MA101 –Beginning Algebra Section: XX Days/Time: XXXXXX Lab: JHXXX Instructor: XXXXXXXXX Phone #: XXXXXXXXX Email: XXXXXXXXXXXXX
Office: XXXXXX Office Hours: XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Polynomials, factoring, equations and inequalities in one and two variables, rational expressions, rational exponents, quadratic equations, and systems of linear equations.
Course grade: CR or F. (3 credit hours). Prerequisite: ACT Math score 20 or lower.
PURPOSE OF COURSE: To mathematically prepare students for MA102, Logical Systems and other university courses.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: A detailed list of the course objectives is listed within the ALEKS computer program.
Student Learning Outcomes:
A. Students will be able to solve linear equations and inequalities and solve word problems that require the use of rational numbers.
B. Students will be able to use the laws of exponents to simplify exponential expressions and multiply polynomials.
C. Students will be able to factor different types of polynomial expressions and solve quadratic equations.
REQUIRED MATERIALS: A one-semester Access Code for ALEKS, paper, pencils, erasers, a 3-ring binder, and 10 dividers. The software used in the course provides a calculator. You may use your own calculator, but the following types of calculators are prohibited:
· calculators with built-in computer algebra systems
· handheld, tablet, or laptop computers, including PDAs
· electronic writing pads or pen-input devices—Note: The Sharp EL 9600 is permitted.
· calculators built into cell phones or any other electronic communication devices
· calculators with a typewriter keypad
EXPECTATIONS OF STUDENTS TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THIS COURSE:
A. Attend all scheduled class sessions and work with either the ALEKS software or an instructor during the entire class period. Students who attend class regularly are most likely to pass the course sequence swiftly and successfully. It is very important for you to ask questions of the instructors if you don’t understand the explanations given by the software.
B. Complete at least 80 hours of on-line practice of the material.
C. Keep a notebook organized according to the rubric provided by your instructor.
D. Complete all in-class quizzes, tests, and ALEKS assessments.
COURSE GRADE: Mastery of course objectives will be determined by written quizzes, notebooks and the final exam as indicated below. Grades will be assigned as follows:
70% Final exam (instructor generated test).
10% Midterm exam (instructor generated test).
10% Pencil and paper quizzes over Intermediate Objectives (10 quizzes)
10% Notebooks (collected twice)
Course grade is CR, F or X.
CR grade will be awarded for an overall percentage of 70% or above.
F grade will be awarded for an overall percentage less than 70%.
X grade will be awarded for students not taking the final exam.
NOTE: A grade of CR in MA101 does not get computed into your GPA, but a grade of F or X does.
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: If you have special needs, please plan to meet with the instructor as soon as possible so that appropriate accommodations may be arranged.
WORKING AHEAD: You will be allowed to work ahead of the schedule for the MA101 course. If you complete all requirements for MA101 and still have sufficient time, you may opt to also take MA102, but you would not have to pay for a second class if you manage to complete all requirements for both courses by final exam week. You will only get credit for MA102, but this allows you to enroll in a Logical systems course the following semester. If you complete MA101 early, you must continue to attend class and work on the ALEKS program the remainder of the semester. You will be required to take the MA102 final exam at the end of the semester. If you fail to attend class or fail to take a final exam during final exam week, you will receive a grade of X for the MA101 course. To receive MA102 credit under this option, a student must earn AT LEAST A 70% ON THE MA102 FINAL EXAM. A lower grade will result in a "CR" grade in MA101 and you will be required to take MA102 the following semester. Failure to continue working in ALEKS, to continue attending class, or to take the schedule MA102 final exam will void the result of your early MA101 final. Your MA101 grade would become an "X".
ALEKS: You will be working with a software product called ALEKS. You will access ALEKS by going to www.aleks.com. You will be given your ALEKS Course Code by your instructor the first or second day of class. You will purchase your Access Code from the Southeast Bookstore or from the office at the Regional Campuses or online through the Southeast Bookstore website.
Your goal should be completing a combined total of 80 or more in-class and out-of-class hours logged into ALEKS. Attending class allows you to get help from an instructor on difficult topics, get correct information about the class, and fulfill your login requirement for the course. Working outside of class gives you an opportunity to continue to practice your skills and achieve mastery.
ATTENDANCE: Attendance is a required component to your success in this course. Your instructor will check attendance every class meeting. You will be expected to attend all scheduled class sessions and work with either the ALEKS software or an instructor or assistant during the entire class period. Because this is a developmental course, University Policy calls for mandatory attendance.
“Developmental courses are extremely important in assisting students who have not demonstrated the skills necessary for academic success at the college level. While grades may not be reduced on the basis of attendance, experience indicates that success in these courses is greatly diminished by poor attendance. Attendance is essential if students are to receive the expected benefits of these courses. Therefore, attendance is required at all class meetings of developmental courses.”
(Undergraduate Bulletin http://www.semo.edu/bulletin/)
Attendance will be taken during each class period. It is your responsibility to make sure the instructor has not counted you absent particularly when you are late. You are expected to stay the entire period and work the entire time.
· For a full semester class, after one week’s equivalent number of absences (for a 3-days-a-week class 3 absences, for a two-days-a week class 2 absences) the instructor will e-mail you a warning about the lack of attendance and inform you that you will be dropped from the course should the violations continue.
· After two week’s equivalent number of absences (for a 3-days-a-week class 6 absences, for a two-days-a week class 4 absences) the instructor will submit your name to the chair of the Department of Mathematics who will notify the Dean of the College of Science and Mathematics. You will be dropped from the course with an administrative withdrawal recorded on your transcript.
· Absences for university-sanctioned activities are considered excused absences and students will be allowed to make-up class work and assessments missed for these activities. Students who will miss class due to a university-sanctioned activity will be expected to provide the instructor with documentation from university personnel or faculty sponsoring the activity.
CLASSROOM CONDUCT: MA101 and MA102 classes are held in computer labs, so the following policies must be observed:
1. No food or drink may be on the desktops in the lab. You may keep sealed containers in your backpack.
2. Cell phones should be turned off while in the lab.
3. Do not use MP3 players or other devices during exam time.
4. Use of another student’s ALEKS code or allowing another student to use your ALEKS code is a violation of both your contract with the ALEKS Corporation and the Southeast Missouri State University Academic Honesty Policy http://www6.semo.edu/stuconduct/ and is subject to all the penalties listed in the student handbook – including expulsion from the university.
5. Southeast student ID cards will be required to take required in-class assessments and upon request by the instructor. Be sure to bring your Southeast student ID cards with you to all class meetings.
MA101 – Assessments, Homework, Quizzes, and Exams
During the semester you will be given ALEKS assessments, written quizzes, and a midterm and final exam to help you gauge your progress. You may also complete optional homework assignments that cover all of the objectives in a unit.
ALEKS assessments: ALEKS will give each of you an individualized INITIAL assessment to determine what you already know and it can only be taken in-class. ALEKS also gives you PROGRESS assessments which are like pop quizzes and don’t count as part of your grade. These may be taken anywhere and you should treat them as a sign that you are making progress learning the objectives of the course. Work from any ALEKS assessment should be labeled and included in your notebook filed under the current section.
Notebooks: All students will keep an organized notebook of their handouts and worked ALEKS objectives. Notebooks will be graded in class twice during the semester. These two notebook scores constitute 10% of your final grade. Your instructor will provide you with a grading rubric which details how the notebook should be organized. Follow directions on the grading rubric closely in order to receive full credit. Students who work ahead can combine their MA101 into one tabbed section and continue with the remaining MA102 tabbed sections.
Homework assignments: Each unit has a corresponding Homework assignment which covers each of the objectives in a given unit. These are designed to help you review the material you have learned in a unit to prepare for quizzes and exams. The Homework assignments may be taken as many times as you wish and you may access worked out examples of any of the problems while you are doing them. The grades for these assignments do NOT count toward your grade, but are highly recommended to review and prepare for graded assessments. Homework assignments should be labeled with the appropriate unit and included in your notebook in the appropriate unit.
Written quizzes: At the end of each unit you will be given a written quiz over specific objectives in the unit. Each quiz will be worth 10 points and you will take 10 of these. The quizzes will be graded by the instructor and returned to you. You may ask to take quizzes early, but NO LATE QUIZZES will be given. Your total quiz grades will be determined by adding all of your quiz scores together and dividing by 90 points – which makes one of your quizzes extra credit points (provided that you haven't missed any). Returned quizzes should be included in your notebook in the appropriate tabbed section. If you work ahead to complete MA102, the average of all of your quizzes for both MA101 and MA102 will constitute your quiz average for your MA102 grade.
Midterm exam: You will take a Midterm exam around the 8th week of the semester. This score will be counted as 10% of your final course grade AND will be used to determine your midterm grade. This is the only thing that will be used to determine you midterm grade, so it is important you study for it. The exam will be administered by the ALEKS program, but the questions have been selected from the essential objectives you have studied up to this point in the course. Keep all work from the midterm in an organized fashion, numbering all items, writing down the original question, and showing all work. When you finish the exam, the program will immediately show you your score and which items you missed and what the right answer should have been. Grade your assignment, but marking the problems you missed on your own paper and writing down the correct answer. Also write down your percentage so you know whether you passed or failed the exam. 70% or higher is passing. IF you are absent the day of the midterm, you will receive a grade of X for your midterm grade for the course. The midterm should be included in your notebook in the material for UNIT 5 on Inequalities. The Midterm exam grade will be included as 10% of your final grade for the course.
Final exam: Everyone must take a Final exam during final exam week. Even if you work ahead and take the MA101 Final exam early and pass it, you still must take the MA101 final exam during the scheduled exam week or receive a grade of X for the MA101 course.
Test/quiz taking policies: For all the initial assessment, quizzes, and exams the following conditions will be followed:
· Come to class prepared. Bring pencil and paper, your prepared formula sheet, and your student ID.
· You will be allowed to use the provided formula sheet and whatever notes you choose to write on the back of your formula sheet. You may only have ONE formula sheet. You may not write on the side with the already printed formulas and you may not attach extra pages or post-it notes to the back of the sheet.
· You can bring your own calculator, but it must comply with the restrictions listed at the beginning of the document. NO WIRELESS DEVISES MAY BE USED AS A CALCULATOR.
· It may take you more than 1 class period to complete the initial assessment. You will not be able to work in ALEKS outside of class until you have completed the assessment.