WeBWork Communication and Documentation 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which WeBWorK feature allows an instructor to send a message to all students enrolled in a course?
- Direct email via the Email tool in Instructor Tools (Correct answer)
- Posting a message on the WeBWorK home page header
- Creating a dummy homework set with a note
- Editing the course.conf file
Correct answer: Direct email via the Email tool in Instructor Tools
The Email tool in Instructor Tools lets instructors compose and send messages to all students or selected groups.
Question 2: When documenting a custom problem file in WeBWorK, which Perl comment style is conventionally used?
- ## double-hash comments
- // C-style comments
- # single-hash comments (Correct answer)
- <!-- HTML comments -->
Correct answer: # single-hash comments
Since WeBWorK problems are written in Perl (PG language), single-hash # comments are the standard convention.
Question 3: A student submits an answer and gets 'Incorrect' but believes their method is valid. What is the recommended first communication step?
- Email the WeBWorK server administrator
- Use the Feedback button on the problem page to contact the instructor (Correct answer)
- Post publicly in the course forum immediately
- Reset the problem and resubmit without comment
Correct answer: Use the Feedback button on the problem page to contact the instructor
The Feedback button sends a problem-specific message to the instructor with context about the student's submission.
Question 4: What information is automatically included when a student uses the WeBWorK Feedback button?
- Only the student's name and email
- The problem text, student answers, and set/problem identifiers (Correct answer)
- The student's full grade report
- A screenshot of the browser window
Correct answer: The problem text, student answers, and set/problem identifiers
WeBWorK automatically attaches the problem content, the student's current answers, and the set/problem ID to the feedback message.
Question 5: Which file in a WeBWorK course directory typically stores course-level configuration and documentation notes set by the instructor?
- course.conf (Correct answer)
- global.conf
- localOverrides.conf
- webwork.conf
Correct answer: course.conf
The course.conf file holds course-specific settings and is where instructors document custom configuration choices.
Question 6: When an instructor exports a hardcopy (PDF) of a homework set for documentation purposes, which tool is used?
- The Hardcopy Generator in Instructor Tools (Correct answer)
- The Statistics tool under Reports
- The Problem Editor export function
- The Library Browser download option
Correct answer: The Hardcopy Generator in Instructor Tools
The Hardcopy Generator creates a PDF version of a homework set, which can be used for record-keeping or distribution.
Question 7: What does the 'reduced scoring' period documentation in a WeBWorK set indicate to students?
- The set is locked and no submissions are accepted
- Submissions during this window receive a reduced percentage of full credit (Correct answer)
- Only the instructor can modify problems during this time
- The set will be permanently deleted after the period ends
Correct answer: Submissions during this window receive a reduced percentage of full credit
Reduced scoring periods allow late submissions but award only a fraction of full credit, and this policy should be clearly communicated to students.
WeBWork Communication and Documentation 2
Which WeBWorK feature allows an instructor to send a message to all students enrolled in a course?