CONTINUOUS; X < 7.5; 0.1469; 0.1469; 0.7062
This correct set of answers was rejected 14 times, as you can see, before WeBWorK accepted her 15th click. Note the timestamps on the submissions. If you look at the entire problem history (not just the last 15 clicks) you can see that she has been trained to expect this behavior. WeBWorK changed its mind in the other direction as well, rejecting correct answer-parts that had been accepted in previous submissions.
Here is the entire source of the offending problem. I have heard reports of this behavior, not all of them as believable, on other problems as well. Any advice or suggestions you all might be able to give will be very greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Dave
## DESCRIPTION
## DBsubject('Introduction to Statistics')
## DBchapter('Part II From Exploration to Inference')
## DBsection('Chapter 10: Introducing Probability')
## KEYWORDS('statistics', 'probability')
## TitleText1('The Basic Practice of Statistics')
## EditionText1('5e')
## AuthorText1('David Moore')
## Section1('Chapter 10: Introducing Probability')
## Problem1('')
## Author('R Cruz')
## Institution('The College of Idaho')
## Date: 2009/03
DOCUMENT(); # This should be the first executable line in the problem.
loadMacros(
"PGstandard.pl",
"MathObjects.pl",
"PGstatisticsmacros.pl",
"answerHints.pl",
"contextInequalities.pl"
);
TEXT(beginproblem());
######################################
# Setup
Context("Inequalities-Only");
Context()->variables->add(X=>'Real');
$mu = random(7, 10, 0.1);
$sigma = random(1, 2, 0.1);
$length1 = $mu - random(1,3,1);
$length2 = $mu + random(1,3,0.5);
$zscore1 = int(100 * (-0.005 + ($length1 - $mu) / $sigma))/100;
$zscore2 = int(100 * (0.005 + ($length2 - $mu) / $sigma))/100;
$pval1 = 1-uprob(abs($zscore1));
$pval2 = 1-uprob(abs($zscore2));
@event = ("a fish chosen has a length of over $length1 inches",
"a fish chosen has a length of less than $length1 inches",
"a fish chosen has a length equal to $length1 inches");
@ans_event = (Compute("X>$length1"), Compute("X<$length1"),
Compute("X=$length1"));
@ans_prob = ($pval1, 1-$pval1, 0.0);
$choose = random(0,2,1);
######################################
# Main text
BEGIN_TEXT
The length, \(X\), of a fish from a particular mountain lake in Idaho is normally
distributed with \(\mu = $mu\) inches and \(\sigma = $sigma\) inches.
$PAR
(a) Is \(X\) a discrete or continuous random variable? (Type: DISCRETE or CONTINUOUS)
$BR
ANSWER: \{ans_rule(20)\}
$PAR
(b) Write the event ''$event[$choose]'' in terms of \(X\): \{ans_rule(20)\}.
$PAR
(c) Find the probability of this event: \{ans_rule(10)\} $PAR
$PAR
(d) Find the probability that the length of a chosen fish was greater than $length2 inches: \{ans_rule(15)\}.
$PAR
(e) Find the probability that the length of a chosen fish was between $length1 and $length2 inches: \{ans_rule(15)\}.
END_TEXT
######################################
# Answers %%%THESE NEED CHANGING
$showPartialCorrectAnswers = 1;
Context()->strings->add("DISCRETE"=>{},"CONTINUOUS"=>{});
$ans_a = String("CONTINUOUS");
ANS($ans_a->cmp);
##Answer checker not working as expected. It uses this line instead of the one in the checker.
##Had to add these lines to get it to give the desired hint.
Context()->{error}{msg}{"Operands of '*' are not of compatible types"}
= "Enter the event: X = a, X < b, X > c, d < X < e";
Context()->variables->add(P=>'Real',p=>'Real');
$ans_b = $ans_event[$choose];
ANS($ans_b->cmp->withPostFilter(AnswerHints(
sub {
my($correct,$student,$ansHash) = @_;
$ansHash->{ans_message} = "nter the event: X = a, X < b, X > c, d < X < e"
if $ans->{ans_message} eq
"Operands of '*' are not of compatible types"; return $ansHash;}
)));
$ans_c = Real($ans_prob[$choose])->with(tolType=>'absolute', tolerance=>'0.0005');
ANS($ans_c->cmp->withPostFilter(AnswerHints(
sub {
my($correct,$student,$ansHash) = @_;
return abs($correct - $student) <= 0.003;
} => ["Close! Try keeping more accuracy in your calculation.", score => 0],
sub {
my ($correct,$student,$anshash) = @_;
return $student < 0 || $student > 1;
} => ["Probabilities must be between 0 and 1."]
)));
$ans_d = Real(1-$pval2)->with(tolType=>'absolute', tolerance=>'0.0002');
ANS($ans_d->cmp->withPostFilter(AnswerHints(
sub {
my($correct,$student,$ansHash) = @_;
return abs($correct - $student) <= 0.003;
} => ["Close! Try keeping more accuracy in your calculation.", score => 0],
sub {
my ($correct,$student,$anshash) = @_;
return $student < 0 || $student > 1;
} => ["Probabilities must be between 0 and 1."]
)));
$ans_e = Real($pval1 - (1-$pval2))->with(tolType=>'absolute',tolerance=>'0.0002');
ANS($ans_e->cmp->withPostFilter(AnswerHints(
sub {
my($correct,$student,$ansHash) = @_;
return abs($correct - $student) <= 0.003;
} => ["Close! Try keeping more accuracy in your calculation.", score => 0],
sub {
my ($correct,$student,$anshash) = @_;
return $student < 0 || $student > 1;
} => ["Probabilities must be between 0 and 1."]
)));
ENDDOCUMENT(); # This should be the last executable line in the problem.
