Electronic Devices Policy

Electronic Devices Policy
for tests in EE351 and EE431/EE531
revised May 7, 2008

The incredible power of portable electronic devices has made it possible to have an unfair advantage or even cheat in ways that were not possible a few years ago. The purpose of a test is to determine what you know, not what information you can get. Therefore, the following polices regarding the use of electronic devices on tests has been implemented.

1. No devices other than an approved calculator can be accessible by the student during exams. Computers are not allowed. Internet connection is not allowed. No device capable of recording or playing audio or an image is allowed. Cell phones, pagers, and other communication devices must be OFF and not in sight. If there is some situation that requires you to have an active communication device then inform your instructor prior to the start of the test -- you may have a special seat assigned and will be observed with higher scrutiny during the test. The device can not be visible. The instructor is going to be very suspicious if there are multiple students with this situation. The instructor reserves the right to ban the devices regardless of circumstance.

2. All calculators approved for professional engineering exams are accepted for Professor Kuhn's classes. See the current list at http://www.ncees.org/exams/calculators/#policy . No modifications to the calculator are permitted.

3. Other calculators may be acceptable if they have not been modified, have no graphics capability, have no symbolic capability, have no ability to communicate, make no noise, and can not print. See your professor after class as soon as possible (do not wait until the night of the test). If accepted, such calculators will be added to the list below. Various "palm" and similar devices are not permitted. The device must be a standard simple calculator.

Other acceptable calculators: HP15, HP25, HP32, HP41

Calculators not accepted include: HP28, HP48, HP49, HP50

4. Only one calculator per student is permitted and calculators can not be shared.

5. I will check calculators and other devices during the test to verify compliance with these policies. Any device failing to meet these policies will not be allowed.

6. Failure to comply with these policies may result in your test being rejected and a grade of 0 assigned.

7. Appropriate exceptions to this policy will be made for students with disabilities that make it difficult to use a standard calculator. Other disabilities do not qualify for exceptions. A letter from UAB Disability Support Services is required.

8. Loopholes, workarounds, clever interpretations, etc. to these policies are not accepted. The instructor has absolute authority to reject any and all devices.

Here are a few things to keep in mind:

1. My tests do not require extensive calculations. Computational horsepower will not help if you are not prepared.

2. All you need is a calculator that can perform basic arithmetic including square-root, perform standard trig functions, perform standard logarithmic and exponential functions, and hyperbolic functions in a few special cases.

3. Your focus should be on knowing the material rather than trying to use technology to "get by."

4. Observation in classes previous to this policy showed that virtually all students were in compliance so this policy really only affects those who would try to be "cute."

5. If you want to legitimately maximize your computational advantage I recommend that you use an HP33s or HP35s and become proficient in RPN. This can save a lot of precious time on tests as well as minimize errors. This is how your instructor made it through engineering school.