MAT 117: College Algebra Fall 2013 Course Syllabus

Transcription

1 MAT 117: College Algebra Fall 2013 Course Syllabus Instructor: Douglas Williams - Phone: douglas.a.williams@asu.edu Office: ECA 206 Office Hours: MWF 11:00-11:50, TTh 12:00-12:50, & by Appt. Course Description Course Information Welcome to College Algebra! The purpose of this course is to develop skills in linear and quadratic functions, general polynomial functions, rational functions, and exponential and logarithmic functions. You will also study systems of linear equations. We will emphasize problem-solving techniques, specifically by means of discussing concepts in each of these topics. Course Objectives Students will be able to apply algebraic reasoning to solve a range of problems. Students will develop skills required for success in future studies in calculus. Prerequisites MAT 106 or MAT 113 with a C or better or completion of the ALEKS Math Placement Test with a score of 40% or higher or completed MAT 194: EFM with skills mastered for MAT 117. Textbook Course Materials & Structure You are not required to purchase a textbook for this course. Reading materials will be provided online in each lesson as pdf chapters. Practice problems with solutions are also provided through the left menu under course home. If you would like to purchase a hard copy, this is the text: College Algebra; 9th Edition by Michael Sullivan, ISBN Calculator A graphing calculator (such as the TI-83/84) is required. You are expected to bring your calculator to class daily. Cellular phone calculators are not permitted in class or during an exam. Also, the sharing of calculators is not permitted during exams. Calculators with QWERTY keyboards or those that do symbolic algebra, such as the Casio FX2, Casio 9970Gs, TI-89,or TI-92 cannot be used in class or during an exam. 1

2 Study Plan Mastery Points: 20% of your grade Your Study Plan is personalized by adaptive algorithms in MyMathLab. You are expected to read the textbook and watch the lecture video for each lesson before starting on the Study Plan practice problems. When you finish practicing, take the Quiz to assess your understanding. If you get more than 70% on the Quiz, you earn the Mastery Points and will continue on to the next lesson. If you fail, you can do more practice problems and take the Quiz as often as needed until you pass. Your grade for Mastery Points will be equal to the percentage of the total which you complete. You may work on the lessons in your Study Plan to earn Mastery Points until the last day of class, but we strongly recommend you complete all related lessons in a unit before you take that exam. Problem Solving Sessions (Problem sets, participation) 20% of your grade Each student is expected to come to class on a weekly basis and participate (Hybrid class). Every week, you will receive a problem set and be assigned a group based on the most recent content you and each of your group members have completed in the course. If you miss class you will not receive your problem sets or credit for that class. There are no make-up problem sets for missed class sessions. Please see your instructor if you have a documented reason for missing class. Exams 60% of your grade You will take three unit exams during the semester according to the target dates listed below. You need to complete all the sections in a unit including practice exam/prep Quiz and then schedule for the unit exam. Based on the recommended pace of the course you should not have any trouble meeting these deadlines. Each exam will involve a mix of mechanical skills and conceptual reasoning. No exam scores will be dropped. Each exam including prep quiz is worth 12% of your grade. Another 24% is for the final prepquiz and final exam. Quiz/Exam Target Date Points possible Unit 1 PrepQuiz Sept 20, Unit 1 Exam Sept 25, Unit 2 PrepQuiz Oct 20, Unit 2 Exam Oct 25, Unit 3 PrepQuiz Nov 20, Unit 3 Exam Nov 25, Final PrepQuiz Dec 11, Final Exam Dec 12, To schedule your test go to Schedule your test no later than the due date. 2

3 Course Schedule Week Dates Topic Exams Comments 1 Aug Course Overview, Syllabus, Schedule, Introductions and Short week 2 Aug a Identifying Functions 3.1b: Domain of a Function 3.1c: Combining Functions 3.2a: Reading Graphs 3 Sep b: Determine Func. Algebraically 3.3a: Even and Odd Functions 3.3b: Intervals and Extremes 4 Sep c: Average Rate of Change 3.4: Piecewise-defined Functions 3.5: Graphing: Transformations 5 Sep a: Properties of Linear Functions 4.1b: Applications of Linear Func. 4.2: Linear Models Prep Quiz 1 due on 20th 6 Sep Sep 30 - Oct. 4 R.5: Factoring R.6: Division 4.3a: Graphing Quadratics 4.3b: Max/min values of quadratics 5.1a: Understanding Polynomials 8 Oct b: Graphs of polynomials 5.2: Prop. of Rational Functions 5.3: Graphs of Rational Functions 9 Oct Oct : Zeros of Polynomial Functions 5.6: Fundamental Theorem of Algebra Prep Quiz 2 due on 20th 6.1: Composite Functions 6.2: Inverse Functions 11 Oct. 28- Nov.1 6.3a: Exponential Functions 6.3b:Exponential Equations 12 Nov a: Logarithmic Functions 6.4b: Graphs of Logarithms 6.4c: Logarithmic Equations 13 Nov Nov Nov a: Evaluating Logarithms 6.5b: Sum/Difference of Logarithms 6.6a: Solve: Log equations 6.6b: Solve: Exponential Equations 6.7: Financial Models 6.8: Exponential Growth and Decay Prep Quiz 3 due on 20th Review 8.1: Systems of Linear Equations 16 Dec a: Matrix Row Operation 8.2b: Solving Using Matrices Last day of class 12/6/2013 Dec Complete final prep quiz by 12/11/2013. Final Exam closes on 12/12 Thursday at 4 pm Exam 1 closes 9/ 25 Wednesday Exam 2 closes 10/25 Friday Exam 3 closes 11/25 Monday Master Course Navigation Labor Day 9/2 Schedule your test now to take on or before the closing date Academic Status Report #1: 9/30-10/7 Fall break Oct Schedule your test to take on or before closing date Academic Status Report #2: 11/4-11/11 Veterans Day 11/11 Thanksgiving 11/28-11/29 Earn all your mastery points by 12/6/2013 Schedule for your final 3

4 Course Expectations Course Expectations & Student Resources You are expected to complete a minimum of 2 lessons per week (4 lessons in a 7.5 week format) as outlined on the course schedule. Over the course of the semester, you are expected to remain ahead of schedule or on track based on the syllabus calendar. Students who are off track by the day/time designated by your instructor may receive a loss of points for your participation grade. Our weekly class meeting for problem solving is not the only time you should be working on the course content. Since this is a hybrid course, a majority of your work will be done online outside of the classroom. You are expected to spend at least 6 hours per week outside of our scheduled class meeting to access the course content in the computer lab or your personal computer. Student Resources / Computer Lab Your primary resource for tutoring is the computer lab. During non-class and non-testing times, tutors will be available to answer questions for you regarding the course content. You can also visit the Student Success Center. Specific hours for when a MAT 117 tutor is available at the Student Success Center can be found on their webpage at: If you own a laptop computer, you are encouraged to bring it with you to the computer lab when you are working on course content or taking an exam. The Technology Studio can check your laptop or personal computer free of charge to make sure you are ready to access all the course content from your computer. If you choose to use your laptop for exams, the Technology Studio will also assist you in installing the secure browser required for testing. You must wear headphones while in the computer lab. How to Succeed in this Course Make time for math every day. Staying on track is a critical component of student success in this course. Stay ahead of schedule and make sure you are aware of all the resources available to you that are listed in the syllabus and on the course site so you don t fall behind. Check your ASU regularly. Log in to the course site every day. Key Semester Dates Please refer to the ASU Academic Calendar for specific dates for your session. Drop/Add Deadline: Wednesday, August 28, 2013 Course Withdrawal Deadline: Wednesday, November 6,

5 Grading Policy Point Distribution Percentage Grade Grading Scale 3 Unit Exams + PrepQuizzes (15% each) 36% A+ 97% or above Final Exam + Prepquiz 24% A 90% % Problem Sets and participation 20% A- 89.5% % Study Plan Mastery Points 20% B+ 87% % B 80% % Total 100% B- 79.5% % C+ 77% % C 70% % D 60% % E < 60% Additional Information The highest standards of academic integrity are expected of all students at all times. Violations of academic integrity include, but are not limited to, cheating, fabrication, tampering, plagiarism, or facilitating such activities. We will act very harshly against any acts of academic dishonesty. Students with disabilities should arrange to meet with me as soon as possible to arrange for reasonable accommodations for their learning needs. Students registered with DRC must notify the instructor at least two weeks prior to any exam close date. Alternative arrangements for any religious observances, ASU sanctioned activity, or ASU student athlete obligations must be arranged with the instructor at least two weeks prior to the event. As a reminder, there are no extensions or makeups for exams after the exam close date. No individual extra credit assignments will be offered. Academic Integrity ASU expects and requires all its students to act with honesty and integrity, and respect the rights of others in carrying out all academic assignments. For more information on academic integrity, including the policy and appeal procedures, please visit and the Student Conduct Statement below. 5

6 Conduct Students are required to adhere to the behavior standards listed in the Arizona Board of Regents Policy Manual Chapter V Campus and Student Affairs: Code of Conduct ACD 125: Computer, Internet, and Electronic Communications ASU Student Academic Integrity Policy. Students are entitled to receive instruction free from interference by other members of the class. If a student is disruptive, an instructor may ask the student to stop the disruptive behavior and warn the student that such disruptive behavior can result in withdrawal from the course. An instructor may withdraw a student from a course when the student's behavior disrupts the educational process under USI Appropriate classroom behavior is defined by the instructor. This includes the number and length of individual messages online. Course discussion messages should remain focused on the assigned discussion topics. Students must maintain a cordial atmosphere and use tact in expressing differences of opinion. Inappropriate discussion board messages may be deleted if an instructor feels it is necessary. Students will be notified privately that their posting was inappropriate. Student access to the course Send feature may be limited or removed if an instructor feels that students are sending inappropriate electronic messages to other students in the course. Note: This syllabus is tentative and should not be considered definitive. The instructor reserves the right to modify it (including the dates of the tests) to meet the needs of the class. It is the student s responsibility to attend class regularly and to make note of any changes. 6