Homework Rules

Homework is a major part of this course because the principles and concepts we cover in class can only be learned by practicing their applications. One of the major purposes of homework is to have you get temporarily get stuck and to reread the text to obtain a deeper understanding of the material. You will be working on homework sets in groups of four. Each group will contain no more than two students with a GPA greater than 3.5. The object is for the group to meet to discuss and compare answers to each problem set and then to pick the best answer to be turned in to the grader. One group member will be designated the leader for each assignment. The leader will be responsible for coordinating the work and making sure everyone in the group understands all the problem solutions before they are handed in. After being a group leader, an individual may not be leader again until everyone else in the group has held the position. Everyone should show up for the group meeting with his/her solution to every problem assigned. As a bare minimum, everyone must arrive at the meeting having attempted every problem assigned for that day, and state where they got stuck on the problem before the group begins working out the details. If someone arrives without having attempted every problem in the problem set, the group leader will be honor-bound to remove that person's name from the problem set. If someone's name is excluded three times, that person will be dropped from the group and will have to work the OEP and remaining problem sets alone. If a member is sick or if there are extenuating circumstances with regard to making a group meeting that person can work out the assignment alone and turn in the problem set individually only after notifying the instructor, and before the assignment is due.

If a student's name appears on a solution set, it certifies that he/she has participated in solving some of the problems and understands all the solutions. If this turns out not to be the case, the student in question and the group leader will receive a zero for that assignment. If a student's name is not on the solution set, he/she will receive a zero for that assignment.

For the most part, homework assignments due on Tuesdays will be a group effort (one solution per group). While those due on Thursdays will be worked on individually. There will be one or two exceptions to this arrangement. For example, problem P12-24c will be worked on individually even though it is due on a Tuesday. The assignments should be turned in on time on the day they are due and must they must be neat and easy to grade and handle. Late homework assignments will not be accepted. The grader will take 20% off on assignments that fail to follow the following guidelines:

  1. Use 8.5 x 11 inch paper with straight edges. Paper torn from a spiral bound notebook is not acceptable.

  2. On the first page, in the upper right hand corner, write:
    Individual Assignments
     Your Name________
    Problem Number________
    Due Date________




    		Group Assignments
     Homework/Class Problem Number______
    Group Number_______
    Manager________
    Skeptic________
    Recorder_______
    Checker_______
    Due Date_______
  3. Number all pages (e.g. 1/5, 2/5, etc.), put your group number on each page, and staple the pages together.

  4. Box the solutions

  5. Be neat and draw legibly.

Homework Grading System

 75% Correct Method
100% Correct Method and Correct Answers

Homework assignments should be turned in on time on the day they are due - one solution set per group, and they must be neat and easy to grade and handle. The grader will take 20% off on assignments that fail to follow these guidelines:

  1. On the first page, write the appropriate header for either group or individual assignments. (From #2 above)

  2. Your name, the page number, and the total number of pages are expected on every page of your homework.

  3. All pages must be stapled together.

  4. Write the units for all symbols, calculations, and numerical answers.

  5. Show all of your work. Problems with correct answers which do not show how the answers were computed will not be counted as correct.

  6. Box the solutions.

Late assignments will NOT be accepted. However, even if it is late, your paper will be corrected and returned with comments.

Home problem solutions will be posted on the WWW at http://www.engin.umich.edu/~cre/344/solutions.htm

For help on solving home problems click here

Class Problems

The class problems will be based on the material covered in the first hour of lecture. If a group member did not attend the lecture, they will most likely not be able to contribute fully to the group effort and therefore must work on the class problem individually.

Team Evaluation Form

From time to time we have had two or three groups that have had a disparity in the work effort or have a group member coninually showing up unprepared to begin the problem set. This behavior puts pressure on the other members of the group and causes frustration within the group. Because students have told me after the term they did not feel comfortable complaining directly to the instructor, a team evaluation form was suggested. This form is to be individually handed directly to the T.A. the last week of class and not discussed with other members of the group.

ChE 344 Confidential Team Evaluation

Copyright 2013