Notes on Mastering Astronomy

Setup

You must have a Mastering Astronomy Subscription. Homework, Reading Reviews and Exam Reviews will be assigned and can only be done in Mastering Astronomy.
Access through http://masteringastronomy.com
If you bought a new textbook the subscription comes with it. Otherwise you need to buy the access code separately.
It might take a few days to setup your account and get going. Get your subscription now and get started!
Make sure you do the first assignments due Friday, August 30 and Wednesday, September 4. These assignments are extra credit but are important to learn the material AND to get familiar with Mastering Astronomy

The initial assignments are for extra credit. The first assignment required for 100% credit is the first homework due on Friday, September 6.
There are Homework, Reading Reviews, and Exam Reviews. Exam Reviews are for practice only without point values.
Points awarded for each problem, and the grading policy may vary. Make sure you click on "Grading Policy" for each assignment (when you first click on the assignment and see a list of all the tasks you should see that link near the top)to understand how points are awarded.
Typically there is a penalty for multiple tries.
There is a penalty for late submissions of 10% per day late until 50% is reached. Beyond that you can do the problem until the class ends with a 50% penalty.
There is no penalty on using hints.

You can use the "Study Area" (Button in upper right) - there is information on the various chapters as well as tutorials and quizzes. This area is completely private and none of your activities there are graded or reported to the instructor. Use it as much as you like.
To begin officially an assignment for grading purposes make sure you select the "Assignment" tab and click on the assignment you wish to work on.
Some of the assignments are tutorials. These are not optional but for credit and part of the assignment.
- Read about what your score is based on before launching the tutorial - its described above the launch button.
- Launch the tutorial
- Note that there is a penalty for not answering correctly the first time.
- Once you are done you MUST PRESS THE SAVE BUTTON. This is the button with the "S" in the lower right corner of the tutorial window. Otherwise your work is lost when you leave the tutorial window.
- This should get you back to the screen where you launched the tutorial. You can launch the tutorial again to continue to work on it.
- Once you are COMPLETELY done and have saved your work you can submit it by pressing "Submit".
- YOU CAN ONLY SUBMIT ONCE. Once the tutorial is submitted the score is final. You cannot go back to the tutorial again.
- Without submitting you cannot get credit and you must submit before the due date for an "on time" completion of the assignment. Saved but not submitted work cannot be graded.