|
Math 181a-e Syllabus Winter 1998
Required Text: Essential Arithmetic, Johnston, Willis, and Lazaris, Wadsworth, 7th Ed. Syllabus Internet Address: http://www.ltcc.edu/programs/math/syllabi/w98/winsyl.htm Instructor: George Drake: (530)541-4660x256 Office A202 Office Hours: Tuesday and Thursday 1:00-1:50pm; Wednesday from 12:00 to 12:50 These hours are for drop-in student counseling (i.e., I am there waiting for someone, anyone, to show up), 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 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. Because the course is taught as a combination of self-paced and group-led instruction, I recommend the student register for each class as it commences as group-led, rather than sign up early for a course he/she may not be prepared to finish when the quarter nears its end. The usual add and drop policies of the College are subject to special rules for modular classes such as this. The last day to add a module this quarter is Monday, March 9, 1998. The last day to drop a module is Monday, March 16, 1998.
HOMEWORK: Completion of Mat 181a-e (i.e., all five units) in one quarter's time requires that students do homework. When working homework: 1) With five exceptions, students are to read the sections prior to attempting any exercises. The exceptions are as follows (please mark them in your texts now): 1) On pages 151-153, the text describes the "Euclidean Algorithm." Do not read this material, nor use its method to work the exercises in section 3.3B. Instead, use the prime factoring and GCF methods only (see the handout entitled "The Fundamental Theorem of Arithmetic" (FTA), which supplements the text on this topic.. 2) On pages 157-159, the text describes a "special algorithm." Do not read this material nor use its method to work exercises in section 3.4. Instead, use the prime factoring and LCM methods only (also see the "FTA handout"). 3) In section 4.8, students are to skip the portion entitled "finding the square root when the answer is exact" (pages 268-9) Students are not to work any of the problems numbered 11 through 20 in either set. 4) Section 8.3 is not to be read. Instead read the handout on Checking Accounts and use its exercises to replace those from the text in this section (working all of the exercises in the handout!). 5) Sections 11.2 and 11.5 are not to be read. Instead read and use the handout entitled "Negative Numbers" to work the exercises in 11.2 and 11.5. 2) When doing exercises, students are expected to do every third exercise in both set I and set II--starting with number 1 (i.e., work numbers 1, 4, 7, etc.). If a problem has numerous subparts, a), b), etc., do each subpart as part of doing the problem itself (i.e., do not skip subparts). There are, however, four exceptions (mark them now). The first exception is section 4.7b, where you do not do #40 in either section. The second exception is section 4.8, (see above). The third exception is section 8.2B, where you start with #4. The fourth exception is section 8.3, where the exercises from the handout are to replace the exercises in the text. 3) When referring to the answer section in the back of the book, be aware of the conventions spelled out on page xiv, item 16, of your text (please read this reference before using the answer section!). 4) Answers to Set II exercises are available from the instructor or the aide during class time. 5)Review exercises are optional. 6) Students must show their homework to the instructor or the aide before taking the exams on each Chapter. 7) Students should take the chapter exams as soon as possible after having completed the homework in that chapter. This, in particular, is important when a module covers more than one chapter. Do not wait for a class-wide administration of the exam, as exams are given on an "individual need" basis. 8) Frequent review of these instructions, including which sections to cover (discussed later), will save you considerable confusion, especially regarding 8.2B and 4.8.
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 Mat 181a-e, 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! Students do have the option of reducing the time spent outside of class with the understanding that the usual consequence is that Mat 181a-e may require more than one quarter to complete. This is not advised, and students are urged to talk with the instructor before choosing this route.
GENERAL INFORMATION: Attendance, although not considered in assessing final grades, is essential and required for success. Hand held calculators are not to be used for Mat 181a-c, but should be used in Mat 181d. They should also not be used during the portion of Mat 181e which involves manipulation of signed numbers (i.e., Chapter 11). Mat 181a-c involve 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 virtually 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!
The following outline of topics and the dates when the lectures on these topics begin are expected to be accurate. However, occasionally circumstances arise during the quarter which necessitate minor changes. If you need to know the exact date that a module begins and are not attending class regularly, consult me again nearer the proposed date. It is the student's responsibility to obtain the handouts, and this is especially pertinent if attendance is sporadic.
Day One: orientation, placement, and Preface Module 181a (1/6/98): Chapters 1 & 2, Casting Out Nines and Fundamental Theorem Of Arithmetic Handouts. 181b (1/22/98): Chapter 3 181c (2/3/98): Chapter 4.1-4.14 (4.8--no exact roots) 181d (2/17/98): Chapters 7.1, 6, & 8 (in this order) (Calculators may--in fact, should--be used) 181e (2/26/98): Chapters 11, 12.1-12.5, & 13.1-13.3 (13.4 optional) Negative Numbers Handout. (Calculators OK on all but Chapter 11.)
Students will be tested to determine proper placement. If placed in a module other than Mat 181a, the student may elect to sign up only for the modules needed and is then only required to attend during those classes in which those modules are being covered. Because so many students forget to return to the class at the proper time, however, this option is not recommended.
General Policy Statement Mat 181
I) Time Commitment: Possibly as much as two hours out of class for each 50 minutes of class time. The general rule of thumb is that, over the course of the entire quarter, you should anticipate spending a total of 30 hours for each unit of credit you expect to earn. Therefore, if you only need one unit, you could accomplish this task entirely during class, since we meet a total of 55 hours this quarter, and you could get two units with very little "homework." However, if you intend to earn three or more units, you should immediately begin doing a considerable amount of homework outside of class. Students wishing to complete five units should be prepared (and schedule their lives accordingly) to devote ten hours per week outside of class on mathematics. If you choose not to spend this kind of time outside of class, please do so with the understanding that you will probably require more than one quarter to complete the Mat 181a-e sequence. Students are urged to talk with me before taking this course of action.
II) Instructional Format: This class is taught in a combination of lecture and individualized instruction formats. Each day slightly more than one half of the period will be spent in lecture. The remaining portion will be spent working through the text and/or taking tests to demonstrate mastery of the material. Each day an assignment will be given with the expectation that it will be completed by the beginning of the next class period. The assignment will include reading as well as written exercises. Students are cautioned to understand that the material cannot be learned through class attendance alone. The reading and written work are essential parts of the course.
III) Attendance: Because of the combination of lecture and individualized instruction, student's 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. All students must attend the first ten to twenty minutes of the lecture portion of each meeting, when a general topic will be discussed and students will learn the skills of taking notes and participating in academic discussions. Students will be tested on the first day of class and individually informed at the next meeting as to what material they most need to review and/or learn anew. In addition to the general attendance requirements above, each student is expected to attend the lectures covering the material he or she needs to be studying. In other words, students should not ordinarily anticipate being able to do the entire course as an individualized program. 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. Mat 181 has different add and "drop with only a W" deadlines from most of the courses at the college. Check the syllabus and/or the college schedule for the exact dates.
IV) 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.
V) Study Skills, Learning Disabilities, and Language Barriers: Many Students in Mat 181 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 learner. In addition, many Mat181 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, Study Skills and Reading Improvement, may be very valuable. Also consider Eng 183A, Developmental Skills-Study, Eng 185, Reading for Students with Special Needs, and Eng 151, Reading Improvement. We also have extensive offerings under English as a Second Language (ESL) listings which I highly recommend.
VI) Grading: Each Module consists of one or more chapters from the text (see syllabus). Each chapter has a test which is to be taken after working the homework associated with it. Tests will not be given without evidence of completion of the homework! These tests will be graded as follows: Less than 70% Retake 70% - 79.9% C 80% - 89.9% B 90% - 100% A There are numerous forms of these tests, so there are numerous opportunities to pass each exam, and exams may be taken with the object of increasing the grade earned on an earlier exam without endangering the earlier score. The grade for the module will be the average of the grades on the chapter tests it encompasses, except that a "retake" will not be averaged with a proper score. If you fail to retake a "retake," you will receive an "F" in the whole module.
VII) Miscellaneous: Many students in Mat 181 suffer from having never memorized their basic arithmetic facts. Unfortunately, this class will not devote much, if any, time to this problem per se. It is the student's responsibility to memorize the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts. Mat 181 will speak only to how to perform various algorithms, and what the meaning of certain basic mathematics facts, terminologies, etc., are. The Learning Assistance Center (LAC), located in B107, has various learning aids designed to help you with drill and practice in your math facts. If you are weak in these facts you will be expected to avail yourself of their facilities. 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 to help you with any math problems you may be having. 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. Students may, and indeed should, use a hand held calculator in most sections of the modules Mat 181d and Mat 181e.
|