INSTRUCTOR Mary Caffey
Office Phase IV Faculty Office, Room 403
Office
Hours Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Other times by appointment.
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Office Phone
(575) 769-4967
8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Friday (Mountain Time Zone).
Email Students in this course should correspond with the instructor
through
the WebCT mailbox, not the college email address. Check the "Mail" area
on the WebCT course homepage each time you log on for important
announcements or messages.
Mailing Address
Clovis Community College
Attn: Mary Caffey
Phase IV Faculty Office
417 Schepps Blvd.
Clovis, NM 88101
Fax (575) 769-4190
Faxed material should be addressed as “Attention: Mary Caffey” and should
also have the course name and number, your name, and the lesson number on
each page.
COURSE
DESCRIPTION
The course consists of factoring polynomials including the sum and difference
of cubes, solving and graphing linear equations and inequalities, simplifying
rational expressions, solving and graphing quadratic equations including the
quadratic formula, solving systems of equations in two variables , and
operations with radicals. Problem solving strategies are emphasized. Course
credit does not apply toward any degree.
COURSE
PREREQUISITES
This is NOT a first course in algebra. Prior to this course, a student
should
have earned a grade of “C” or better in a basic algebra course such as MATH
096–Basic Algebra I within the last two years or the Accuplacer placement
exam taken within the last year indicates this is the appropriate course.
COURSE
MATERIALS
We do not use the same book for this online class that is used for the on
campus classes. We use a program called Academic Systems - Elementary
Algebra by PLATO Learning Inc. 2007 (a picture of the textbook cover is on
the WebCT course homepage).
Computer
Requirements and
Assistance
Properly log off of the Academic Systems Algebra
software each time or
data will be lost! Back up every piece of work you do, especially print a
copy of your quiz grade each time you finish a quiz (you don't want to have
to retake a quiz that wasn't properly recorded for some reason). If you
experience computer difficulties outside of Academic Systems Algebra
or WebCT, you are responsible for solving your own technical problems.
Heavy Internet use occurs during the evening hours of 8-10 p.m., so you
might want to consider logging on at other times, if possible.
Calculator Scientific calculators may be used in
the course, graphing calculators may not.
Scientific calculators may be used on all exams including the midterm and
final exams. The software used in the course has a built-in expression editor
and grapher that can be used while working at the computer but you will need
your own calculator for the written midterm and final exams.
Other Materials
If you will be using the computer labs on campus to work on this course, you
must use headphones.
ORIENTATION
TO THE
ONLINE MATH
COURSE
ClovisCommunity College online math courses use the same WebCT shell as
our other online courses; however, the Academic Systems Algebra courseware
that is used is specific to math only. The format of this online math course is
not the same as for other online courses.
COURSE
OBJECTIVES
At the end of the course, the student should have a working knowledge of the
following:
Objective 1 The student will be able to use various methods to factor
polynomials.
1-1 – Remove the greatest common factor.
1-2 – Factor the difference of two perfect squares .
1-3 – Factor a trinomial using the AC -method or trial and error.
1-4 – Factor a polynomial by grouping .
1-5 – Factor the sum or difference of two perfect cubes. (Formulas must be
memorized.)
Objective 2 The student will be able to perform operations on rational
expressions.
2-1 – Simplify a rational expression.
2-2 – Add or subtract rational expressions.
2-3 – Multiply or divide rational expressions.
2-4 – Solve equations containing fractions .
2-5 – Solve word problems containing fractions. (Formulas must be
memorized)
2-6 – Simplify a complex fraction
Objective 3 The student will be able to graph linear equations and
inequalities in two
variables .
3-1 – Identify solutions to equations in two variables.
3-2 – Find the slope of a line (formula must be memorized).
3-3 – Graph linear equations using the slope-intercept method.
3-4 – Determine if lines are parallel or perpendicular.
3-5 – Find the equation of a line given two points (point-slope formula must
be memorized).
3-6 – Graph linear inequalities.
Objective 4 The student will be able to solve a system of linear equations
and
inequalities.
4-1 – Solve a system by graphing.
4-2 – Solve a system by using the substitution method or the elimination
method.
4-3 – Solve a system of inequalities.
4-4 – Use systems to solve application problems.
Objective 5 The student will be able to perform operations on exponential and
radical
expressions.
5-1 – Distinguish between rational and irrational numbers.
5-2 – Simplify a radical expression.
5-3 – Add or subtract radical expressions.
5-4 – Multiply radical expressions.
5-5 – Divide radical expressions.
5-6 – Apply the Pythagorean Theorem (formula must be memorized).
5-7 – Find the distance between two points using the distance formula (must
be memorized).
Objective 6 The student will be able to solve and graph quadratic equations.
6-1 – Solve quadratic equations by factoring.
6-2 – Solve quadratic equations using the quadratic formula (must be
memorized).
6-3 – Graph quadratic equations in two variables.
6-4 – Solve quadratic equations by taking square roots.
COURSE
SCHEDULE
The Course Schedule which is provided on the WebCT course homepage
should be followed week by week. Several assignments will be given each
week that will range from completing a lesson on the computer, working and
submitting homework problems from the book, watching a video and
completing a worksheet, and taking online quizzes. All online quizzes for the
week should be completed by Sunday at midnight, and written assignments
for that week should be delivered to your instructor by Tuesday of the
following week.
Work received up to one week after these deadlines will be penalized 10%,
and no credit will be given to assignments more than a week over due. Allow
time to meet deadlines - do not wait until the last minute to complete your
assignments since odd things happen in cyberspace such as servers
disconnecting temporarily, etc.
Students who do not log in and who do not communicate with their instructor
either through email or by phone by the tenth (10th) day of the semester may
be administratively withdrawn from the class. However, it is ultimately the
student's responsibility to withdraw from the course if circumstances warrant
it.
GRADING
POLICY
Your course average will be determined from four components as follows:
Homework 10%
After completing an online lesson, a short set of problems from the text
(shown in italics with each lesson on the Course Schedule and NOT the
problems assigned by the computer tutorial) will be submitted to your
instructor. On some weeks you will complete a worksheet and submit it as
homework. All work must be shown with each problem or credit will not
be given! Also, please include your name, the course and the lesson number
on each page of work.
Homework is due by Tuesday of the following week and may be sent to me in
various ways. Homework may be dropped off at my office in Room 403 on
Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m., and on Friday from
8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. Other methods for delivering the homework to me
include mailing to the address shown on the syllabus, scanning and sending as
an attachment within the WebCT email system, or faxing to the number
shown on the syllabus. Faxing homework is not encouraged since the quality
of the faxes is mostly very poor.
Homework received up to one week past the deadline will be penalized 10%
and there will be no credit given for homework turned in after that time. You
should also work additional problems in the book and/or on the computer for
additional practice (and not to turn in to me) until you feel you have mastered
the concept. Mathematics requires that certain skills be understood and then
mastered, which means extra work when needed.
The “homework” assigned by the computer after a lesson has been completed
is NOT to be turned in to me, but should be done for extra practice. The
computer keeps track of how well you do on the tutorial and then “assigns”
homework problems on content that has not been mastered and in which more
work is needed.
Online Evaluate
Quizzes
40%
At the end of each lesson you will complete an online quiz in the “Evaluate”
portion of the lesson on your own, without help from books, notes or other
people. You are expected to memorize all of the formulas used in a lesson
prior to taking the Evaluate Quiz. The quiz results are automatically recorded
within the computer management system, but always print a copy of the
quiz
results “just in case”. The week’s quizzes are all due by Sunday at midnight.
You may take a lesson quiz two times (the Overview Pretest may not be used
as a quiz grade). If you elect to take a quiz twice, the average score of
the
two quiz attempts will be recorded as the quiz score for that lesson. You
should strive for a mastery score of 90% or above on each online quiz. Do not
immediately retake an Evaluate quiz without first restudying the material.
Midterm Exam 25%
The proctored paper-and-pencil Midterm Exam covers material through the
Factoring Cubics Worksheet on Week 7 of the Course Schedule. The Course
Schedule also contains the days the midterm exam may be taken as well as a
link to the Midterm Exam Review consisting of selected problems from the
book and worksheets. A scientific calculator may be used on the exam but cell
phones, notes, books, formula sheets, scrap paper, etc. are NOT permitted. All
formulas needed on the material must be memorized. Midterm grades will be
posted in the WebCT Gradebook.
Students living close to ClovisCommunity College must take the midterm
exam on campus in the TestingCenter located in room 109. Students should
make an appointment through the instructor (not the Testing Center) at least
one week before the scheduled exam and should allow three hours for the
exam. A photo ID must be presented when the exam is taken.
Distant students must make their own arrangements to take
the midterm exam
at a secure, proctored site. The instructor must be informed of, and agree to,
the arrangements (location, proctor, date, time, etc.) at least ten days prior
to
the exam. Distant students must also fill out and send the Request for Off-
Campus Examination form (available as a link on the Course Schedule, Week
7) to the instructor prior to taking the exam. The Request for Off-Campus
Examination form also indicates appropriate proctors and locations. A photo
ID must be shown to the proctor prior to taking the exam.
Comprehensive
Final Exam
25%
The proctored paper-and-pencil Final Exam will cover the content of the
entire course and will follow the same procedures used on the Midterm
Exam. The dates the final exam may be taken as well as a link to the Final
Exam Review are available through the Course Schedule, Week 15.
Grading Scale Final grades for this course will be posted in the WebCT
Gradebook within
five days from the end of the semester.
Final grades will be assigned using the following grade scale:
90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
0-59% F
ACADEMIC
INTEGRITY
Academic dishonesty is an act by a student to use and/or represent the work of
other individuals as that of his or her own production and/or creation.
Academic dishonesty is unacceptable within the campus and in this course.
Students committing acts of academic dishonesty shall be penalized by the
assignment of lowered or failing grades on assignments and/or for the entire
course depending upon the instructor's evaluation of the severity of the
dishonest act. Consult the college catalog for more information on the
institutional policy on academic integrity.
NETIQUETTE Netiquette is using good manners in cyberspace. Since most of
the communication
over the net is by way of text, be sure your written words are not offensive to
the
receiver. Remember email is a document, and can be read by someone other than
the
intended audience.
INCOMPLETE The incomplete grade of "I" is given for
passing work that could not be
completed during the final weeks of the semester due to those circumstances
beyond a student's control that occurred after the deadline to withdraw from
classes. See the catalog for stipulation in the assignment of an incomplete.
ADDITIONAL
COMMENTS TO
THE STUDENT
• It is the student’s responsibility to know what is contained in the
syllabus.
• Log off properly each time you exit the Academic Systems Algebra
website or data will be lost. You don't want to lose your work or a quiz
because you logged off improperly!
• For your own protection and records, print off a copy of each quiz you
take.
• Get help if needed – just becauseyou elected to take this math course
online does not mean that you can’t get help from me or see one of the
tutors here on campus.
• It is the student’s responsibility to check for instructor announcements
made through the WebCT Mailbox each time you log on to work on a
math lesson.
• You are expected to complete all assignments.
• You are expected to stay on schedule and complete the assignments on
time. The deadline for weekly quizzes is Sunday at midnight and any
written assignments should reach your instructor by Tuesday of the
following week. Work received up to a week after these deadlines will be
penalized 10% and no credit will be given for work submitted after that
time. Please refer to the Course Schedule for each weekly assignment.
• You are encouraged to work ahead on topics you are familiar with. More
time is then available for topics you find more difficult.
• The time listed after each lesson is only the approximate time needed for
the computer lesson itself. It does not include the time needed to do the
homework or to take the online quiz.
• The computer system maintains a log each time you enter the online
course. Students are required to log in at least once a week in order to
meet course assignment deadlines and to receive additional instructor
announcements. Students who do not log in and who do not
communicate with their instructor either through email or by phone by the
tenth (10th) day of the semester may be administratively withdrawn from
the class. However, it is ultimately the student's responsibility to
withdraw from the course if circumstances warrant it.
