AMAT 219 Students Dear All Let me clarify my last email: You still will know which question(s) you got wrong. However the correct answer will not be displayed. That is All! Almost most online systems do not provide the correct answers to any question you have answered incorrectly. There are two reasons: 1.Some may look for a pattern from correct answer to get answers without doing nothing! This is certainly unfair to vast majority. 2.Some use other online systems and simply copy answers However , a few go as far as claiming system answers are incorrect compared with their copied answers!! Future problems will be designed to minimize (1) & (2) above , so that only the hard working students are rewarded. If you are truly doing the Assignments for learning sake , you should not be concerned with whether answers are displayed or not displayed! Just make sure you read instructions of each problem before you enter your answers. Also : The problems in the assignments are very similar to lab or class problems and are intended to help you in Midterm and final. I do not see a big deal then! Thanks to All. /quote After drudging through this e-mail, I'm sure there is one thing on everyone's mind: Why? Not showing the answers after submission of an assignment does nothing to prevent people putting their questions into a system like Wolfram Alpha to receive an answer. No one puts a question into Wolfram Alpha to see what an answer will be, then not do the question on MathXL to see the exact answer staring at them after they submit their assignment. They put the answer they get from Wolfram Alpha into MathXL, then get the answer right on MathXL anyway and don't bother looking at the answers that are given afterwards because more than likely, the answer will be correct. Looking directly at the message Prof. Elsabrouty sent out: 1. I know I can't speak for everyone when I say this, but if people can find patterns on the assignments, why not let them (This also goes for the people that use systems like Wolfram Alpha)? Of course, I know it's considered academic misconduct, but it's quite hard to prove that they cheated or not; this is why the assignments aren't worth 100% of the final grade in the course, but a mere 20%. To counter-balance this, there is 30% of our grade being allotted to the midterm, and half our the grade being the final exam. If these assignments are used primarily to learn and put the course material into practice and people just snake their way through it, they may do well on the assignments, but do very poorly on the exams. This is why I don't think it's unfair at all as I'm learning what I need to for upcoming exams and applying it myself to what's being asked, and I'm sure that the vast majority will agree. 2. Yes, most online assignments systems don't give you an answer when you finish the question. But in most cases, that's because they offer hints, advice, and other helpful information to answer the question that is being asked and/or the questions on the other systems are not randomized. In MathXL, neither of the previously stated things occur. There is no display of helpful advice, and the questions are all randomized. This is like comparing apples to oranges; it doesn't add up. 3. Formatting: we all know that MathXL really likes to throw some qwerky formatting into their system, and in not seeing the answers if we cannot figure out the exact format they want the answer in, there is NO way we'll be able to get the question correct, acting as a misrepresentation of our work. When we were in AMAT217, we were told that it was a good idea to use an attempt to receive the answers for the question given because the questions are randomized each time. Then you would be able to work on them and eventually arrive at the answer given if your work was correct. I'm wondering why that's such a bad thing. I personally would have myself or a friend use an attempt, print off the questions with the answers, and cover the answers up as we worked on them then consult the answers when we were finished. If we all had the question right and understood it fully, we moved on to the next question. If not, we would help each other understand the question and, in turn, understand what is being asked of us on our MathXL assignments. This was ideal in learning and getting familiar with the problems being asked and in turn, allowed us students that want the grades for both the assignments and exams get the marks. So, without this, I'm questioning how a quote-on-quote "hard working student" is suppose to work? Read our notes? Perhaps the text book? Then figure everything out from words on a page rather than practice with problems that come straight from the assignment and help others that don't fully understand and have given it a fully honest try, in turn making both parties understand the material more? This makes no sense in any regard. By removing the ability to receive the answers for the questions AFTER submission of the assignment, our ability to learn by working on these problems ourselves is being hindered severely. In the lecture, we are force fed problems to copy them down for a base understanding of the material being taught. In the labs, we are able to ask more questions, but it's still the same deal. It is on these assignments where we take the work into our own hands, make connections to our notes, and understand how to work out the problems. The way this is being made, is more like a test environment rather than a learning environment. The intention of this petition is to show Prof. Elsabrouty and potentially administration if no changes occur that the students of AMAT 219 in the winter semester of 2013 do not agree with the last minute change to how MathXL works, that it hinders our ability to sufficiently practice and understand the material, and in turn not receive better preparation for future exams and future calculus courses as we gain an understanding from questions that are asked directly to us through MathXL.

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