WebAssign Information for Physics Students

What is WebAssign?

Webassign is an internet (non-MTU) web page used by many physics classes at MTU. It "collects" answers for homework problems chosen by your instructor, automatically grades them, and reports your grades to your instructor.

How do I get to WebAssign?

Point your browser to www.webassign.net/student.html.Then enter

Username: Your Michigan Tech email address without the @mtu.edu.
Institution: "mtu" without the quote marks, all lower case.
Password: At the beginning of each term, your password your is student ID number (the new number including the M).

You are strongly encouraged to change your password the first time you log in so that your account will be more secure. Note that your browser must have "cookies" enabled and must have Java and JavaScript enabled. Finally, remember to log out when you are finished with a session. WebAssign also recommends that you close the browser so that any temporary cookies will be erased and your account will be secure

What if I forgot my password, OR my password doesn’t work?

Click on the "forgot password?" link on the WebAssign login page. Provide your username, institution, and MTU e-mail address. A completely new password will be sent to your MTU e-mail account by Webassign.

What if I have problems logging on or submitting homework?

Try looking at the WebAssign Student Guide by clicking on the link at the top left side of the page when you log in to WebAssign. If you have technical problems you can't figure out with the Student Guide, please email mrmeyer@mtu.edu .

How will WebAssign be used in my physics course?

How problems are assigned and how WebAssign affects your grade varies by course. Details are included in the course information sheet for your course. Your course information sheet can be found from your course’s link in the BlackBoard course or at http://www.phy.mtu.edu/instruction.html

How are WebAssign problems graded?

Webassign problems come from the textbook used for your class. Most problems contain values that are slightly different for each student (and different from the textbook). The differing numbers are displayed in red when you view them online. Note also that the small boxes to left of the answer boxes give the number of points each answer is worth. WebAssign checks your answer against the one it calculates and marks it correct (green check) or wrong (red X) with a small tolerance (usually +/- 1%). Your instructor will determine the number of chances (submissions) you get for each assignment. Your last submission is the one that is graded.

***Be sure to review the online Student Guide for instructions about how to enter answers: for example, an answer written in scientific notation, such as 1.4 x 10^-6 must be entered as 1.4E-6 or 1.4e-6.

What’s the best way to do my WebAssign problems?

A simple way to work on the problems is to log in and write down the problem numbers and any red numbers. Then work the problem using the numbers in the textbook to see if you get the right answer. Then, rework the problem using your personal numbers. And, finally, log back into WebAssign and enter your answers.

Last modified: 8/30/2008 4:00 PM