[WWdevel] Fwd: UMM_math2111_tuba --reporting bugs in problems

[Michael G. <ga...@ma...>]

here are some suggestions from Imre Tuba about simplifying the  
reporting of bugs in problems.

Take care,

mike


Begin forwarded message:

> From: Imre Tuba <it...@mo...>
> Date: October 19, 2005 1:06:56 PM EDT
> To: Michael Gage <ga...@ma...>
> Subject: Re: Fwd: UMM_math2111_tuba --things should be fixed now
>
>
>> Thanks for the info on isolating the problem.  We have it fixed  
>> for now.
>> The change we made in the CSS file was supposed to reduce the  
>> number of problems listed in the left margin, once that list
>> got big.  Apparently some browsers can't handle that CSS code.
>> We'll try something else.
>>
>
> Thanks. Also thanks for simplifying the procedure of replacing  
> broken library problems with corrected local copies.
>
> Here is another suggestion along these lines. Bugs in problems are  
> typically discovered by students. When a bug is discovered I  
> usually have to
>
> 1. Investigate the problem and see if I can fix it. I usually can.
>
> 2. Fix the problem, make a local copy of the file, and replace the  
> broken problem in the homework set with the local copy.
>
> 3. If the problem allowed limited attempts, I need to give students  
> some extra attempts. I can do this individually for each student,  
> which is painful. Or I can just increase the number of attempts  
> allowed for everyone. This is not fair because those students that  
> have not attempted the problem benefit more than those who have  
> wasted some of their attempts in diagnosing the problem. It would  
> be better if the attempt counters could all be reset to 0.
>
> 4. I need to notify the students that there was a mistake.
>
> 5. I need to file a bug report on bugzilla.
>
> Overall, this is a very time consuming process. As mistakes in the  
> library files are rather common, I've had to go through it many  
> times this semester. I wish it could be streamlined. Adding the new  
> option to edit the library file, save a local copy, and replace the  
> problem in the set with the local copy greatly reduced the workload  
> in 2. Simplifying the filing of bug reports would be great. The  
> bugzilla forms are long and awkward, and really do not encourage  
> people to file bug reports. It would be much easier if there was a  
> button on the problem edit page which could be clicked to file a  
> bug report, where a commment can quickly be entered and a corrected  
> source file can be attached. I am convinced this would greatly  
> speed up the process of weeding the bugs out of the library problems.
> -- 
>     Imre
>
>