READ THIS
SYLLABUS CAREFULLY! IT CONTAINS ANSWERS TO MANY OF YOUR QUESTIONS AND HAS
IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE EXPECTATIONS OF THIS COURSE.
Math in Modern Society/Math 123 (Web-based) 3
Credits Spring 2007
|
Instructor: Phone: 208.732.6807 or 800.680.0274 ext.6807
E-mail: jrose@csi.edu Find Math Syllabi and
other stuff at http://math.csi.edu |
Office Hours: Tu 4:00-4:50, Th
2-2:50 (in Math Lab), MWF 9-9:50
(Email/Phone only) or by appt. I am
taking classes MWF at ISU in |
Description: This survey course provides an
opportunity to acquire an appreciation of the nature of mathematics and its
relation to other aspects of our culture. The course is rigorous but not rigid
and applies mathematics to real-world problems.
Prerequisites: MATH 010/025 with grade of 'C' or better, or COMPASS recommendation
(Algebra Score of 46 or greater)
Required Textbooks and Supplies: Thinking Mathematically Third
Edition Robert Blitzer, Prentice Hall, 2005, ISBN 0-13-143243-5; a
scientific calculator with log and exponential functions (you needn’t have to
pay more than $12 for this.)
Software Requirements: Windows 95
or better operating system. Internet
Explorer 6.0 or better (using other browsers will bring you grief in chapter
5), Adobe Acrobat Reader 6.0 (4.0 or higher should work), Windows Media Player (see
the section What to do First below)
Course Objectives: Math 123, Math in Modern Society, is the capstone
course in mathematics for those choosing not to continue their formal study of
mathematics. This course is specifically
geared toward helping diverse students with different career objectives. Successful completion of Math 123 will
provide students with solid conceptual understanding and problem solving
abilities necessary for practical application of the mathematics found in
everyday life.
Students will demonstrate a working knowledge of the
following processes and concepts:
Inductive and deductive reasoning; Problem Solving; Basic Set Concepts; Venn
Diagrams and Subsets; Venn diagrams and Set operations with two or three sets,
surveys and cardinal numbers, positional number systems, converting between
base 10 and any other base, Prime and Composite numbers Integers and order of
operations Rational and Irrational Numbers Real numbers and their properties
Exponents and Scientific Notation Arithmetic and Geometric Sequences, Ratio,
Proportion, and Variation, Solving Quadratic Equations, Graphing and Functions,
Linear Functions and Their Graphs, Quadratic functions and Their Graphs,
Exponential Functions, Systems of Linear Equations, Percent, Interest, and
Installment Buying, Calculating the costs of home ownership, Calculations
related to the stock market, Measuring length and the metric system, Measuring
area and volume, Measuring Mass weight and Temperature, Points, lines, planes,
and angles, triangles, polygons, quadrilaterals, and perimeter, area and
circumference, The fundamental counting principle.
Policies and Procedures:
a. Consistent effort is important for your success in this class and you will
be required to complete assignments on-time in order to get credit. This class
is not "Independent Study."
b. For each section that we cover, you should do the following:
· Read the
section in the book
· Watch the
online mini-lecture
· Take the quiz.
After you score the quiz, you can see detailed explanations of how to work each
problem.
· If you
didn't score well the first time through, take the 2nd Chance Quiz.
· Submit the
written assignment
c. After every 5 to 7 sections, you will take a paper/pencil
exam. If you live near CSI or one of CSI's outreach
centers, you can take the exam there. Otherwise, we'll need to arrange to have
the exams proctored at some other location. Please contact me early on if you
can't take the exam at CSI or an outreach center. Our
d. Please read the behavioral
policy on Honesty starting on page 14 of the current CSI Catalog. Any violation of the policy
will be dealt with severely, including but not limited to, being dismissed from
the class and/or given a grade of "F" for the course.
e. Any student
with a documented disability may be eligible for related accommodations. To determine eligibility and secure services,
students should contact the coordinator of Disability Services at their first
opportunity after registration for a class.
Student Disability Services is located on the second floor of the
f. Resources for Help: 1. Free
drop-in tutoring in the Math Lab in Shields 207; see schedule on the door
there. 2. There may be other tutoring services available through the Learning
Assistance Coordinator; call Kat Powell at 732-6548 for information. 3. Check
out Math 123 Videos on reserve in the library; ask at the circulation
desk. 4. Download instructor videos from
http://math.csi.edu . 5. Email, call, or
visit the instructor with your questions–you’re supposed to.
g. I reserve
the right to fix errors or omissions in this syllabus.
Library
Use: The CSI Library is an excellent place to find further
information about topics in mathematics. The computers in the library are
available for your use in finding information from the card catalog and the
internet as well as sending email. Student Email Account Every registered student has a web-based student email
account that the college uses as its primary source of written communication
with you. To access it, go to http://students.csi.edu
Your username is the first two
letters of your first name, your middle initial, the first two letters of your
last name, two digits for your birth month and two digits for your birth day
(no spaces anywhere; if you do not have a middle initial or did not use it when
registering at the Records Office, you need to use an x instead) Your password
is your full Social Security Number as given to CSI, no spaces or dashes.
Example: John Doe who was born May 7th with
social security number 555-00-1111
username: joxdo0507 password: 555001111 John Doe's CSI e-mail address: joxdo0516@students.csi.edu
You can access this account anywhere that you can find
access to the web: home, public library, computer lab, etc.
Outcomes Assessment: Students will have achieved the course objectives
if they can demonstrate the knowledge listed in the course objectives section
above, as measured by quizzes, writing assignments, exams, and the final.
Quizzes taken after each section will be graded, and analyzed. Paper/pencil
tests and a final will be administered and the results compared to course
objectives. As part of departmental analysis of outcomes in this course and its
place in the Mathematics program, student completion of the pre-requisite,
success in the current course, success in subsequent courses and student
satisfaction will be reviewed by the instructor. A report containing this
information will be submitted by department faculty to determine what, if any,
changes can be made to improve the course in terms of content, focus, and
instruction.
Grading Practices: Each section has a "First
Quiz" and an optional "2nd Chance Quiz." At the end of the
semester, I will select your highest quiz score from each section and average
them. For each section there will be at
least one written assignment as well. At
the end of the semester, the written assignments will be averaged. The quiz average will be 1/9 of your grade.
The written assignment average will be 1/9 of your grade. Each of the first six
tests will be 1/9 of your grade. The final will make up the remaining 1/9 of
your grade. 90 - 100 is an 'A', 80 - 89 is a 'B', 70 - 79 is a 'C', 60 - 69 is
a 'D', and below 60 is an 'F'
Course
Evaluations are online Students are strongly encouraged to complete
evaluations at the end of the course. Evaluations are very important to assist
the teaching staff to continually improve the course. Evaluations are available
online at: http://evaluation.csi.edu. Evaluations open up two weeks prior to
the end of the course. The last day to complete an evaluation is the last day
of the course. During the time the evaluations are open, students can complete
the course evaluations at their convenience from any computer with Internet
access, including in the open lab in the Library and in the SUB. When students
log in they should see the evaluations for the courses in which they are
enrolled. Evaluations are anonymous. Filling out the evaluation should only
take a few minutes. Your honest feedback is greatly appreciated.
The
following schedule is TENTATIVE and subject to change.
|
Week of |
Due Date
for Quizzes and Other Assignments |
Sections
to cover and/or test to take before due date |
|
Jan 15 |
Sun, Jan 21, 11:59
PM |
1.1, 1.3, 11.1
(inductive and deductive reasoning; problem solving; fundamental
counting principle) |
|
Jan 22 |
Sun, Jan 28, 11:59
PM |
4.1, 4.2 (positional
number systems; converting between base 10 and other bases) |
|
Jan 29 |
Sun, Feb 4, 11:59
PM |
Test 1 (covers
1.1, 1.3, 11.1, 4.1, 4.2), 2.1, 2.2 (Basic Set Concepts; Venn
Diagrams and Subsets) |
|
Feb 5 |
Sun, Feb 11, 11:59
PM |
2.3, 2.4, 2.5 (Venn
diagrams and set operations with two or three sets, surveys and cardinal
numbers) |
|
Feb 12 |
Sun, Feb 18, 11:59
PM |
Test 2, (covers
2.1 – 2.5), 5.1, 5.2 (prime and
composite numbers; Integers and order of operations) |
|
Feb 19 |
Sun, Feb 25, 11:59
PM |
5.3, 5.4, 5.5
(rational and irrational numbers; real numbers and their properties) |
|
Feb 26 |
Sun, Mar 4,
11:59 PM |
5.6, 5.7, 6.4
(exponents and scientific notation; arithmetic and geometric sequences;
ratio, proportion, and variation) |
|
Mar 5 |
Sun, Mar 11, 11:59
PM |
Test 3 (covers
5.1 – 5.7), 7.1, 7.2 (graphing and functions; linear functions and their
graphs) |
|
Mar 12 |
Sun, Mar 18, 11:59
PM |
6.6, 7.3, 7.4
(solving quadratic equations; quadratic functions and their graphs,
exponential functions) |
|
Mar 19 |
Spring Break |
Spring Break.
No assignments |
|
Mar 26 |
Sun, Apr 1,
11:59 PM |
7.5, 8.1, 8.2,
8.3 (systems of linear equations; percent; interest) |
|
Apr 2 |
Sun, Apr 8,
11:59 PM |
Test 4 (covers
7.1 – 7.5, 6.4, 6.6), 8.4, 8.5 (installment buying, calculating
the costs of home ownership) |
|
Apr 9 |
Sun, Apr 15,
11:59 PM |
8.6, 10.1, 10.2
(calculations related to the stock market; points, lines, planes, and
angles; triangles) |
|
Apr 16 |
Sun, Apr 22,
11:59 PM |
Test 5 (covers
8.1 – 8.6),10.3, 10.4 (polygons, quadrilaterals, and perimeter; area and
circumference) |
|
Apr 23 |
Sun, Apr 29,
11:59 PM |
Test 6 (covers
10.1-10.4) 9.1, 9.2, 9.3 (measuring length and the metric system; measuring
area and volume; measuring mass weight and temperature) |
|
Apr 30 |
|
Use the week to
review for the final. The
final will be comprehensive, i.e. it will cover all of the sections discussed
during the entire semester. |
|
May 7 |
Thurs, May 10 |
Take the final
in your regular testing place. I may
not receive finals taken after Monday, May 7 before grades are due in the
Records Office. If I don’t receive
your final in time, I’ll calculate your grade using a zero for the
final. After the break, I’ll grade
your final and then change the grade up as necessary. |
Important Dates
|
Day |
Date |
|
Day |
Date |
|
|
Fri |
2/2 |
Tuition due and last day for 100% refund |
Fri |
2/9 |
Last day for registered students to add |
|
Fri |
1/29 |
Last day for registration and last day to drop without a
W. |
Fri |
4/6 |
Last day to drop with a W or withdraw |
What to do first:
Install the necessary free software:
1. Obtain the required materials (see
above.) To order books from the
bookstore, call 1-800-680-0274 ext. 6550 (208-732-6550).
2. Install Adobe
Reader 5.05 which can
be downloaded for free from
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
If you have an older version (4.0 or higher), you
technically shouldn’t have to upgrade, but if you have any trouble viewing PDF
files, you should try upgrading first.
The file is about 8.5 MB, and will take about 50 minutes with a 28.8
kbps modem.
System Requirements:
Intel Pentium Processor, Microsoft Windows 95 OSR 2.0, Windows 98 SE, Millenium Edition, Windows NT 4.0 with service pack 5,
Windows 2000, or Windows XP, 64 MB of RAM, 24 MB of available hard-disk space.
3. Install Windows
Media Player 6.3 or higher
http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/download/default.asp
(will take about 18 minutes with a
28.8 kbps modem)
Getting Started in the class:
1. Make sure you’ve
installed the necessary free software (above.)
2. Open your web
browser.
3. Go to the CSI
homepage at http://www.csi.edu and click on
the “Blackboard” link OR go directly to http://blackboard.csi.edu
.
4. Click the “User Login”
button.
5. In the “Username”
box, type the first two letters of your first name, your middle initial, the
first two letters of your last name, two digits for your birth month and two
digits for your birth day (no spaces anywhere; if you do not have a middle
initial or did not use it when registering at the Records Office, you need to
use an x instead)
6. In the “Password”
box, type your full Social Security Number without spaces or dashes (unless you
have used this account previously and changed your password, in which case use
the password you’ve selected.) If you
can’t login, send me an email. Be sure
to tell me in the email the exact username that you are trying to use.
Example: John Doe who was born May 7th with
social security number 555-00-1111
username: joxdo0507
password: 555001111
7. Once you’re logged
in, click on Math 123.
8. Click on the
“Assignments” button
9. Do the weekly
assignments as they appear.
How to see the results of your quizzes
As soon as you submit a quiz, the computer will grade the
items that it can and then show you the corrected test. Occasionally, some of the items need to be
graded by me, so your correct score won’t show until
after I’ve had a chance to grade quizzes.
You can see the results of quizzes you’ve taken before by clicking on
“Tools” and then “My Grade.” When the
list of quizzes and scores is displayed, click on the score to see the graded
quiz. If a
symbol of a padlock is displayed, that indicates that you have opened the quiz
but not submitted it. Go back to the "assignments" folder, click on
the folder where the quiz was assigned, click on the title of the quiz,
complete your responses, and hit "submit."
How to get
test results
When one of your paper/pencil tests is graded, I’ll send you
an email (to the address you have listed under personal information in
Blackboard) explaining how to download a scanned copy of your graded test.
Common Problems and Frequently Asked Questions
1. When I
try to play a video I hear the sound, but I can’t see the image.
(From Windows Media Player 6.4 Help) Make sure the appropriate video
codec is installed
a. While the media file is playing, click the File menu, and then click
Properties.
b. Click the Advanced tab.
c. In the Codecs in use box, make sure that all
of the codecs have been installed. If a codec has not
been installed, the Installed column in the Codecs in
use box will display No. To attempt to install a
missing codec, close the media file, and then open it again. When you open a
media file, Windows Media Player automatically attempts to download and install
any missing codecs. You must have an open connection
to the Internet to automatically install missing codecs.
d. If all of the codecs are installed, it could
be that the content was created with a newer version of the codec than is
installed on your computer. To remedy this, click the Help menu, and then click
Check for player upgrade. If a newer version is available, click Upgrade Now to
install it. You must have an open connection to the Internet to check for and
install an upgrade.
2. I can’t hear or I can barely hear the sound from the video, even though the volume slider on “Windows Media Player” is all the way to the right.
Your master volume or wave volume is probably turned
down. Double click on the yellow
bullhorn on the Start bar down by the time.
Move the “Volume Control” slider and/or the “Wave” slider up (make sure “mute” isn’t
checked on either.)
3. My computer
locked up in the middle of a quiz.
Email me and let me know which section, which quiz (first or
second), and which problem number.
4. The computer
scored a quiz incorrectly. (From time to time quizzes are not programmed
correctly or the feedback has errors. I
like to know about these so that I can fix them for future students.)
First, check to make sure that the item just wasn’t scored because it’s a “Short Answer/Essay” question that I need to grade, then check to make sure that you’re looking at your answer and not the feedback, then email me and let me know which section, which quiz (first or second), and which problem number.
5. I just
submitted a quiz that had a question of type “short answer/essay” or a writing
assignment. My answer is pretty similar
to yours but I didn’t get any credit.
Why not?
“Short Answer/Essay” questions have to be graded by hand. I sit down and grade these all together a couple of days after the deadline. Until then, your score will not be correct. After I grade the essay questions, you can see the results of the quiz by clicking on “Tools” and then “Check Grade.” When the list of quizzes and scores is displayed, click on the score to see the graded quiz.
6. I took the second quiz instead of the first. I’m happy with my score on the second quiz, do I have to go back and take the first quiz?
No. For each section, I take the highest
of the two. For example, if your first
quiz score is 0 or not taken and your second quiz is 93, your score for the
section is 93.
7. I took the first quiz and I’m happy with my score. Do I have to take the second quiz?
No, but extra practice never hurts. I take the highest
score, even if the second attempt is lower than the first.
8. How can a download
a video so that I can watch it later?
Right click on the link and choose “Save Target As.” Be sure save it somewhere where you can find
it again.
9. There
are a bunch of gray boxes in my quiz (mathematical equations are not displaying
properly)
The mathematical equations require Java to load. The
equations are usually the last part of the page to load, so be patient. It
takes an extra long time for the very first equation to load, but if it still
hasn't loaded after 15 minutes, first try right-clicking somewhere on the white
space of the page and choosing "refresh." If that doesn't work, try
uninstalling and reinstalling java.
Here's how: go to "Start > Settings > Control
Panel > Add/Remove Programs" and uninstall any Java parsers (from Sun
or Microsoft) and reboot. Then go to http://www.java.com and click on the “Get
It Now” button. That will automatically
install the latest version of Java on your machine. If that doesn't work, send a detailed email
to csiwebmaster@csi.edu (and CC me.) In your message, be sure to say what
operating system your computer is using, what internet browser, and a complete
description of the problem together with what you've tried and what happened.
10. I sent
the instructor email, but I haven’t heard back. If you sent your message from within
Blackboard, the "reply to" address is your CSI Student Email account
by default. If you don’t use your CSI
Student Email account, be sure you forward your CSI Student Email to your
favorite account by following the instructions here: http://www.csi.edu/currentStudents_/eagleInfo/studentEmail.html. I don’t usually get email checked on the
weekends, but otherwise, I try to respond right away.
11. Is there a way I can print out a quiz, disconnect from the
internet, work the problems, and then reconnect and submit my answers?
Yes, click on the
title of the quiz to open it. From the
file menu, select print. At the bottom
of the quiz, click "save". NOT
"SUBMIT" (yet.) You can now close your browser and disconnect from
the internet. When you are ready to
submit your answers, reconnect to the internet, login in to the course, click
on the title of the quiz, enter your answers, and then click
"SUBMIT." To check and make
sure the quiz went through okay, look at the score (see "How to see the
results of your quizzes" above.) If there is a little picture of a lock,
you need to go in and click submit again.
12. I want to ask a math question but I don't
know how to type it. Here are some tips:
Exponents:
Use the “^” key (usually “shift” and the number “6”) for exponents for
example: x^2 means “x-squared”
4^(x – 3) means “four to the x minus third power”
Fractions:
Use the regular “tipped forward” slash “/” for the fraction
bar. If the numerator or denominator involves more than one number, put it in
parentheses. E.g.
1/3 means “one third” (x + 2)/(7 – x) means “the quotient of
the sum of x and 2 and the difference between 7 and x.” or “the fraction whose
numerator is x + 2 and whose denominator is 7 – x." The parentheses around the numerator and
denominator are critical.
Square
roots:
Type what you want to take the square root of in parentheses
after the letters “sqrt.”
E.g. sqrt(4) means “the square root of four” and
sqrt(5 – x) means “the square root of the difference
between 5 and x.” Or you could use a
fractional exponent. 4^(1/2) means “four to the
one-half power,” which is the same thing as the square root of 4.
(5 - x)^(1/2)
Cube
roots: change “sqrt” to “cubert”
Exponential
functions:
The function f(x) = ex
is usually typed as e^x or exp(x), but the java-based calculator that we use
within Blackboard uses euler^x
Absolute
Value Bars:
Usually hold down “shift” and hit the key between the “=”
key and the backspace key. The picture on your keyboard looks like a colon with
flat dots, but it makes absolute value bars. E.g. |-3|
Braces:
Braces for sets are usually right of the “P” key. You’ll
need to hold down the “shift” key to get them For example: {1, 2, 3}
13. I have
a technical problem and the deadline is getting close, what should I do? Email me
and move on. If you email me, you can assume the deadline is extended at least
until I read your message and reply.
Please
don’t hesitate to ask questions. I
expect you to have questions.
The more
specific your question is, the quicker we can start resolving the issue. E.g. "I don't understand section 1.6" is
too broad. We would have to email back
and forth to find out where the actual problem lies. "I don't understand how to solve
equations like
x^2 + 3x = 10" is a better
question because it narrows the focus immediately and gives me an idea of where
you're having trouble. If you reply to
an email from me, please include the text of the original message. That way I can easily recall what we were
discussing