Dr. Clark Wells

Fall 2002

Description of the Portfolio Project

During the semester, ten problems will be posed to all students. Each student will work on these problems and submit proposed solutions to me at the end of the semester. You may bring each of your portfolio proofs to me no more than four times to be critiqued. I will make recommendations about these solutions (such as "Start over," "You forgot the initial step in your introduction proof," "This is not the way to start a proof by contradiction," "Very good, but improve the writing and correct spelling errors," "Wonderful - don't make any changes"). If necessary, you should then consider rewriting and resubmitting their proofs for further comment. Basically, when you submit a proof, you are asking me, "Is this good enough for my portfolio?" You do not have to do the proofs in order.

Grading of the Portfolio Project

The Portfolio will be worth a total of 120 points. Each problem will be worth 10 points (for a total of 100 points) and there will be 20 points possible for submission of proofs for review by me. To earn the 20 points, you must do all of the following:

• Submit the first draft of a portfolio problem by Tuesday, September 24, 2002.
• Submit the first draft of a second portfolio problem (different from the first) by Tuesday, October 1, 2002.
• Submit the first draft of a third portfolio problem (different than the first two) by Tuesday, October 8, 2002.
• Complete three portfolio problems by Tuesday, November 19, 2002.

Honor System

All work that you submit for the Portfolio Project must be your own work. This means that you may not discuss the portfolio project with anyone except me.

This will also provide me with information regarding how students are doing with each problem. So, if I find that a particular problem is causing more difficulties than I anticipated, I can send an email message to all students with hints or points of clarification for that problem.

Important guidelines and rules for the Portfolio Project

• You may not discuss the portfolio problems with anyone except me.
• You may hand in a given Portfolio Problem no more than four times to be critiqued.
• No more than two Portfolio Problems may be submitted for review on a given day.
• No more than four Portfolio Problems may be submitted for review during any given week.
• The last date to have a Portfolio Problem critiqued is Friday, November 22, 2002.
• The final Portfolio is due no later than 6 p.m. on Tuesday, December 3, 2002.

Assessing the final portfolio submissions

Each problem in your portfolio will be graded on a 10 point scale with the only possible grades being 10, 9, 6, 3, or 0 points. There will be little partial credit because of the opportunity to submit problems for review, to re-write, and to re-submit. In order to receive full credit for a problem, your solution must be correct, complete, and well written. Following is a description of the 10-point scale for grading each problem:

10 Points:  The proof is correct and well written according to the "Guidelines for Mathematical Writing" document.

9 Points:  The proof is correct but there is a writing mistake.

6 Points:  The proof is essentially correct but:

• the solution is not well written according to the guidelines and/or
• there is a minor mathematical error present.

3 Points:  Reasonable progress has been made in developing and writing a proof for the theorem.

0 Points:  Little or no progress has been made in developing a proof for the theorem.