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 previewing presentations on significant figures, course policies, unit conversions and dimensional analysis, and on reading advice from previous semester Physics 205B students.
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.
"I understand the role of SI units in making physics measurements. I have used SI units many times in prior chemistry and biology classes, and know that defining units correctly is important to solving any problem in this course accurately. However, I was surprised to learn where some of the common SI units came from, such as how the kilogram was based on a specific measurement of platinum."
"I understand significant figures in a general sort of sense, but definitely needed the refresher. The 'flowchart of pain' helped."
"I just finished a chemistry class so the topic of significant digits is fresh.The easiest rule for me is the multiplication/division rule which typically leads to, 'use smallest amount of digits given in problem.'"
"I understood unit conversions the best, and I understand how to use multiplication to cancel out undesired units. By doing this, the resulting solution leaves only the desired unit of measurement intact, enabling for further conversions or the result as a final answer."
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.
The only thing I found slightly confusing or that I did not already know is the standard prefixes used to denote multiples of ten. I know that it is important to know these prefixes and it is something I will have to learn. Perhaps there is an acronym for them?"
"I found adding and subtracting sig figs difficult. This is because I did not know how to count the correct number of sig figs since it is a different process than multiplying and dividing."
"What exactly is a definition or constant number as described in the flowchart?"
"Dimensional analysis confused me during the reading. I can understand its relation with measurements, but I still stumble with how to utilize my understanding into problem-solving. I'm not able to deeply comprehend beyond the very basics, despite being able to see the formulas in the textbook."
"My only concern involved the addition and subtraction rule; however, it was clarified via the decimal line up."
"I was unfamiliar with the 'Rule of Two' and still don't quite understand it."
Match the SI (Système International d'Unités) prefixes with their corresponding powers of ten.
(Only correct responses shown.)
centi- (c): 10–2. [87%]
giga- (G): 109. [78%]
kilo- (k): 103. [87%]
mega- (M): 106. [83%]
micro- (µ): 10–6. [84%]
milli- (m): 10–3. [85%]
nano- (n): 10–9. [87%]
Mark the level of your exposure to units and dimensional analysis.
None at all. *** [3] Slight. *********** [11] Some. *********** [11] A fair amount. ******************* [19] A lot. *********** [11]
Pick one piece of student advice from the previous semester, and discuss why you agree (or disagree) with it.
"'The practice problems and homework problems are the best way to learn the material.' I completely agree with this piece of advice because I have found that in my previous chemistry and math courses that the best way for me to actually retain the information is to keep doing it over and over again and trying new problems. I feel like the practice problems for me are more useful than just a conceptual or visual explanation and it forces me to work problems out myself."
"'You have to keep up with learning the equations and going over the in-class notes. It's really easy to get lost, especially since we have online presentations. Don't be afraid to bother the embedded tutor during their hours if you have questions!' This advice resonated with me because I've finally taken advantage of embedded tutoring in my other courses, and I realized it was immensely beneficial. I plan on seeking help if I am struggling with the material instead of suffering on my own!"
"'Do all the homework and attend all class sessions and you should have a good start!' This. I've never been good about keeping up with homework and I can see that it really plays a huge part in this class (as well as many others). This is my first semester going to school and not working full-time, so I have a lot more time dedicated to homework and studying."
"'Don't miss a class.' Although it seems simple, I've found that especially with math-related classes, I NEED to be able to visualize how problems are solved, step by step, which can only be done by attending the lectures in class. Although the books have the same information, I have a much easier time understanding concepts and problems when they are taught/shown in-class, rather than just explained as words on a page."
"'You need to keep up with the assignments and be ready for for a barrage of testing the last month before the the final.' My biology class became very test-heavy near the end and that caught me by surprise. I won't let the same happen in this class."
"'Creating my own notes prior to each lecture made everything much more helpful. In the lecture, you will go over problems and you can add these to your notes. Prior to every test, remake those notes with your more current knowledge on the subject and cues that P-dog likes to see in sample student answers. Reviewing the problems he puts on the blogs is extremely important. Not only do you see REAL exam and quiz questions, but you will also see past student answers, their grades, and a description of what each answer needed to be correct. P-daawwwwg can teach this stuff to a third-grader so don't be afraid to ask plenty of questions in class!' I personally like and appreciate this piece of advice because it can be daunting to write notes during presentation/lecture as we go and it is very helpful that P-dog has the course curriculum embedded in his website and available for us to view a week in advance. I will try to take this advice and stay on top of understanding the curriculum and reading ahead of time."
"'Be consistent and diligent with the homework, and GO TO CLASS. Take as many notes as you can and review them. P-dog draws a lot of cartoons that make the material a lot easier to understand.' I agree with this piece of advice because I do want to understand and I want to be diligent. It makes me happy to know the educator wants to be just as involved as the student learning it for the first, or even fourth time. Drawing characters allows a comedic flair allowing some students to relax and get a grip. I appreciate that."
"'Honestly, to succeed in this course you need to participate. Come to class, learn as much as you can and don't worry so much about how you're doing in the class or what your exact grade is.' I agree with this statement completely because participation is key to any STEM course. A lot of time, people get confident about their ability to perform in a subject and sometimes feel like lecture is a waste of time (I have done it a few times). However, there is always at least a few things that I didn’t know, even if I have seen the material before, or a quicker way to complete a problem. Those little things are what pushes you from a 'B' to and 'A' and are critical for success."
"'Don't do the homework at the last minute, and try to understand the material before coming to class. Do the problems and take good notes.' I greatly agree with this piece of advice. My sophomore year of college I took Chem 201A. I still didn't fully understand how to study and I would do a lot of things last minute. That didn't allow me time to go talk to my professor to clarify. Since I didn't ask I didn't understand and I really struggled in the class as it progressed. I also did not thoroughly participate. If something was not worth credit I didn't do it. Now that I have my bachelors and I have been through many more classes I realize it is important to be prepared. Doing extra work will result in a better grade overall. I make sure to do things early (when I can--I am currently taking 16 credits elsewhere and will be starting another course on the 26th. Thankfully the 16 credits will be over within 2 weeks!) so I can come to class with questions to clarify what I was confused about."
Ask the instructor an anonymous question, or make a comment. Selected questions/comments may be discussed in class.
"This reading assignment was interesting. At first it was weird but as I was going through it really does push you to reflect and think about what you know and don't know in this class ahead of time."
"Do we need to wear closed toe shoes in lab? Super-excited for this semester, P-dog!" (Any footwear is allowed in physics lab.)
"What did you get your Ph.D. in?" (My research dissertation was titled "Atomic Holography with Electrons and X-rays: Theoretical and Experimental Studies.")
"Do basic SI units go beyond nano and Giga? If so I have never used them or at least heard of them." (In Northern California they are starting to use "hella-" to refer to 1027.)
"I really like the atmosphere of the class. It didn't feel intimidating like other math-heavy science classes. I also appreciate the 10-second rule for any questions that people may have. I always noticed that whenever people did have questions, they often raised their hands after the professor decided to move on."
"I really like your teaching style and feel like I'll actually be learning in this class!"
"Will the correct answers/solutions be posted for these reading assignment questions so we can correct our work?" (You can search for the #CuestaPhys205A hashtag on Twitter to find the answers and responses for every previous reading assignment.)
"What textbook do we NEED for this course-if any--and where do you recommend we get the book from? Would older editions suffice? Can students do well without purchasing a textbook for this class? Signed, A Broke College Student. (Any way you can get the current (11th edition) of this textbook will suffice (used, rent, e-book, etc.). You do not need any additional resources that typically get packaged with an unopened new textbook. It is possible to use a previous edition of the textbook, but you will need to check with someone with the current edition to check how some of the end-of-chapter problems get renumbered/revised from edition-to-edition. Also, the current edition of the textbook is available on reserve from the Cuesta College Library.)
"Looking forward to the learning physics and getting comfortable with your online schedule. Will there be practice quizzes and tests to do before exams that we can print out and practice like in a real setting?" (Yes, on the "Goals" tab of the course website are links to the quizzes and exams from last year's Physics 205A class. We will also have time in class for you to practice taking quizzes as a group for review.)
"That mustache. That is all."
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