WeBWorK Guide for Students

WeBWorK Fundamentals:

  • Be sure to check your City Tech e-mail as your instructor will be sending you your login and password information to your WeBWorK account. You will log on to WeBWorK here: http://mathww.citytech.cuny.edu/webwork2/ and be sure to look for your class and instructor’s name.
  • It is not recommended to change your password. If you change your password and forget it, you will have to wait for your instructor to reset your password.
  • Pay close attention to the due dates for each problem set. You are always able to review the problems after the set closes, but you will not be graded for completing problems after the due date.
  • After a problem set is due, most problems include a full solution at the bottom.
  • You can generate a PDF copy of any problem set, and after the due date, you may generate a PDF that includes the solutions.
  • Make sure to try each problem at least once. After your first attempt, most problems have a “hint” that will become available once you’ve tried the problem.
  • If your instructor has enabled it, you may be able to practice multiple versions of the same problem by clicking “Show Me Another.” Additional versions are only for practice, and will not affect your grade.
  • Incorrect attempts will not affect your grade. However, if your instructor has enabled the “Show Me Another” feature, you should practice problems until you can get them right on your first attempt.

 

Entering your answers:

  • Read the directions for each problem carefully. Each problem will tell you what to look out for – reduced fractions; decimal form; exact form; reduced radicals; etc.
  • Use “sqrt(…)” to write square roots.
  • In order to avoid issues with the order of operations, make sure to use parentheses around your numerators and denominators when writing answers that are fractions. “(numerator)/(denominator)”
  • Use “Preview My Answers” to see how WeBWorK interprets your answer – does it look like what you intended?

 

Ask For Help / OpenLab:

This is a very quick process once you know how to access your City Tech email.

  • When you’re stuck on a problem in WeBWorK, you should use the “Ask For Help” button on the problem page. This will open a new tab and ask you to log into the OpenLab. Sign in with your OpenLab account and ask your question – be sure to include an explanation of what you’ve already tried! You’ll receive an email when your question is answered. The site you will be using is: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/ol-webwork/
  • You can also review questions that have already been asked about the problem you’re on, there might already be an answer that helps you out!
  • If you find an answer that helps you out, give it a thumbs up to help other students find this useful answer.