math 99h syllabus sp10

8/9/2019 Math 99H Syllabus SP10

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Intermediate Algebra

Math 99 Hybrid

Course Syllabus Spring 2010Instructor: Carlea McAvoyEmail: at work: [email protected]: (360) 596-5573 (for a speedier response, please e-mail me)Office: Building 35 Room 359

Office Hours: Tuesday: 11am to 1pm Wednesday: 12 to 1pm and 4:30 to 5:30pmThursday: 11am to 1pm and Monday and Friday by appointment.

Course Description:

This is an intermediate algebra course, which has a prerequisite of Math 98 or an equitable placement testscore. There is an expectation that you have some knowledge of performing operations with rationalnumbers, polynomials, and rational expressions, graphing, simplifying expressions, solving equations,inequalities, and systems of equations, factoring, and problem solving. The following is a list of objectivesfor this course:

Simplify polynomial, rational, and radical expressions, including use of rational exponents

Perform operations on real numbers, polynomials, rational, and radical expressions

Solve linear, rational, and radical equations

Translate between linear equations and their graphs of data points

Solve 2X2 and 3X3 linear systems

Solve quadratic equations by factoring, use of the +/- theorem, completing the square, and using thequadratic formula. Solve some equations quadratic in from.

Work application problems which result in linear, radical, rational, and quadratic equations

Use set notation correctly, including set-builder notation

Graph quadratic and/or other non-linear relations

Translate between exponential and logarithmic functions and their related graphs

Materials and Resources:Textbook: Intermediate Algebra(Tenth Edition) by Lial, Hornsby, and McGinnis and published byPearson/Addison-WesleyNote: You need to have the Access code in order to complete the quizzes, homework, midterm, and tutorials

for the course. This will not be included with a used text. You can purchase the access code forabout $40 at the www.mathxl.com website. The course code for 10W Math 99H is XL0H-71N4-001Y-79I2

If you want to have a hard copy of the text this is the information you need.

Lials 10/e Intermediate Algebra text, Bundled with the MathXL access code. The ISBN is:9780558332754 The textbook is recommended but not required.

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You will also need graph paper and a scientific calculator. I recommend the TI-30X IIS

On-Line Websites:

My drupal site where course documents are posted: http://cmcavoy.spscc.eduThe campus site for on-line classes: http://angel.waol.orgOnce you get to the site, follow the instructions for logging on. After the first time, you can change yourpassword. I dont use this site much because there has been a lot of trouble logging on. Course documentswill be posted there also.The Pearson/Addison-Wesley site (www.mathxl.com) is where you will take quizzes and tests, submithomework assignments, and keep track of your grade with the on-line grade book.
mailto:[email protected]://angel.waol.org/http://www.mathxl.com/http://angel.waol.org/http://www.mathxl.com/mailto:[email protected]


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On Campus: There is free tutorial help on campus in Building 32 Room 122. The math center hours changeevery quarter, but they are usually open from 8am to 2pm daily and have evening hours on Tuesdayand Wednesday. I will post the hours for this quarter when they are available. You do not need anappointment to use the math lab.

Instructor: I am on-line and on campus to help you be successful in this course. E-mail me with questions

when you have them and I will respond within 24-hours during the workweek. Please remember thatlike any on-campus course, you will not have 24 hour a day access to an instructor. If you e-mail meat 11am, I may not see your e-mail until the next day when I have my office hours. Please be patient.

Classmates: Exchange e-mails and phone numbers and help each other out!

On-line: The MathXL has videos, sample problems, and tutorials built into every homework assignment.For some students, the website makes the hardcopy of the textbook obsolete. That is a choice youmust make.

Course Procedures:

Your grade is made up of homework scores, quizzes, the midterm, and the final exam. Ideally, you do thehomework on line sometime between Sunday and Wednesday at your convenience. These assignments have about 20problems that have built in tutorials, videos, and help. You can take it as many times as you want until you get 100%or the grade you are happy with. Then Thursday through Sunday you find time to take a quiz at that same site thatcovers the same materials as the homework (but you dont get the built in tutorials with the quiz). You get to take thequiz twice in case you arent happy with your first score. You cannot take the quiz unless you have attempted thehomework at least once!You will take the midterm exam in class (check the academic calendar for the due date) about half way through thequarter. The final exam is taken on the last day of class. For the midterm and final exam you can have 2 pages frontand back of handwritten notes and a calculator.You have to get things done by the due date, but you can always work ahead and get things done before the due date.(Say if you were planning on being gone for a week, you could complete 2 weeks of work in 1 week.)

You may work ahead of schedule and finish as quickly as you want. Homework can be completed

after the due date, but you will not be able to take a quiz once a due date has passed.

Homework(33%): These homework assignments are worth 20 points each. Check the due dates on-line (atthe MathXL site) and in the academic calendar posted at the WAOL site. There is a homeworkassignment due most weeks on Thursdays at midnight. You must have attempted this assignment atleast once to unlock the quiz that is due for that week. You may open and work on homework asmany times as you want. You can access the tutorials inside the homework assignments. You willnot be able to change your scores for homework 1 4 after you take the midterm. There is an extra-credit assignment posted at the WAOL website.

Midterm (25%): About halfway through the class there is a cumulative midterm exam. You must passthis with at least a 55% to continue on with the class. For the hybrid class you shouldcomplete the practice study guide for practice (and extra-credit) before you take the actual exam. Thestudy guide is posted at the WAOL site

Final Exam (25%): The final exam is also cumulative. You must pass this with at least a 50% to

pass the class with a C or better. The final exam is an open note test (2 pages handwrittenbut no book) with a time limit of three hours. There will be a practice final exam posted on-line atthe MathXL site that will count as 10 extra-credit points and a written practice final posted at thedrupal and WAOL site, but this will not count as your final exam score. Please note: The best way to


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prepare for the written final exam is to complete the written final exam study guide. Doing work onpaper feels different than completing work on-line.

Quizzes: (17%) Quizzes will be posted at the MathXL site so make sure you have gone to the site anddownloaded all of the needed plug-ins before you take the first quiz. You should turn off the pop-upblockers on your browser before you start to take a quiz. You will have two tries for each quiz butevery time you open it, new but similar problems will be generated. Once it is opened, you have 70

minutes to complete it. Each quiz has a due date which can be found on-line and in the academiccalendar posted at the drupal and WAOL site. Quizzes cover the same sections as the homework thatwas due a few days before. Each quiz is worth 10 points. The quiz will be locked until youattempt the homework for that week. Sometimes the computer may not grade it correctly. If youfeel that your quiz was not graded correctly, please e-mail and let me know. Quizzes are due bymidnight each Sunday. If you have trouble with the on-line site while taking the quizzes, pleasecontact technical support. Take the quiz early if you can so that you will have time to get helpbefore you open it a second time. If you wait until Sunday night to take it, it will be too late to gethelp from Tech Support or me. The syllabus quiz is extra-credit and will be added to your first quizscore, and there is an extra-credit quiz which will add on to your quiz total at the end of the quarter.

Grading Scale:A 93-100%A- 90 92%

(With at least a60% on the final)

B+ 87 89%B 83 86%B- 80 82%(With at least a55% on the final)

C+ 76 79%C 72 75(With at least a50% on thefinal)

D+ 66 71%D 63 65%D- 60 62%

FStudentfinished classwith anaverage below60%

VStudent didnot finishclass orcontactinstructor

Hybrid mathematics classes can be a very convenient way to take a class, but there may be glitches the first few

times you visit the WAOL and MathXL site. This may be stressful to you as the student, so I warn you

now, that this may not be the best venue for you to take this class. If you are not comfortable with

computer technology, or if you do not have access to high speed Internet at your house, you will

probably not like taking an on-line class. In addition to this, if you cannot learn math from reading the

information from a book or on-line documents, you would be better off taking a traditional on campuscourse. I will do my best to help you through the problems that you may have, and I will strive to make

this an enjoyable and productive class but in order to be successful you will need to be self-motivated

and directed.

Every time you e-mail me, you should include your name and the course you are taking in the subject line. Ihave 5 on-line classes and about 100 on-line students so please identify yourself!

Every assignment you submit should have your name on the assignment. Even if you put your name on thee-mail subject line, your name should still appear on your extra-credit work. The homework andquizzes you complete at the MathXL website will be submitted to me automatically.

Extra-Credit:The extra-credit assignment is posted on-line at the drupal and WAOL website. Each problem is worth a

point. I will add the extra points to your homework total at the end of the quarter.The syllabus quiz will add to quiz #1.

The practice final at the mathxl site will add 10% onto your final exam grade.

The practice midterm at the mathxl site will add 10% onto your midterm.


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The Extra-credit quiz will be added onto your lowest quiz score. (If you miss a quiz, it will replace the zero)

Course CalendarThere is an academic calendar posted at the drupal and WAOL site to help you keep track of all of the due

dates.

Class Attendance:

Many students ask me if attendance is required. The short answer is No except on the day of the midtermand the final exam. The longer answer is If you plan to not attend class, please make sure that youare staying up on the assignments on your own. Not attending class is not an excuse for not knowingabout announcements made during class.

COURSE OUTLINE

II. STUDENTLEARNINGOUTCOMES:

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

A. Simplify polynomial, rational and radical expressions, including use of rational exponents and scientific notation;B. Perform operations on real numbers, polynomials, rational, and radical expressions;C. Solve linear, rational and radical equations;D. Solve linear inequalities including compound and continuing inequalities, graph the solution set;

E. Write/draw and interpret set notation and Venn diagrams correctly, including set-builder notationF. Translate between linear equations and their graphs or data pointsG. Translate between the slope-intercept form of the equation of a line and the standard form;H. Solve 2 by 2 and 3 by 3 linear systems;I. Solve quadratic equations by factoring, use of the +/- theorem, completing the square, and using the quadratic formula. Solve some equations

quadratic in form;

J. Work application problems which result in linear, radical, rational and quadratic equations;K. Graph quadratic and/or other non-linear relations;L. Correctly interpret and apply function notation;M. State domain and range of simple functions;N. Create and apply an equation to represent direct and inverse and joint variation;O. Graph and apply exponential functions (extension to logarithms optional).

III. COLLEGE-WIDEABILITIES:

Evaluate and process quantitative and symbolic data.

IV. COURSECONTENT:A. Review topics:

1. Solving linear equations and inequalities; Graphing linear equations; Systems of equations with applications (3 by 3 system withapplication strongly recommended); Exponent properties and scientific notation

B. Polynomials:1. Operations with polynomials 2. Factoring polynomials including ax2 + bx + c where a 1 3. Use of factoring to solve quadratic

equations 4. Applications

C. Rational expressions:1. Definition, restrictions or variable, simplifying; Operations with rational expressions; Rational equations; Simplifying complex

fractions ; Applications

D. Radicals1. Definition, properties; Simplifying complex fractions; Radical equations

E. The general solution to the quadratic equation1. The +/- theorem; Completing the square; The quadratic formula; Complex numbers

2. Equations quadratic in form (lightly); Graphs of non-linear relations (choose some); The quadratic relation; Shifting andstretching of the quadratic relations, seen from y = a(x-h)2 + k; The distance formula and circles; Inverse, absolute value, squareroot

math 99h syllabus sp10

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