How To

Submit Documents Through MyBLC

Acceptable Submission Format

Submit files only in Adobe Portable Document Format (pdf) unless another format is specifically requested by the instructor. If you use software that cannot produce PDF files, you may print out your work and use the instructions below for scanning your document from hard copy to PDF, or you can use a file conversion site to convert the file. Make sure that the following information is at the top of each page of your document: your name, the assignment number or title, the number of the current page, the total number of pages and the date.

Names of Submitted Files

When submitting files, name them as follows:

Last_Name, First_Name, Assignment_Name.pdf

Replace Last_Name with your own last name, First_Name with your own first name as it appears in MyBLC, and Assignment_Name with the assignment name in MyBLC, e.g., “01.81 - Problems”. Note that spacing and capitalization do matter, so, for example, “01.81 - Problems” is not the same as “01.81-Problems” – the spaces surrounding the hyphen are missing in the latter.

From a Computer

Open the document with whatever program was used to create it.
Make sure that the following information is at the top of each page of your document: your name, the assignment number or title, the number of the current page, the total number of pages and the date. You can do this quickly using the header feature in most word processing programs. Failure to place this header on each page results in a 5% deduction to the score.
If the program offers the ability to save in Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), do so. The last part of the file name must end up being “.pdf”. Some programs will add this last part (called the “extension”), others will not.
If the program does not offer the ability to save or export as a PDF, there is often the option of printing the document to PDF.
If you cannot find a way to save, export or print the file as a PDF, print a copy on paper and then follow the instructions for submitting hard copy to MyBLC.
Once the PDF is in your e-mail client, save it to a suitable folder or your desktop.
In the Coursework entry for the assignment that you are submitting, locate and click the “Upload a file” button.
Click the “Browse…” button and navigate to and click on the PDF that you saved earlier.
You may enter a short description in the Label field. You may enter longer notes to the instructor under the Description field.
When you have selected the file and entered whatever information you want in the fields, click the “Add File” button to submit the file.
When you have finished submitting files, you may click the “Turn in …” button to submit everything to the instructor. On most assignments, you can continue to submit revisions up to the deadline date and time.
Remember that, unless otherwise stipulated in the assignment instructions, only the final file will be viewed by the instructor and graded. Do not submit a series of pages. Submit a single file in the appropriate format.

From Hard Copy

To submit from hard copy to MyBLC, locate one of the many Toshiba copiers on campus. These copiers have a control panel with buttons including “MENU”, “COPY”, “e-FILING”, “SCAN”, etc., and a touch screen. Locations include Honsey Hall student work centers, the library, the YFAC, the SFC and the Meyer Hall Workroom. The copier in the Meyer Hall Mac Lab is accessible but requires the password, “11111”.
On the touchscreen, press “E-MAIL”.
On the touchscreen, press “INPUT @”. This is a smaller button, usually displayed in the upper, left corner.
On the touchscreen, enter your e-mail address and then press “OK”
Verify the e-mail address that is displayed on the screen that appears.
On the touchscreen, press “OK”.
Place your hard copy in the document feeder tray, following the on-tray instructions for which side must be face up.
On the touchscreen, press “OK”.
On the touchscreen, press “SCAN”, or hit the green “START” button.
The document will feed through, and a PDF file will be sent to the e-mail address you typed. If you want to continue sending PDFs to the same e-mail address, put another document in the feeder and press the green “START” button.
When you have finished, press the “COPY” button to reset the machine for normal use.
Once the PDF is in your e-mail client, save it to a suitable folder or your desktop.
In the Coursework entry for the assignment that you are submitting, locate and click the “Upload a file” button.
Click the “Browse…” button and navigate to and click on the PDF that you saved earlier.
You may enter a short description in the Label field. You may enter longer notes to the instructor under the Description field.
When you have selected the file and entered whatever information you want in the fields, click the “Add File” button to submit the file.
When you have finished submitting files, you may click the “Turn in …” button to submit everything to the instructor. On most assignments you can continue to submit revisions up to the deadline date and time.
Remember that, unless otherwise stipulated in the assignment instructions, only the final file will be viewed by the instructor and graded. Do not submit a series of pages. Submit a single file in the appropriate format.

Study

General

“You cannot be taught physics, you have to learn it!”

Review and understand: old exams, class notes and homework problems, textbook examples, etc.
Study with another student or in a small group – you learn best by teaching others.
Come to class, pay attention, take good notes and focus on understanding.
Understand the point of physics demonstrations presented in class.
Work textbook problems that seem confusing, but do not spend too much time on any one problem.
Review conceptual questions presented in class and at the end of each chapter.
Read the textbook, but do not waste time reviewing sections you already understand.
Keep up with the reading.
Review a little each day; do not wait until the last minute.
Do not memorize - understanding physics requires higher-level thinking skills.
Do not spend too much time studying topics that are not covered in class.
Get a good night’s rest the day before an examination.

Adapted from http://user.physics.unc.edu/~deardorf/phys25/studytips.html.

Prepare for Class

Reading the text and solving homework problems is a cycle. You need to read before working on problems. Your work on problems will lead you to questions. Questions lead to answers that lead back to more questions. You need to enter into this cycle before coming to class, so that in class you can ask questions. An entire chapter will often be devoted to the consequences of a single basic principle. You should look for these basic principles. These Laws of Nature give order to the physicists’ view of the universe. Moreover, nearly all of the problems that you will be faced with in a physics course can be analyzed by means of one or more of these laws.

When looking for relationships among topics, you may note that in many instances a specific problem is first analyzed in great detail. Then the setting of the problem is generalized into more abstract results. When such generalizations are made, you should refer back to the case that was previously cited and make sure that you understand how the general theory applies to the specific problem. Then see if you can think of other problems to which that general principle applies. Some suggestions for your physics reading:

Make use of the preview that you did prior to the class. Again, quickly look at the major points of the chapter. Think back to the points stressed in class and any questions you might have written down.
Read the homework problems first. If specific homework problems have not yet been assigned, select several and look these over. Critically assess what principles seem to be most significant in the assigned chapter. Based upon your brief review of the class and your examination of the problems, try to generate questions in your mind that you want the chapter to answer.
Read actively with questions in mind. A passive approach to reading physics wastes your time. Read with a pencil and paper beside the book to jot down questions and notes. If you find that you are not reading actively, once again take a look at the problems and the lecture notes. Read to learn, not to cover material.
Stop periodically and pointedly recall the material that you have read. It is a good idea to repeat material aloud and especially to add notes from the textbook into the margins of your class notes.

During your reading, you will notice sections, equations or ideas that apply directly to assigned problems. After you have read such a section, stop and analyze its application to a homework problem. The interplay of reading and problem solving is part of the cycle of question → answer → question → …. It helps you gain insights that are not possible by reading alone, even careful reading alone. Passive reading is simply following the chain of thought in the text. Active reading also involves exploring the possibilities of what is being read. By actively combining the questions that are inherent in problem solving with your reading, you enhance both your concentration while reading and your ability to recall and to apply the material.

Adapted from http://www.ph.utexas.edu/~turner/classes/HowToStudyPhysics.htm.

Prepare for a Quiz

Preparing for a quiz requires three different, simultaneous approaches. First, the student should ask himself/herself, “Which pieces of information are most important and impart the most understanding about the topic under study?” The answer to this first question should guide the student in rationing time properly. Secondly, the student should seek to understand what the overall goal of the material is, asking, “How does the information fit together?“ Finally, the student should examine the materials provided by the instructor and prepare (by memorization, etc.) those items noted.

Prepare for a Test or Examination

Tests are cumulative. Information from all previous quizzes and the class periods immediately preceding the test will be required for success. First, study all previous quizzes. Make sure to obtain the correct answers for the quizzes and study the corrected information. Secondly, study the materials covered in class since the last quiz as though preparing for a quiz on those topics.

Learning Disabilities

Ask for Special Considerations

If you have been diagnosed with a learning disorder or disability that may require special accommodations, please contact the Registrar’s Office as soon as possible with the details and any appropriate medical documentation. Special accommodations can be made for coursework in the class once requested by the Registrar.

General

Make an Appointment

To set an appointment with the instructor, please contact him by e-mail or in person to set up a time.

If the student has obtained an appointment with the instructor to make up work, but circumstances intervene and make it impossible for him/her to make the appointment time, he/she is responsible for informing the instructor as soon as possible, preferably before the appointment time. Repeated failure to appear at the appointment or to make alternative arrangements in a timely manner will have consequences. For example, the student may no longer be offered opportunity to make up work.

Use a Multiple Choice Answer Sheet

Using a #2 pencil, write the six(6) digits of your Student ID into the boxes on the upper right-hand side of the provided Answer Sheet. Write only one digit per box. Beneath each of these six boxes, fully darken the oval with the same digit as the digit you wrote in the box at the top of the column. Write your name in the Name blank on the upper left-hand side of the same Answer Sheet.

For each numbered question on this Question Sheet, locate the row on the Answer Sheet with the same number as the question, then fully darken the oval corresponding to the letter of the best answer given on the Answer Sheet for the numbered question. Do not leave any numbered question unanswered. If you do not know the answer to a question, guess and fully darken an oval. Do not darken more than one circle per question. Do not make marks outside of the ovals inside the dark outer box. Failure to follow these instructions may result in a lowering of the grade due to scanner rejection.

Write an Essay

Topic Sentence

When assigned an essay, the very first thing that the student should do is to decide upon a suitable topic sentence. The topic sentence should answer the question that has been asked in the assignment instructions. The easiest way to write the first draft of such a sentence is to take the question posed, rewrite it as a statement and append “because,” followed by the reasons for the student’s answer. Once the essay has been fleshed out a bit with reasons, supporting facts, etc. (see below), the student should, if time permits, rewrite the topic sentence more smoothly.

Support

Typically, an essay should have at least two, preferably three or more, reasons supporting the topic sentence. Once the topic sentence has been decided, the student should write down as many distinct reasons for the topic sentence as possible. These reasons constitute the main point of an outline. Each reason must then be supported with details. The details form the subordinate points of the outline. Each reason should be clearly supported by at least two, preferably three or more, details that support the reason. Finally, whenever possible, each detail should have at least one fact or quotation to support it.

Format

Each page should be typed, with one-inch margins, 12pt Times family font, double space and a minimum of 280 words or 1,400 letters in length.

Absence

Excused Absence Request

When you are planning ahead to be absent for a class, submit the following information by e-mail to the instructor at least one full day in advance of the class:

Make the subject of e-mail: PHYS213A Excused Absence Request
Your full name
Your preferred e-mail address
The full class designation and section letter, e.g., PHYS213A
The date(s) you plan to be absent from class
The reason you plan to be absent from the class

Please make sure that the subject line is exact , since an e-mail processing program will draw such requests to the instructor’s attention immediately. If you use the link to send the e-mail, it will automatically have the correct subject line.

Please note that you may plan to be absent for recreational purpose, but that is not a valid reason for an excused absence. Remember that you have two unexcused absences for such purposes.

Upon receipt of the Excused Absence Request by the instructor, a reply e-mail will be sent automatically. This e-mail shows that the request was received; it does not constitute a granting of the request. Once the instructor has reviewed the request, an Excused Absence Receipt will be sent by e-mail. You must keep this receipt for one year. Finally, the student must then reply to the Excused Absence Receipt in order for the excused absence to be properly logged. Should a clerical error occur and the excuse not be recorded, the receipt is needed. Without the receipt, a disputed absence will be considered unexcused.

Make-Up Work

To make up work, the student must secure a mutually convenient appointment time with the instructor (See “Making an Appointment” above) and inform the instructor which work he/she wishes to make up. Such appointments must be made in a timely manner. Repeated failure to appear at such appointments or to make alternative arrangements in a timely manner may result in a zero grade for the missed work.

Report Errors in Course Materials

Report an Error in an Assignment Key

To report an error in an assignment key, navigate to the Error Reporting forum. There post a clear description of the error. Make the subject of your post:

AssignmentName, Problem/QuestionNumber

where AssignmentName is replaced with the exact name of the assignment, for example
01.81 - Problems

and the Problem/QuestionNumber is the number of the problem including a part letter if one is needed, e.g., 5(a). Posts with other subject lines will not be processed properly and may be discarded. (Remember, computer programs are dumb and don’t care, so you have to be smart and careful when you use them.)

Laboratory Notebook

Notebook

You will need a National Brand Lab Book (5x5 Quad, Green Marble, 10.125x7.875 Inches, 60 Sheets). These are quadrille ruled so you can do rough graphs and neat tables. No other notebook is acceptable for the purposes of this class.
Number the pages if they are not already numbered. Keep a table of contents at the beginning (a couple of pages should suffice). You needn’t put in a reference to every page, but list the important ones.
All written work must appear in the bound notebook. Completeness matters a great deal more than neatness.
Each entry in the notebook should begin with date, time. This includes working at home entries.
Data should have units and uncertainty. The method of collection should be noted. All data symbols should be defined in words at least once. It is unacceptable to write “V = -1.25”. It's better to write “The voltage across grid g3 is -1.25 V as measured with a Fluke 165 multimeter.” If you are too hurried for that, try “g3 voltage = -1.25 V (brown Fluke)”. A reader must be able to understand what you measured from the laboratory notebook alone. Would it make sense to you if you read over it ten years from now?
An uncertainty has the same units as the number it is describing. Write the number and its uncertainty in parenthesis followed by the unit and, if appropriate, the power of ten. Write (5.5 + 0.2) kHz as opposed to 5.5 kHz + 200 Hz.
Do not make any erasures in the notebook, nor remove any pages. If a mistake is made, neatly cross it out with a single line (consider that the mistake may not be a mistake after all) and explain briefly what went wrong. Loose pages (for example, semi-log graphs) must be pasted in with a good glue stick.
Tables and graphs should have a descriptive title. There should be no doubt what data was used to plot the graph. Graphs must have axis labels, units, and should have error bars.
Include circuit diagrams and drawings. Include derivations of equations you use. Include references for outside information. In short, include everything that pertains to your work in the laboratory!
The laboratory book must be self-contained. I should not have to refer to the laboratory write-up in order to determine what question you are answering. For example, “No it is not.” is not acceptable; “The peak-to-peak voltage on the scope is not the same as the meter reading.” is better.
Data analysis is included in the notebook. If you write a program to do some computations, include a listing of the program code; if you use a standard package, identify the package and include a copy of the output. If you use Excel I need to see the computation equations not just the results.
Do initial analysis, rough graphs, etc., as you collect data. You will be more confident that you have valid data. Include copies of Excel data sheets and plots; results, conclusions. You can always change your mind or your analysis later and include a revised improved version. When in doubt, plot it. It is always better to have too many data analyses than not enough. Don’t wait until you “have it right” to put it in the lab book. Results and rough analysis should be in the notebook before the end of lab!!!
Include a summary of results. Make written conclusions. Include questions or confusions you are thinking about. A laboratory notebook is not “a finished work” (that’s the lab report), it’s a running record of your thoughts, your processes, your experimental details, your analysis, your understanding, everything. A notebook should have sufficient detail that you can return to it in 5 years and understand what you did, how you did it, why you did it (even the dumb things) and what results were obtained.