Homework
There are two media for homework in Calculus III.
There will be frequent online assignments administered through the online homework software WebAssign, which is a required course material. WebAssign problems are computational in nature and assess the techniques introduced in class. Many of these problems will resemble examples in the textbook or from class. You will get immediate feedback on your progress and will get five chances to ensure it. WebAssign is accessed directly through the course’s NYU Classes website.
There will also be homework problems to write up on paper and turn in. These problems will require more than just procedure, might connect two or more things together, and will more closely resemble the harder examination problems.
One of the major goals of college-level mathematics education is to move students from computational processes to conceptual thinking and communication. That is the biggest difference between this course and a high school course, even an Advanced Placement course. Mathematics is more than a bag of tricks and there are not a limited number of “types” of problems that can be asked. The goal in class is to prepare you to do the homework and not necessarily to show you how to do your homework. The learning occurs when you can move yourself into the unknown territory.
You may by all means work in groups on the homework assignments. Collaboration is a big part of learning and of scholarship in general. However, each student must turn in their own write-up of the solutions, with an acknowledgment of collaborators.
Grading of Written Homework
Undergraduate graders will grade the written homework promptly. Graders will be expecting you to express your ideas clearly, legibly, and completely, often requiring complete English sentences rather than merely just a long string of equations or unconnected mathematical expressions. This means that you could lose points for unexplained answers. See the examples in the textbook for examples of how to write up solutions to a problem well. Some examination problems will also ask for justifications, so this will be good practice.
In fairness to fellow students and to graders, late homework will generally not be accepted. Because sometimes things more important than mathematics homework come up, you have some free passes: your lowest problem set score will be dropped in the final grade calculation.
Grading of WebAssign Homework
As with any assessment software for which answers in multiple formats are possible, answers which are essentially correct may occasionally be graded as incorrect due to format issues. In order to take this into account in a way that minimizes inconvenience, the lowest five WebAssign scores will be dropped in the final grade calculation. Please do not further contact your instructor to fix scores for WebAssign assignments where answers that are essentially correct are graded as incorrect due to format issues.
Examinations
During the semester, there will be two midterm examinations in class, after about 6 and 12 weeks. Your instructor will communicate with you the precise dates and content of these exams.
The final examination for all sections of Calculus will take place on Friday, May 15, 10:00am – 11:50am (location TBA). Note that the final examination is a subject group examination and is not scheduled by class meeting time.
Examinations will contain a mixture of computational and conceptual problems. Some of them will resemble homework problems, while some will be brand new to you. The final examination is likely to be a mixture of multiple-choice and free-response problems.
Quizzes
There will be regular quizzes given in class, to test your understanding of the topics covered in the earlier classes. Your instructor will provide details for the specifics of your quiz policy.
Policy on absences
Your instructor will describe their policy regarding absences for quizzes and exams. In general, absences will be excused only for the following reasons, and documentation should be provided.
- A documented medical excuse.
- A University-sponsored event such as an athletic tournament, a play, or a musical performance. Athletic practices and rehearsals do not fall into this category. Please have your coach, conductor, or other faculty adviser contact your instructor.
- A religious holiday.
- Extreme hardship such as a family emergency.
In particular, we will not offer any accommodation for purposes of more convenient travel, including already purchased tickets. Please note again the date of the final and plan your travel accordingly.
In most cases, the final exam will take the weight of an excused, missed midterm exam. You cannot miss both midterm exams or the final exam and receive credit for the course.
If you require additional accommodations as determined by the Center for Students with Disabilities, please let your instructor know as soon as possible.
Tutoring
The University Learning Center at NYU provides free peer tutoring to students enrolled in Calculus III (and others). You can drop in during scheduled hours for one-to-one sessions, or attend one of their weekly group review sessions. All the information, such as drop-in hours, can be found on their website https://www.nyu.edu/ulc.
The math department also provides undergraduate tutoring. Information is available at https://math.nyu.edu/dynamic/undergrad/tutoring/.