CPS 116 (Fall 2006):
Introduction to Database Systems

Index

• Introduction
• Signing up
• Logging in
• Additional information

Introduction

Gradiance is a system pioneered by Prof. Jeffrey Ullman. It offers many advantages over traditional written assignments. Given one "root question," Gradiance can generate different instances of this question. Therefore, you are permitted to test yourself on the same root question as many times as you like, and receive immediate feedback for each attempt. Gradiance also has a lab component that automatically tests your solutions on different inputs. Hence, it avoids the shortcoming of the traditional submit-and-then-wait-for-grades assignments where one error in understanding can permeate solutions to multiple problems and does not get rectified until much later. We encourage you to continue testing on each topic until you complete the assignment with a 100% score. For each Gradiance problem set or lab, your score is the highest score achieved as of 11:59PM on the due date.

Signing up

Point your browser to https://register.pearsoncmg.com/register/reg1.jsp, and follow the instructions to sign up. The sign-up process will let you create a user id and a password for logging into Gradiance. The access code that you need to sign up may obtained in one of the following ways: (1) If you purchased a "value pack" (ISBN 0132282119) that bundles Database Systems: The Complete Book with student Gradiance access, you should find the access code in the bundle. (2) You can purchase Gradiance access for a fee at https://register.pearsoncmg.com/reg/buy/buy1.jsp?productID=26087.

Logging in

Point your browser to http://www.gradiance.com/pearson and follow the instructions to log into Gradiance. If this is the first time that log in, enter the class token DA9ACE48 to sign up for CPS116. From this point on, CPS116 will be listed automatically as one your classes (at the top of the Web page) as you log in. Click on CPS116 to continue.

Additional information

You might want to read this Gradiance Guide for Students before starting your first Gradiance assignemnt. This document is very short and provides very useful hints on how to approach Gradiance-style multiple-choice questions. Note that Section 1 of the guide is outdated; please refer to the updated sign-up and login instructions on this Web page.