MATH 115 Mathematics for Liberal Arts (3 credits) Professor s notes* As of June 27, 2007

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1 MATH 115 Mathematics for Liberal Arts (3 credits) Professor s notes* As of June 27, 27 *Note: All content is based on the professor s opinion and may vary from professor to professor & student to student. All content may be changed without notice. This information is for the purpose to provide analysis but is not binding in any form. From a Scale 1-1 (1 = low demands; 5 = moderate demands; 1 = very demanding), How would you rate the overall level of difficulty of this course? Level of demand = 8 (if you are a typical math student), = 1 (if math doesn t come easily to the student) Note that you must learn this material on your own and outside of a classroom setting. I believe this course should be taken by itself when possible due to the concentration and time demands required (minimum 6 hrs per week). I believe the overall difficulty of the course exceeds the sum of its parts for the following reason: it is one thing to learn how to work the steps in a specific problem but much more is required to understand the concepts involved in problem solving and thinking. Mathematics is much more than being able to work algorithmically through some exercises. From a Scale 1-1 (1 = low demands; 5 = moderate demands; 1 = very demanding), How would you rate the level of the reading requirements in this course? Level of demand = 7 I believe the author of the textbook does an excellent job of presenting the material in a format that is conducive to learning for a distance student, although nothing can replace taking a math course in a classroom and being able to ask questions. I advise the student to not just read the textbook and example problems, but to work the example problems to understand all the processes and calculations involved. From a Scale 1-1 (1 = low demands; 5 = moderate demands; 1 = very demanding), How would you rate the level of the lecture requirements in this course? Level of demand = 7 The videos that accompany the course were taped during an actual class. There are times when students do ask questions that can help the distance student. Over the years I have had a number of students say that they videos were very helpful. However for some students the videos require a lot of concentrated effort in order to grasp the concepts. From a Scale 1-1 (1 = low demands; 5 = moderate demands; 1 = very demanding), How would you rate the level of the online exam requirements in this course? Level of demand = 9 This course only contains 4 exams that count as 1% of your final grade. It is very important to be well prepared for the exams since your entire grade is based upon how (7/16/27) 1

2 well you do on the exams. The exams are timed with points deducted if that time is exceeded. The exams are multiple choice and short answer and the problems are based on the homework. There are no study guides for the exams. There are some quizzes that are not graded which do give some guidelines. Anything on the homework is fair game, so doing and understanding the homework from the textbook is essential. From a Scale 1-1 (1 = low demands; 5 = moderate demands; 1 = very demanding), How would you rate the level of the discussion board requirements in this course? Level of demand = 1 There is no required discussion board for this class. From a Scale 1-1 (1 = low demands; 5 = moderate demands; 1 = very demanding), How would you rate the level of the written paper requirements in this course? Level of demand = 7 This refers to the assignments that refer to the textbook problems since there are no written paper requirements. Even though the assignments from the text are not graded, it is essential that you work as many problems as you possible can each week. If you understand and do the homework expeditiously, the exams should be less difficult. Additional comments: This is not necessarily a fast-paced course but it does require daily work. You should expect to spend a minimum of 9 12 hours per week in this course to do well (and more if you struggle in math). The prerequisite for the course is MATH 11 Intermediate Algebra. I would not advise taking MATH 115 if it has been over 5 years since you have had a math class: take the prerequisite and use it to get up to speed in basic mathematical concepts and calculations. Most of the students who take MATH 115 without the prerequisite risk earning a D or F, so think about the impact on your GPA before you jump into this course blindly. As a last resort and if you think you would learn mathematics better in a traditional classroom setting (which provides immediate responses to your questions), you may want to explore taking this course at a local community college (which also provides free tutoring). (7/16/27) 2

3 That MATH 115Textbook: Mathematical Ideas, Miller, 24. COURSE CHART WEEKS MODULE LESSONS LEARNING ACTIVITIES PERCENT Practice Quiz # 1:Problem Solving At the end of week 2 send instructor an Practice Quiz # 2: Sets At the end of week 4 send instructor an Practice Quiz # 3: Logic Test 1: Lessons Practice Quiz # 4: Real Number System/Consumer Math At the end of week 8 send instructor an Practice Quiz # 5: Algebra Test 2: Lessons Practice Quiz # 6: Geometry Practice Quiz # 7: Probability & Statistics Test 3: Lesson 29 4 At the end of week 13 send instructor an Final Exam: Lessons TOTAL PERCENTAGE 1% NOTE: Homework exercises and Practice Quizzes are a must to becoming comfortable with the course materials. You will find the exercise directions in the STEP by STEP LESSON GUIDE. These exercises and quizzes are not to be submitted. (7/16/27) 3

4 COURSE SYLLABUS COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES MATH 115 MATHEMATICS FOR LIBERAL ARTS COURSE DESCRIPTION A survey course for liberal arts majors including a review of algebra and an introduction to logic, probability, statistics, mathematical structure, problem-solving, number theory, geometry, and consumer applications. RATIONALE Since Mathematics for Liberal Arts is the only college mathematics course that many students take, it is designed to dispel the common opinion that mathematics is only arithmetic or algebra. Students will accumulate a basic working knowledge of several branches of mathematics. I. PREREQUISITES MATH 11 or equivalent. II. III. REQUIRED TEXTBOOK Miller, C. D., Heeren. V.E., & Hornsby, J. (24) Mathematical Ideas, Boston: Addison-Wesley Company. ISBN: MATERIALS FOR LEARNING A. Internet access (broadband recommended) and Microsoft Word. B. Textbook. C. TV and VCR/DVD. D. Video lessons (4). E. Scientific calculator. F. Geoboard or dot paper. G. Ruler. H. Protractor. (7/16/27) 4

5 COURSE OBJECTIVES Students are accountable for the following: I. A basic working knowledge of the branches of mathematics listed in the course description. J. The necessary mathematical skills required in order to prepare themselves for the GRE general math section. K. Demonstration of their ability to perform the behaviorally oriented objectives for each unit of study. L. An appreciation of the diversity of mathematics and its many applications. IV. INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES AND TECHNIQUES A. The course is divided into 4 lessons. B. The student will review the lesson notes for the lesson being studied, paying particular attention to the lesson objectives. C. The student will complete the textbook reading assignment for the lesson prior to viewing the accompanying video lecture. D. The student will complete the outline of the lesson (which will sometimes include background or related material) while viewing the accompanying video. E. The student will work the assigned homework exercise problems from the textbook. The student is responsible for checking the answers to the oddnumbered problems in the back of the textbook. The answers to the evennumbered problems have not been provided. Occasionally the professor will include additional problems in the lesson notes to be worked. Generally, these problems are discussed in the lectures; otherwise, the answers are included in the ABOUT YOUR COURSE folder / Answer Keys. F. Practice quizzes will be provided to assist the student with preparation for the tests. They are located throughout the COURSE CONTENT in each module section. They are not included in your grade for the course but will be helpful in understanding the materials. V. COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND ASSIGNMENTS A. Assigned readings in the textbook. B. Homework exercises to develop mathematical proficiency. (7/16/27) 5

6 C. Practice quizzes. D. Tests (3): Each test will be multiple-choice with questions ranging from fact recall to the application of course material. Each test will worth 25% of your final grade. E. Final comprehensive exam: This exam covers all of the course material. It will be multiple-choice and worth the remaining 25% of your final grade. VI. EVALUATION AND GRADING A. Weight (percentage) Test 1: Lessons % Test 2: Lessons % Test 3: Lessons % Final Exam : Lessons % Total 1% B. Scale A = 92 1% B = 84 91% C = 74 83% D =65 73% F= 64% (7/16/27) 6