Toolkits

The purpose of the toolkit is two-fold. Firstly, it is to provide the student with a self-made resource that can be used on exams and homework assignments. Secondly, it is used to evaluate the students understanding of important concepts related to the class.

With regards to the first point, the student needs to realize that this not just something to do to get a ‘grade’. Rather it is to provide the opportunity to explain your understanding. It is about learning, not just the grade.

We take care to choose prompts that target the most important concepts with respect to the content being learned.

With this in mind, students must….

NOT DELAY – completion of the prompt is an important stepping stone to complete understanding of this topic and most likely the next topic. If the student is unable to complete the prompt when it is assigned then this is a signal that they need extra help – now!

BE CORRECT – completing the prompt incorrectly only solidifies misunderstanding and leads to further confusion. Copying someone else’s response is not a good idea for two reasons. They might be wrong. And you are writing down what someone else ‘knows’. This is supposed to be about you.

BE THOROUGH – carefully read the prompt and respond to each and every part. This is not fluff, it is important. Be sure to satisfy the rubric. Remember that not only do you need to be able to understand what you have written, but so does the teacher. We are not very good at reading between the lines to determine what you really meant.

USE APPROPRIATE ‘LANGUAGE’ – this is a mathematics course and therefore your responses must use equations, formulas, algebraic expressions, graphs, and/or written language.

ASK WHEN IN DOUBT – our job is to make sure that you are learning, so if you do not understand, come and see us. The worst scenario is to ask what was wrong after it has been graded.