Answer questions in WebAssign pretty much like you do on paper. But, because your response is graded automatically, you will need to pay close attention to any instructions in the questions for the form of your answers. We will cover some of the major question types below.
Some questions may include text or numbers that appear in red. This signifies that the text or number has been randomized, so that you receive a different version of the same question from your classmates.
Some instructors may allow you to submit an assignment several times, using random numbers that remain the same every time you log in. Other instructors, however, may require that numbers be randomized every time you receive the assignment. For this reason, it is a good idea to review your work, making sure that your answers were generated using the numbers on your screen at the time you submit the assignment.
Answer multiple-choice questions by clicking the button to the left of your response. Radio buttons—which allow you to choose only one of several alternatives—are used in WebAssign for multiple-choice questions. You can change your initial answer simply by clicking a different radio button; the button near the new answer will then be selected and the former one will not be.
Answer pulldown multiple-choice questions by clicking the arrow to open the pulldown menu, drag down to the correct choice and release the mouse. Pulldown menus—which allow you to choose only one of several alternatives—are used in WebAssign for multiple-choice questions. You can change your initial answer simply by clicking the arrow again and selecting a different choice.
Answer multiple-select questions by clicking the check boxes to the left of your responses. Check boxes, which allow you to choose more than one of several alternatives, are used in WebAssign for multiple-select questions. You can uncheck a box simply by clicking the box again.
Answer fill-in-the-blank questions by entering a response in each box provided, whether the box is located within the question or provided at the end of the question. Spelling counts, so please check your answers before submitting the assignment.
In general, capitalization and extra spaces will not matter, but not always. For chemistry questions, for example, na will not be counted correct for the chemical symbol of sodium; it will need to be Na.
Answer rank-order questions by listing the options, largest to smallest. In most questions an example will be given to guide you. You should only use the characters > and = between the numbers or letters representing the various choices. Since a rank-order question uses a fill-in-the-blank format, the exact characters you type are important. Follow the instructions in the question carefully.
Matching questions ask you to choose the correct letter from a pulldown menu for the item in the second column that matches the item in the first column. For the example below, the student chose e for C6H6 which matches benzene.
Answer an image map question by pointing and clicking the requested location in the image. After you click the location, the pointer remains at that spot.
Answer numerical questions by entering a number into the answer box provided for each question. As with most questions in WebAssign, “spelling counts”—or, in this case, entering numbers accurately counts—so, please check your answers before submitting the assignment.
The only characters accepted for a numerical answer are numbers, +, -, *, /, (, ), and the letter e or E. You cannot enter “pi” for 3.14159.
It is a good idea to work problems on paper and keep a copy for future reference during the term. This will make it easier for you to find any errors or resubmit the assignment again, if your instructor allows this option. Your instructor may also ask you to keep your work so that it can be checked and evaluated more thoroughly. Here are some other things to keep in mind when answering numerical questions.
• Numerical answers within 1% of the actual answer are counted as correct, unless your instructor chooses a different tolerance. This feature is provided to account for rounding errors in calculations. In general, enter three (3) significant figures for numerical answers.
• Numbers may be entered in several formats—including scientific notation and numerical expressions, such as fractions. Please note that WebAssign uses standard scientific or “E”, notation for “times 10 raised to the power” (1E3 is the scientific notation for 1000).
• Numerical answers may not contain equal signs. Entries must be only numbers and E for scientific notation, or the mathematical operators –, +, *, and /.
For example, if your answer to a question is the fraction “one over sixty-four,” you may enter the response in any of these formats:
1/64
0.015625
0.0156
.0156
1.5625E-2
Please note, however, that the following formats would be graded as incorrect on a numerical question:
|
Incorrect Answers to Numerical Questions |
Explanation |
|
O.015625 |
where the first character is the letter “O” not a numeral. |
|
0. 015625 |
where there is an improper space included in the answer. |
|
1.5625 E-2 |
where there is an improper space using “e” notation. |
|
l/64 |
where the first character is a lower-case letter “L” not a numeral. |
|
1234.5=1230 |
where there is an equal sign. |
Some WebAssign questions ask for a number and a unit. You will know that a unit is expected when there is no unit after the answer box. Often there will be instructions in the question noting that units are expected.
When you are expected to enter units and do not, you will get a message that units are required. You can enter an answer in any equivalent units. The easiest units to use in the above problem is yd/min, but the answer converted to m/s will also be scored correct.
Some WebAssign questions check the number of significant figures (sig figs) in your answer. If a question checks sig figs, you will see a sig fig icon next to the answer box. If you enter the correct value with the wrong number of sig figs, you will not receive credit, but you will receive a hint that your number does not have the correct number of sig figs. The sig fig icon is also a link to the rules used for sig figs in WebAssign.
Answer essay questions by entering your response into the box provided under each question. WebAssign grades other kinds of questions instantly and automatically, but essays are graded by your instructor. As a result, you will not receive your final essay grades immediately.
Because essays are read by your instructor, incorrect spelling or grammar may result in a lower grade. Many instructors do pay attention to your writing style, and incorrectly spelled words can get in the way of your ideas and arguments. It is a good idea to compose essays in a word processor, use any spelling or grammar checking utilities you normally would use, and then move your essay into WebAssign with standard copy and paste commands.
Answer symbolic questions by using calculator notation. You must use the exact variables specified in the questions. The order is not important as long as it is mathematically correct.
Clicking the eye button allows you to preview the expression you enter in proper mathematical notation. Use the previewer to help you determine if you have properly placed your parentheses. Clicking the preview eye in the above question gives the following proper mathematical display:
The symbolic formatting help button displays the allowed notation.
Answer file upload questions by first preparing the requested file. The question may ask you to name the file with a specific extension, for example, an Excel spreadsheet, myfile.xls.
When you have the file saved to a location accessible from your computer, click the Browse... button. Navigate to the location of your file and select it. You may have to use the pulldown menu for Files of type and select All Files. Click Open. The location of your file is automatically entered in the Answer field of the question. When you are done with the assignment, click Submit for Grading and your file will be placed in WebAssign accessible for your instructor to view and grade.
Unless your instructor informs you differently, your file should be less than 100 K in size.
If you submit an assignment with a file upload question more than once and are satisfied with the file already submitted, leave the file upload box empty. If you want to change the file you uploaded to another file, click the Browse... button and repeat the procedure described above.
Some instructors teaching organic chemistry use questions that ask you to draw structures.
To answer this question,
1. Click Open JME Editor button.
2. Select the needed structure and click anywhere on the blank area.
3. Select the next structure needed and attach to the proper location on the first structure.
4. When you are done, click Save Drawing.
The JME Editor will close and the structure you drew will be entered in the answer box of the question in text form (SMILE string).
Occasionally, a question may ask you to draw a graph, sketch a figure, show a derivation, or perform some other task that cannot yet be graded by WebAssign. In these cases, you should complete and submit this portion of the assignment on paper to your instructor.