Spring 2012

Common Course Policies

MAT 152 College Algebra Syllabus

MAT 152 College Algebra Calendar (updated 2/20 to add Tech 7)

MAT 172 Finite Math Syllabus

MAT 172 Finite Math Calendar

MAT 212 Survey of Calculus Syllabus

MAT 212 Survey of Calculus Calendar

What’s New This Semester?

Many of you have taken classes from me in previous semesters. If you have, I’ll describe some of the updates for this semester here. If you are new to my courses, the next section below will describe how my courses work.

For the past few years, math courses at YC have been located at Course Compass. Starting this semester, we are using a new system that uses MyMathLab. You should be able to access the course through the YC portal now at http://my.yc.edu . The course will be available beginning January 17 (subject to change). The link in the YC portal redirects you to the MyLabsPlus website at http://yc.mylabsplus.com . If the YC portal is unavailable for some reason, you can log into the course directly at this address. At this website, your username and password are the same as your username and password at the YC portal. Although the course may look a little different compared to what you are used to, it has all of the same functionality and you’ll use this website to access and turn in homework, quizzes, tech assignments, and projects.

If you are taking this course again or taking a course with the same textbook, you do not need to purchase a new student access code. Courses using the same textbook (like MAT 172 and 212) use the same student access code. You should be able to reuse your student access code if you are repeating a course and have previously purchased an access code for that class.

How Does Your Class Work?

Welcome to MAT 152 College Algebra, MAT 172 Finite Math and MAT 212 Survey of Calculus.

You are one of over 100 students taking a math class from me, Dr. Dave Graser. I am teaching 5 sections of math classes this semester.

• MAT 152 College Algebra – TT 2:00-3:15PM (4-116) and online
• MAT 172 Finite Mathematics – online
• MAT 212 Survey of Calculus - MW 2:00-3:15PM (4-118) and online

If you are taking a class that meets in person and you are in the online section, you are welcome to attend the in person section as long as their are seats available. This should not be an issue after the first few weeks of the semester.

 Some students think that online sections are easier than face to face sections. In my classes, students in the face to face sections and online sections complete exactly the same work. My expectations, the class requirements, and grading is the same in both types of sections.

Your course is offered through MyLabsPlus and this resource website, Why?See!Math. These two sites are designed to work together so that you can complete the homework, quizzes, and projects completely online and have access to the resources you’ll need outside of MyLabsPlus. In MyLabsPlus, you’ll find the homework and quizzes you’ll need to complete each week. You’ll also find technology assignments and projects for the course in MyLabsPlus In general, anything you get a grade for is found in MyLabsPlus or can be linked to through MyLabsPlus. Many of you are already familiar with MyMathLab and it is a part of MyLabsPlus.

It is important for you to keep track of where you are in the course and to turn in homework, tech assignments, quizzes and projects on time. I post reminders in the course announcements, but it is your responsibility to stay on task.You should log into MyLabsPlus AT LEAST every other day to complete the required work and to check for updates.

This class has several components that must be completed and that are a part of your overall grade.

1. Homework – Each week you’ll need to complete a homework assignment by Monday at 6:00AM (Arizona time). There are also about 7 or 8 technology assignments throughout the semester to help you learn how to use your graphing calculator and Excel. We’ll use these tools to explore and document the mathematics you are learning. Tech Assignments are normally due on Thursdays according to the schedule in the course calendar above.

2. Quizzes – Homework is always due on Monday morning. Once you have attained 75% on the homework for a section, you are eligible to take the quiz for that section. The quizzes are also administered through MyMathLab and are generally due on Friday night at 11:59PM.

3. Projects – Three projects (and a Final Project) will be completed in each course. They are due according to the calendar. These projects are graded on a 35 point scale according to a rubric. Initially, I will record you score out of 25 points. This means you have the opportunity to earn 10 extra credit points. As the semester continues, I will record your score out of higher totals. By the end of the semester, the total on the project will be recorded out of 35 points. This means you have the greatest opportunity to earn extra credit at the BEGINNING of the semester, not the end of the semester. The Final Project is administered during the final two weeks of the semester.

Your grade comes from the components above according to the formula in the common course policies. The scores on individual homework assignments, quizzes and projects can be found under the MML Gradebook button in the MyMathLab Gradebook. Grades and comments on technology assignments and projects are found under the Gradebook button in the upper right hand corner of the course website. Your overall grade is in the MyMathLab Gradebook.

In a typical week, you’ll be doing several things. First of all, you’ll be completing the weekly homework assignment to help you learn the material. Second, you’ll be working to shore up any problems you had on the previous week’s homework before you take that week’s quiz. I post suggestions and comments on whyseemath.com each Monday based on your performance on the homework. These comments can help you when you take the quiz over that material. Typically you’ll also have a technology assignment to work on that is due on Thursday. Lastly, you’ll work on your project so that you don’t have to do it all on the day it is due. That is not really an option since the projects are designed to take several weeks. For the projects, the technology assignments will help you to work through the steps of solving the project.

These items can be better understood by examining two particular weeks in the course calendar for Finite Math.

In the calendar, the days are labeled Sunday through Saturday from left to right. In the day labeled Sunday the 12th, you’ll notice the label “Week 5, Sections 2.4, 2.5″. This means that during the week from Sunday the 12th through Saturday the 18th, you should be working on content from section 2.4 and 2.5 in your textbook. For sections that meet in person, we’ll use the class meeting on Wednesday the 15th or Thursday the 16th to introduce this material. Online students should use the videos at http://www.whyseemath.com to help them learn the content from these sections. The following week, on Monday the 20th (6:00AM Arizona time), the homework for those sections are due. During the first class meeting of the week, the in person classes will go over problems students had on these homework problems. Online students can find the same type of information at http://www.whyseemath.com/ . On Friday the 24th, the quizzes covering sections 2.4 and 2.5 are due. This may not see like much, but remember that during the week from the 19th to the 25th (Week 6), you should also be working on getting started on the content from section 3.1 and sections 3.2. Tech assignments are also due on both of these weeks on Thursday. For Week 6, Project 1 is due too. Most weeks in your course operate the same way…

• Monday – Homework Due at 6:00AM.
• Monday or Tuesday – Go over problems on the homework.
• Wednesday or Thursday – Introduce that week’s sections and turn in Tech Assignment if one is assigned.
• Friday – Quiz Due and Project Due (only three times per semester).

As long as you have been working on Project 1 over the previous several weeks, most of it should be complete by the time you get to Week 6.

Procrastination is NOT rewarded. You are encouraged to work ahead on homework and quizzes. Class assessments like homework, quizzes, and technology assignments are available about a week before the material is scheduled to be covered. Projects are available several weeks before they are due to allow you to work on them over time…you’ll need it.

I am guessing you are noticing that something is missing from the course…exams. I do not use exams to assess student learning in my courses. Instead, you have a large amount of online homework and quizzes to complete as well as projects. In my mind, the projects equate to exams. They help me to gauge your understanding and progress through the course. Therefore, they are a huge part of your grade. Not turning in a project will drop your overall grade by about one letter grade. Not completing a single homework, quiz or tech assignments has less of an impact (less than 1%) because there are so many of them. if you feel like you are struggling, send me an email or call me so that I can help you to get on track.