Apply the Posting Template to All Precalculus Homework Forums

[J77]

I quite like how in some of the homework sections there's the new "posting template" - highlighting an attempt at the solution.

Can this be put across to all homework forums, eg. precalculus?

 

[cristo]

The homework posting template does appear when a new thread is created in all homework sections (to see this, just go into the relevant forum and click "new thread"). However, there are some posters who still ignore the template, although this is getting fewer and fewer, and is normally first time posters.

 

[J77]

Perhaps there should be a rule that no help is given if the template is not used?

 

[cristo]

Well, we do have the rule that no help can be given until the poster has shown his work, and when he has not used the template, personally, I try and encourage him to do so in future.

Such a rule is a good idea, since the template makes the work a lot easier to help with. I'm not sure whether it's all that necessary (there aren't that many posters not using the template) or whether for those that don't use the template, that it would work! I could imagine a situation in which one person reminds the poster to use the template, whilst another comes and gives help.

Anyway, good suggestion, and I'm sure others will have something to say on the matter.

 

[Gokul43201]

Perhaps there should be a rule that no help is given if the template is not used?

I quote from the Guidelines:

Homework Help:
On posting questions: Any and all high school and undergraduate homework assignments or textbook style exercises for which you are seeking assistance are to be posted in the appropriate forum in our Homework & Coursework Questions area. This should be done whether or not the problem is part of one's coursework. The reason for this is that the scientific and mathematical sections of Physics Forums are to be reserved for discussions and not academic assistance. Since graduate level assignments are meant to be more thought provoking (and hence more worthy of discussion), graduate level questions will be allowed in the relevant part of the main section of PF, provided that the graduate student attempts the problem and shows his work. NOTE: You MUST show that you have attempted to answer your question in order to receive help. You MUST make use of the homework template, which automatically appears when a new topic is created in the homework help forums.

On helping with questions: Any and all assistance given to homework assignments or textbook style exercises should be given only after the questioner has shown some effort in solving the problem. If no attempt is made then the questioner should be asked to provide one before any assistance is given. Under no circumstances should complete solutions be provided to a questioner, whether or not an attempt has been made.

There is, of course, no good way to prevent a relatively new user from helping posters that do not use the template (or that do not do anything more than type up the question and say URGENT!).

If you see someone posting a question without using the template or showing their effort towards answering it, please remind them of the rules and require that they do this first. If you see people helping (and definitely if they are providing complete solutions) with questions that are posed without the OP showing effort, then do report such posts so they can be deleted and the poster warned to follow the Guidelines.

 

[J77]

Oh - there is a new rule

 

[Moonbear]

In some cases, a question gets posted in the wrong forum and is moved to the HW forum, in which case, the benefit of the template is not available. We still remind students they need to show their work when such a thread is moved.

If they provide all the information required in the template, without actually using the template, that's not such a big deal, especially if they are new and perhaps don't know how to work with the template yet. But, if they are just posting questions and not even showing work, and have deleted the template, then please do not offer help until they DO show their work.

 

[mattmns]

Note that for PF Nexus there is no template!

 

[trajan22]

yeah i was just about to say that Matt. I have mine set to nexus and I don't get the template when I ask questions