Math 35 Section 49299 Fall 2015 MTSC 146 Class meetings: 6 Saturdays 9:00AM-11:30AM (On the following dates: 9/5, 9/26, 10/17, 11/7, 12/5, 12/12) Instructor: Kathy Nabours Office: MTSC 133 Email: kathy.nabours@rcc.edu Phone: (951) 222-8207 Website: http://websites.rcc.edu/nabours Campus Office Hours: MW 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM TTH 2:00 PM 3:00 PM (and also by appointment if needed) Virtual Office Hours: F 12:00PM-1:00PM (inside of MyMathLab) Welcome to Intermediate Algebra! We have many weeks of math exploration ahead of us, but first there are several pieces of information that I d like to share with you to help you toward successful completion of this course. Please read this syllabus carefully and keep it for your reference. It is a very useful resource and it includes schedule information in order to help you plan your semester. Required for course: MyMathLab account at www.mymathlab.com and The New Science of Learning by Terry Doyle and Todd Zakrajsek (2013) Your MyMathLab account will give you access to the textbook (Intermediate Algebra, 6th edition, by Elayne Martin-Gay), homework assignments, study plan, video lectures, and other such resources for the course. You will be able to know your grade at all times, as your homework problems are graded as you do them. You may submit your homework problems as many times as you need to in order to get the best score you can before the due date. (Once the course begins, click on the Support link within MML if you experience technical difficulties. I cannot assist with the technical issues, unfortunately, so please call Technical Support who will be able to help you! Telephone Support is available M Th 5a 5p; Friday 5a 5p; and Sunday 2p 9p. Technical assistance 1.800.677.6337.) You must have a valid, active email address (PREFER student.rcc.edu, BUT yahoo, Gmail are okay) and you must check this email regularly. Regularly implies 5 days a week, but skipping three days may cause a negative impact. You may use a scientific calculator (single or double line display) for any exam, but not a graphing calculator! The MyMathLab account can either be purchased by buying an access code at the bookstore for $116.00 or you can purchase it at the website www.mymathlab.com for $95.70 once you enter the website. If you cannot purchase the code right away, there is a 14 day trial period that is free and you can convert your account within a specified time by paying on-line. Please follow the instructions on the site to do this. Either way, you will need to input the following courseid when prompted: nabours80918 The New Science of Learning can be purchased at the bookstore for $19.95 new (or $14.95 used) or you might also be able to purchase it on-line at places like amazon.com for around the same price. (It is also available to rent from the bookstore for 9.00 used or 12.95 new.) We will incorporate this book throughout the course in order to empower you with information about learning that will help you in all of your courses, but especially in this very challenging math course.
Prerequisite: Successful completion (C or higher) of Math 52 (Elementary Algebra) or qualifying score on the placement exam. It is assumed that students entering this course can perform arithmetic operations on real numbers as well as polynomial, rational and basic radical expressions, evaluate algebraic expressions, solve equations (linear, quadratic, rational, and basic radical equations), graph lines and linear inequalities, factor polynomials, solve basic word problems, and use the symbols and vocabulary of algebra to communicate mathematical ideas. We do not have time in this course to cover topics from prerequisite courses in detail, so please make sure you have the prerequisite skills before moving forward with this course in order to be successful. This means you may need to do some extra work to catch up and get ready or you may need the prior course if you have not already taken and passed it. If you need help with this, please see me in office hours. I am devoting the first two weeks and the first exam to review, so let s use this time wisely! Course Description: The concepts in beginning algebra are presented again, but in greater depth. In addition to the basic considerations, determinants, logarithms, exponential equations, systems of linear and nonlinear equations, the Binomial Theorem, the complex number system, and sequences and series are included. Student Learning Outcomes: Upon successful completion of the course, students should be able to: 1. Apply the basic operations of algebra on the set of real and complex numbers, polynomials, rational and radical expressions at an intermediate algebra level. 2. Solve linear, rational, quadratic, exponential, radical, logarithmic, absolute value equations, and systems of equations. 3. Solve inequalities in one or two variables. 4. Graph equations of lines and linear inequalities; graph basic functions; identify conic sections. 5. Recognize and determine the distinctions between functions and relations; apply basic operations on functions and find inverse functions. 6. Calculate terms of sequences. Calculate sums of series. Course Objective: The course is designed to prepare students for the study of higher level mathematics. In addition, the many mathematical tools that you will learn in this course can be applied in the business world and in scientific fields such as biology. We will explore some of these applications through examples and homework problems. Attendance Policy: You are expected to attend class within the on-line environment. The students enrolled in the lecture based 16-week class are in the classroom 5 hours a week. Now, add the amount of time need to study, do homework, and life. Quickly you see that you must be very motivated to do this within an on-line class. The amount of time spent inside MML is not a portion of your grade, but expect to spend over 15 hours a week working, practicing, and studying. This is a suggested beginning to calculate the amount of time you will need and build it into your schedule. Each student must check their email and should log on to MML 5 days a week AT A MINIMUM. It is your responsibility to keep your enrollment status current. You risk receiving a semester grade of F if you stop attending without officially withdrawing. If you do not work within MML for 3 days in a row, you are not attending class and risk being dropped.
Your grade will be based on the following: Class participation (Discussion Boards) 5% Homework 10% Exams 60% Final Exam 25% Grading Scale: A 90-100%, B 80-89%, C 70-79%, D 60-69%, F 0-59% Assignments: There are 50 homework assignments on the computer. Assignments are due several times per week, so please manage your time accordingly. You may submit assignments earlier than the due date if you like. You may work the homework problems as many times as you need to in order to get 100% before the due date. (If you work a problem 3 times and are unable to get a correct answer, you can get a new problem to work out). Once the due date passes, you will still be able to work on the homework, but there is a 10% penalty per day that you are late (only on the problems that you did late). There are no extensions on the assignments, so please keep up. It is the best way to learn. Discussion Board: This portion of the class invites you to interact with your classmates. All communication between students must foster a learning environment. Inappropriate language and rude comments in the discussion boards will not be tolerated. Students will be required to participate in the discussion board section at least once per week. Your class participation grade will be based on this. Non-participation in the discussion board section of the course is grounds for being dropped from the course. Discussion boards will be due on Fridays of each week by noon. Exams: The midterm exams are scheduled for the following Saturdays from 9:00 to 11:30AM: Orientation: Sept 5 th Exam 1: Sept. 26 th Exam 2: Oct. 17 th Exam 3: Nov. 7 th Exam 4: Dec. 5 th Final Exam: Dec. 12 th These are required campus exams. Missing any of these dates is grounds for being dropped from the course. Please bring photo ID with you. Anyone without photo ID cannot be permitted to take the exam!. Attendance at the orientation is mandatory in order to be enrolled in this course. No notes, books, or cheat sheets are allowed during any exam. You may use a scientific (one or two line display) calculator. Do not use the calculator within the computer. Cheating during any test will result in a zero score. The midterm exams and the final exam will be delivered in MTSC 146. There may be a charge for parking if you do not have a RCC Parking Decal! Please arrive 10 minutes before the start of the test and have your student ID number with a picture ID. If you show up late, you may not receive the full testing time. Scratch paper will be provided and collected after the exam. Honesty Policy: I expect students to do their own work. The nature of computer-assisted instruction invites collaboration with others. Although this in itself is not a bad thing, if your partners are answering all the questions for you, learning by the student may not take place.
Instructor Assistance: Please feel free to come in for help during my office hours. You may also call me and talk to me over the phone during my office hours or leave a message. If you have any special needs I should be aware of, please discuss these with me so I can help, or talk with someone in the Disabled Resource Center Office at (951) 222-8060. Tutoring: Free tutoring is offered at the City Campus. There is a link to the Math Learning Center at my website under Resources. If you are nearer to Moreno Valley or Norco, use their facilities. Otherwise, reach out to someone you trust. Suggestions on How to Succeed in this Course: 1. Create a calendar (or use the schedule that I have provided for you) and attend the online course at a set time/day. Flexibility is great, but also allows us to postpone work more easily. 2. Watch the video lectures and introduce yourself to the new concepts and ideas before attempting any homework assignment. For your convenience, my lecture videos have been imbedded into this course. Just click the Video Lectures button to access them. The course will run more smoothly for you if you make a habit of watching these videos before attempting the homework. (You will save a whole lot of time!) Access the author s videos as well for the material. Look for the homework problem that has a video link (it is within the first few problems) and you can watch the author s lecture from there. You can also select the Chapter Contents button to activate a host of videos, PowerPoint, and animations describing the math concepts. My lecture notes for this course are also posted at my website and I have created a link within MyMathLab to take you directly there. Some students prefer to view videos at other websites, such as Khan Academy, in order to understand the material. That is a perfectly fine idea. You should be able to just type in the topic and find a good video there, too. I have links to many resources on my website that may assist you in your quest for understanding as well! 4. Do some of the homework immediately viewing the information. Distributed practice is the best way to learn, so if you do an assignment every day, you will learn most efficiently. 5. Exam reviews have been created for you to study for each exam. These are located under tests. Allow yourself time to practice the review at least twice and aim for at least an 80% on the review. If you do this, I will look at your actual test for partial credit when the time comes. 6. If you have questions about the homework, get your questions answered as they arise by sending out emails to your professor or posting on the discussion board to other students. Best wishes for a successful semester!!
Other Important Dates: Last day to add: 9/16/2015 Last day to drop without a W on WebAdvisor: 10/02/2015 Last day to drop for a refund: 9/15/2015 Last day to drop with a W : 11/14/2015