I have been getting a steady stream of emails revealing some confusion over projects versus technology assignments. Let’s start with Projects.
A project is an involved problem which you have 4 to 5 weeks to solve. You’ll find your first project under the Projects button in MyLabsPlus. Each project starts with a project letter that sets out what you need to solve. Sometimes there is data in a separate link you need to use and in other cases you create the data based on your social security number or the number of letters in your name. Once you have solved the problem, you document your solution in a technical memo. This written document introduces the problem, lays out the strategy for solving the problem, carries out the calculation, and provides some insights on the solution. You will learn how to write this document in the class. How it is graded and the required format is laid out in the link Documenting Your Solution under the Projects button in MyLabsPlus.
Left to solve this on your own, most students would wait till the last minute and turn in an incorrect solution. You need to be working on this project throughout the four to five weeks you have to solve the problem. You also need feedback on your work throughout this period. This is where the technology assigments come in. Technology assignments are designed to help you navigate the solution strategy for the project. By completing the technology assignments, you are learning the technology and mathematics you’ll need to achieve a successful solution. For instance, in MAT 152 this week you are finding your data for the project and creating a scatter plot of the data. This is NOT the solution to Project 1. However, this is one step out of several to get to the solution. Typically, you submit some file to the Dropbox at the end of a technology assignment. This is usually an Excel file or a Word file (the assignment will specify which type of file).
If there are any further questions or points I need to clear up, send me a comment on this post.
