MA134 Fall 2013 revised August 8th, 2013
INTRODUCTION
The goals of the redesign are to:
· Improve student performance
· Reduce course drift
· Foster students’ responsibility for their own learning
Redesign Concept: While maintaining a synchronous schedule, students will be given the opportunity to practice college algebra concepts during and outside of class time while receiving immediate feedback. This will be accomplished by the instructor utilizing very short lectures during class time and using MyMathLab to practice skills during class and outside of class.
Instructor’s Perspective/Role—During the pilot semester of the redesign (Spring 2012), instructors found:
· A shift of perspectives in the role of the instructor is needed. Lectures will be very brief (10 to 15 minutes of a 50 minute class). As a result, students will learn in a variety of ways—studying notes posted by the instructor, reading the textbook, using the MyMathLab helps and watching videos.
· For the mini-lecture, instructors should carefully choose important concepts and examples to discuss. It’s important to study the class work and homework that will be assigned when preparing your mini-lecture.
· It is suggested that instructors post a complete set of notes on the class website before class. Students find it helpful to use these notes during class time as an added resource.
· Instructors and their graduate or undergraduate assistants must be active during class time. Some students are reluctant to ask questions, so it’s important to be proactive and offer your assistance.
· Beginning the first day of class, it is essential to “sell the redesign.” Explain that the course was redesigned because studies have shown that students must “do math to learn math.” The redesign gives students the opportunity to practice concepts in class while help is available. The course has been redesigned because we want students to be successful. The redesigned course clearly outlines the student expectations and our role is to help them meet those expectations.
· Please do not use old tests as study guides. Please limit yourself to the common review instruments available on the College Algebra resource page: http://cstl-csm.semo.edu/ma134/class/.
· Instructors will meet on a regular basis to discuss problems, strategies and upcoming tests/quizzes.
· You are welcome to copy Ann Schnurbusch’s Moodle course which includes all the common content. (The study study guide and key as well as the links to helpful videos are also available at http://cstl-csm.semo.edu/ma134/class/. It is important to encourage students to use the online resources.
Format of the Class: (due dates are compressed in shorter semesters)
Day 1 / · Students will access MyMathLab by first logging into your Moodle MA134 website.(WE DO NOT KNOW YET HOW THEY WILL ENROLL IN YOUR SECTION ----- more data soon)
· Monday-Wednesday-Friday class: The students should start the Basic Algebra Skills Assessment in class. This is the only quiz with unlimited attempts. This is due 2 weeks after the class starts in a fall or spring semester.
· In a Tuesday-Thursday class you may have them work on the 1.2,1.3 Practice in class and have them do the Basic Algebra Skills Assessment outside of class time.
Most Days in Class / · The instructor will give a brief lesson over the new material.
· Students will work on the Practice over the new material. It is important that attendance in class is stressed from the first day.
· If a Mastery Quiz was due that day, students will turn in their work for the Mastery Quiz. This is a completion grade and is being done to encourage attendance.
· Students are expected to remain in class for the entire class time. It is important that attendance is stressed from the first day.
Before next class / · The students will complete
o the MyMathLab Practice assignment over the new material.
o the MyMathLab Mastery Quiz over the new material
· The Practice and Mastery should be due the class after the material is covered. If a section is discussed over two days, it should be due the class after the second day.
· MyMathLab Class Practice will have all the help features available. Students may use the Similar Exercise feature until they earn full credit for the exercise.
· MyMathLab Homework is set-up so that students may complete late work for 70% credit.
· MyMathLab Mastery Quizzes will have none of the help features and may be taken twice. They may get help with the Mastery Quizzes.
Occasionally / · There will be three 50-minute tests. The tests will be traditional paper and pencil tests where students are expected to show their work. They are common tests written by one of the MA134 instructors. PLEASE DO NOT USE EARLIER TESTS AS A STUDY GUIDE.
· A formula sheet will be provided.
· Students may freely use approved calculators, but no other resources are allowed. (No CAS calculator such as the TI-89, TI-92, TI-NSpire with CAS. (You can recognize the TI-NSpire because CAS is written on the case. Students are allowed to have the TI-NSpire without CAS.)
· There will be very short (1 to 2 problems, 10 minutes of class time) quizzes. 7 quizzes are scheduled on the tentative calendar.
· There is a required MyMathLab Review for each test (but not for the final)
· The instructor is free to shift scheduling of quizzes and drop the lowest quiz score.
Notebook / · Students are expected to keep a notebook in which they take notes and work the problems from the MyMathLab assignments. The goal is to instruct students on the benefits of maintaining well organized notes and examples.
Resources / · The textbook is the e-book of Sullivan’s College Algebra (9th ed.). It’s important to show the students how to navigate the e-book early in the semester.
· In MyMathLab, they will have the aid of the Help Me Solve This button, View an Example button, the e-book, and linked videos.
· The common MA134 website has a page of resources for each chapter. These resources are primarily links to Khan Academy and other public videos.
· The Study Plan in MyMathLab is not required nor is it part of the grade, but it is an excellent resource for students.
End of the semester / · At the end of the semester please drop the four lowest MyMathLab Quizzes and the four lowest MyMathLab Practice (Homework) scores. Do not drop the lowest Homework scores during the semester because it prevents the students from Improving their score.
Details for the MA134 Common Final:
1. The final and the contents of this package are written by the College Algebra Committee.
2. The Common Final Topic Review, the Common Final Problem Set and the Common Final Problem Set Key are available to students at http://cstl-csm.semo.edu/ma134/class/.
Please do NOT show old Common Finals to students or use modified versions as study guides.
3. The Common Final Topic Review and the Common Final Problem Set are designed to prepare students for the final exam.
4. On campus sections take the final at a common time. The instructors who teach on-campus collectively grade the final, with each grading the same questions on every test. The goal is to have your questions graded by Wednesday noon, so that they can be totaled Wednesday afternoon. Encourage online students to participate in the common final time.
5. Off-campus instructors will receive their final on Friday morning the week before finals, and then will print their own finals. The off-campus instructors will meet to collectively grade the final on a date determined by when the last final is given. This will be done Friday afternoon of finals week.
6. Online students who do not attend the common-time final will take their proctored exam during finals week. The final will only be sent to the proctor after the on-campus final. The online finals given by proctors will be graded with the off-campus grading session, usually Friday of finals week at 10 am.
University Studies Program
Southeast Missouri State University
Department of Mathematics Course No. MA 134
Title of Course: College Algebra Revision: Spring 2012
I. Catalog Description and Credit Hours of Course:
Functions and graphs, polynomial and rational functions, exponential and logarithmic functions, sequences. (3)
II. Prerequisites:
MA102 with grade of 'CR' or a grade of C or better, MA 095 with a grade of 'C' or higher, or ACT Math subscore of 18-20 with MA 095 placement score of 14 or higher, or ACT Math subscore of 21 or higher. (University Studies course)
III. Purposes or Objectives of the Course:
The course is included in the logical systems category of the University Studies program. The primary purposes of the course are to develop problem-solving capabilities requiring a logical structure and to provide the essential algebraic background for work in other fields or courses. The students will be given problems in many disciplines that use algebra in their solutions, thus giving insights into the importance of mathematical skills in almost all aspects of society. Whenever possible the historical development of a problem and its resulting solution will be discussed, and the students will be shown how continued mathematical progress is still affecting modern technology.
IV. Student Learning Outcomes for MA134
· Students will use the principles of exponential and logarithmic functions to graph, solve equations, and apply these functions to a real-life situation.
· Students will use the principles of polynomial and rational functions to graph, find complex zeros, and solve inequalities.
· Students will be able to identify arithmetic and geometric sequences; and predict nth terms and determine sums of these sequences.
V. Expectations of Students:
A. Attend class
B. Participate in classroom activities
C. Provide and use a graphing calculator
D. Do homework, including the review of pre-requisite material
E. Pass quizzes and tests
VI. Textbook: Sullivan, (2012) College Algebra (9th ed.), Boston: Prentice Hall (eBook via MyMathLab)
VII. Course Content: This distribution is based on 50-minute periods, and is adjusted appropriately for other formats.
Chapter / Sections / Topic / 50 Minute Periods (Approximate)1 / 2,3 / Quadratic Equations / 2
2 / 1,2,3,4 / Graphs (Lines, Circles) / 4
3 / 1,2,3,4,5 / Functions and Their Graphs / 6
4 / 3 / Quadratic Models / 1
5 / 1,2,3,4,5,6 / Polynomial & Rational Functions / 8
6 / 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8 / Exponential and Logarithmic Functions / 12
9 / 1,2,3 / Sequences / 3
7 / 3,4 / Conics / 3
Review / 3
Examinations / 3
Total / 45
Students are required to use graphing calculators and MyMathLab in this course.
VIII. Basis of Student Evaluation:
A. MyMathLab Mastery Quiz, Homework…………………… 15%
B. Work turned in from the Mastery Quiz ………………… 5%
B. Hour examinations……………………………….………………... 45%
C. Paper quizzes……………………………………………...... 15%
D. Final examination. ……………………………………………...... 20%
MA134 College Algebra Common Final Topic Review July 24, 2012
Disclaimer: The Topic Review is not a complete list of topics covered in College Algebra, but should be used as a tool when studying for the final exam.
For the final exam, you should be able to:
1. Solve equations/find zeros of functions
a. Quadratic (You may use your choice of the methods below.)
· By factoring (page 93 example 1, page 94 example 2)
· By completing the square (page 95 example 4)
· By quadratic formula (page 98 example 8)
b. Polynomial with degree greater than 2
· Use the rational zeros theorem to find zeros of a polynomial function/solve a polynomial equation and write as a product of linear factors (page 391 example 3)
c. Solve exponential and logarithmic equations (See #5d and #5e below)
2. Solve inequalities
a. Polynomial of degree greater than or equal to 2 (page 369 example 2)
b. Rational (page 370 example 3)
3. Graph functions. Accurately plot and label x-intercepts and any horizontal or vertical asymptotes. Label axes appropriately.
a. Quadratic
· Find the vertex by the method of completing the square (page 290 example 1)
· Find the vertex using the formula (page 292 example 2)
b. Use transformations
· Know basic functions listed on page 236 to 238
· Be able to apply transformations listed on page 251
· See examples 1 through 10 on page 244 to 250
c. Polynomial functions of degree greater than 2 (page 334 example 10)
d. Rational functions (page 359 example 4)
· Refer to the summary box on page 355. The final will not include a rational function with a slant or oblique asymptote.
e. Piece-wise functions (page 239 example 3)
f. Exponential and logarithmic functions (See #5d and #5e below)
4. Work with and understand function notation
a. Add, subtract, multiply and divide functions (page 209 example 10)
b. Composition of functions (page 403 example 4)
c. Find domain (page 206 example 8, and see summary box on page 207)
d. Find the inverse of a function (summary box on page 415, page 415 example 9)
e. Evaluate a difference quotient (page 204 example 6h)
f. Use graphs to find intervals over which a function is increasing or decreasing (page 224 example 3)
g. Find the average rate of change for a given function between two given points (page 229 example 7)
5. Work with and understand exponential and logarithmic functions
a. Graph exponential functions
· Understand properties of exponential functions (page 426)
· Graph an exponential function using transformations (page 428 example 5)
· Find domain, range and equation of the asymptote of an exponential function (page 428 example 5)
b. Graph logarithmic functions
· Understand properties of logarithmic functions (page 456)
· Graph a logarithmic function using transformations (page 442 example 7)
· Find domain, range and equation of the asymptote of a logarithmic function (page 442 example 7)
c. Understand and be able to use properties of logarithmic functions (summary box on page 452, page 452-456 examples 3 through 8)
d. Solve exponential equations (page 460-462 examples 4 and 5)