How to Use a Web Browser to Submit Homework Answers

One of the ways to submit homework answers to the CAPA system, and get feedback, is to use the Web. (The other method, which uses telnet, is fine too, but I think this method is easier and nicer.) You can use whatever Web browser you like; Netscape is available on the computers at CLARC and elsewhere, and Lynx is available on your Uhura accounts and can be used from anywhere, including the terminals in the B&L304 help room. (I have some tips written up on Lynx and how to access Uhura accounts from those terminals.)

So I'll assume you have your Web browser fired up; now you need to connect to the CAPA Web server. There's a (hopefully handy) link right to it from my Physics 121 information page, which (as you realize by now) you can get to from my home page. Or, you can just directly enter the URL for the CAPA Web server, which is "http://phobos.nsrl.rochester.edu/CAPA/class.html".

On that page, you'll see a drop-down list that you should use to choose which course you're in (You want to choose "phy121s8", which is an abbreviation for "Physics 121 Spring 1998"). Then enter your 9-digit student number where it's indicated, and your PIN for this homework set where it's indicated (your PIN should be masked out and not show up onscreen), and select the link to start CAPA.

This will take you to a screen offering (very rudimentary) help, a term summary of all the homework sets so far, or for you to "try the current set". If you're ready to answer any of the questions on the current set, select that choice.

The page that shows up next has your progress so far at the top: a status line giving your status for each problem. There's an "N" if you have answered incorrectly so far, a "Y" if you've gotten that problem correct, and a "-" if you haven't answered that problem yet. Also, at the top of the page there are links to go directly to a specific problem number (or you can just page down). The text of each problem is displayed, just as in your printed copy of the homework set; in addition, any figures or diagrams are displayed as inline figures (which will automatically show up in Netscape, but will likely be unavailable in Lynx). There's a line after each problem for you to type the answer, and a link after each problem to "Submit All Answers".

Now, if you like, you can just enter one answer then click on submit; however, if you have a few you'd like to answer, put in whatever answers you want to submit before hitting any one of the "Submit All Answers" buttons. The computer sometimes takes a little bit of time to evaluate the answers and refresh the screen with your status, so combining them like this can be convenient.

I have written up some tips on using the CAPA system to submit homework answers; if you have any further questions after looking at those, let me know.

Oh, and don't forget to quit out of your Web browser after you're done... your answers are not recorded in the system until you select that "Submit All Answers" link, but after you've done that there are no special requirements on exiting -- just quit. And finally, you can freely alternate between using this Web access method and the telnet method.

Good luck!


Copyright 1998 Michael J. Banks (mbanks@pas.rochester.edu)