A problem set, sometimes shortened as pset, is a teaching tool used by many

universities A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase ''universitas magistrorum et scholarium'', which ...

. Most courses in

physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge which rel ...

math Mathematics is an area of knowledge that includes the topics of numbers, formulas and related structures, shapes and the spaces in which they are contained, and quantities and their changes. These topics are represented in modern mathematics ...

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

, chemistry, and

computer science Computer science is the study of computation, automation, and information. Computer science spans theoretical disciplines (such as algorithms, theory of computation, information theory, and automation) to practical disciplines (includin ...

will give problem sets on a regular basis. They can also appear in other subjects, such as

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and interactions of economic agents and how economies work. Microeconomics analy ...

. It is essentially a list of several mildly difficult problems or exercises based on material already taught, which the student is expected to solve with a full written solution. There is no further research involved, and the goal is to learn and become familiar with the material and solving typical problems.Course Policy for a physics course at the University of Virginia
Caltech quantum mechanics course page
They are usually issued once every week or two weeks, and due one or two weeks later. If used as part of a

summative assessment Summative assessment, summative evaluation, or assessment of learning is the assessment of participants in an educational program. Summative assessments are designed to both assess the effectiveness of the program and the learning of the partici ...

they are usually given a low

weight In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force acting on the object due to gravity. Some standard textbooks define weight as a vector quantity, the gravitational force acting on the object. Others define weight as a scalar q ...

, between 10% and 25% of the total mark of the course for all problem sets put together, and sometimes will count for nothing if the student receives a better grade on the exam. Alternatively, problem sets may be used purely for formative assessment and do not count towards a degree. Many students work in groups to solve them and help get a better understanding of the material, but most professors require each student to hand in their own individual problem set. Some professors explicitly encourage collaboration,Ohio State University economics syllabus
/ref> some allow it, and some explicitly disallow it or consider it cheating. Most, however, do not disallow collaboration, because they see the goal as primarily pedagogical. This is to be distinguished from larger, more important assignments, for which students are still expected to work independently. Collaboration on problem sets has caused controversy, including a media storm around a student of

Ryerson University Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU or Toronto Met) is a public university, public research university located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The university's core campus is situated within the Garden District, Toronto, Garden District, although i ...

, Chris Avenir, who started a forum on the social networking site

Facebook Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...

for others to post their solutions. The professor failed him for his actions and recommended him for expulsion; the university faculty appeal committee overturned the recommended penalty and instead gave a zero grade for the assignments that were done through the course of the semester.

Examples

An example of a typical problem set
from MIT's relativity (physics) class
A list of all of the problem sets from that class
on

MIT OpenCourseWare MIT OpenCourseWare (MIT OCW) is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to publish all of the educational materials from its undergraduate- and graduate-level courses online, freely and openly available to anyone, anywh ...

. In this case they are collectively worth 20% of the total mark.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Problem Set Higher education Didactics