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Math
191P-1 (Mat 181a-c) Syllabus
Fall 2001 Having
received this document, the student is expected to know its contents, whether
explained verbally or not. Read it! Required
Text: Basic College Mathematics, fourth
edition: John Tobey and Jeffrey Slater; Prentice-Hall; 2002.
ISBN# 0-13-090954-8 This book is on reserve at the LTCC library. Students may wish to use this resource as a temporary
solution if they cannot purchase the book immediately.
But this will not be a satisfactory long term resolution of this
difficulty. Nor will sharing.
You will need to own your own copy. Syllabus
Internet Address:
http://www.ltcc.edu/programs/math/,
then click to syllabi, Mat
191P (Drake). Instructor:
George Drake: (530)541-4660x256
Office:
F-103 Office
Hours: M
3:30-4:30, T 5:00-6:00, W 12:00-1:00 , Th 2:30-3:30, F 12:30-1:30
These hours are for drop-in student counseling (i.e., I am there waiting
for someone, anyone, to show up). If
I appear to be busy, be sure to make your presence known, as I rotate
questioning amongst all students who are in attendance.
In addition, individual appointments may be made, but please observe the
courtesy of attempting to meet your needs through the drop-in service as much as
is practical. Thanks
Math 191P is a new course offering at LTCC designed to give the student
an alternative method of meeting the basic math requirement (Mat 181a-e).
Mat 191P is equivalent to Mat 181a-c, the first three modules in LTCC’s
basic math sequence of classes. In
conjunction with successful completion of the appropriate Mat 191 class in a
subsequent quarter, the student will have completed the basic math requirement.
In order to make a good decision as to which method will serve a
student’s needs best, it is important to understand the differences between
the two offerings.
Math 181a-e is a sequence of 5 one unit classes, referred to as
"modules." Each
module must be registered for separately, and each is graded separately.
The only criteria for a grade are the scores obtained on module tests.
Mat 181a-e is taught as a combination of self-paced and group-led
instruction.
It is possible, in Mat 181a-e, to complete all five modules in one
quarter. It is, however, somewhat
unusual. Most students find the
five unit pace at which Mat 181a-e proceeds to be too swift.
Because it is a combination of lecture and self-paced, these students
soon find the lectures to be irrelevant to the work they are actually doing, and
then it becomes difficult to sustain much of a pace at all.
Many wind up sort of losing steam and end their first quarter with only
one, two, or three units.
Mat 191P is paced more slowly, with three units being all that a student
can earn in one quarter. That way,
the lectures remain in sync with the work the student is actually performing.
To assure that students do not fall off this slower pace, the class is
not offered as a self-paced experience. Mat
191P is, basically, taught in the traditional lecture format.
Homework is an expected nightly activity, and the entire class will be
tested at the end of each module simultaneously.
Mat 191P is a three unit class and receives only one grade, which may
involve criteria other than test scores (e.g., homework and extra credit), but,
because of the modular nature of Mat 181a-e, students who cannot complete all
three modules (each module is worth one unit) in the context of Mat 191P may
transfer to the appropriate Mat 181a and/or Mat 181a-b modules prior to the last
date to drop (11/16/01) without having to duplicate the work already completed
in Mat191P.
After completing the Mat 191P class, the student will still
have to complete the two unit Mat 191 which will be offered in the winter in
order to satisfy the basic math requirement.
Students who have a good deal of confidence in their ability to
complete all five units in one quarter probably should attempt Mat 181a-e (there
should be opportunities to change back into 191P at a later date).
So should students who anticipate taking at least a year to satisfy the
Mat 181a-e requirement and therefore need the self-paced option.
Students who are carrying almost full loads outside of mathematics, or
who are only somewhat confident of their basic math abilities, or who need the
additional structure of an instructor-paced class, probably should take Mat
191P.
If you have questions, please see me for more of an explanation. HOMEWORK:
When working homework, be aware:
1) Handouts supersede the text and may be introduced into the
curriculum without advanced notice. Be
sure that you know whether you have missed any handouts when returning from an
absence.
2) Students should always read the appropriate sections or handouts prior
to attempting to do homework. In
reading the text, the student must also realize that mathematics is a
participation sport. You must work
your way through a math text. Simply
reading it does not suffice. When
you encounter practice problems in the middle of a section, stop and work the
problem, then check the answer which is fully worked out at the back of the book
(pages SP1 ff).
3) Homework assignments will be given at each class meeting. Grading:
1) Homework will be collected on the date of the module test and will
count for 10% of your score in the module.
Ninety percent of your module score is the score on the module exam.
2) Module exams will be administered according to the schedule below.
If a student receives a score of “retake” s/he must schedule a time/place
with the instructor to retake the exam within the next week.
If the student receives a grade s/he would like to improve, the student
may also arrange a retake within one week.
In such a case, the original score is not jeopardized by retaking the
exam.
3) Tests are not to be taken home by students, even after being graded
and recorded. Tests which leave
the campus may inadvertently result in a student getting an F in the pertinent
module.
4) The grade for Mat 191P will be the average of the three module scores,
except that a "retake" will not be allowed to stand.
If you fail to change a "retake"
score by passing a different form of the same test,
you will receive an "F" in Mat 191P.
In addition, the final grade may be adjusted for extra credit as
described below.
5) Extra Credit:
The student is expected to keep a complete set of lecture notes. Notes which are turned in at the end of the quarter will be
counted as extra credit.
Reviews of the publisher’s web site (see below) will be counted as
extra credit.
From time to time, other extra credit assignments may be made.
Extra credit work will be evaluated.
If it has sufficient merit, it may result in a student’s final grade
being increased by 2/3 of a full grade. I.e.,
if a student earns a “B-“ without extra credit, the highest grade s/he can
get with extra credit is a “B+.” A
“C” can be raised to a “B-,” etc. GENERAL
INFORMATION:
During the course orientation, you will be requested to fill out an
estimate of your overall workload. The
most common cause of lack of success in basic mathematics classes, without
compare, is students having unrealistic self-expectations on how much work they
can handle. The time to correct
an overload is in the first few weeks of a quarter, not the last!
The College’s late drop date for regular classes can seriously
exacerbate the negative effects of poor planning on the student’s part.
Do not wait until the deadline to drop classes if you are predictably
overextended!
Attendance, although not considered in assessing final grades, is
essential and required for success.
Hand held calculators are not to be used in Mat 191P.
Mat 191P involves extensive work with the basic operations, the
mechanics of which will be taught. However,
the basic facts, such as 7 x 4, 14-6, etc., must be memorized by the
student, and little or no class time will be devoted to this task.
It is the student's responsibility to assess, and eliminate, his/her
weaknesses in this area!
Students who have not taken LTCC’s math placement exam prior to
enrolling in this class should do so immediately.
The publisher of the textbook maintains a web site devoted to this text.
The address is
Featured there are a number of student aids, including an online study
guide with self-quizzes and an e-mail option for scoring.
Student feedback on this site’s quality and usefulness would be
appreciated, and will count toward extra credit. Schedule:
The following is a schedule of sections which will be covered in lecture
each day. Students will be expected to be aware of, to obtain, and
to read any handouts distributed during class.
Occasionally circumstances arise during the quarter which necessitate
minor changes. Should this become
necessary adjustments to the schedule will be made in class. Module
a:
Chapter 1 & §7.5 9/18
Orientation, General Policy, Vita Sheets and §1.1 9/20
§§1.2-1.3 9/25
§1.4
9/27 §1.5
10/2 §§1.6-1.7
10/4 §§1.8 & 7.5 10/9
Review Chapter 1 and §7.5 (Note the module b assignment below)
10/11 Module
a exam (Note: module a homework due on this date) (Note the module b
assignment below) Module
b:
Chapter 2
10/9 §2.1 (Note: this
date is prior to the date of the module a exam)
10/11 §2.2 (Note: this is the same
date as the module a exam)
10/16 §2.3 + go over the module a exam
10/18 §§2.4-2.5
10/23 §§2.6-2.7
10/25 §§2.8-2.9
10/30 Review
Chapter 2 (Note the module c assignment below)
11/1
Built-in pause date (Note the module c assignment below)
11/6
Module b exam (Note:
module b homework due on this date) (Note the module c assignment below) Module
c:
Chapter 3
10/30or 11/1
§3.1 (Note: both of these dates are prior to the date of the module b
exam)
11/6
§3.2 (Note: this is the same date as the module b exam)
11/8
§3.3 + go over the module b exam
11/13
§§3.4-3.5
11/15
§§3.6-3.7
11/20
Review Chapter 3
11/27
Built-in pause date
11/29
Module c exam (Note: module c homework due on this date)
12/4
Final Exam meeting date and time (4:00- 6:00) reserved as needed for
individual student appointments. (Note
the difference in time from that scheduled for the class time.) General
Policy Statement Mat
181a-181c (Mat
191P) I)
General comments:
At LTCC there are currently two methods of obtaining the content of Mat
181a-181e. These are the basic
mathematics courses which are prerequisite for all other math courses at the
college. One method has been
available to students for many years and appears in the schedule as “Mat
181a-e.” It is a modular course,
which means that students may sign up for that course and complete any number of
units between 1 and 5. That class
is taught in a combination of lecture and individualized instruction formats.
Exams are usually administered as needed by the students.
This class, Mat 191P, is a new approach to teaching Mat 181a-c, and bears
the different number merely because it is new and the process for formal
approval under the Mat 181a-c title is still being negotiated.
Completion of Mat 191P will serve all the same functions as completing
Mat 181a-c.
Mat 191P presents the
material from Mat 181a-c in a non-modular format.
It will be taught mainly in a lecture format, with reliance on homework
being a central component of weekly work and exams will be scheduled and
administered at the designated times. It
is, essentially, taught in a traditional math class format.
Many students who sign up for Mat 181a-e (modular format) are attempting
to finish all five modules in one quarter.
This is, arguably, the best strategy for students who need only a good
review of the topics because of having been away from the subject for a
long time, or stoned or absent through much of their earlier school experience.
But many such students find that their math deficiencies are greater than
they thought, or that their schedule is tighter than they realized, and midway
through the quarter they realize they cannot keep the pace demanded by that five
unit goal. A big part of the
thinking behind offering differing formats for the Mat 181a-e modules is that
these students may transfer into the Mat 191 modules, which run on a slower
schedule, mid-quarter.
On the other hand, there are many students who need Mat 181a-e but who
cannot, for a variety of reasons, complete more than one or two units per
quarter. Because Mat 181a-e
(modular format) allows for students to proceed at their own pace, that is
probably the best course for such students. II)
Time Commitment:
You should anticipate as much as six hours of homework per week.
Homework means work which must be done outside of class.
Plan your life accordingly.
If this level of commitment is not possible, you should consider taking
the modular version of Mat 181a-181e. III)
Attendance:
Attendance is essential. It
is your responsibility to attend all of the class meetings!
Failure to do so may result in your being dropped from the class and/or
receiving a non-passing grade. IV)
Placement:
Students who have not taken the math placement test prior to signing up
for this class should do so immediately. Self
placement into this class is not a good idea,
as it may result in your losing a full quarter in your progress through the math
program if it should turn out that you do not need the 181a-e sequence. V)
Dropping:
If you wish to drop the class by a certain date in order to avoid various
kinds of penalties, you must attend to the task yourself by going directly to
the Admissions and Records office. If, as you approach the last drop date
(11/16/01), you are not sure you will complete all the work required for Mat
191P, consult with the instructor, who will advise you at that time on how to
proceed. VI)
Note Taking:
You are expected to keep comprehensive notes on lectures.
If you miss a class, arrange with another student to copy their notes.
If you have difficulty with note taking, please either talk with me or
arrange with a counselor in Student Services to discuss your study skills and
the most appropriate means of addressing your needs in this area.
Please do this within the first two weeks of the quarter. VII)
Study Skills, Learning Disabilities, and Language Barriers:
Many Students in Mat 181/191P suffer from a lack of study skills. Such traits as good time management, note taking ability,
good review techniques, etc., are learned, not inherited or otherwise magically
endowed upon the student. In addition, many Mat181/191P students suffer from one
or more of numerous identifiable learning disabilities, often without having the
benefit of having had them identified. And, although many do not appreciate the importance of
language in connection with mathematics, the fact is quite clear that
difficulties with English will constitute a significant barrier to acquisition
of mathematical skills.
LTCC has numerous opportunities for students to acquire study skills, to
identify and address learning disabilities, and to improve English proficiency
for both the native and non-native speaker.
For example, Cou 102, College Success, is a credit course addressing
study skills. Eng 141, College
Study Skills, may be very valuable. Also
consider Eng 183A, Developmental Skills-Study, Eng 185, Reading for Students
with Special Needs, Eng 151R, Reading Improvement, and Eng 151W, Writing
Improvement. We also have extensive
offerings under English as a Second Language (ESL) listings which I highly
recommend. VIII)
Grading:
Each Module consists of approximately one chapter from the text (see
syllabus). Each module has a test
which is to be taken on the dates scheduled (see syllabus).
These tests will be graded as follows: Less than 70%
Retake 70%
- 73.3%
C- 73.4%-76.6%
C
76.7%-79.9%
C+
80% - 83.3%
B-
83.4%-86.6%
B
86.7%-89.9%
B+
etc. 90%
- 100%
A
If a student does not pass the test on any chapter, he/she will be given
another opportunity, using a different form of the exam. In addition, if a student is not happy with the score
received on his/her first attempt, he/she may retake the exam with the object of
increasing the grade. Such
retesting must be arranged with the instructor, must take place outside of
regular class time, should be done withing one week of the exam, and will not
jeopardize the earlier score.
Homework will be collected on the day of the module exam and will count
as 10% of the module score–90% of which is the score on the module exam. The grade for Mat 191P will be the average of the three
module scores, except that a "retake" will not be allowed to stand.
If you fail to change a "retake"
score by passing a different form of the same test,
you will receive an "F" in Mat 191P. IX)
Miscellaneous:
Many students in Mat 181/191P suffer from having never memorized their
basic arithmetic facts. Unfortunately,
this class will not devote much time to this problem per se.
It is the student's responsibility to memorize the addition, subtraction,
multiplication, and division facts. Mat 181/191P will speak almost exclusively to how to perform
various algorithms, and what the meaning of certain basic mathematics facts,
terminologies, etc., are. The
publisher’s web site,
the Learning Assistance Center (LAC),
located in G6 and the Gateway Math Center (GMC), located in G4--portables
located north of the D-wing--have various learning aids designed to help you
with drill and practice in your math facts as well as supplemental materials
related to the text. Tests of
arithmetic facts will be given for the sole purpose of helping you identify
which ones give you problems so that you can concentrate your study on them.
Constructing and using flash cards is a particularly effective way of
memorizing this kind of material. If
you are weak in your math facts you will be expected to take whatever course of
action is required to address these deficiencies.
Calculators are not to be used in Mat 191P.
The instructor of this class holds regular office hours (see syllabus).
In addition to my usual duties of tutoring students in mathematics, I am
also personally available to assist/advise on issues of study skills, time
management, career counseling (as much as I can), etc.
Just ask, or drop by my office to chat!
Math tutors are also
available in the LAC (G6) and/or
the GMC (G4), to help you with any
math problems you may be having. However,
as a general rule, a student should always attempt to see the instructor of the
class if at all possible, and should rarely, if ever, see a tutor to the
exclusion of being able to see the instructor.
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