20180330

Astronomy current events question: confirmation of K2-155 "super-Earths"

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)
News release, "15 New Planets Confirmed Around Cool Dwarf Stars" (March 12, 2018)
titech.ac.jp/english/news/2018/040761.html
Three "super-Earth" planets orbiting red dwarf K2-155 were among 15 exoplanets discovered by NASA's Kepler space telescope, and later confirmed by:
(A) gravitational wave detectors.
(B) computer simulations.
(C) ground-based telescopes.
(D) radar signals.
(E) searches by volunteers.

Correct answer: (C)

Student responses
Sections 30679, 30680
(A) : 9 students
(B) : 9 students
(C) : 15 students
(D) : 5 students
(E) : 2 students

Astronomy current events question: helping NASA validate cloud formation data

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)
Joe Atkinson, "Calling All Cloud Gazers: NASA Needs Your Help!" (March 13, 2018)
nasa.gov/feature/langley/calling-all-cloud-gazers-nasa-needs-your-help
NASA and the GLOBE educational program is asking for volunteers to use __________ to help confirm satellite images of clouds.
(A) smartphones.
(B) videogame consoles.
(C) cryptocurrency servers.
(D) online image sorting.
(E) binoculars.

Correct answer: (A)

Student responses
Sections 30679, 30680
(A) : 26 students
(B) : 2 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 8 students
(E) : 2 students

Astronomy current events question: helping NASA find "STEVE"

Astronomy 210L, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students are assigned to read online articles on current astronomy events, and take a short current events quiz during the first 10 minutes of lab. (This motivates students to show up promptly to lab, as the time cut-off for the quiz is strictly enforced!)
Kasha Patel, "NASA Needs Your Help to Find Steve and Here's How" (March 14, 2018)
nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/nasa-needs-your-help-to-find-steve-and-heres-how
NASA and the National Science Foundation's Aurorasaurus project is asking for volunteers to use __________ to report sightings of STEVE (Strong Thermal Emission Velocity Enhancement) in the upper atmosphere:
(A) smartphones.
(B) videogame consoles.
(C) cryptocurrency servers.
(D) online image sorting.
(E) binoculars.

Correct answer: (A)

Student responses
Sections 30679, 30680
(A) : 27 students
(B) : 0 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 8 students
(E) : 3 students

20180329

Astronomy quiz question: comparing brightnesses of stars moved to 10 parsecs away

Astronomy 210 Quiz 5, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

The apparent magnitudes and absolute magnitudes of two stars are listed below.
m
apparent
magnitude
M
absolute
magnitude
Tureis +2.8 +1.4
Beta Hydri +2.8 +3.5

If both Tureis and Beta Hydri are moved to 10 parsecs away from Earth, __________ will be appear to be brighter in the night sky, as seen from Earth.
(A) Tureis.
(B) Beta Hydri.
(C) (There is a tie.)
(D) (Not enough information is given.)

Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (A)

The absolute magnitude of a star is the brightness it has when placed 10 parsecs away from Earth. Since Tureis has an absolute magnitude of +1.4 that is brighter than Beta Hydri's absolute magnitude of +3.5, if both stars were placed 10 parsecs away from Earth, Tureis will appear to be brighter in the night sky.

Section 30674
Exam code: quiz05NoPw
(A) : 16 students
(B) : 2 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 0 students
(No responses: 1 student)

Success level: 86% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.60

Section 30676
Exam code: quiz05So1L
(A) : 34 students
(B) : 7 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 0 students

Success level: 82% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.64

Astronomy quiz question: smallest star?

Astronomy 210 Quiz 5, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Which star is the smallest?
(A) A0 supergiant.
(B) B5 main sequence star.
(C) F0 main sequence star.
(D) K5 supergiant.
(E) (There is a tie.)

Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (C)

An H-R diagram is provided with this quiz.


These stars are plotted on an H-R diagram below. The K5 supergiant is largest, followed by the A0 supergiant, B5 main sequence star, and the F0 main sequence star is the smallest.


Section 30676
Exam code: quiz05So1L
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 4 students
(C) : 30 students
(D) : 3 students
(E) : 4 students

Success level: 73% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.73

Astronomy quiz question: largest star?

Astronomy 210 Quiz 5, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Which star is largest?
(A) A0 supergiant.
(B) B5 main sequence star.
(C) F0 main sequence star.
(D) K5 supergiant.
(E) (There is a tie.)

Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (D)

An H-R diagram is provided with this quiz.


These stars are plotted on an H-R diagram below. The K5 supergiant is largest, followed by the A0 supergiant, B5 main sequence star, and the F0 main sequence star is the smallest.


Section 30674
Exam code: quiz05NoPw
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 1 student
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 10 students
(E) : 7 students
(No response: 1 student)

Success level: 57% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.80

Astronomy quiz question: B5 supergiant vs. M5 giant

Astronomy 210 Quiz 5, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

A B5 supergiant has a ___________ than an M5 giant.
(A) brighter luminosity.
(B) larger size.
(C) hotter temperature.
(D) (Two of the above choices.)
(E) (All of the above choices.)
(F) (None of the above choices.)

Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (D)

An H-R diagram is provided with this quiz.


These stars are plotted on an H-R diagram below. While the B5 supergiant has a brighter luminosity and a hotter temperature, it has a smaller size than the M5 supergiant.


Section 30674
Exam code: quiz05NoPw
(A) : 0 students
(B) : 0 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 11 students
(E) : 8 students
(F) : 0 students

Success level: 62% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.31

Section 30676
Exam code: quiz05So1L
(A) : 1 student
(B) : 0 students
(C) : 10 students
(D) : 23 students
(E) : 8 students
(F) : 0 students

Success level: 57% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.55

Astronomy quiz question: G5 white dwarf vs. M0 red dwarf

Astronomy 210 Quiz 5, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

A G5 white dwarf and an M0 red dwarf could have the same:
(A) luminosity.
(B) size.
(C) temperature.
(D) (Two of the above choices.)
(E) (All of the above choices.)
(F) (None of the above choices.)

Correct answer (highlight to unhide): (F)

An H-R diagram is provided with this quiz.


These stars are plotted on an H-R diagram below. The G5 white dwarf is less luminous, smaller in size, and hotter in temperature than the M0 red dwarf.


Section 30674
Exam code: quiz05Sbn3
(A) : 0 students
(B) : 5 students
(C) : 0 students
(D) : 4 students
(E) : 0 students
(F) : 12 students

Success level: 64% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.60

Section 30676
Exam code: quiz05So1L
(A) : 7 students
(B) : 12 students
(C) : 1 student
(D) : 8 students
(E) : 0 student
(F) : 14 students

Success level: 37% (including partial credit for multiple-choice)
Discrimination index (Aubrecht & Aubrecht, 1983): 0.73

Astronomy quiz archive: sun/spectra/star properties

Astronomy 210 Quiz 5, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Section 30674, version 1
Exam code: quiz05NoPw


Section 30674
0- 8.0   :
8.5-16.0 :   * [low = 14.5]
16.5-24.0 :   *****
24.5-32.0 :   ****** [mean = 27.6 +/- 7.1]
32.5-40.0 :   ******* [high = 40.0]


Section 30676, version 1
Exam code: quiz05So1L


Section 30676
0- 8.0 :   **** [low = 4.0]
8.5-16.0 :   ******
16.5-24.0 :   ******
24.5-32.0 :   *************** [mean = 24.7 +/- 10.3]
32.5-40.0 :   *********** [high = 40.0]

Online reading assignment: fusion, nebulae, star cluster ages (SLO campus)

Astronomy 210, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

The following questions were asked on reading textbook chapters and previewing presentations on fusion, nebulae, and star cluster ages.


Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe something you found interesting from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally interesting for you.
"That the bigger the star is, the more bright it is. I would have figured it would be the opposite, as I feel smaller stars would be hotter. (Actually while typing this out I feel like I answered my own question, whoops!)"

"Star fusion, because I had always kinda wondered what gave stars their energy ,and although I'm not 100% sure still i know it has to do with squeezing hydrogen."

"That helium is the result of hydrogen molecules being squeezed together. It makes sense that the sun is the result of hydrogen being squeezed together because that explains why the sun is so hot. Hydrogen does not want to fuse and that is why when it does, it creates heat."

"Cheerleading! I never thought of mass and fusion to be like cheerleading, finally some language I can understand."

"The fact that all the stars are so different and unique is awesome, and makes one wonder how they all came to be the way they are."

"Hydrostatic equilibrium was really cool. Plus it makes sense to me."

"The interstellar medium. I thought it was very interesting how the interstellar dust is about the size of the particle in cigarette smoke!"

"The ability to tell the composition of clouds by their colors, because I've always wondered how they're able to so clearly decide what things are made of that we'll never be able to get to."

"It was cool to see the different types of nebulae and see what each one is composed of."

"Classifying and identifying nebulae, once broken down into three categories. And I loved learning about star formation in molecular clouds."

"Star clusters and nebulas because the pictures are really cool."

"The house party model was interesting because it helped me a lot to understand."

"Compare stars to house party guests, because I really enjoy when concepts are connected to real-world analogies that help to further one's understanding of the fundamental principle of the subject."

"Talking about the house party and how it differentiates between the early-goers and late-goers, and how they relate to stars."

"Nothing was that interesting for me."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"Using the H-R diagram for this project is confusing to me because learning specifically how we are supposed to use these diagrams has always been a struggle for me. Rather than memorizing facts and concepts, it requires a different style of learning that takes more time for me and I get left behind and end up trying to figure everything out on my own at home. That's why this type of thing is personally confusing to me. "

"At first when I saw Hertzsprung-Russell diagram I was nervous because it all appeared confusing. However once reading more about it and seeing more and more examples it’s beginning to look like a concept I may actually be able to tackle."

"Why stars on the main sequence line are ordered according to mass while the other stars are not?"

"Please go over fusion, I kind of get it but it's not that clear."

"Fusion and how the pressure and temperatures work, because I can't visualize what is happening, and have a hard time wrapping my head around the concepts."

"Why a low mass star is less bright than a larger mass star. Is it because the bigger mass stars produce more pressure due to squeezing, which creates more brightness?"

"Nebulae. These were confusing because I didn't see how we know which light to look for, which was one of the questions."

"Interstellar redding. I understand that dust cause the stars to seem more red, but I don't understand why when and where this happens and the connection to wavelengths."

"The turn-off point, I do not understand what it is."

"I am confused on what a house party has to do with star cluster age."

"A lot was confusing because I didnt have any time to get to this during the week--all my classes have tests and I messed up. :("

Rank the luminosities of these main-sequence stars (1 = brightest, 3 = dimmest). (There are no ties.)
(Only correct responses shown.)
Massive: brightest luminosity [95%]
Medium-mass (sunlike): medium luminosity [92%]
Low mass (red dwarf): dimmest luminosity [95%]

Rank the fusion rates of these main-sequence stars (1 = fastest, 3 = slowest). (There are no ties.)
(Only correct responses shown.)
Massive: fastest fusion rate [64%]
Medium-mass (sunlike): medium fusion rate [85%]
Low mass (red dwarf): slowest fusion rate [72%]

Fusion requires high temperatures in order for nuclei to move quickly enough to:
break heavy elements apart.  ****** [6]
create convection currents.  *** [3]
overcome gravity.  ****** [6]
overcome repulsion.  ****************** [18]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  ****** [6]

Briefly explain why "cold fusion" (producing energy from hydrogen fusion at room temperature) would be implausible.
"There is not enough temperature or pressure to overcome repulsion of protons."

"This is implausible because the hydrogen will not have enough speed at a low temperature to collide and stick together."

"Because in order for the fusion of hydrogen atoms, there would need to be lots of movement. There is less movement at room temperature so the atoms will not be moving as much and thus will not fuse."

"Fusion has been shown to us to happen at extremely high temperatures. We have yet to see any examples of this kind of fusion happening at room temperature."

"Because fusion reactions can only occur if they overcome the coulomb barrier which requires being very hot in order for atomic nuclei to make violent collisions."

Match the three different types of nebulae with their colors.
(Only correct responses shown.)
Emission: pink [69%]
Reflection: blue [67%]
Dark: brown/black [77%]

Match the three different types of nebulae with their composition.
(Only correct responses shown.)
Emission: hydrogen [85%]
Reflection: small dust particles [87%]
Dark: large dust particles [79%]

Rank the lifetimes of these main-sequence stars (1 = shortest, 3 = longest). (There are no ties.)
(Only correct responses shown.)
Massive: shortest main-sequence lifetime [72%]
Medium-mass (sunlike): medium main-sequence lifetime [90%]
Low mass (red dwarf): longest main-sequence lifetime [82%]

If there was an open invitation to a house party (no specific time given), when would you show up?
Early, or on time.  ***** [5]
When the most people should be there.  ********************************* [33]
After most everyone has left.  * [1]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"Please disregard the last quiz, I am begging you."

"I understand this reading assignment more than the other weeks, however I still need some explanation of some things in class."

"I love how you relate human and things we do a lot to astronomy."

"I'm just extremely lost. I understand a lot of what we have gone over but I don't even know where to start with questions because I am just so confused."

"The whole section in the presentation about star clusters and their 'turn-off point' is difficult for me to grasp. I'd love more clarification on it."

"House parties are lit."

"I expect a house party soon."

"When's the house party again?"

20180328

Physics quiz archive: capacitors, circuits

Physics 205B Quiz 4, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA
Sections 30882, 30883, version 1
Exam code: quiz04Md1o



Sections 30882, 30883 results
0- 6 :  
7-12 :   *** [low = 9]
13-18 :   ************
19-24 :   ************ [mean = 20.3 +/- 5.3]
25-30 :   ***** [high = 27]

Online reading assignment: advanced electricity (review)

Physics 205B, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

The following questions were asked on re-reading textbook chapters and reviewing presentations on advanced electricity concepts.


Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe what you understand from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically demonstrate your level of understanding.
"The review of Kirckhoff's laws and how to apply them to various levels of complicated circuits. I also sort of understand ammeters."

"The equation for series and parallel, and the addition rules for them are pretty simple, especially after the lab."

"That series resistors are chain like and parallel resistors are when the current can divide up in a fork kind of way and portions of it can pass through two resistors simultaneously. I also understand the equations that come with these concepts."

"An effective voltmeter 'feels' the current without taking anything from it. We are reported the difference between the high and low potentials."

"According to the loop rule, the total change in rises equals the total change of drops."

"When measuring the amount of electrical potential used by a light bulb (or any other circuit element), the digital multimeter must be connected to both before and the current flows through the light bulb. This means that the wiring in the circuit is not modified in order to connect the digital multimeter to measure electric potential (making it an voltmeter), as it 'feels' the amount of electric potential before and after the light bulb, and reports the difference (whether a drop or rise)."

"The difference between an anameter and a voltmeter and how you need to wire them into a circuit to get the readings you want. I also understand the power equation given in the presentation and how you can substitute in Ohm's law and get different variations."

"Ammeters measure the amount of resistance in an item on a circuit like bulb or resistor and has a resistance of zero while voltmeters need a before and after and have a resistance of infinity."

"The circuit analysis presentation, especially after the review in class. The equivalent resistances for series and parallel circuits especially make sense to me: for series, you can simply add the resistances together since the current will only be able to take one path whereas with parallel circuits you have to add the inverses (and take the inverse of that amount) since the circuits have different junctions to go through."

"Joule heating is the rate of energy used per time. Joules per second is equivalent of watts. Ammeters must have resistance ideally zero. Voltmeter resistance ideally should be infinity."

"The power of a circuit is the product of the current and the voltage of that circuit."

"When a circuit is grounded, charge can flow through back to the circuit itself, where it can be released into the ground instead of running through a person's body. Household circuits are wired to have outlets in parallel, meaning that it's important not to overload them as the resistance could become too low."

Describe what you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically identify the concept(s) that you do not understand.
"I was not sure where we were supposed to find the resistances of the list of devices below so I guessed."

"I would like an introduction on voltmeters. I think they are more confusing than ammeters."

"I don't understand the equations for the potential drops and rises."

"I am finding Kirchhoff's rules (especially the loop one) really confusing. In addition, I'm still not quite sure about voltmeters and ammeters. I don't know some examples using one or both of the ideas would I think help me better understand these ideas."

"I am still confused with the loop rule and would like more of an explanation on it in class."

"I found the section about runaway current and circuit breakers to be confusing. Also I would like to know how the resistance of a voltmeter is infinite."

"I have not read enough of the chapter to determine what I find confusing. At the moment almost all of it is confusing."

"Pretty chill lesson."

State the unit of electrical power, and give an equivalent definition in terms of other SI units.
"Watts, joules."

"Watt, one joule per second."

"Electric power is measured in watts, which equates to Joules per second when using other SI units to define watts."

"Watt (W), also amps times volts."

What are the resistances of these (ideal) devices?
(Only correct responses shown.)
Ideal light bulb: some finite value between 0 and ∞ [71%]
Burnt-out light bulb: ∞ [54%]
Ideal wire: 0 [58%]
Ideal (non-dead) battery: 0 [71%]
Real (non-dead) battery: some finite value between 0 and ∞ [63%]
Ideal switch, when open: ∞ [33%]
Ideal switch, when closed: 0 [29%]

Two light bulbs with different resistances r and R, where r < R, are connected in series with each other to an ideal emf source. Select the light bulb with the greater quantity.
(Only correct responses shown.)
More current flowing through it: (there is a tie) [58%]
Larger potential potential difference: light bulb R [46%]
More power used: light bulb R [75%]

Two light bulbs with different resistances r and R, where r < R, are connected in parallel with each other to an ideal emf source. Select the light bulb with the greater quantity.
(Only correct responses shown.)
More current flowing through it: light bulb r [46%]
Larger potential potential difference: (there is a tie) [38%]
More power used: light bulb r [46%]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"It will be better after spring break...hopefully!"

"Can we talk about Kirchhoff's loop rule, and power? I feel kind of lost."

"The potential drop is still not clear to me, reading isn't helping me understand it either." ("Potential" is just another term for voltage, so "potential drop" is the change in voltage ∆V, which measures how much voltage a resistor uses up while current is passing through it. If a Christmas light bulb is connected to an ideal 1.5 V emf, the emf provides 1.5 V to the current passing through it, and then the current as it passes through the light bulb uses up 1.5 V.)

"I didn't understand the upstream/downstream example. Will we be given a path direction and use that to check our answer? Or do we use our answer to determine the direction the current is traveling?" (For very complicated circuits it will not be apparent what direction(s) the current has, but for the scope of this course the direction(s) of current will be given, or will be apparent if you inspect the polarity (the +/− ends) of the emfs on the circuit.)

"Please explain examples above."

"Could you explain the last two examples in class? I'm confused on them (and I hope I'm not the only one)."

"I still don't understand resistors in series and the electric potential difference. How can something with a higher resistance have a lower potential difference than something with a lower resistance?" (Actually, that's impossible (at least for either of the two examples above):
  1. For the two light bulbs in series, the same current I passes through them (from the junction rule where there is no junction). Using Ohm's law for each light bulb, ∆V = I⋅R and ∆V = I⋅r, since I is the same for both bulbs, the higher resistance bulb must have the higher potential drop (since it has a higher resistance, it "costs more" in voltage to pass through it).
  2. For the two light bulbs in parallel, both light bulbs have the same ∆V potential drop (from the loop rule, as whatever loop you take, each light bulb is supplied directly from the same emf). Using Ohm's law for each light bulb, ∆V = I⋅R and ∆V = I⋅r, since ∆V is the same for both bulbs, the higher resistance bulb will have less current flowing through it, and the lower resistance bulb will have more current flowing through it).)

20180327

Online reading assignment: fusion, nebulae, star cluster ages (NC campus)

Astronomy 210, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

The following questions were asked on reading textbook chapters and previewing presentations on fusion, nebulae, and star cluster ages.


Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe something you found interesting from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally interesting for you.
"The H-R diagram. I think is really interesting you can get so much information from something so simple."

"The Coulomb barrier--I pictured trying to put two magnets together and pictured that little forcefield around them when you try to make them touch."

"The concept of fusion is definitely interesting, because fusion of hydrogen requires a temperature hotter than the core of the sun, yet fusion can happen because the immense pressure forces them together. Really cool."

"You can kind of tell what a nebula is made of by its color."

"NEBULAE! I always see these nail tutorials and they say, 'How to Make Your Nails Look Like Galaxies' but they should really be called 'How to Make Your Nails Look Like Nebulae.'"

"That stars can be born at the same time, but age differently. The house party model used to describe how stars become main sequence stars was helpful."

"That about 90% of an average star's life is spent on the main-sequence. I didn't really know how long the main-sequence portion of its life was."

"Star life cycles. Also, the house party model was very cool and actually pretty accurate and on point."

"The explanation of star cluster ages as a house party because it helped me see similarities and grasp the concept better."

"The house party model is actually hilarious and I love it."

Describe something you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview, and explain why this was personally confusing for you.
"How there are stars that are both hotter or colder than the sun, while both being smaller or larger in size."

"The H-R diagram was a little hard to understand due to the placements of the variables but after some hard thinking I got it."

"Parts about cold and hot fusion, and I tried looking it up but there were really confusing explanations to go along with it."

"Fusion rates were kind of confusing for me. Also, the H-R diagram was difficult for me as well."

"How mass and temperature affects the rate of fusion confusing. I need some more explanations."

"The star cluster ages an were confusing until I read the house party model. Is it dumb if it works?"

"It all seemed pretty straightforward, honestly."

Rank the luminosities of these main-sequence stars (1 = brightest, 3 = dimmest). (There are no ties.)
(Only correct responses shown.)
Massive: brightest luminosity [94%]
Medium-mass (sunlike): medium luminosity [100%]
Low mass (red dwarf): dimmest luminosity [94%]

Rank the fusion rates of these main-sequence stars (1 = fastest, 3 = slowest). (There are no ties.)
(Only correct responses shown.)
Massive: fastest fusion rate [100%]
Medium-mass (sunlike): medium fusion rate [100%]
Low mass (red dwarf): slowest fusion rate [100%]

Fusion requires high temperatures in order for nuclei to move quickly enough to:
break heavy elements apart.  *** [3]
create convection currents.  [0]
overcome gravity.  * [1]
overcome repulsion.  ************ [12]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  [0]

Briefly explain why "cold fusion" (producing energy from hydrogen fusion at room temperature) would be implausible.
"The protons must be under pressure and in heat in order to produce energy, without the adequate heat the protons can't hit each other."

"Cold fusion would be implausible because hydrogen only gets squeezed a lot when under very high pressures and temperatures, which causes fusing and energy release. This couldn't happen without high temperatures."

"Hydrogen won't be moving fast enough and due to that they won't be colliding as much and less violently so they might not be able to overcome repulsion."

"Atoms need heat to be able to move fast."

"Um, I don't know--if it's cold, there's no friction, no friction equals no fusion? That's wrong, I know it is--I just don't want to re-read the presentation slide again."

Match the three different types of nebulae with their colors.
(Only correct responses shown.)
Emission: pink [94%]
Reflection: blue [94%]
Dark: brown/black [100%]

Match the three different types of nebulae with their composition.
(Only correct responses shown.)
Emission: hydrogen [94%]
Reflection: small dust particles [88%]
Dark: large dust particles [88%]

Rank the lifetimes of these main-sequence stars (1 = shortest, 3 = longest). (There are no ties.)
(Only correct responses shown.)
Massive: shortest main-sequence lifetime [81%]
Medium-mass (sunlike): medium main-sequence lifetime [100%]
Low mass (red dwarf): longest main-sequence lifetime [81%]

If there was an open invitation to a house party (no specific time given), when would you show up?
Early, or on time.  **** [4]
When the most people should be there.  ************ [12]
After most everyone has left.  [0]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"There was a lot of information in this section, so I'm not sure what I'd want to ask. I'll figure that out over spring break."

"Need more explanation on the birth of stars, please."

"Why are quiz and test questions worth 4 points?" (Partial credit on the multiple-choice questions are 0.5 points. If each question was one point, then the partial credit amount starts looking pretty small, even if it's still proportionally the same amount. Also, it makes adding up the total points for each exam (100 points) cleaner.)

"Are you a punctual person for parties?"

"Would you show up on time or fashionably late to a house party?" (I'm the one throwing the house party.)

"So, at my work 10 minutes early is 'on time,' anything after that is considered late, thoughts?" (Your workplace doesn't sound like much of a party to me.)

20180326

Online reading assignment: advanced electricity

Physics 205B, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

Students have a bi-weekly online reading assignment (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com), where they answer questions based on reading their textbook, material covered in previous lectures, opinion questions, and/or asking (anonymous) questions or making (anonymous) comments. Full credit is given for completing the online reading assignment before next week's lecture, regardless if whether their answers are correct/incorrect. Selected results/questions/comments are addressed by the instructor at the start of the following lecture.

The following questions were asked on reading textbook chapters and reviewing presentations on circuit analysis and previewing presentations on advanced electricity concepts.


Selected/edited responses are given below.

Describe what you understand from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically demonstrate your level of understanding.
"Learned about voltmeters and ammeters."

"I learned more in-depth the differences between a series wiring and a parallel wiring. Series wiring is when the same electric current runs throughout all the devices. While a parallel wiring is when the same voltage difference is applied to all the devices."

"When measuring the current passing through a light bulb (or any other circuit element), the current that passes through the light bulb must also pass through the digital multimeter. This means that the wiring in the circuit must be 'broken' open to connect the digital multimeter to measure current (making it an ammeter)."

"An ammeter needs a resistance of zero or nearly zero to measure current. While a voltmeter needs a resistance that is nearly infinity to measure the difference in electrical potential."

"A voltmeter is used to measure (delta) V in devices and instruments. The wiring is altered to allow flow through the voltmeter and an instrument such as a light bulb."

"An ammeter has an ideal resistance of zero and is used to measure the current going through a light bulb. A voltmeter measures the electrical potential energy used by a light bulb and has a ideal resistance of infinity."

"'Twinkle twinkle little star, quals I-squared r.' Circuit breakers are designed to prevent runaway circuits from causing damage."

"That with more resistors are added in parallel to a circuit the equivalent resistance decreases. This can result in a very large runaway current."

"Joule heating is the rate of power used per time. As more appliances are plugged in overall resistance decreases in the house which can lead to a dangerous runaway current."

"Joule heating is the term for the rate of energy used per time used by a circuit element of resistance due to the amount of current I flowing through it. For each charge q that uses a certain amount ∆V of electric potential, the amount of electric potential energy used is ∆EPE = q·∆V."

"When more devices are connected to a voltage source in parallel, the resistance decreases and the current increases. This can be a safety issue in household wiring, which is somewhat mitigated by circuit breakers that cut off electricity when the current gets too high. An ammeter measures current, while a voltmeter measures voltage."

Describe what you found confusing from the assigned textbook reading or presentation preview. Your description (2-3 sentences) should specifically identify the concept(s) that you do not understand.
"Kirchhoff's loop rule."

"Distinguishing between the resistance of ammeter and voltmeters."

"How an ammeter works. I'm not sure why it should have such a low resistance while a voltmeter should have high resistance."

"What the difference is between ammeters and voltmeters. I mean why does ammeter have a resistance close to zero and why does a voltmeter have a resistance close to infinity. Also in what situations would I use a voltmeter over an ammeter (or vice versa)?"

"Voltmeters and anmeters. Review on how these work and how they are different would be great."

"I am struggling with the parts about the voltmeter and ammeter and their specific uses."

"I do not know what an ammeter is. I do not know the physics behind electrical units."

"How power dissipation fits into everything."

"Clarification on why more resistors will cause an outlet to become 'overloaded'. Why does low resistance cause the wires connected to the outlet to heat up?"

"Runaway current."

"I'm still not exactly sure how a circuit breaker works/how it prevents too much current."

"Power dissipation."

"How the power dissipation equation is constructed, but I need to see more examples of when and what context we use it. Also, how do circuit breakers work? I don't think I understand that."

"I did not find too much confusing. Just heavy information-wise, and a lot to understand."

"I have not found anything confusing."

What are the resistances of these (ideal) devices?
(Only correct responses shown.)
Ideal ammeter: 0 [78%]
Ideal voltmeter: ∞ [69%]

Determine what will happen to the following parameters when additional electrical appliances are plugged in and turned on in the same household circuit.
(Only correct responses shown.)
Equivalent resistance Req of circuit: decreases [63%]
Current I flowing through emf source: increases [65%]

A fuse or circuit breaker is designed to prevent too much __________ in household wiring.
current.  ********************** [22]
voltage.  ******* [7]
(Both of the above choices.)  ** [2]
(Neither of the above choices.)  [0]
(Unsure/guessing/lost/help!)  * [1]

Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"Can we go over a brief overview of electricity I forgot a lot of the material? That's on me, but a review would be nice."

"Please go over the examples above thanks!"

"Not too many questions, except for the ammeter vs. voltmeter parameters mentioned above."

"How are electrical fires an issue if circuit breakers are meant to cut off the power when too much current is passed through it?" (Ideally the circuit breakers will always do their job, but some people might try to prevent the circuit breaker from tripping in order to keep their appliance working, and/or there may be a connection or wire that is faulty or rated less than what the circuit breaker will allow up to, and that part of the circuit will still spark or heat up and catch on fire. So circuit breakers won't prevent every kind of electrical fire hazard.)

"I learned that many videos shown in class shouldn't be attempted at home."

"This second part of semester with quizzes almost every week is kinda scary to me." (It's scary to me, too. So be sure to enjoy your spring break before coming back to the grind.)

20180325

Online reading assignment question: keep, quit, start

Astronomy 210, spring semester 2018
Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA

"2018-03_Astr210_keep"
Waifer X
flic.kr/p/FQsT8M

Wordle.net tag cloud for "keep" resolutions generated by responses from Astronomy 210 students at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA, spring semester 2018.


"2018-03_Astr210_quit"
Waifer X
flic.kr/p/248ALJg

Wordle.net tag cloud for "quit" resolutions generated by responses from Astronomy 210 students at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA, spring semester 2018.


"2018-03_Astr210_start"
Waifer X
flic.kr/p/FUWrMD

Wordle.net tag cloud for "start" resolutions generated by responses from Astronomy 210 students at Cuesta College, San Luis Obispo, CA, spring semester 2018.

Students were asked to answer a "keep-quit-start" online reflection (hosted by SurveyMonkey.com) on their studying strategies/pitfalls (Mubayiwa, 2009).
Enter a word or brief phrase that describes what you intend to keep doing to study for this class. Explain your answer to the above question (what you intend to keep doing to study for this class).

Enter a word or brief phrase that describes what you intend to
quit doing to study for this class. Explain your answer to the above question (what you intend to quit doing to study for this class).

Enter a word or brief phrase that describes what you intend to
start doing to study for this class. Explain your answer to the above question (what you intend to start doing to study for this class).
[Word tags have been edited to consolidate related common subjects; student explanations are verbatim.]

Keep word tags:
askquestions
     I will keep asking questions in class to understand difficult concepts. I am generally quiet person so being in groups helps to understand things better.
     I feel comfortable asking for help when I need it or am confused. I can ask either you or one of my classmates and I know someone will be able to help me to better understand.

doing
     I'm already taking the steps to succeed.
     Despite not doing so well in the beginning of this class if I keep giving my best effort then I should be able to succeed in this class.

everything
     Before the exam I've looked over all of the quizzes we were given and did each of them a few times until the material stuck. I also looked over the notes I've taken so the material see to be more fresh. Lastly, I review some of the presentation slides I feel were important and/or did not understand to the fullest so I can, again, have
     I show up to class and complete every assignment and have been doing decently in class. I feel I am on the right track.
     If I keep coming to every class, doing the reading assignments, studying the practice quizzes and keep myself motivated I know I will succeed in this class. Staying on top of it and making sure not to get behind is what is working for me.
     I will continue to keep up with the text book reading and complete each reading assignment on time. I will also continue to be present in every class and keep up with the notes that you provide in class.
     I need to keep up my effort to completely read all assigned texts, to preview the slides before class, to submit the surveys in a timely manner, and to pay attention during class time.
     Reading the chapter before coming into, class ask my instructor or others for help when I'm confused.

gotoclass
     Lectures help clear up anything that was confusing from the reading assignments. The professor explains these concepts well and makes them easier to understand. You also get a sense of what you need to know for future quizzes and exams by examples given.
     The in-class group assignments and the overview of the lessons really makes it easier to understand.
     I plan on continuing to come to class. This has helped me not only because of the material that gets covered but also getting to troubleshoot with my group members.
     I always think about not going because I am so tired, but when I go I realize how important it is and how much I learn.
     Attendance helps reinforce topics read about online as well as gain points for in-class assignments.
     I feel that showing up to class is a crucial part in learning and absorbing material.
     I need to keep attending each class meeting in order to succeed. Every class counts. Even without doing the homework, you could learn something each class. Maybe even learn enough to pass.
     Being in class, paying attention, and participating in class I feel that by simply showing up to class and paying attention I will get all the tools I need to successfully pass/complete this course.
     I noticed that, even if you complete the homework and the reading, if you miss class you completely miss out on detailed explanations that will show up on the quizzes.

homework
     I need to pay attention to the assigned reading and read all of it before class to stay on top of things.
     I almost always always forget to do the homework quizzes and remember at the end of the day, I need to keep remembering to do them but preferably earlier in the day.
     I won't forget to do any and I will keep doing them on time because they are great practice for the tests.
     I always do the reading in the textbook and get confused...then I will read the presentations and everything gets cleared up. I'm not going to start skipping those anytime soon.
     I need to keep consistently studying with a strong emphasis on the quiz study guides and class activities in order to succeed in the class.
     This has helped me get a base line understanding of what we will be discussing in class that week. I have found that by studying previous exams and quizzes provided on the website, I am able to shape my study schedule around the information that is actually needed in order to do well. It really makes a difference to be able to become aware of the test question styles that will be used throughout the semester so that there are no big surprises once the tests occur.
     I highly recommend previewing the presentations the night before class. It keeps the information fresh. Also, review quiz answers.
     Keep up with the reading assignments and the online homework.
     I think it's important and very useful as far as preparation for the next class goes. It helps me have a better understanding of what the next class will be about and be able to keep up easier.

practicequiz
     The practice quizzes that are provided on the course website are very helpful for preparing for the actual quiz.
     I have been able to come to every class and I intend to continue that attendance. The in-class activites help me to learn and also give me very needed points. Its something easy that I should be able to continue to do.
     I want to keep studying the quiz packets and the test packets because those seem to help me a lot on what I need to be learning and lets me have the time to try and understand the material.
     I have noticed that I do significantly better in this class when I study by using the question packets you provide to help study and going over the presentations

reading
     Reading the book and also the blog is important. Also reviewing the chapters, blogs, and previous test/quiz questions helps to study for the exams.
     I find that I need to read things a few times and take more note on my reading comprehension
     I need to keep assimilating the information.
     I find it very important and helpful to always fully go over and study the blogs and textbook readings before class. By getting to learn the content before class it gives me a better understanding of concepts I found more difficult when you explain them in class.
     Reading my notes, presentation slides, and book really helped me get a great score on my midterm.
     I intend to keep reading all of the assigned materials in order to succeed in class. This will allow me to potentially retain everything I'm expected to know, regardless of whether or not it's currently needed to answer an immediate homework question.

studygroup
     When I study with another person, it allows me to verbally talk about the topic with someone else. It helps me a lot because I am able to output information rather than just repeat things to myself.
     I have friends in class who are very generous with their time and notes, and I intend to keep leaning on them for support when I am not understanding material/need a study partner.

studying
     I feel like the success for me in this class will result in the amount of time I will spend working on the lessons at home. I feel like if I spend more time at home putting good time and effort into my studying and learning of the content, I will have a major success on the test and quizzes.
     I need to keep going over the material we learn and talk about in class, out of class and also ask questions when I have any. Studying the day before the text is the only problem I need to stop doing. Sorry, P-dog.
     I find that when I study I do better on my tests and when I don't I do really bad so I am going to study more.
     I actually want to make time to study for this class on my test and on the online activity.
     I got a 96 on the midterm because I spent the time and put in the work necessary to succeed on the exam. just being able to put in the work outside of just attending class is how i will truly learn the material.
     I spend a lot of time studying for this class and it feels really good when it pays off. I typically will spend about five hours on the material each week but when there is a quiz or a test I will spend significantly more time catching up on the material from class and in the textbook.
     I need to study more for this class.
     In order to succeed in this class, I intend to continue to study for exams and quizzes and best prepare myself for the exam day.
     I plan to keep studying to know the material to pass.

takenotes
     Taking notes can help you study better.
     I take extensive textbook, presentation, and lecture notes and that helps my retention.

Quit word tags:
distractions
     The less entertainment I have around me, i.e. tv, video games, computer, etc. the more focussed I'll be prepared for class and quizzes.

doubting
     I go into every chapter assuming that I will not understand it, yet I keep finding myself pleasantly surprised by my grasp on the material one I make my way through it. I think the doubt/assumption is a procrastination method.

nonotes
     I need to stop forgetting to write notes on the assigned reading otherwise I have nothing to refer to.

notaskingquestions
     If there is a subject from the text or something you go over in class that I don't understand, I need to make sure that I am asking help and raising my hand if I am lost.
     I usually feel insecure about asking for help from teachers when I am confused, because I don't want to stand out as incapable in any way. But I have learned that simply reaching out for help when I am confused can really help save time in the end and point me in the right direction when I am feeling lost.

nothing
     I am doing what I need to do, which is spending as much time between all my other day to day responsibilities on this class.

procrastinating
     Leaving things till the last minute sometimes causes more stress and doesn't leave time to process needed information Mondays are my Fridays from work, my shifts are from 6am-2pm and I come home and automatically fall asleep, making me wake up late at night JUST in time to do the homework assignment.
     For second quiz, I procrastinated until the night before. This caused me to get a really low score. If I quit procrastinating and study a little bit everyday I know I will receive a higher score on the quizzes and exams.
     Procrastinating is my major weakness when it comes to school and I need to keep up with my school work. These homework assignments i've been good at getting them down, but when it comes to studying for a test, I wait so long to start.
     I don't do my homework and studying until the last minute or the night before which doesn't help my test scores.
     I want to stop doing things that night and actually study.
     I will stop waiting last minute to study or to do the homework.
     I will study more before the tests and not leave the reading assignments to the last minute.
     Even though I haven't missed any of the online assignments I have a tendency to wait until the last day to fill out the survey and that leaves too much room for variables that may cause me to forget or not turn in the assignment. Reading the night before helps for the homework, but doesn't really stick in your brain for class work.
     When I procrastinate, I am less likely to retain what I study, and it also leads me to make quick and rash decisions that typically harm my grade. So, I intend to quit procrastinating to succeed in this class, and all of my other classes.
     Sometimes I wait until later in the week to do the presentation.
     Waiting till, the last minute to do an assignment and makes sure I ask more question during class.
     I always do the reading assignments the day before and then I do not fully understand the lecture completely.
     I often forget to do the before class exercises, and that is where the majority of my missing points are from.
     Putting off studying is detrimental to my quiz and tests score I need to stop waiting until the last second to study.
     I need to quit waiting until the last minute to read the online assignments so I can accomplish them to my full ability.
     Waiting until the last minute to do the reading and homework prevents really soaking up the info.
     Sometimes I study for this quizzes with not enough time to learn or understand what J will be tested on, if I gave myself more time it would make it easier to learn everything.
     I have a really bad habit of not spending any time on this class until Sunday before our class on Wednesday. I would prefer spending a little bit of time on the class throughout the week and instead of spending a lot of time on it right before the class.
     There will be times when I leave the reading until the last minute and I feel like I'm rushing through the reading.
     I intend to stop procrastinating on doing the reading assignments. Another words, I will read my book more... after all it was freaking expensive.
     Stop procrastinating on reading assignments because it all just piles up and then I am reading like a mad man stressing myself out.
     Although I think it is really beneficial to study right before the test/quiz, I tend to leave the studying for the last minute. I want to quit having to cram and try to spread my work so I don't have to stress out before the exams/quizzes and so that the material can be maintained in my head. I love this class and would really to be able to gain knowledge that I can carry with me.

skimming
     When I don't read the assigned sections out of the book I get confused when it comes to the tests or quizzes.
     Every once in a while I won't read a blog post/presentation word for word. I always do better when I read the entire thing word for word!
     I just want one 100% on a quiz!! I keep missing one! I keep skimming through the review packets--stop this.
     What I mean by that is doing all of the text book reading. It can be a lot sometimes but it is also very helpful in dealing with some of the more confusing content.
     I need to really read and understand the book. I also need to study more. I tend to think that I already know the information and don’t need to study.

skipclass
     I have a bad habit of missing class so that when I am unsure of the things that I want to discuss in class, I actually have the opportunity to fixing what I don't know. Also, I could pick up questions that other people ask in class that will ensure a good grade in the class. I also end up missing out on a lot of the easy points I could get from doing the in-class activities.
     In order to succeed in this class, I intend to quit missing class, causing me to miss out of quizzes, exams, and class activities.

slacking
     I don't study that much for the quizzes and it shows on my scores. I get C's on them and strive for B's.
     Flashcards really help me, and I have not been making them for this course, though I think they would help me out. I intend to quit slacking off when it comes to flashcards.
     I need to quit skipping some readings. It puts me behind the eight ball and hurts my understanding.
     I'm getting bored with life now that we are at this point in the semester, not to mention just exhausted due to work and school at the same time. I need to keep the momentum going to finish strong.
     Unfortunately I have a lacked studying for quizzes. I need to quit slacking off and make quality time available for me to study for both quizzes and tests.
     I found that studying the past quizzes really help with the material as well as the midterm!
     I think that I can definitely do more studying and make flashcards to keep up and memorize terms better.

stressing
     I think I need to calm down and stop stressing so much over the material that confuses me when I'm doing the reading. Lectures clear the material up and I find stressing out wasn't warranted. just feeling overwhelmed from work or other classes can make me feel like I have too much on my plate. I know that if I focus and do what I know needs to be done I can succeed.
     Only was this not necessary, but it caused a lot of unnecessary challenges in my personal life that would not have developed had I had the confidence that P-Dog did all he could to prepare us for the midterm. Thanks P-Dog!

zoningout
     Even though it's a night class and I work an eight-hour shift before class, I plan to try and stay more focused.
Start word tags:
askquestions
     Whenever I have questions I tend to keep them to myself. With the telescope section, I had a few questions that I never asked. I noticed on the quiz I got A TON of telescope questions wrong. I feel like if I asked my questions I would have had a better understanding of the subject.
     I've always been so shy as a person and nervous to ask questions in class because I don't to take up other students time if they understand. Although, I know that some students may even have the same question without knowing it, so I need to start asking questions when I have any and not wait.
     I need to ask question and get clarification when I don’t understand something.
     I would like to start asking more questions. Asking questions to my group members will help me when I am confused.
     In order to succeed in this class, I intend to start asking more questions when I am unsure. One of the things that really helped me on the midterm was to ask clarification during studying prior to the exam.

betternotes
     My note-taking is definitely subpar compared to others, and it would definitely help having better notes to study for the quizzes.

earlier
     I need to start double-checking how many reading assignments we have per week and actually do them on time.
     I intend to complete the reading assignments a few days before they are due, rather than the day before, so I can think about the information for a couple days before coming to class.
     Gives you more time to process everything.
     I intend to start homework, readings, and studying at least three days before the test so that I have time to retain the information and ask questions if I need help.
     I am going to start scheduling time to do the before class activities.
     even though I study, since I don't give myself enough time I can't make it through all the questions, instead if I start studying earlier I can study the whole packet.
     Keep up with the reading assignments.

eatbeforeclass
     Eat before class so I can focus better.

everything
     Study more, read, read through the chapters more thoroughly, and ask more question when needed.

focusing
     I want to be more motivated, so I can start studying and doing great on my test.
     I will start to put all of my undivided attention towards the lectures, I love astronomy but I just can't stay focused 90% of the time.
     I really want a 100% quiz score, so I need to really focus when looking through those review quiz packets. I always skim through them which is not helping!
     I'm totally zoned out during parts of class time.

gotoclass
     This ties in with the "quit missing class" comment earlier, as I really need to stop missing class because it only helps me to go to class and when I miss class, I am put at a major disadvantage. Once I am able to get into the habit of making it to class again, I will set myself on the path of being successful once again.

nothing
     I've been preparing well for lectures, quizzes, and exams; I see nothing that I need to start doing in order to continue to succeed in class.

officehours
     In order to fully end this class successfully I need to visit you during your office hours. I have so many unanswered questions that need to be answered as well as clarifications on some topics. By directly asking you questions when you have the time is imperative because I don't want to get so far behind. Plus I want to learn and remember what I learned at the end of this semester.

organizing
     I need to start keeping organized and legible notes from the book, in class activities, and online lectures in order to further prepare and identify terms for quizzes and tests. This will make preparation for tests easier and quicker which will hopefully benefit me in the long run.
     I want to start organizing and making goals to get little things done throughout the week. Like reading half the reading on Thursday, finishing it on Friday, and doing the homework assignment on Saturday. This way I would have the rest of the week to spend on studying and not catching up on the homework.

otherresources
     My basic understanding of Astronomy in general can benefit from more knowledge. This is hard to do with my schedule and doing more reading does not always sound appealing. However I have found some very helpful videos that help build my understanding.
     There are a lot of tools on the blog that we can use as tools to fully comprehend subjects we have not had time to fully go over in class. I will start using these more so that I have at least some general knowledge of the curriculum when I come to class.

participating
     I need to start participating more in in-class discussions and in the group activities.

prioritizing
     I believe that if I am just a tad bit more proactive in terms of homework, reading and studying for quizzes/exams I'll be a lot more confident in my knowledge. Therefore, taking my stress away and continuing my success in this class. I have been dealing with a lot this semester, and it has definitely affected my ability to manage my class load. I need to start setting aside more specific study time for astronomy and prioritize my classes more appropriately.

reading
     I need to start reading from the textbook.
     I have done a poor job of really reading the text. I skim mostly.

rereading
     I do a brief skim of the textbook for the homework, but never fully read it. I think starting to fully read the chapters would help soak in the info
     Read the presentation slides in full instead of just skimming them.

reviewing
     I already study my notes A LOT, but as soon as a quiz or test shows up in front of me I forget EVERYTHING, so maybe spending even MORE time looking at the notes and textbook maybe it'll stick.
     I often tend to write my notes and forget about them, if I start studying them, I will do even better in the course.
     I need to read more, and take time to actually understand what I am reading too.
     I think if I started making practice tests that I would benefit.
     Doing extra assignments and going over material more to know it better.

sleep
     I really could use more sleep so that I retain more information in my head. I'm too old to do the late-night studying.

studygroup
     When I study I either do it by myself or with one other person, I wish to start a study group for quizzes and big tests. In doing so I will be much more prepared for the exams.
     I think that starting a study group with other students would be helpful so that we can bounce ideas off of each other and really help to get myself and others on track!

studyguide
     I need to prepare better for quizzes and tests.

studying
     I haven't really done any studying before the tests and I know that studying beforehand will help me get 100%.

studymore
     If I want to do better in this class I need to keep studying more.
     I haven't been doing that lately but if I study harder and more of it the better chance I have at passing the class.
     I mean I've been doing fine and pretty well, but I will do better when I study.
     I will begin to study more and actually try to do the practice quizzes.
     I didn't really study for the quizzes, and if I had, I would have done better.

takenotes
     I think that if I start to take notes on the lectures before class I'll be able to pay closer attention during class and not worry about getting everything down on paper immediately.
     When I do the assigned reading I tend to just read and read and hope that the information I gather will stick, however, a lot of the time I read things and naturally forget them a few days/weeks after. I would like to start taking notes as I read along so I can visit the things I wrote later when I prepare for my quizzes/exams. Another thing is trying to understand the reading better. I have a hard time reading and it takes me a long time so ofter I read as fast as possible so I can get on with my work, but this ofter compromises my understanding of the material so I hope to start taking my time as I read so I can conceptualize and understand the material on a deeper level.