Creating a New Problem Set

To start, we will describe the process for someone who is able to type in Unix commands to a terminal window on FYM. As time goes by, we should be able to refine the process so that it is simpler.

There are three parts to creating a new problem set:

Create a new set definition file

1. Login to fym.la.asu.edu using ssh. This is like using telnet, but it encrypts the information passed between fym and the computer at which you are sitting, hence it is more secure. Your regular fym account, the one you are logging into, needs to be blessed with the right privileges for you to do the following. The WeBWork guru can set this up for you.
2. Move to the "templates" directory for your course using the cd command. Where this is located will vary, but the WeBWork guru can set up your account so that it is something like:

   cd webwork/mat117

   to get to the right place for 117.
3. Make up a name for the new problem set (no spaces). For this discussion, we will pretend that the name is "Trig".
4. Copy an existing set definition file to be the new one you want:

   cp set0.def setTrig.def

5. Make a directory to hold the new problem files.

   mkdir setTrig

6. Edit the file you made above, setTrig.def, so that all of the problem files are to be found in setTrig instead of set0.
7. Copy some dummy problem files into the new directory setTrig:

   cp set0/* setTrig

Write the actual problems

This part is covered on a different web page.

Activate the problem set for the students

Login to WeBWork for the course you are working on. From the Professor's page, go to "Build Problem Set Page" (it is the 4th area on the Professor's page). WeBWork uses the term "building" problem sets to mean activating them for students. Really, this is creating space in its scoring database for the student's scores and responses to the problems. The problems then become available when we reach the start day/time as specified in the set definition file for this problem set. Note, for the students to be able to do problems, you need to both build the problem set and hit the start time.

Note, for the same page where you build problem sets, you can edit the set definition file. That file specifies

• The location of the files containing problems for this problem set
• The start and end dates for the problem set
• The number of points per problem. Note, if you want partial credit for a multi-part problem, that is specified within the file for that particular problem.
• The number of attempts students are allowed for that problem.
• Other options which seem too arcane to specify here

The work represented here was produced with partial support from a grant by the National Science Foundation (DUE-0125369).