Purpose

History tells us that gaps in learning and preparation exist as transfer students transition their learning from one institution to UCLA Engineering.  It may have been some time since students have taken a course and instructors may teach to a slightly different course outcome than what is needed to succeed in subsequent courses. 

We encourage incoming engineering transfer students to spend some time over the summer strengthening any weaknesses identified by our Diagnostic Assessment tests to prepare for the next courses at UCLA Engineering.  Students will be invited to retake another Diagnostic Test at the end of the summer to check their progress.

What is a zyBooks online textbook?

To provide a way for students to strengthen their knowledge in areas identified through results from their Diagnostic Assessment tests, UCLA Engineering has put together an online course textbook that provides content on course modules and includes practice problems, challenge questions, and practice labs.  The zyBook will provide feedback as you progress through the practice-problems to provide you guidance and focus your efforts on learning the content; rather than performing on an exam.  The course is self-paced and students can choose the modules they would like to brush-up on. 

Our zyBook includes content for the following courses: 

UCLA’s CS 31 (C++),
UCLA’s CS 32,
UCLA’s M20 (Matlab)
UCLA’s ECE 10 (Circuits)
Math 33A (Linear Algebra)
Math 33B (Differential Equations) 

zyBooks Chapters by Subject: 

Disclaimer: You will NOT receive course credit for completing these Course Refreshers.  These are for students who have already received credit for these classes. Participating in Course Refresher is not a requirement, is completely optional, and does NOT guarantee you performance in subsequent courses at UCLA.  The resource is meant to provide students with some measure of their readiness to continue their learning at UCLA Engineering.

What is zyBooks?

Focus on the fun of learning instead of performance. 

zyBooks is pioneering a new kind of learning content, created specifically for the modern web. A zyBook is web-native interactive content that helps students learn challenging topics, with auto-grading to provide immediate feedback on proficiency.  Students will have access to content from the zyBooks text book while working on practice problems, challenge questions, and labs.  As students work, they will receive feedback and guidance on their progress to ensure they are learning concepts.

For more information on zyBooks, please visit this website: https://www.zybooks.com/

Identifying the zyBook modules you should work on based on your Diagnostic Assessment results

Instructions – Incoming students who have taken UCLA’s CS 31, CS 32, Math 33A, Math 33B, ECE 10, M20, or the equivalent at a prior institution should take the corresponding Diagnostic Assessment test to check their proficiency in the content before taking CS 32, CS 33, or another class that builds on content in Math 33A, Math 33B, ECE 10 or M20. Please note these assessments will NOT earn you credit for any courses. They are for gaining an understanding of your core proficiency in order to address any gaps in learning and preparation needed for subsequent courses at UCLA Engineering.

To help students brush-up on courses they have taken at their previous institution, we have created an online zyBook textbook that includes practice problems, challenge questions, and practice-labs aligned with the content from UCLA’s CS 31, CS 32, Math 33A, Math 33B, ECE 10, and M20. Information on purchasing our online zyBook license, see the section on Fees (below). 

The Diagnostic Assessment questions to zyBooks chapter mapping can be viewed by clicking the link for the appropriate course below: 

• CS 31 & CS 32
• Math 33A & 33B
• M20 (Matlab)
• ECE 10 (Circuits)

Once you click the link, here are some instructions on how to utilize the table: In the 1st column you will see the UCLA course. Check assist.org for the equivalent course (if one exists) at your institution. In the 2nd column, you will find the question number from the Diagnostic Assessment. Find the course and question you got incorrect on the results from your Diagnostic Assessments. Locate that course and question from column 1 and 2 below. The 3rd column provides you the topic and zyBooks chapter you can work on to strengthen your proficiency. If you elect NOT to use the zyBook, the information in this table can help you to identify the topic to study over the summer to improve your proficiency before classes start in the fall. 

Fee

Participant fee: $98.
Students may start subscribing to the UCLA Accelerator Course Refresher 2023 zyBook starting on June 13, 2023.  Subscriptions will last until December 31, 2023.

Instructions to access and purchase your UCLA Accelerator Course Refresher 2023 zyBook:

1. Sign in or create an account at learn.zybooks.com
2. Enter zyBook code: UCLAAcceleratorCourseRefresher_2023
3. Subscribe