Student Registration: UT Homework Service


Three steps are required to start to use the internet-based University of Texas Homework Service (each step is explained in more detail below):

  1. First, obtain a 'Guest' EID (Electronic ID).
  2. Second, register in your class in the UT Homework Service.
  3. Third, download your first assignment.

However, before you start doing anything, make sure you satisfy the ...

Minimum Browser Requirements

The UT EID System requires a standards-compliant web browser with support for SSL and with Javascript and cookies enabled. It is strongly recommended that you use current generation browsers whenever possible. The following are the browsers supported by the UT EID System:

The latest versions of these browsers can be downloaded from Microsoft, from Mozilla, or from Apple/Safari.

Other browsers may or may not work with the UT EID system. The encrypted form pages will NOT work properly with Internet Explorer on the Macintosh. Netscape 7.0 or higher, and Firefox 1.0 or higher should work though they are not officially supported.

Information related to many browser issues/errors can be found at:
https://hw.utexas.edu/bur/enableCookies.html.

Please include operating system and browser information (including version numbers) if you need to contact UT Help Desk (see below) about login problems.

Step 1: Obtain a 'Guest' UT EID

If you already have a UT EID, go to Step 2. One EID will allow you to log into multiple classes in the system.

To obtain your 'guest' EID, go to the URL:

utdirect.utexas.edu/nlogon/eid_suite/essentials/create_eid.WBX?portal_role=O
and follow the directions provided there. If you get a message related to 'an EID already exists with your last name and birthday,' you should be able to force the system to create your EID by resubmitting your information. Please store the EID and password in a safe place. I may be able to retrieve your EID, but password retrieval can only be done via the UT Help Desk (see below).

NEVER create a second EID.

The UT Help Desk handles all questions related to the login and lost passwords. The Homework Service cannot help with passwords.

Step 2: Register with the Homework Service

The unique number that identifies the current class and gets you onto the roster is 22044; you will need to enter this number (later).

Go to the Homework Service URL (https://hw.utexas.edu/). Please note the 's' on https and the trailing /
After the UT EID login, you should be directed to your personalized 'chooseClass' page, which should look like this (when you first logon) ...

(NB: Once you reach this page, all questions need to be addressed to the Homework Service, not to the UT Help Desk.)

Homework Service

University of Texas at Austin


Ima Student
Please select your class below. If it is not there, please register below.

Register as a student.
Student's instructions.
Common difficulties.
Auxiliary instructions.
Send a suggestion or complaint.

Student's Instructions can be downloaded from here (they contains the grading rubric, also, see below).

Use the 'Register as a student' link to register in the class, with the unique number 22044. Please note: leave the response to item #4 as "none". When you return to the URL https://hw.utexas.edu/ you should now see the unique number of the class: for example ...

Homework Service

University of Texas at Austin


Ima Student
Please select your class below. If it is not there, please register below.

22044 with instructor Dr RG Jordan.

Register as a student.
Student's instructions.
Common difficulties.
Auxiliary instructions.
Send a suggestion or complaint.

Click on the course number and use button "5.3 manage info (name, phone number, etc.)" to check/change your information. Please include your e-mail address so I can contact you in case of diffiulties. ALSO, YOU MUST CHANGE THE STUDENT NUMBER FROM THE DEFAULT VALUE TO YOUR CLASS ID*.

* To calculate your ID for this class, start with your social security number (assume it is 321-54-6798). Then you simply add the three groups, e.g., (321)+(54)+(6798)=7173. So, 7173 is the class ID for that ss#. (NOTE: it is NOT the final 4 digits of your ss#). You will need to know your class ID in order to get quiz, test and homework grades.
You must "pad-out" the class ID number to the required 10 digits, so for the example I have given, the student number for the homework service will be 0000007173. Please note, you MUST carry out this step in order to receive credit for the homework!

Step 3: Download/Submit Homework

Log in to the Homework Service (https://hw.utexas.edu/)

1. You can download (or make a copy of) the "Student's Instructions". (Grading rubric, etc.)
2. Download and print your first assignment (usually in pdf format).

After the UT EID login, select your class. Download your first assignment using option 2.1 - Pick up homework.

3. You can submit answers at any time before the due date/time.

After you have worked some questions you can submit answers using option 3.1 - Submit homework. When you submit your answers you will be offered a choice between answering questions one at a time or en-masse; I would strongly urge you to select the "one at a time" option. By doing so you will see whether each individual answer is correct; on a multi-part question that relies on a previous answer, you will need to know whether the previous answer was correct or not! Continue submitting answers until all of your questions have been answered correctly or until the due time arrives; you do not have to submit all the answers at one time nor do you have to complete all the questions. Note, you can view your previous responses by kinkjing to "Show Summary".

The WWW is notorious for having intermittent downtime. It is your responsibility submit your homework in a timely manner. Waiting until just before the deadline to submit answers and then experiencing network trouble is not a valid excuse.

I. Introduction

Via the WWW, computer programs typeset, collect, and score your answers automatically. You can submit your answers one question at a time, several questions at a time, or the entire assignment at once. You get correct/incorrect confirmation immediately after the submission of each answer. You are allowed multiple tries. But, the system awards negative scores for incorrect answers and so, the greater the number of attempts, the less the number of points awarded for a correct answer. (See under VI. Scoring, below.) So, if you cannot determine the correct answer, you are encouraged to get help and try again. Since you can get help and resubmit answers, it is to your advantage to start your homework as soon as it is available. The solutions will be available after the due date (use option 2.2).

II. Numbers

(a) Significant digits and precision: The computer carries out all calculations to at least six significant digits. Do not use "significant figures" algorithms to round off your answer. Do not round off "intermediate" calculations. Six digits are shown in solutions.

To be scored as correct, an answer must be within 1% of the computer's answer (except for an answer of zero, which must be exact). That means you must carry out your calculations to at least three significant figures. You will be informed of any exceptions to this tolerance.

(b) Scientific/Engineering notation ("times 10 to the power"): Very large or very small numbers may be input with "scientific notation", e.g., +3.56e-10, which is 3.56 times ten to the negative tenth power. However, 468 (or 468.0) is just as good as +4.68e+02 or +4.68E+02.

III. Constants and Conversion Factors

Be aware that using conversion factors and/or constants not identical with those used by the algorithm in the computer may cause discrepancies (e.g., using π = 3.14 instead of π = 3.14159265358979324). In general, constants other than those given in the links below should be given in the problem by the instructor.

Constants: are available as HTML, or PDF, or PostScript

Conversion Factors: are available as HTML, or PDF, or PostScript.

IV. Number of Tries Allowed

You will be told immediately whether your answer is right or wrong. If your answer is wrong, you are provided additional opportunities (multiple tries) to get the correct answer, as follows:

(a) Multiple-choice questions : You are allowed (n - 1) tries, where n = "number of choices".

(b) Numerical questions: On "numerical questions" (where you input the number itself), you are allowed seven tries.

V. Randomization of Homework Questions

All students get the same generic question; however, each student has different parameters and hence different answers. The order of the choices are scrambled from version to version.

VI. Scoring

(a) Multiple-choice questions: A student who guesses randomly should, on average, receive the same score as a student who does not give an answer. The multiple-choice scoring scheme corrects for random guessing by giving negative scores for incorrect answers. (The SAT does this also.) This scheme makes haphazard guessing a waste of time, because it will not improve (nor help) your score over the long run.

If you are not sure of the correct answer, but you can eliminate one or more of the choices as wrong, you increase your chances of selecting the correct answer. Statistically, it is to your advantage to answer such a question.

The table below illustrates how the neutral scoring scheme works for a +10.00 point question. The table is subdivided into three blocks, which represent the number of choices for a particular multiple choice question: Block 1 (10 choices); Block 2 (6 or 4 choices); and Block 3 (7 or 3 choices). Each block includes three columns: Try represents the number of times a question is attempted; Right represents the question score if answered correctly on this particular attempt; and Wrong represents the question score if answered incorrectly on this and all previous attempts. For example, when you select the correct choice on the first try, you receive full credit; a score of +10.00. If your answer is incorrect (on a 10 option question), however, you are penalized and you receive a negative score of -1.11 (at least until you try again).

10 choices 6 or 4 choices 7 or 3 choices
TryRightWrong TryRightWrong TryRightWrong
1 +10.00 -1.11 1 +10.00 -2.00 1 +10.00 -1.67
2 +7.78 -2.22 2 +6.00 -4.00 2 +6.67 -3.33
3 +5.56 -3.33 3 +2.00 -6.00 3 +3.33 -5.00
4 +3.33 -4.44 4 -2.00 -8.00 4 +0.00 -6.67
5 +1.11 -5.56 5 -6.00 -10.00 5 -3.33 -8.33
6 -1.11 -6.67 Try Right Wrong 6 -6.67 -10.00
7 -3.33 -7.78 1 +10.00 -3.33 Try Right Wrong
8 -5.56 -8.89 2 +3.33 -6.67 1 +10.00 -5.00
9 -7.78 -10.00 3 -3.33 -10.00 2 +0.00 -10.00


(b) Numerical questions: For more than one try, the full credit score is multiplied by 0.93(t - 1), where "t" is the number of tries. (Note: 0.930 = 1.)

Getting Help

NEVER create a second EID.

Forgotten your EID? I can look it up (once you are in the homework system).

Forgotten your password? There is a "Forgot Your Password" link in the left-hand column of the UT Help Desk (https://utdirect.utexas.edu/nlogon/eid_suite/general/). This page has a lot of helpful links related to the EID system.

For questions related to the class, you should check with me first. You can also email the UT Homework Service (homework@physics.utexas.edu) for assistance (there is a link on the 'chooseClass' page).

Dr. RGJ
January 2006