified date.
User feedbacks
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+ “You learn more from WeBWorK because
you know right away if your answer is right”.
+ “You can’t cheat. It shows you know the
material”.
+ “I can keep trying until I get it right”.
- “It is too easy, you can guess the answer.”
- “If someone is determined to cheat then
they will cheat. WeBWorK does not make it
easier or harder.”
- “WeBWorK is to simplify the HW process not
to help you understand better”.
Surveys results – 200 students
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22% of the students said they preferred
paper-based homeworks to web-based
homeworks.
8% of the class said they felt it was
easy to cheat on homeworks.
Create problem sets
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Language: PG (Problem Generating)
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Perl, HTML and LaTeX
Matching problems
Multiple choice problems
And more …
“Ask the questions you should rather
than the questions you can.”
WeBWorK is extensible
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New macros can be written to test
students answers.
New macros can be written to ask new
types of questions, to include java
applets, to interface WeBWorK with
another software etc.
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Example: Oliver
Problem example
Question 1 – Source code
# A question requiring a string answer.
$string = 'world';
BEGIN_TEXT
Complete the sentence: $BR
\{ ans_rule(20) \} $string;
$PAR
END_TEXT
ANS( str_cmp( "Hello") );
Question 2 – Source code
# A question requiring a numerical answer.
#define the variables
$a=random(1,9,1);
$b=random(2,9,1);
BEGIN_TEXT
Enter the sum of these two numbers: $BR
\($a + $b = \) \{ans_rule(10) \} $PAR
END_TEXT
$sum = $a + $b;
ANS( num_cmp( $sum ) );
Question 3 – Source code
# A question requiring an expression as an
answer
BEGIN_TEXT
Enter the derivative of \[ f(x) = x^{$b} \] $BR
\(f '(x) = \) \{ ans_rule(30) \}
$PAR
END_TEXT
$new_exponent = $b-1;
$ans2 = "$b*x^($new_exponent)";
ANS( fun_cmp( $ans2 ) );
WeBWorK at Pace
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CS361
To deliver functional programming
homeworks
http://webwork.csis.pace.edu/webwork/
demoCourse/
Oliver and WeBWorK
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Oliver stands for OnLIne inference and
VERification system. It is a web-based
system for teaching propositional logic
proofs (designed by Wildenberg and
Scharff – FIE 2002).
It is used at SUNY Stony Brook.
It has been integrated in WeBWorK for
online support and grading.
Description of the system
Further Directions
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Use of WeBWorK in CS361 and CS387
Interface of WeBWork with a software
verifying proofs by refutation
(propositional logic).
Use of WeBWorK for Online courses.
References
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http://webwork.math.rochester.edu/doc
s/