Register!
To participate in the
STA257
poll activities, you must first
register,
by following the QR code on the top right or visiting
the general registration web site:
https://pollev.com/sta257/register
[NOTE:
be sure to use your USUAL UNIVERSITY EMAIL ADDRESS when you register,
or your poll responses will not be counted]
Participate! During lectures, when the instructor poses a poll question, you should answer it on your cell phone or laptop computer at pollev.com/sta257 (bookmark that page!) or app. Your poll grade will be based on a combination of your participation rate, and the accuracy of your answers. It is okay to make reasonable guesses when you are not sure. You may briefly discuss the questions with your neighbours when answering. Note that you must answer in the section in which you are registered, or it will not be counted.
Follow the rules! It is absolutely forbidden to participate in poll questions when you are not in class and paying attention and genuinely thinking about the question. It is also forbidden to help another student do so. Such actions violate the university's Code of Behaviour, and will result in serious penalties (at least 20% off final course grade). Yes, we will check! Don't do it!
Relax! The polls count for just 5%. Furthermore, they will be graded out of just 80% of the total poll questions. So, if you miss a few questions, or even a few classes, then do not worry, that will not penalise you (provided you don't cheat). Hence, no special accommodations will be given for occasional absenses, whatever the reason; you should only request accommodation if you have to miss a very large number of classes due to a prolonged illness.
Pay attention! To earn participation points, in addition to participating in polls, you are expected to pay attention in class, including putting away your laptops and phones (except when used for specific class-related functions), not talking, and not working on other items. You may also be asked to sit towards the front of the classroom if it is not very full. Violations of these policies will result in loss of participation points.
Alternatives?
In rare cases, it might be possible to replace the poll
participation with something else:
•
If you do not have access to a cell phone or laptop computer during class,
then it may be possible to instead
earn your participation points by
attending
all of your STA257 lectures and tutorials, and
submitting detailed hand-written lecture notes in your tutorial
each week.
•
Or, if you are a militant "self-study" student who never attends any classes,
then you might perhaps be able to get officially declared as such.
If so, then you would not normally attend lectures nor tutorials
nor office hours, would learn the material entirely on your own,
and would have the participation points transfered to the final exam.
These options are not recommended, and will only be granted in
very special circumstances.
If you wish to be considered for one of these options, then email
sta257@course.utoronto.ca
by Sunday Sept 14 at the latest
to make your case.
If granted, the option will apply for the entire semester.
Return to STA257 main page.