Online homework crisis
Dec. 22nd, 2007 06:34 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
foolish_m0rtalIf anyone has a class that requires online homework, you'll know exactly what this blog is talking about. This is for atomic goo, because I couldn't fit all this in over the phone.
NOTE: As of semester one 2009 of Physics for the Engineering School, this IS us on Thursday nights before homework is due.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology blog written by an undergraduate:
So my roommate Zach and I suddenly remembered that we had a Mastering Physics assignment due last night at 8:10, and this was basically the ruckus that ensued:
Disclaimer: This does NOT happen on a daily basis.
8:10 PM
Zach: Do we have a Mastering Physics assignment due today?
Me: Crap, you're right!!
*logs on and attempts the questions*
*everything is fine, until 3 minutes before the deadline*
8:27
Me: Three more minutes! What do you still have?
Zach: The reading question and the one on escape velocity.
Me: Me too! Dude, did you read the chapter?
Zach: I don't remember any of it!
Me: Me neither! Dude, where's my book?!
*retrieves the Physics book from some corner in the room*
Me: Uhh, the chapter is about Kepler's Laws of Gravitation.
Zach: Oh! That's easy! *scribbles something into the reading question*
Me: *writes* "I ... found ... this ... chapter ... to ... be ... pretty ... confusing ... because ... Kepler's ... third ... law ... is ... confusing ....."
8:28:30
Me: One and a half minutes!
Zach: Let's see the escape velocity question...oh crap! It has like seven parts!
Me: *clicks in* AHHH.
Zach: *reads* The key to making a concise mathematical...blah blah...find the mechanical energy of a object blah blah blah...assume gravitational potential energy is zero at large distances. I don't know what this is! What are you doing?
Me: I'm doing the multiple choice! Yes, yes, no, yes, no....YESS I'm getting all of these right without reading the questions! It's crazy!
Zach: ARGG ok I'll go and do those as well!
8:29:30
Me: AHHH THIRTY SECONDS. What is the formula for escape velocity?!
Zach: AHHH it's something to do with the square root of something!!
Me: AHHH FIFTEEN SECONDS! Stop doing what you're doing! Press submit!! Press submit!! They'll give credit for the questions that we at least answered!!
*frantically presses "Submit Item"*
Zach: I'm pressing it!! I'm pressing it!! AHHH "Cannot submit homework when there are incomplete parts"!!
*bursts out laughing*
Me: AHHH OK I FOUND THE ESCAPE VELOCITY - IT'S THE SQUARE ROOT OF...
8:30:00
Together: AHHH IT EXPIRED!!
Zach: Okay, I'll just take the time to do this homework assignment over properly.
8:31:39
My screen: "Homework submitted 1 Minute and 39 Seconds late and received 0% of available credit."
Me: So all that work and I still got 0% for the Escape Velocity part.
Zach: Oh well, at least it was fun.
10:27
*two hours later*
Physics Instructor (in an email): Due to a confusion of dates on the course webpage, your Mastering Physics homework had been extended by one day.
NOTE: As of semester one 2009 of Physics for the Engineering School, this IS us on Thursday nights before homework is due.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology blog written by an undergraduate:
So my roommate Zach and I suddenly remembered that we had a Mastering Physics assignment due last night at 8:10, and this was basically the ruckus that ensued:
Disclaimer: This does NOT happen on a daily basis.
8:10 PM
Zach: Do we have a Mastering Physics assignment due today?
Me: Crap, you're right!!
*logs on and attempts the questions*
*everything is fine, until 3 minutes before the deadline*
8:27
Me: Three more minutes! What do you still have?
Zach: The reading question and the one on escape velocity.
Me: Me too! Dude, did you read the chapter?
Zach: I don't remember any of it!
Me: Me neither! Dude, where's my book?!
*retrieves the Physics book from some corner in the room*
Me: Uhh, the chapter is about Kepler's Laws of Gravitation.
Zach: Oh! That's easy! *scribbles something into the reading question*
Me: *writes* "I ... found ... this ... chapter ... to ... be ... pretty ... confusing ... because ... Kepler's ... third ... law ... is ... confusing ....."
8:28:30
Me: One and a half minutes!
Zach: Let's see the escape velocity question...oh crap! It has like seven parts!
Me: *clicks in* AHHH.
Zach: *reads* The key to making a concise mathematical...blah blah...find the mechanical energy of a object blah blah blah...assume gravitational potential energy is zero at large distances. I don't know what this is! What are you doing?
Me: I'm doing the multiple choice! Yes, yes, no, yes, no....YESS I'm getting all of these right without reading the questions! It's crazy!
Zach: ARGG ok I'll go and do those as well!
8:29:30
Me: AHHH THIRTY SECONDS. What is the formula for escape velocity?!
Zach: AHHH it's something to do with the square root of something!!
Me: AHHH FIFTEEN SECONDS! Stop doing what you're doing! Press submit!! Press submit!! They'll give credit for the questions that we at least answered!!
*frantically presses "Submit Item"*
Zach: I'm pressing it!! I'm pressing it!! AHHH "Cannot submit homework when there are incomplete parts"!!
*bursts out laughing*
Me: AHHH OK I FOUND THE ESCAPE VELOCITY - IT'S THE SQUARE ROOT OF...
8:30:00
Together: AHHH IT EXPIRED!!
Zach: Okay, I'll just take the time to do this homework assignment over properly.
8:31:39
My screen: "Homework submitted 1 Minute and 39 Seconds late and received 0% of available credit."
Me: So all that work and I still got 0% for the Escape Velocity part.
Zach: Oh well, at least it was fun.
10:27
*two hours later*
Physics Instructor (in an email): Due to a confusion of dates on the course webpage, your Mastering Physics homework had been extended by one day.
