NorthWest Arkansas Community College Course Syllabus ______Fall 2011
MATH 1204 College Algebra—Hybrid
CRN 12308 9:30-10:45 TR
Instructor: Melissa Jordan Please address me with your preference of either Ms. Jordan or
Melissa or Professor Jordan.
Office: SC 325 Work Phone and Voicemail: 479-986-6915 Fax: 479-986-6928
Email: Please use a non-spam subject line and include your name within the email. My policy is to respond to email in 36 hours or less excluding weekends and holidays, so resend or call if your email is not returned within that time frame.
Website: http://faculty.nwacc.edu/mjordan
Office Hours: Monday 9:00-9:30am, 12:15pm-2:00pm Please use office hours to obtain help from
Tuesday 10:45am-11:30am me or to discuss any matters of
Wednesday 9:00-9:30am, 12:15pm-2:00pm achievement, accommodation, or concern
Thursday 10:45am-11:30am you may have.
Friday 9:00am-1:00pm
Other times by appointment
Math Department Secretary: Jill Witt SC 351 479-986-6900
Math Department Co-Chair: Larry Lord SC 310 479-986-6920
Prerequisites
Intermediate Algebra with a grade of C or better or an appropriate placement score
Course Objectives
A student who is successful in College Algebra should be able to:
1. Define, recognize, graph, transform, and perform various operations on functions.
2. Write, solve, and graph linear, quadratic, and other types of equations and inequalities.
3. Identify, solve, graph, and apply polynomial, rational, exponential and logarithmic functions.
4. Find zeros of polynomial functions, including by using synthetic division.
5. Solve systems of equations and inequalities graphically, algebraically, and with matrices.
6. Use a graphing calculator to perform algebraic operations and to graph functions.
7. Find the nth term and sum of an arithmetic or geometric sequence.
8. Solve application problems related to the first seven objectives.
Hybrid Format
A hybrid class is a cross between an online course and a traditional lecture course, designed for students who do not need a full lecture over the material. Since these courses meet approximately one-half to two-thirds of the class time of a traditional course, students must be prepared to complete much of the course independently on their own time. It is a great option for students who can work autonomously, but who also desire some face-to-face contact with their instructor and some lecture over certain topics in the course. This course is not designed for students who typically struggle with math or who need a full lecture—such students should seek to be transferred to a traditional course immediately.
Textbook/Required Materials
Access Code: The access code for MyMathLab, the internet portion of this course, can be purchased either at the bookstore (book voucher can be used) or online with a credit card at www.pearsonmylab.com as you register with MyMathLab, or can come packaged with a new text. Students can now request temporary access to MML when they go in to register.The temporary account lasts for 17 days and then an email reminder is sent when five days are left with a link to redeem the account with a permanent code. Then another email reminder is sent the day before the temporary account expires. THIS ACCESS CODE IS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT OF PURCHASED MATERIALS. Access codes are unique to the textbook, so if you have never purchased an access code for this particular text (see below) you will need to do so for this class.
Textbook: College Algebra, Fourth Edition. Beecher, Penna, Bittinger. Pearson/Addison Wesley, 2012.
The textbook is available online through MyMathLab so you do not have to purchase a hard copy
of the text if you do not wish to.
Computer: To view the minimum system computer requirements and explore the online product, go to
www.pearsonmylab.com. Use the links on the bottom left side of the page to view these requirements to
make sure that your computer and your internet connection are compatible with the product.
Calculator: A graphing calculator is required for this course. TI-82, TI-83, or TI-84 calculators are recommended. Any
calculator with a CAS (Computer Algebra System) such as a TI-89 or TI-92 are not allowed in any NWACC
math course. Graphing calculators can be rented semester-long from NWACC by paying the rental fee at
the cashier’s window. You must then bring your receipt and driver’s license to Jill Witt in SC 351 where she
will assign a calculator to you.
Email Correspondence
· I will use your NWACC email account to correspond with you prior to your registration with MyMathLab. After that, I will contact you using the email address that you register with MML. However, I can only email grade information to your NWACC email account.
· Although I do not expect your grammar/punctuation/spelling to be perfect, I would appreciate your taking the time to proofread and use capitalization and punctuation appropriately to send email correspondence to me that is more in line with a business letter rather than a text message. Include your name and which course you are enrolled in. Please be as specific as possible when asking questions so that I can be of the most help to you. The occasional “please” and/or “thank you” is much appreciated as well!
Technical Support
The student support phone number for MyMathLab is 1-800-677-6337. Please be sure to let me know immediately if you are having any technological trouble, but to get help for the trouble call the support line.
Registration
· To register with MyMathLab, you will go to the website www.pearsonmylab.com and click on the Register button for Students. You need three items to register: a valid email address, the access code for the course, and the course ID which is jordan71215.
· Once you are registered and are within the course, be sure to run the Browser Check whose link is located in the Announcements section.
Grading
Homework 70 points A = 360-400 points
Quizzes 30 points B = 320-359 points
Tests (best 2 of 3) 200 points C = 280-319 points
Final exam 100 points D = 240-279 points
Total points 400 points possible F = 0-239 points
· Note: There are some situations in which the terms of this syllabus, including grading, might be changed. If this occurs you will be notified in writing by your instructor.
· Please be aware that I do not use percentages in my grading system even though percentages will show up in the MyMathLab grade book. The grade ranges above are definitive. I do not round or curve. For example, 279 total points earns a grade of D, 359 points earns a B, etc.
· To receive full credit on a test problem, the supporting work as well as the solution must be present and correct.
Homework
· Each online homework assignment will be turned in electronically and graded automatically through the MyMathLab program. If you do not work a homework problem correctly after the given number of attempts, there is a button called “Similar Exercise” at the bottom of the exercise. Click on this button to generate a new homework problem.
· All homework assignments have a permanent closing date usually corresponding to the test deadline even though each assignment has a suggested earlier deadline designed to keep you on track to be prepared for exams. These deadlines are published in the schedule at the end of this syllabus, listed beside each online assignment, and will be posted in the online Announcements. You may submit homework assignments as many times as you wish and all will be available for resubmission until the evening of the permanent closure even after the individual homework deadline has passed. Even though you may resubmit homework until the evening of the permanent closure, procrastination in this course is deadly so please stay on track with the suggested published deadlines.
· To access the homework, click on the Homework link on the left side of the screen. You do not have to complete a homework assignment at one sitting. The problems that you get correct will be saved if you click on the Save button at the bottom of the screen. When you work on the homework again and resubmit it, the homework average will change automatically.
Quizzes
· There will be random quizzes worth 30 points total conducted during class time. I guarantee that altogether there will be at least 40 points available during the semester from which to gain the 30 points total. However, each student will only be allowed a maximum of 30 quiz points with any quiz points over 30 being dropped.
· You may not leave the room during a quiz and return to work on your paper. Please be aware that if you arrive late and a quiz is being conducted, you will not necessarily be given any extra time to complete the quiz.
· There will be no make-up quizzes given for any reason. This is why I will make at least 40 points available, but only count 30 points total.
Tests
· There will be three regular exams and a comprehensive final exam all worth 100 points each. The best 2 of the regular exams will be used to calculate your test grade. If you miss taking a regular exam it will be dropped. If you miss more than two regular exams, a grade a 0 will be recorded for every missed exam. The final exam score cannot be dropped.
· All exams may be a combination of online testing and paper/pencil testing or may be exclusively online or paper. Online testing will require a password which will be provided during the testing period. Each test may be taken only once. For each test there will be an online review for practice and bonus points.
· Partial credit is awarded on exams. To receive partial credit you must show your work in an organized, neat manner and each step, including your solution, needs to be present. The only resource that you may bring and use during an exam is a graphing calculator.
· You may not leave the room during an exam and return to work on your paper. Please be aware that if you arrive late to take a test, you will not necessarily be given any extra time to complete the test. There will be no make-up exams given for any reason.
Bonus Point Bank
· You may “bank” up to 8 bonus points in this course. These bonus points can be earned by completing the online exam reviews with at least 85% overall accuracy on each review. To receive the bonus points the reviews must be completed PRIOR to the stated deadline. The completion (or non-completion) of these reviews will not affect your gradebook score in MML as they have been set up to be omitted from the grade book.
· Your personal bonus point bank will not be added to your overall score UNLESS its addition causes your letter grade to rise. You can think of this bonus point bank as insurance—there if you need it. I strongly urge you to make this investment.
Make-up Policy
· There are no make-up exams for any reason. If you do not take one of the three regular exams, it will be dropped. If you do take all three regular exams, then your lowest test score will be dropped. The final exam score cannot be dropped.
· There are no make-up or deadline extensions for any homework assignments past their permanent closure dates nor are there make-up quizzes.
Tutoring Resources
In addition to getting help from me there is free tutoring available in the Academic Success Center (BH) and the Math Café (SC). The posted tutor schedules will indicate the courses each tutor is qualified to assist with. Please visit the Academic Success Center web page at http://www.nwacc.edu/labs/learninglab/ for more information.
Withdrawal Deadline
If at some point in the semester you are having difficulty and are considering dropping the course, consulting with an academic advisor, your instructor, or a financial aid advisor can inform your decision. An official drop form must be completed and turned in to the registrar by Friday, November 4. Not attending or participating in class is not the same thing as withdrawing.
Students with Disabilities
If you have a disability or medical concern which you feel may impact your access to or progress in this course, please contact the Disability Resource Center (DRC). The DRC works with students and faculty collaboratively to coordinate reasonable academic accommodations for students. Once your registration with the DRC is complete, you should contact me privately to discuss your Accommodation Letter. The DRC is located in Room 114 on the first floor of the Student Center. For more information, please email (preferred) or call the main office at (479) 986-4076. You must give me at least a week’s notice for exam accommodations.
Inclement Weather Policy
Cancellation of classes will be posted on NWACC’s web-site (http://www.nwacc.edu) and released to local T.V. and radio. Day classes are announced by 6:00 am and evening classes by 3:00 pm. You may also call the Student Information Line (479-619-4377) to find out. You can sign up for emergency texts through the ALERT:me link within My NWACC Connection. I may cancel my own classes if I feel that it is unsafe to drive even if the college is open. If I cancel class due to weather, I will do my best to email you by 8:30 am. If you miss class for any reason including class cancellation due to bad weather it is your responsibility to catch up on the missed material by the next class period. If an exam is scheduled for a particular day and class that day is cancelled due to inclement weather, come to class prepared to take the exam the first class day school is back in session.