| 0- 6 : | * [low = 6] |
| 7-12 : | **** |
| 13-18 : | ************* |
| 19-24 : | *********************** [mean = 21.4 +/- 5.7] |
| 25-30 : | ************** [high = 30] |
"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."
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."
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%]
None at all. *** [3] Slight. *********** [11] Some. *********** [11] A fair amount. ******************* [19] A lot. *********** [11]
"'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."
"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."
| 44,440 | ||
| – | 00,004 | |
| = | ? | |
| 44,440 | ||
| – | 00,004 | |
| = | 44,436 | |
| 1,469.0909090909 | ||
| + | 0,004 | |
| = | ? | |
| 1,469.0909090909 | ||
| + | 0,004 | |
| = | 1,473.0909090909 | |
| 3.6966936772 | ||
| – | 3.5560007 | |
| = | ? | |
| 3.6966936772 | ||
| – | 3.5560007 | |
| = | 0.1406929772 | |
| 0- 6 : | |
| 7-12 : | **** [low = 12] |
| 13-18 : | ***************** |
| 19-24 : | ********************* [mean = 22.2 +/- 5.3] |
| 25-30 : | ******************** [high = 30] |
"After reading through your notes and the flowchart a few more times, I understood a little bit more how to count significant figures. I will need a bit more practice on my own and in class but I will get it."
"It seemed that after reviewing the presentation twice I seem to understand the concept of finding the significant figure much easier."
"Are we given the flow chart for quizzes/tests? If not, then the flowchart is meh. But, I had to relearn scientific notation also. I'd rather it be taught/reviewed in-depth instead of a test/surveys on day one. Backwards."
"From the presentations I really understood the idea that for exact numbers significant figures don't matter, in this case it's very similar to how one can classify quantities of objects, for example for 12 dogs you wouldn't say 12.0 dogs you would say 12 dogs since is an exact and can only be measured as 12 dogs. When talking about non-exact it makes sense as well since there is an estimated portion that is usually determined by the type of increment."
"One thing that really stuck out to me in the reading was the concept of addition/subtraction significant figures vs. multiplication/division significant figure. With addition and subtraction you only care about decimals, and with multiplication and division you care about the least number of significant figures."
"When I first attended the class and you were explaining the different methods to use when doing significant figures and how to multiple and add them, I was confused for basically the entire class. But upon arriving home and reviewing the lecture notes and readings, I have a much better understanding of how significant figures are important for determining the number of significant figures when multiplying and dividing and decimal places are important for determining significant figures when adding and subtracting."
"When it comes to significant figures, I feel like I understand them pretty well. I learned a really good trick in high school about the presence or absence of the decimal point. If there is a decimal point is present, approach from the 'Pacific' (left) side of the number and start counting from the first non-zero digit. If the decimal point is absent, approach from the 'Atlantic' (right) side of the number and do the same. I tend to use that rule the most, unless the number is in scientific notation."
"When you are converting between units you can follow 4 easy steps. First, write down all units. Second, treat all units as algebraic quantities. Divide and eliminate units algebraically. Third, use conversion factors found on the inside of the front cover. Lastly, check to see if your calculations are correct by verifying that the units combine algebraically to give the desired unit for the answer."
"The main thing that confused me right off the bat was finding the slides and everything on the course website. Once I started to understand though, everything was pretty straightforward and easy through this assignment."
"Remembering the difference between the addition/subtraction and multiplication/division rules."
"The most trouble I had was converting from one unit to the other and making sure the units cancelled each other out."
"Something I definitely see people getting mixed up on is that of the prefixes since information that involves memorization is usually very difficult, that and the multiplication significant figure rules since you have to keep remembering to not do sig figs until all calculations are done."
"For a second I found the '3 × 4 = 12' problem confusing just because you have to know where those numbers came from first before knowing how many significant figures it has."
"One thing I didn't understand from the presentation was the idea of an exact number having an infinite number of sig figs. I'm not sure what this means."
"I didn't understand how a numerical factor of 1/2 would not have any dimensions."
centi- (c): 10–2. [86%]
giga- (G): 109. [82%]
kilo- (k): 103. [86%]
mega- (M): 106. [78%]
micro- (µ): 10–6. [82%]
milli- (m): 10–3. [82%]
nano- (n): 10–9. [94%]
None at all. ** [2] Slight. ************ [12] Some. ************ [12] A fair amount. ***************** [17] A lot. ******* [7]
"Homework is really reading the lecture presentation slides in advance, along with a little of the normal homework."
"You have a much better understanding because you got to apply what you know in class instead of listening to lecture."
"The difference between homework in a flipped class is that because you can access the lecture before class starts. You clear up anything you are confused about with your teacher in class so hw should be less difficult to do and comprehend. Your homework time is basically spending more time on concepts that you did not fully grasp in lecture."
"In a flipped class you are not going home and having to do problems on your own for the first time. During class you are able to work on problems and expand on the lecture that you watched before class and therefore can get help."
"The flipped classroom combines pre-reading of the class lecture notes and power-point leaving class time for discussion and direct help through the class.This means when you get home you have a better understanding and knowledgeable of the subject."
"Most of the student learning happens outside of class in a flipped class situation. Since the students have access to the coming lecture and materials needed they can review the material on their own time and come to class with any questions or clarifications needed."
"The most amount of student learning comes when they're in class, because they're able to do more hands on work with the teacher!"
"In a flipped class, I think most students' learning occurs both in and out of class. It really does help when a professor has a pre-lecture presentation that allows students to prepare and try to understand the lecture before heading into class."
"Most learning occurs before and after class when students are reviewing lecture material and answering problems, but also in class when they are doing work and getting their questions answered in class by the instructor."
"In the flipped class the notes are read and understood before class so that during class you can spend the time listening to what the professor has to say, rather than scribbling down a bunch of notes."
"'P-dog's class is helpful in that way because you have enough cushion to where you can actually try to learn the material and you can fail a quiz or two and learn from your mistakes for the midterm.' I agree that the ability to fail a couple of quizes or homework allows us to learn from our mistakes because we won't have the stress of an 'F' making us shut down on learning."
"'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 agree with this because when trying to understand the material before class, you may or may not understand all or any of it, but if you do understand, you only have to worry about asking questions on the little stuff that you did not understand."
"'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 feel that this is a great piece of advice given here to learn all that you can and try your hardest and don't worry about your grades."
"'Don't miss class.' I accidentally missed the first day and I feel a little behind. Hoping to catch up fast. Totally agree not to miss anymore class."
"'Do not hesitate to ask tutor for help.' I agree with this because I know many people want to ask for help, but they feel ashamed or are too shy to ask. Tutors are there for a reason, to help students succeed."
"'To succeed in this course, make sure you read, attend all of classes, and make sure your schedule is not too busy.' I agree with this a lot because I experienced this class before and had to drop it. I read the chapters quick, I did attend 95% of classes, but I worked so much while taking four classes. This semester I'm not working as much and have fewer classes."
"'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 the advice of always participating. I learned from previous experiences that when I don't show up and don't pay enough attention in class, it is really hard to catch back up and get my grade back to where I want it to be."
"'Read the presentations before going to class! Even if it is super-confusing, it will be less confusing in class.' I agree with this piece, this is a method that I’ve used for courses in the past and have found that it has helped me understand the concepts a lot better."
"'Make sure you don't miss any lectures, that's where I got most of my clarification on confusing topics and where I learned how to complete midterm problems. If you understand the concepts the rest isn't too bad.' I agree with this because I learn best in the classroom and find that I usually do better in classes that I always show up to."
"'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 agree with this person's advice because if you do homework in any class at the last minute then you aren't going to benefit from it, and it is always easier to learn more about a subject when you have a background on it before it just gets thrown at you."
"'If you read the presentations carefully before class, you will come in to the lecture with a fairly solid understanding of the concepts that are going to be presented. Anything that is not clear in the presentations should be able to be cleared up by the textbook, which is a great supplemental resource.' I agree with this comment because in my experience if you've looked over the lecture info before class, you are reinforcing knowledge you've already attained versus learning it for the first time in class."
"'Read the presentations before going to class! Even if it is super-confusing, it will be less confusing in class.' I like this piece of advice because I agree that going over the lecture information beforehand can be very helpful for your long-term understanding of the material."
"'P-dog's class is helpful in that way because you have enough cushion to where you can actually try to learn the material and you can fail a quiz or two and learn from your mistakes for the midterm. Also, go to office hours if you don't get it, P-dog is pretty chill and no one is ever in there so you can just bombard him with physics questions and he'll show you how to start a fire with steel wool and a battery.' I completely agree to celebrate mistakes and learn from them. Also start fires with batteries, haha."
"I have nothing to say at this time but as the semester continues I will have more to say."
"I appreciate the grading system in this class because it gives me a little more cushion to be able to make a few mistakes and learn from them, rather than pay for it immediately and stress the rest of the semester."
"For the flipped classroom, would the class still discuss the presentations in class or just be applying the concepts to activities the next day? Or would it just apply to certain topics that are difficult?" (See comment below.)
"For students who do not do well with studying on their own, what advice to have to give to them about this flipped classroom policy?" (Don't stress out about having to learn everything on your own. Strictly speaking this is a "lightly flipped" class in the sense that you only need to preview the material enough to give me feedback on what you don't know (or do know); then we can go over these topics in class in more (or less) detail.)
"I am very curious to see how this whole 'flipped classroom' experience will be like. I sometimes get lost and throughout the semester lose motivation (for a brief day or two) and at times find it hard to comprehend materials on my own, so asking a lot of questions during class time will be huge for me."
"I really like that it seems easy to be able to go up to you or just in general, being able to ask you questions because a lot of instructors do seem intimidating and it gets difficult to ask those any questions."
"Is there an embedded tutor for this course?" (Unfortunately, not for this semester. I will find out when drop-in tutoring at the Learning Resource Center is available for this class.)
"Hi there! I don't mean to be rude by this comment, but I feel like the website is a little bit confusing. Might I suggest using a Google-driven website! they have a very intuitive system I was able to learn it my freshman year, with only a month or so of learning!" (I realize that the website is a bit "busy" visually, but the HTML is deliberately not fancy such that it will work on nearly every browser on every device, and the only navigation is scrolling up or down along the page and click on links (without fussy stuff like pull-down menus, etc.)
"Just excited to get going and learn some physics! I have never taken a physics course before so all of this seems a little daunting, but after reading all of the reviews and advice from previous students, I am excited to get started!"
"How were you introduced to the flipped class style? If you have used it in the past, has it increased students overall understanding of the subject?" (My feeling is that I am now able to ask much more conceptual in-depth exam questions, rather than only worked-out problems when teaching using traditional in-class lectures.)
"Am I going to lose credit on the first reading assignment because I didn't have access to the textbook?" (No, as long as you are able to provide feedback on the assignments (such as your comment right here).)
"What's that device on your neck?" (It's the microphone for my hearing aid--I have profound sensorineural hearing loss.)
"This is completely unrelated to the topic, and you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but how old are you? You look young, but you went to school and have been teaching for many years and I couldn't even guess your age if I tried. Again, you don't have to answer, I am just confused and very impressed." (Seems as if you really don't want to know the answer to your question.)
"Physics is epic."
"I am very glad we were lucky enough to get you as a teacher because I have heard great things about you. It has been a couple years since I took a basic physics class so I am a little nervous but it seems as though I'm in good hands." (I hope so, too.)
| 0- 6 : | |
| 7-12 : | ** [low = 12] |
| 13-18 : | **************** |
| 19-24 : | ************************************ [mean = 20.7 +/- 3.6] |
| 25-30 : | **** [high = 30] |
"I understand the arithmetic rules of how to calculate significant figures in math problems. It is all pretty self-explanatory once you get the flow chart down in your head."
"Significant figures are important because they provide a standard for how exact a measurement is. Finite measurements like people or the number of oranges in a basket do not use significant figures. For addition and subtraction, pay attention to decimal place on the least exact measurement. For multiplication and division, pay attention to the smallest significant figures."
"When converting to different units (without the mathematical component), one must start with the initial unit. If changing to a different unit, the initial unit needs to be on the bottom (divide by) and the unit that the equation is being converted to needs to be on the top (multiply by). By doing this, the initial units is canceled out by dividing, and you are left with the final unit you multiplied by. This can be applied to problems where the units is being changed more than one time by repeating this process."
"All measurements recorded must include units. You can convert in-between different units using dimensional analysis. Dimensional analysis is used to check mathematical relations for consistency."
"I am planning on really looking over the significant figures flow chart, because I was taught a completely different way. I cannot quite understand the chart yet but I feel like with a little practice and using it in questions/equations I will fully understand it."
"At first figuring out when you count the digit and when your just go off the decimal points was kind tricky when adding or multiplying, but after clarification and reading, this concept isn't a problem anymore."
"None of the material confuses me outright. Some of the tougher dimensional analysis problems can trip me up though."
"I understand sig figs, but honestly I found the illustrated example of using 3 multiplied by 4 equals 12 confusing. The way it was worded I had to reread the example several times to wrap my mind around the concept."
"I am somewhat confused by the difference between measurements such as inches or cm (in which a decimal answer is possible) and measurements such as population (in which a decimal is not possible). I am concerned about whether it will be obvious when a solution should be in decimal or not depending on the type of measurement."
"I found problems with multiple operations a tad bit more confusing. I think it is because you're having to use multiple rules, and it is a matter of going in order."
"The only thing I found confusing was an example in the presentation saying there was two sig figs when there was only one digit that was not zero. However, I looked closer in the flow chart and saw the 'rule of two' at the bottom that I didn't see before, which cleared that problem for me."
centi- (c): 10–2. [100%]
giga- (G): 109. [95%]
kilo- (k): 103. [98%]
mega- (M): 106. [95%]
micro- (µ): 10–6. [98%]
milli- (m): 10–3. [100%]
nano- (n): 10–9. [98%]
None at all. * [1] Slight. ***** [5] Some. *************** [15] A fair amount. ************** [14] A lot. ****** [6]
"Homework in a flipped class should be much easier, because you get much more time to practice material in class and fully understand the contents before you even leave the room, due to double exposure to material."
"Homework in a flipped class is made to prepare for the next class."
"It, in a sense, forces you to read at least some of the book in order to complete the assignment. This takes out educated guesses, without really learning on the homework assignments. It also allows you to learn before you come to class and make better connections during class rather than possibly worse connections after class."
"Students can access lectures and information before the lecture, allowing them to complete homework or practice problems within the scheduled lecture time allowing for increased application of knowledge and the ability to ask questions of the instructor."
"You have more in-class time to work on problems with your peers."
"Homework tends to be done in class with the instructor available for any needed help."
"Homework questions can be asked in class because there is more time because people have read the lectures in advance."
"You learn the lesson at home and then go to class and expand upon that, for further understanding."
"Learning occurs at home and then engaging/clarification is in the classroom to make the subject matter more clear."
"Most learning occurs outside of the classroom rather than inside of the classroom. Outside of class activities prepare you for the next lecture."
"The students read at home but I think they really begin learning in the class."
"It is different for every student."
"With lectures outside of class, individually focused learning takes place in class. Learning takes place both out of class and in class, but in class is where student-led learning takes place."
"It does not help to procrastinate. I agree with this because I have done this in the past and it makes me stressed."
"Read the blog prior to lectures, quizzes or exams--I strongly agree with this advice, because it is already very clear that the blog contains all of the advice and content needed to succeed in the class."
"Reading the book before lectures is a piece of advice that resonated with me, as I've found this technique helpful in other classes."
"I agree with the student who said get into a group and study because it helps you get a different perspective on the topic and might be able to get a question answered that you might have while working on the homework. I would add to work in a group with a tutor because if everyone is stumped in the group, it helpful to get some guidance on the problem that has a higher chance of being correct."
"An organized life equals organized grades. The more organized my life and school work are, the better I feel about my productivity."
"I had a hard time circulating between the number of links and material given, but I understand that following the multiple process--lecture, blog reading, feedbacks, textbooks and curiosity--will lead to success in this course."
"'Work through the study problems posted on the blog.' I agree with this because I think it's very helpful for quizzes and exams."
"'Understanding the material and trusting yourself.' This is really important to me because my biggest issue is second-guessing myself after I know the answer."
"This style of class learning is all new to me. I hope for success. I appreciate all the help I can get."
"Have you always encouraged the flipped classroom setting, and if not, what made you decide to do so?" (I've been in the process of gradually flipping my classes over the past seven years; just trying to break out of lecturing straight through each class, and instead allowing time to let students work on solving problems in class, where I'm readily available to observe them and give appropriate feedback.)
"Can you write reminders of homework due dates and other important test/quiz/assignment due dates on the board during lecture?" (Remembering homework due dates is easy--every midnight before class! Also, the quiz, midterm and Final Exam dates are listed right on the course calendar webpage.)
"Why did you pick the nickname 'P-dog?' I really like it and it makes you more approachable as a professor but I am curious if there is a story behind the nickname." (Long story short: I blame my snarky graduate student teaching assistants at UC-Davis; the students picked it up from them. #streetcred)
"Do you visit Hawaii often?" (At least once a year to visit family. It seems that Hawaii is always on my mind. #alohaaina)
"P-dog! Besides teaching physics, what hobbies or recreational activity do you enjoy? What do you like to do with you free time to handle stress?" (I DJ swing music at the Madonna Inn on Mondays, and Mrs. P-dog and I go on road trips with our converted Subaru: "Slumberjack, the Sleeping Forester." #optoutside)
| 0- 6 : | |
| 7-12 : | ***** [low = 9] |
| 13-18 : | *************** |
| 19-24 : | *************************** [mean = 20.9 +/- 4.8] |
| 25-30 : | ********** [high = 30] |
"To be completely honest I never really understood significant figures. They were always sort of a blur that I never looked forward to deal with. However, with this presentation preview, I know understand completely with the flow chart! It makes total sense and in chemistry we would write some as ambiguous but the 'rule of two' is really clarifying for some of the concerns I had earlier."
"For multiplication/division you need to know the value with the fewest significant figures while on addition/subtraction you need to know the decimal places."
"From the presentation previews, I could barely recall the information on significant figures in terms of addition/subtraction and multiplication/division. After reviewing the presentation, it makes more sense to me and I was able to come up with an easy way to remember the rules of significant figures. It seems like an easy rule to remember as long as you practice the rules and study them everyday."
"The text was more of a review of SI units which can be expressed with prefixes depending on multiples of ten. How those units can be converted and behave like algebraic quantities by canceling. Dimensional analysis relates that unit to whats physically happening."
"There wasn't anything in the presentation previews that I found immediately confusing, however accessing the blog from the home page was a little challenging."
"Just got my book today so haven't really read it thoroughly just yet."
"The dimensional analysis section seemed to just throw a lot of numbers at me without really giving me a specific meaning. I guess I just need a little clarification in class."
"I found that the dimensional analysis portion was very confusing. One thing that is very confusing is not the conversion of units, just the memorization of the different SI units needed in the class."
"I didn't really find the content in the presentations confusing, for the most part it was pretty basic and a little review. But I did find it difficult trying to find the presentations. For some reason it took me a really long time finding the weekly assignment list" "
Not completing online reading assignments: a whole letter grade. [43%]
Not completing online homework reports: one-half of a letter grade. [54%]
Missing three labs: failing the course. [71%]
Missing three quizzes: not at all, or not much. [51%]
Absent on a midterm day: depends on if/whether there is an acceptable excuse. [54%]
Not at all, or not much. **** [4] One-half of a letter grade. **** [4] A whole letter grade. **** [4] Two whole letter grades **** [4] (Depends on if/whether there is an acceptable excuse.) **** [4] Failing the course. ** [2] (Unsure/guessing/lost/help!) ************* [13]
centi- (c): 10–2. [94%]
giga- (G): 109. [89%]
kilo- (k): 103. [97%]
mega- (M): 106. [89%]
micro- (µ): 10–6. [89%]
milli- (m): 10–3. [89%]
nano- (n): 10–9. [97%]
None at all. ** [2] Slight **** [4] Some. ********* [9] A fair amount. *************** [15] A lot. ***** [5]
"I am a little confused as to where the assigned readings are posted. I probably just missed it somewhere." (On the "Tuesday" tab for this week, "Read Physics, 10/e: Appendices A, B; Chs. 1.2, 1.3; online presentations (*.blog), (*.blog), course policies (*.html), where the "blog" and "html" links are to the appropriate online content. Admittedly one of those links was originally garbled but was corrected later.)
"I couldn't find your class required book using the ISBN number. I was wondering if the Physics 10th edition by Cutnell is enough? I saw it said 'custom' and so I didn't know if it was the same. I kind of wanted to get it used or rent it because of cash flow." (The Cuesta College Bookstore offers a "custom" (paperback) version of just Chs. 1-17 of the original complete textbook, but as long as you can get those same chapters of the current (10th edition) textbook for cheaper, that will be fine.)
"I like it when things are gone over in lecture, then we are given examples to see how it is done. Sometimes the explanation isn't enough for me, and I would like it to be done in-depth once or twice. I know not everyone likes this way of teaching, but if this isn't the general consensus, then no worries. I can refer to homework and notes and your office hours if I need clarification." (Well, this isn't a totally independing-learning free-form class, ideally with the feedback the class gives me on their comprehension of previous topics and/or new topics, this will guide me on targeting which and how much to "go over" certain topics in class, as needed.)
"I was wondering if all the reading assignments would be on the website? Also, where are grades posted? On the myCuesta website or on the website you have us use?" (Grades will be posted on our course website, as well as the reading assignments and homework reports (which actually link through to SurveyMonkey.com).)
"I am really hoping this course will emphasize understanding the "why" of things, and not be all about memorization." (I hope so, too. The essay questions on the midterms and the final exam will emphasize this type of understanding (along with multiple-choice and solved-problems).)
"Why do you believe that the second place of '80,000' is significant when so many other teachers (for example all of the chemistry teachers I've taken) don't believe that it is?" (That is certainly up for debate, but we'll use the somewhat arbitrary "rule of two" convention that is followed by many physics textbooks. Also, Sith Lords. #alwaystwothereare)
"I thought you showed us a link to a PDF of the first chapter of our book?" (Uh, no. Not this class.)
| 0- 6 : | |
| 7-12 : | ** [low = 9] |
| 13-18 : | ***************** |
| 19-24 : | ****************************** [mean = 23.2 +/- 4.9] |
| 25-30 : | ****************************** [high = 30] |
"When multiplying or dividing values, the number of significant figures in the answer is the same as the number of significant figures in the value with the fewest significant figures. I also understand that when adding or subtracting values, the answer has the same amount of decimal places as the value with the fewest decimal places."
"The units of measurement table and the role that units play in problem solving. Also each unit's abbreviation and how it helps in expressing equations."
"Physical and temporal properties--such as length, mass, and time--can be expressed using a standard international system of units (SI), and further, that these units can be converted from one to another: feet to meters, seconds to minutes, using (standard) unit ratios."
"What is expected of me from this course in terms of how I will be graded and what I am expected to know at the end of the year."
"I need to keep up with assignments. I also need to take good notes, and pay attention to detail. As long as I proficiently do well on my assignments and quizzes/exams, I should get a decent grade in the class."
"My book does not arrive until tomorrow."
"One thing that just won't stick for me is significant figures. I also have minor troubles with unit conversions."
"I occasionally got jumbled with the correct number of significant figures, but more practice problems and use of the flowchart helped a lot."
"I still don't know why significant digits are so important."
"Still making small errors concerning multiplying and dividing significant figures, will just take practice and time to perfect!"
"The topics I read were nothing new to me."
Not completing online reading assignments: a whole letter grade. [46%]
Not completing online homework reports: one-half of a letter grade. [59%]
Missing three labs: failing the course. [80%]
Missing three quizzes: not at all, or not much. [41%]
Absent on a midterm day: depends on if/whether there is an acceptable excuse. [32%]
Not at all, or not much. ** [2] One-half of a letter grade. ****** [6] A whole letter grade. ***** [5] Two whole letter grades *********** [11] (Depends on if/whether there is an acceptable excuse.) *** [3] Failing the course. ******************** [20] (Unsure/guessing/lost/help!) ********* [9]
centi- (c): 10-2. [98%]
giga- (G): 109. [93%]
kilo- (k): 103. [95%]
mega- (M): 106. [96%]
micro- (µ): 10-6. [96%]
milli- (m): 10-3. [96%]
nano- (n): 10-9. [100%]
None at all. ** [2] Slight [7] Some. ***************** [17] A fair amount. ************************ [24] A lot. ****** [6]
"These reading assignments are confusing. I'm not sure which of these questions I will get full credit for for simply answering them, and which ones I have to answer a certain way to get full credit for. Do I need to lie and say I spent a lot of time on the assignment to get full credit? Also, will we lose points if we don't answer the questions without stars next to them?" (You are graded for completing these assignments in a thoughtful manner, whether your answer is correct or not, as I'm looking for feedback on your learning in order to determine what should be (or not be) addressed in the subsequent lecture. Note that some answers are mandatory in order to submit your assignment. Also, just be honest in stating whether you spent a lot of time (or very little, or none at all) doing the reading.)
"What is the emphasis on the textbook as compared to what we talk about in lecture? Are the notes from lecture and online presentations a better study tool, or should we be pulling from the textbook as our main guide?" (The textbook, online presentations, and lecture notes are all important--but the online presentations will emphasize the important concepts from the textbook (and also fill in additional details), and the lectures will concentrate on what the class is having difficulties with, as determined from the feedback from the online reading assignments the night before.)
"I felt like a lot of the struggle I have had so far was understanding how the course is structured online with the blogs and other forms of learning. I'm trying to find the best way to teach myself and learn the material presented. Any recommendations?" (Let's just roll with it for the first few weeks of the semester, and you should become familiar with the structure of this course--as long as you keep up with the reading and complete the online assignments to give me feedback on your learning, then I can structure each lecture to best address what you need each class.)
"Dividing by one can give an infinite amount of of significant figures?" (#wut)
"What color of crayon do you think tastes the best?" (I don't know--I close my eyes and eat my crayons at night, in the dark. Don't you? #tasteslikechildhoodregret)
