WebAssign

WebAssign at the University of Maryland Math Department

Please read through the directions below before logging into WebAssign.

your username has the form abname ( where name is your last name, and ab are the initials of your first two names) or aname (if you have only a first and a last name). To write your username, regard hyphens as nonexistent (e.g. Chao-hui as Chaohui). All letters should be lower case.
your institution is umd
your password is your nine-digit student number

You may use WebAssign free for approximately the first two weeks of class. When you log in you should be reminded of the free period.

There are two methods of payment: credit card, or at the bookstore. You will see more information about this when you log on to webassign. The cost is about $10 per semester.

Once you have successfully logged in, you will see an assignment list with information such as how many tries you have to complete each problem and when the assignment is due.
Select the assignment you want to work on.

Question Types - Within WebAssign there are different types of questions that can be asked, including Multiple Choice, Numerical, and Symbolic. Each type of question should be handled slightly differently.

Appearance: The question will be followed by a list of possible solutions. Next to each will be a square containing a circle called a radio button.
Use: Radio buttons only allow you to select one answer. If you try to select more than one, only the last answer you select will be counted.
Example: Problem 1 of the Assignment WA1.

Appearance: Like Multiple choice questions, Multiple Select Questions will be followed by a list of possible answers. However, next to each possible answer will be a square checkbox.
Use: A checkbox allows you to choose more than one answer. To get the problem correct you must check all of the correct answers. If you check an answer and then decide this answer is not correct, simply click on the box again and the check will disappear.
Example: Problem 2 of the Assignment WA1.

Appearance: Numerical, Symbolic, and Fill-in-the-Blank questions will all appear the same on the screen. Somewhere within or at the end of the problem, you will see a rectangular box.
Use: Clicking in the box will allow you to enter your answer.

How do I know the difference? If the question asks for an answer which is a word, then this is a fill in the blank question. If the question says that you may use specific variables or constants within your answer, then it is a symbolic question. Otherwise, it is a Numerical question.

Fill-in-the-Blanks are not case sensitive but be very careful to enter the answer with the correct spelling.
Symbolic questions are case sensitive. If the question states that you may use the variable "t" if you use "T," then your answer will graded as wrong.
Numerical questions accept only numbers. You may not use any type of variable or function within your answer.
After answering all the questions, submit your assignment. Be aware of the maximum number of times you can submit the assignment (this may vary with the assignment).

Some of the symbols within the problems might look unusually large or small compared to the text
The equations seem to be wrapping around and becoming jumbled and unreadable.

The symbols within your assignments have been formatted to match a reasonable text size. If your computer web browser is not set to this size you may have trouble reading the problems. To change this setting, you must change the text size in your browser preferences. Here is how you would do this in Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator:

Most of the problems within your assignments were created using some sort of formatting table. If your browser window is too small, this can cause the equations to line up improperly. To fix this, you should maximize your window by clicking on the maximize button in the top right hand corner of the window.

When a browser downloads a webpage it is stored in cache files. If your browser doesn't seem to be showing current information you should try to clear you browser cache. Here are instructions on how to do this for various browsers.

A cookie is data that a web site writes to your computer when you go to their site. WebAssign requires you accept cookies from their website here are instructions on how to do this.