The Cleavage: Quest Learning and Assessment

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Quest Learning and Assessment is an online homework service maintained by the University of Texas at Austin. Instructors can compile homework from a large pool (60,000)^[1] of Mathematics, Physics, Biology, Chemistry, Physical Sciences and Computer Science problems^[2], and assign this homework to their students, who can create accounts and join specific "classes", each with a unique 5 digit number. The numbers in each question are randomized based on each student's unique ID. After the due date, the answers are automatically posted, including a step-by-step solution.

The homework questions operate on a "hit or miss" system. If a student gets an answer right, they are awarded points (usually 10). However, for each wrong answer, or "strike", the system removes roughly 0.7 points from the possible amount that can be earned. The system is even more harsh for multiple choice questions. If there are eight possible answers, the system will remove 2.5 points (1.25 negative, 1.25 possible) for every wrong answer. For example, if a student gets a multiple choice question with 8 possible answers wrong 3 times, but gets the answer the fourth try, the student only gets 2.5 points.