Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of commonly asked questions about the self-review library, to help you to get up to speed quickly.
1. When should I start using the self-review library?
3. How do the review mode and weekly mode quizzes connect to my class homework and quiz grades?
5. Are the questions for each lecture placed at the same level of difficulty?
6. Are there any special formats to use when entering numerical values into the quiz forms?
7. What do I need to have with me when taking quizzes?
8. Do I always need to retype my last name and access code when taking a new quiz?
9. How similar are the exam questions to those found in the self-review library?
10. Where are the individual lecture slides hidden?
11. I think that I found an error in a problem on one of my self-review quizzes. What should I do?
1. When should I start using the self-review library?
You should take self-review quizzes as a regular part of your weekly studying for this course. Some students experiment with the self-review library in the first week of class, and then use it regularly at a set time each week – that way, when it is time to study for the midterm exam they are experienced users, and know how to use the library efficiently. Others like to take a few review quizzes immediately after each lecture, to make sure that they are getting the right stuff out of the lectures. A few students wait until two weeks before the midterm exam, and then try to make up for lost time by taking review quizzes continuously for many ten hour blocks – but this doesn't work very well (and all of their missed weekly quizzes are still recorded as zeroes).
We can report that those who study steadily throughout the semester both do
well on their exams and have the lowest blood pressure levels.
2. I typed my last name and access code into the quiz form, but the self-review library said that I did not have access to this information. Why?
In order to have an account created for you, you must have registered properly
for your astronomy class. If you have just done so, you might have to wait a
day for your account to be created. If problems persist, please let us know.
3. How do the review mode and weekly mode quizzes connect to my class homework and quiz grades?
When you work in review (or practice) mode, you are completing your class homework. Complete 20 or more review mode quizzes, or 100 homework problems, each week. Once you have done so and are routinely scoring 80% and 100%, you should be ready for the weekly quiz on the same material.
Note that when you work through your homework problems in review mode, you
have links to the lecture materials and to problem-specific hints provided
for each question. These links are not provided on the weekly quizzes.
4. I noticed that some of the self-review questions for the first lecture (Contents of the Universe) concern topics we did not cover much in class. Will that be the norm, or the exception?
Because we spend quite a bit of time during the first course meeting going over the syllabus and the way that the course works, we are not able to spend as much time as we would like on astronomical topics (such as the different elements of the periodic table). Because of this, the self-review hints for lecture #1 questions are quite detailed. If a question seems new to you just read through the associated hint (click on the question mark symbol below the question), and all should become clear.
The alternative would be to ask you questions about the syllabus rather than
about astronomy, but we would rather focus on the science here!
5. Are the questions for each lecture placed at the same level of difficulty?
The questions for lectures 1 through 3 are somewhat less challenging than those for lectures 4 through 26. This is to give everyone a chance to get familiar with the self-review library initially, and then come up to speed and begin to focus on the astronomy topics.
Make sure to give yourself plenty of time to study when you begin to work on
lectures 4 and 5, so that you are not taken by surprise. These lectures deal
with visualizing the movements of the Moon around the Earth and the Earth
around the Sun with each passing day, month, and year, and this material can
seem tricky at first glance.
6. Are there any special formats to use when entering numerical values into the quiz forms?
Remember that your answers will be read by a computer, so you need to use clear, consistent notation. If your answer is 100, for example, then you could enter "100", "1e2", or "1.0e2" and be fine (leaving out the quotation marks, of course). If you entered "one-hundred", "10 x 10", "10 0", or "I forgot my calculator!", however, your answer would be marked incorrect.
It is always a good idea to take a number of quizzes in review mode for each
lecture before taking the formal weekly quiz, so that you have a chance
to familiarize yourself with the nomenclature (words) used for each topic, and
with the content, ahead of time.
7. What do I need to have with me when taking quizzes?
It is a good idea to have a calculator handy when taking quizzes, as some of
mathematical questions are easier to do with assistance. You should prepare
yourself for taking quizzes the same way you would prepare for any evaluation,
by being well-rested, having reviewed the appropriate topics ahead of time,
and having a quiet environment for study.
8. Do I always need to retype my last name and access code when taking a new quiz?
You do not need to keep retyping your name and password when taking new quizzes.
If you are working from your own personal computer, then you can go ahead and
"remember this password" when your web browser asks for permission to do so.
You will then be logged in automatically whenever you return to the
self-review web page.
If you are working from a public computer, then after taking your first quiz
of a sequence simply select "Redo Quiz" rather than "New Quiz" and you will
automatically get a quiz on the same set of lecture topics, without having to
log in again.
9. How similar are the exam questions to those found in the self-review library?
Every exam contains questions drawn directly from the self-review library.
When you use the self-review library to study, you are familiarizing yourself
with the exact material that we think is most important within each lecture
topic.
10. Where are the lecture slides hidden?
To review the lecture slides for a particular topic, select the appropriate
lecture from the menu at the top of the page. You will be redirected to a
cover page for the lecture. On the left side of the page you will see a list
of numbers: these are the individual lecture slides. Click on each number in
turn to review that particular slide.
11. I think that I found an error in a problem on one of my self-review quizzes. What should I do?
Alert the press! Declare an emergency ... or not.
This self-review library has been created by Professor Nicole Vogt and some of
her graduate students, so a few typos and mistakes are probably in there along
with all of the astronomy. Please help us by identifying any problems that
you see! The easiest way to do so is to click on the link labeled
Comments at the bottom of the solution page to your quiz. Any
information written there will go directly to us, and we will be very grateful
(probably grateful enough to dispense class extra credit, in fact).
12. I have an idea for a new self-review question, based on one of the lecture topics. Are you interested in hearing about it?
We are delighted when students suggest additional questions for use in the self-review library! Please let us know of your ideas, as it is very helpful to have a range of styles and levels used for questions.