Homework is designed to help you develop basic skills and to understand and apply basic concepts learned in class and in the textbook. Doing all assigned problems is essential to success in this course. The Basic Skill  assignments consist of ALEKS objectives,and homework problems are found in the Chem 110 Student Packet.  The deadlines for all the graded assignments are listed in the syllabus. 

The work on the assignments should be done consistently throughout each week without procrastination. The study should start with review of lecture material and textbook readings followed by working on ALEKS objectives. The next step includes working on the problems in the Chem 110 Student Packet. Although these problems are not collected for grade, they are the basis of recitation queries and ANGEL quizzes that earn class credits as well as are a crucial step in preparation for exams.

In overview,  your weekly homework includes:

• studying lecture notes and textbook
• working on ALEKS objectives
• solving assigned  problems in the student packet
• taking recitation queries
• taking on-line ANGEL quizzes

Homework Assignments in the student packet are not collected or graded  WHY SHOULD I BOTHER DOING THEM?

The Homework Problems (especially the multiple choice questions) give you an idea of what to expect on exams.
The multiple-choice problems in your packet can help you get used to the multiple-choice style of quiz and exam questions. We suggest you use them as practice.

The textbook problems (worked examples and Section Review problems) are optional but are useful when you are in the learning mode. If you do not have time in recitation to complete the problems on the worksheet it is an indication that you do not know the material well enough. You will find that the textbook problems are similar and should guide you in solving these problems. The textbook problems at the end of the chapters are in labeled sections that tell you where to go in the textbook to get help if you do not know how to do a problem. Furthermore, many of the textbook problems are paired. Each set of paired problems has one question with the answer in the back of the book and is boldfaced. The paired problem is either before or after that question and the question number is not bold faced. The solution to this problem is given in the student solutions manual (that come bundled with the textbook). For example on page 50 problems 16 and 17 are a pair of problems.

EXAMPLE: If you are struggling with the material, you can try one of the problems in a paired set (the one in the solutions manual). You can attempt a problem using the textbook to try to figure out how to solve the problem. Then check to make sure you are correctly completing it by reviewing the solution (AFTER you have done the problem completely yourself). Then try the bold faced problem without any help from the book to check your understanding. You can look in the back of the book to verify that your answer is correct.

ALEKS objectives are due weekly on Tuesdays, except during the exam weeks when they are due on Sundays.  There are 8 objectives in ALEKS, each worth 20 points toward your homework score. Your homework score will be equal to the percent score of the objective in the ALEKS gradebook (after the due date for the objective) divided by 5.  If the sum of all your objective scores is 140 points or more (out of 160 points available),  your will have the full 10 course points.  In addition to the weekly objectives, students will also have to take an initial assessment during the first few days of the semester, mid-term assessments after Objectoves 2 and 4, and the course completion assessment at the end of the last ALEKs Objective. The assessments do not earn credits, but are required to proceed with ALEKS objectives. By finishing the course completion assessment (and completing the "objective pie"), students can earn 2 bonus points.  The details of ALEKS operation and strategies on how to successfully navigate the objectives are provided on a separate page. Students may use their notes and books when working on ALEKS objectives.

Recitation queries (RQs) are given at the beginning of each recitation period on Thursdays, except during the first week of classes. These are one-question queries based on the assigned homework problems. Students may not use their books, notes, or help from classmates when working on recitation queries. The credit (points) will be awarded for effort and/or correct answer (1 p), and explanations of how the answer was obtained (up to 4 p) for a maximum total of 5 points per query. The rest of the recitation score (RS) grade will be based on attendance and participation in recitation for a total of 10 points per recitation. There will be 14 recitations (140 total recitation points possible).  If you accumulate a total RS score of 100 or more, you will earn the full 15 course points.

 ANGEL quizzes are on-line quizzes will be available due on Thursday, except for the first week of classes. During the exam weeks, the quizzes are offered on Sundays. The quiz questions are in multiple-choice, fill-the-blank, and true-false formats. For fill-in-the blank questions make sure to follow instructions: enter numbers (integer or with the appropriate number of significant figures), but not units (unless asked for them), make sure to check your spelling and capitalization when names or symbols are entered. There will be 5-7 questions per quiz randomly chosen from the question bank.  You will have access to the quiz for several days prior to the due date, and you will be allowed to take the quiz 2 times and keep the highest of the two scores.   Each time a set of different random questions will be given and there will be a 30 minute time limit per quiz.  There will be a total of 14 quizzes, each worth 10 points.  If you accumulate a total quiz score of 125 or more, you will earn the full 15 course points.  Students may not use their books or notes, or help from others when working on ANGEL quizzes. Sharing of your sets of questions with other students is also not allowed. There will be two surveys offered during the semester. The first one will be at the beginning of class (during the first two weeks). The second one will be available immediately after exam 1. You can earn 5 points for completing these surveys (a total of 10 points). These points will be added to your quiz score.

The academic integrity rules apply to all the assignments the same way as described for examinations. Using illegal means to earn on-line credits is highly counterproductive, as students who do not know how to solve problems, and do not have sufficient practice time will not be able to perform well on the exams.

Deadlines for all assignments are strictly enforced.  Since there are more opportunities than needed to earn the maximum number of points, there will be no make up opportunities. Since there is ample time provided to complete the assignments, any unavailability of a computer, or any server problems that may be encountered just before the deadlines are NOT a valid excuse. 

Technical difficulties with ALEKS or ANGEL should be reported and resolved through their respective technical support. We are not in a position to address these technical issues or answer any request for help. Technical difficulties do not constitute a valid excuse for not completing the assignments on time. Postponing your work on the assignments till the last moment involves a large risk of not being able to submit your work on time.