MAT 0020 COLLEGE PREPARATORY MATHEMATICS

Professor: Dr. Eliane Keane Office: Room 7341

Email: Telephone: (305) 237 12 90

Webpage: http://faculty.mdc.edu/ekeane

Textbook: To be used together with: MyMathLab

MyMathLab / Powered by CourseCompass and MathXL, MyMathLab is a series of text-specific online courses that accompany Prentice Hall textbooks in Mathematics and Statistics. Since 2001, over one million students have done better in Math with MyMathLab's dependable and easy-to-use online homework, guided solutions, multimedia, tests, and eBooks. MyMathLab also offers guided mathematical instruction and free tutoring for students from the Math Tutor Center.

Textbook: Elementary Algebra by George Woodbury, 2009, Addison Wesley.

Special package:

Elementary Algebra by George Woodbury; Addison Wesley.

Math Study Skills Workbook

Pass the Test CD

MyMathLab on-line system

Worksheets for Classroom or Lab Practice

Basic Skills Exit Test Review and Practice Tests

Course Description: The course prepares students for the successful study of Intermediate Algebra. This course combines arithmetic and beginning algebra. All topics taught in College Preparatory Arithmetic (MAT 0002) and College Preparatory Algebra (MAT 0024) are combined and taught in an orderly integrated sequence. Placement test scores or referral determines admission. This course does not satisfy college level mathematics requirements for graduation. (8 contact hours lecture/lab)

MAT 0020 is an institutional credit course that may not be used to satisfy graduation requirements. It may be repeated.

Prerequisite: Admission is determined by an adequate score on a placement test. MAT 0002 with a grade of "S" or MAT 0024 with a grade of "P" with the Instructor’s referral for placement into MAT 0020.

Credit: 5 semester hours. Special Fees are assessed. There is a 48-hour Math Lab requirement for this course. At the EEC the lab is included in the class meetings and done by using MyMathLab to complete homework assignments.

Cell Phones: Beepers and cellular phones must be turned off!The vibrate mode is not considered turned off.

Course Requirements:

·  Registration at MyMathLab.

·  Homework which is submitted online through MyMathLab.

·  Weekly visits to my webpage to read the announcements and to check course progress.

·  Students must complete 48 hours of Lab time.

·  Purchase Basic Skills Exit Test Review and Practice Tests

·  Students must pass the departmental Exit Exam with at least a 60%.

·  Bring scantrons to take the multiple choice tests. They are sold at the college bookstore.

Grading: You will have 1 homework grade, 7 major tests including a Midterm and 1 Final Exam -The Exit Exam- all of which are equally averaged into a final grade.

Some of these tests are free response and some are multiple choice. Multiple choice tests require a scantron. You need to buy and have scantrons with you during all test days except during the day of the Exit Exam. I will provide the scantrons for the Exit Exam but you need to purchase your own pack of scantrons for the other 6 tests (scantrons are sold at the college bookstore). Each of these assessments has the same weight as the other. The average of these assessments will produce your final grade for the course.

Practice Tests: Practice tests in MyMathLab will be available prior to the graded tests. You can take the practice tests as many times as you wish. The practice test doesnot count toward your overall class grade.

Understanding the grading:

S (Satisfactory) To obtain this grade a student must have an overall exam average of 70% or higher, completed the 48-hour Math Lab requirement and passed the State of Florida Exit Exam with a grade of 60% or higher.

S is the only grade that will allow you to progress and register for MAT 1033 Intermediate Algebra.

P (Progress) This grade is assigned for those students whose course average is below the 70% average and/or fail to pass the State of Florida Exit Exam with a grade of 60% or higher, but achieve an average on all exams between 50% and 69%. In addition, each student must have completed at least 32 of the 48-hour Lab requirement. A student who receives a “P” must either repeat MAT 0020 or be placed in MAT 0024 depending on their arithmetic ability. Passing the State Exit Exam is not required for this grade.

U (Unsatisfactory) This grade is for those students who qualify for neither an "S" nor a "P" grade. A “U” means that the student must repeat MAT 0020.

Assistance: Please feel free to contact me if you have questions. I am always available to help you during my office hours. Please check them at my webpage. Use e-mail or call me if you cannot come to my office in person. I will respond to your email during my office hours and in a timely basis: 24 hours during the week.

The tutorial services of the Computer Center at the North Campus, Building 2, are available to students registered in any math course taught on campus. There, you will find course-related videotapes, computer software, and tutors that can help you successfully complete this course. Make full use of many resources available to you: The textbook, the computer center, your support peers, your professor, and the media services. The tutorial services of the EEC are also available and quite effective. Please check the media center or the computer lab at the second floor of the building.

REMEMBER: Check my office hours at my webpage. Plan to contact me during my office hours or email me.

Classroom Etiquette: Please refrain from bringing drinks into classroom. You are expected to arrive on time to class, depart when the class has concluded and treat others respectfully.

Homework: Mandatory and done at MyMathLab

Drop Date: If you feel that you will be unable to complete the requirements for passing a class, it is important that you drop the class by the college's "drop date" as established by the registrar's office. You should speak to your instructor prior to making the decision to drop. MANY times there is a solution that you are not foreseeing at that moment and you may not need to withdraw at all and still pass the course. Work with me, count on me, before making major decisions such as dropping the class. Yet, remember that it is your responsibility to drop a class, not the instructor's. Approximately half-way into the term, your professor will purge her class roll of non-attending students. This is a college requirement. No-shows or students with three (3) consecutive unexcused absences will be dropped from the course. This may jeopardize your full time, scholarship, or financial aid status. You are advised not to count on this process if you wish to drop a course. It is the student’s responsibility to drop a course before the drop deadline if s/he wishes to receive a grade of W.

A student enrolling in MAT 0020 for a third attempt will not be permitted to withdraw (drop) from the course. A fourth attempt may be granted based on a major extenuating circumstance if approved through an academic appeals process

Attendance: Attendance will be recorded daily and if you arrive after I already took attendance, you will be marked absent. You may wait until the end of the class and remind me that you came in late so that I change your attendance record from absent to late. Please do not interrupt me before the end of the class to remind me that you came in late; simply wait until the class ends if you want your record to change. Attendance is required on days of tests and final exam but optional during the other times. So, please do not make a big thing out of it- unless you are coming late all the time. In case of absence, a student is responsible for the material covered, and will not be allowed to make-up tests given that day.

In my webpage, I provide a detailed outline of the tests, assessments and sections that will be covered every day of this course. If you need to be absent, please look at this outline so you can prepare yourself for the next class when you attend. Also in the webpage you will find ANNOUNCEMENTS. Please read them.

Notes and Materials required for the Course:

  1. A calculator is not allowed in this course.
  2. Bring a notebook to class where you will keep taking notes during class.
  3. The professor reserves the right to add, rearrange, or change material to fit the available time. All changes will be announced during class or/and at my webpage.

Taking Exams: You MAY NOT leave the room once you have begun taking an exam. If a student leaves the room during an exam, your test will be collected and graded as a completed exam. The test will not be returned to the student for completion when s/he returns to the room. I usually ask students not to turn in a TEST once it starts for at least 45 minutes. The reason for that is to allow a student who is arriving late to still take the TEST. Otherwise, if anyone leaves the room after the test starts, then no one else can come in and take the test. So, be considerate of your colleagues as emergencies do occur and since there are not make ups for tests, staying at least 45 minutes to take the test is an act of courtesy to your peers.

Support System: It is very important that within the first week you develop a peer support system to help you. Find 2 students and exchange (give yours and take theirs) emails and phone numbers instantly. This way, if you were to miss class you can find out if there were changes announced in class. It is a good idea to keep in contact with the other peers in class. Take this action now!

Reading and Writing Components: It is the policy of MDC to emphasize reading and writing as part of any course whenever possible. We will focus on reading and writing mathematically as these two elements apply to the learning outcomes of this course.

Final Grade XCredit : Please read, sign, and return to me the acknowledgement below within the first week of the beginning of the course and you will receive an additional 5 points in your final grade.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I , ______, student ID ______,

have read, understood, and agreed to accept the policies and procedures in Dr. Keane’s course. I understand and take complete responsibility for the consequences of violating any of the rules described in these policies and procedures.

______ELIANE KEANE

Student’s Printed Name Instructor’s Printed Name

______

Student’s Signature

Date: ______

Learning Outcomes for MAT 0020:

Purpose: Through the academic disciplines and co-curricular activities, General Education provides multiple, varied, and intentional learning experiences to facilitate the acquisition of fundamental knowledge and skills and the development of attitudes that foster effective citizenship and life-long learning.

As graduates of Miami Dade College, students will be able to:

  1. Communicate effectively using listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills.

I will heavily emphasize this outcome in my course through all assessments previously described in the syllabus.

  1. Use quantitative analytical skills to evaluate and process numerical data.

In mathematics, we use analytical skills to interpret data, read, evaluate and create graphs. In this course, you will need to read and identify data from graph and, charts. You will also learn to develop quantitative skills to interpret the data from the graphs. In this course, you will solve equations and manipulate data through unit analysis. Quantitative skills are strongly emphasized in this course.

  1. Solve problems using critical and creative thinking and scientific reasoning.

In the process of solving mathematical problems, you will need to use your critical thinking skills to interpret the solutions you find. Creativity in solving problems is constantly encouraged in this course and viewed as an important skill in mathematics. Critical skills are strongly emphasized in this course.

  1. Formulate strategies to locate, evaluate, and apply information.

In this course you will often need to solve real-world word problems which apply the mathematical concepts presented. Especially using MyMathLab computer software to solve the homework will encourage and require you to develop strategies to apply information which will allow you to tackle problems. You will work both individually and in groups to solve these problems and identify relevant information in the problems to be able to solve them.

  1. Demonstrate knowledge of diverse cultures, including global and historical perspectives.

Whenever possible, you will be introduced to the use of mathematics through diverse cultures. Historical notes in class and further research on your part will stimulate your awareness to global perspectives.

  1. Create strategies that can be used to fulfill personal, civic, and social responsibilities.

Learning how to study mathematics is a valuable asset to your personal success in this course. There are various valuable strategies that you will develop toward this goal and these strategies will be continuously emphasized throughout the entire course. In this course you will be introduced to this outcome already in the first class through a presentation of a film on math study skills and further discussion on how the film ideas can be used to fulfill your personal responsibilities throughout the entire course. You will be advised to keep a notebook, use it for future reference in the course and encouraged to create a support group in which you study together outside the classroom.