TEXT: BEGINNING ALGEBRA Ninth Edition By Lial Hornsby McGinnis Prentice Hall Publishers SYLLABUS PREREQUISITE: Knowledge of pre-algebra REQUIRED. This includes such topics as signed numbers, fractions, decimals and percents. You need to be able to work with these numbers without the aid of a calculator. COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is designed to help students learn the basic algebra needed for college level mathematics courses. The student will learn how to apply his/her knowledge of arithmetic and algebra to many problems. The course includes many of the college level skills in algebra. Note: Credit for this course may not be used to meet any degree requirements. COLLEGE PREP designation: This means that the level of material is pre-college and not eligible for college credit. The course is still taught at a college pace. REQUIRED COMPONENTS Attendance Tests MyMathlab Review assignments (5) SI attendance OPTIONAL COMPONENTS Quizzes BCC Math Lab attendance MyMathlab Skill builder assignments (18) NECESSITIES Pencil Scantron Computer Access Registration for MyMathLab Registration in the Math Lab Email address EXCLUDED Calculators ATTENDANCE: Since the primary goal in any course is to further one’s education, class attendance is REQUIRED. Failure to attend the first class will result in automatically being dropped. Please be seated and ready to begin at the designated start time. A tardy arrival or early departure are not only disruptive to the class, but will count as an absence. You will not be admitted to class on a test day if you arrive more than 15 minutes late. If a student has more than 3 absences, their grade for the course will be an F, unless you discuss the situation with the instructor. If the sign in sheet says “see me” please do not avoid the situation. ABSENCE PROCEDURES Within 48 hours of a missed class, you must call the department and leave a message noting that you have missed class - OR - you can email me (be sure to follow email instructions). To have an absence excused - which means it does not count as one of the 3 - written documentation must be provided of illness requiring doctor’s visit or family emergency. Having an absence excused does not excuse you from the material MISSED CLASS / TEST When you miss a class, you are responsible for following up on the material you missed. This can be done by making use of the BCCMathLab, by using tutorial services at the LRC, or the computer online tutorial materials. When you miss a test, your next test will replace the missing grade. (The exception is test six – discussed in the section about tests). PASSING THE CLASS: There are two components to completing this course and receiving credit for it. One: You must earn a minimum of 70% of the required points. These points come from test scores, MyMathlab Review assignments, and SI participation. You may add to your points earned through optional assignments - specifically quizzes. You may also add to your point total by earning scores of over 100 on any of the first 6 tests. Finally you may earn additional points by logging time in the Mathlab -OR- completing the MyMathLab Skill Builder assignments. Two: You must pass the exit exam with a score of 21 correct out of 35 questions. This is a score of 60%, however it is curved to 70%. !!!Even if you have an A in the class, you cannot pass the class if you do not score at least 21 out of 35 on the exit exam. EXAM ATTENDANCE: There will be 6 exams during the term, each of which is cumulative and worth 100 points. A comprehensive department final exam (exit test) will be given at the end of the term. Effective fall 1998 the State of Florida requires that students enrolled in this course must satisfactorily complete the course requirements and pass the departmental final exam (exit test) to pass this course. Attendance is mandatory on the day of an exam. Make-up tests will not be given! If you miss a test, your next test will count twice. The exception is test six, if you miss this test, the exit exam will replace it, however you will not be permitted to take the exit test unless you were eligible based on the average of tests one through five. Missing more than one test will require that you meet with the instructor to maintain your standing in the class. On exam days, arrive on time, students will not be admitted after the first 15 minutes. Please wait to be seated by the instructor. You will be permitted to have pencils on your desk and may bring blank paper to use as scratch and cover sheet. Unlined scratch paper will be available. All paper will be collected. Cheating on an exam will result in automatic failure for the course. Please do not leave the classroom after starting an exam. Use the restroom before starting the exam and bring tissues to class with you if you have a cold. EXAM SCORING: YOU WILL NEED A SCAN-TRON FOR ALL EXAMS. The first five exams will include 30 multiple choice questions, half of which are from the most recent material and half covering all topics. These problems are worth 3 points each. There will also be 5 short response questions which require work to be shown. These problems will earn 3 point for the correct answer and 3 points for the correct work shown. Your total points earned will be divided by 100 points to arrive at your percentage. Test six has 40 multiple choice questions worth 3 points each. It is possible to score over 100 points on any of the first six tests and a maximum of 105 points will be recorded as you grade. Any remaining points will be tracked as extra credit. A score of 70 points is a passing grade. You will have 75 minutes for each exam. PRACTICE FINAL: This exam is 40 multiple choice questions worth 3 points each. So the total possible score for this test is 120 points. This is the last test with extra credit on it. If you miss this test, your eligibility for the exit test will be based on the average of the first five tests. FINAL EXAM: You will not be guaranteed a chance to take the final exam if your test average for tests one through six is below a 65%. After test six, your ability to pass will be evaluated taking into account all of the points you have earned. If you miss test six, your eligibility will be based on the average of tests one through five. If your score on the final is higher than one of your test scores, it will replace this score. If you miss test six, the missing grade will be replace by the exit test and no other grade will be replaced. You will have 75 minutes to complete the exam. There are 35 multiple-choice questions and you need to answer 21 questions correctly to pass. DROPPING THE CLASS: If you do not attend the first class of the semester, you will automatically be dropped. Last day to drop is listed in the calendar and on the bookmark, after this date, your enrollment in this class will count as an attempt. Dropping the course means it will not appear on your transcript and will not count as an attempt. You should make sure that you have full read and understood all of the components of the class. ATTEMPTS: If you remain in the class after the drop date, then this will count as an attempt. A limit of 3 attempts are allowed for this course at any BCC campus, including the original grade, repeat grades, and withdrawals. Upon the third attempt a student will not be permitted to withdraw and will receive a letter grade for the course. Again, enrollment after the drop date will count as an attempt. WITHDRAWLS: Students who wish to withdraw from this course must do so through the registrar by the date shown in the school calendar and on the bookmark. You will have had three tests at this point, and should have a good idea of how you are doing. You can arrange to meet with me to discuss options, but the decision will remain yours to make. AUDITS: I do not allow students to audit this course unless they have previously taken it and passed it. BREAK sort of: 30 minutes into class, the in-class quiz will be handed out. Class will resume after the quiz. You may opt out of a quiz if you need to take care of some personal business, but only a certain number of quizzes will be dropped. Zeros are recorded for all missed quizzes until near the end of the semester when a certain number of quiz grades are dropped. QUIZZES: There are two types of quizzes given. 20 question - 5 minute quizzes Each correct answer earns you 2.5 points These focus on basic computational skills. Most of the problems require only one or two steps to complete, many of which can be done mentally. No notes and no calculator Review 5 questions - take home Each correct answer earns you 10 points - work must be shown Questions focus on highlighted problems from class lessons - watch for the stars One week given to complete, lates not accepted. You are encouraged to get all the help you need to complete these questions and to turn in complete, organized solutions. Your average quiz grade will be added to your point total as extra credit. CLASSROOM BEHAVIOR: It is expected that students will take responsibility for being good citizens in a safe and conducive learning community. Any behavior that is a distraction to the learning process will not be tolerated. Students are expected to treat classmates with courtesy, arrive on time and sharpen pencils prior to the start of class. If there is a day you know you arrive late or will have to leave early, please sit near the door. Put all beepers and phones on silent mode. Phones are not permitted out at anytime in the class. This class involves a lot of class participation so I would ask you to raise your hand and wait to be recognized before you speak. Out of respect, when anyone is addressing the class as a whole, no other talking is permitted. Should you have any concerns, see me during office hours or give me a phone call. ADA: Any student who has special needs as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act should notify the instructor so that reasonable accommodations can be made. THE LAB COMPONENT OF YOUR GRADE - YES lab is required It is important to your success that you devote a certain amount of time to study and preparation. The lab component of your grade serves many purposes: 1) Helps you prepare and follow up on areas where you have difficulty. 2) Can help you improve skills related to pre-requisites. 3) Is a part of your grade. 4) Gives you the opportunity to earn extra points. Definitions: BCCMathLab - this refers to the on campus facilities next door in Room 203. You are expected to register and then to track your attendance. While in the lab, you can receive help from tutors, view tutorial materials, access computer materials and work independently. MyMathLab - this refers to the on-line components of the text book. While on-line you can access tutorials, take practice tests and complete the on-line quizzes. You must have access to the MyMathLab software. If you purchased a new book, it was included, if you purchased a used book, you will have to purchase it separately. Information needed to register is given at the beginning of the syllabus. Detailed instructions for signing up and completing the reviews appears separately. Help with signing up will be available for a few weeks. LAB GRADE The lab portion of your grade is worth up to 50 points. The number of points you receive will be determined by your average grade on the MyMathLab Review assignments. There are 5 of these Review assignments - one for each of the first 5 tests. For example - if your average score is a 70%, then you will earn 35 of the 50 points. Any Review assignment that you do not complete will be counted as zero. You may complete the MyMathLab quizzes either in the BCCMathLab on campus -OR- At home if you download the software (free). If you choose to also complete the MyMathlab Skill builders, and your overall score is higher, then you will receive this score instead. Only assignments on which you earn a score of 30% or higher will be considered. LAB EXTRA CREDIT You can earn up to 35 extra credit points. Why 35??? Five points for each test. You have two ways to earn the points: Sign in and out of the on campus BCCMathLab and earn one point for every two hours -OR- Points will be based on the percentage (%) of completed MyMathLab Skill Builder assignments and Review assignments. There are 18 Skill builder assignments and 5 Review assignments for a total of 22 assignments. Scores need to be 30% or higher to be counted. Whichever accounting gives you the higher points will be used. You cannot earn points from both. Registering for MyMathLab: 1. Register at www.mymathlab.com. You only register once, and will login thereafter using your personal login and password. Step-by-Step Registration Instructions: 1. Go to www.mymathlab.com 2. Click on register, then students, then register 3. Click next at bottom of the page 4. Enter your 6-word access code found inside the front cover of your textbook or in the separate package, your college zipcode-33066, and your country – US 5. Click next at the bottom of the page 6. Enter your instructors Course ID (on bookmark) and click next 7. Enter your personal information, select your school from the dropdown menu, create your own personal login name and password, and choose a security question from the dropdown menu and fill in your answer. 8. Write down or memorize your login name and password. 9. Click next at bottom of the page 10. Once your login name and password have been accepted, you will see a Confirmation Summary page. Every time you login, hereafter, use your personal login name and password. * If you want to use MyMathLab at home, you will have to install the browser plug-ins, which is under MyMathLab Installation Wizard on the announcements page. MyMathLab ACTIVIETIES Find these activities in Course Documents (these are not a part of your grade): 1. Click on tests assignment by instructor and take a sample test. 2. Click on a specific chapter, then on a specific section, and then you can choose one of the following: Video lecture, Multimedia textbook, or Tracked tutorial exercises 3. Click on Flashcards to help you learn definitions. 4. Check your individualized study plan. MyMathLab Optional Assignments 1. There are Skill Builder assignments designed to follow up on each class. 2. There are a total of 18 of these optional aassignments. 3. You may take each assignment 3 times. (The highest score counts) 4. The assignment is not completed until you submit it. 5. Make sure that you use the math palette to enter fractions, exponents, etc. 6. Your score will automatically be recorded in the online gradebook. 7. The 18 scores will be averaged to with the Review assignments become your online overall MyMathLab grade. If this grade is higher than your grade on the Review assignments alone, this will count. 8. You can access your scores under course documents – gradebook (Choose all chapters) 9. All assignments that are not attempted or have only scores below 30% are recorded in my gradebook as zeros. How to access the assignment: 1. Log in at www.mymathlab.com 2. Click on the name of your course. 3. Click on course documents. 4. Click on tests assigned by instructor. 5. Click on the assignment you plan to complete. 6. When the assignment is complete, click on submit test. MyMathLab Required Assignments 1. There are Review assignments designed to help prepare you for each of the first five tests. 2. There are a total of 5 of these required assignments. 3. You may take each assignment 3 times. (The highest score counts) 4. The assignment is not completed until you submit it. 5. Make sure that you use the math palette to enter fractions, exponents, etc. 6. Your score will automatically be recorded in the online gradebook. 7. The 5 scores will be averaged with the Skill builder assignments to become your online overall MyMathLab grade. The grade you receive for this portion of your overall grade is based on the average score for these 5 assignments (see Optional Assignment information regarding ways to raise this grade) 8. You can access your scores under course documents – gradebook (Choose all chapters) 9. All assignments that are not attempted or have only scores below 30% are recorded in my gradebook as zeros. How to access the assignment: 1. Log in at www.mymathlab.com 2. Click on the name of your course. 3. Click on course documents. 4. Click on tests assigned by instructor. 5. Click on the assignment you plan to complete. 6. When the assignment is complete, click on submit test. MyMathLab Assignments due dates 1. The assignments related to a particular test are set up so that they can be accessed up to one week after the test. 2. The suggestion would be to complete all of the assignments at least once and then go back and repeat those lessons with low scores. 3. It is important to stay up with the work. Due dates will generally not be extended. SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION DESCRIPTION This section of Elementary Algebra includes a supplemental instruction component. Supplemental instruction is not an optional part of the class. It is provided for your benefit, and is considered an integral part of the course. Your attendance AND participation will be a part of your overall grade. You may do the following during SI to receive credit: -- Partner up with a classmate to work on the SI assignment -- Help other students in SI with their questions -- Present solutions to problems on the board SI will focus on class related materials. Questions related to pre-requisite material will be addressed as time permits. The SI leader has the role of facilitator and may ask you to alter what you doing during the session if it is disruptive. Disruptive behavior will cost you the credit for that SI session. Tardiness will not be accepted and will cost you the credit for that SI session. Early departure is also not accepted and will cost you the credit for that SI session. Regular attendance as the course progresses is what will make the biggest difference in your overall performance. SUPPLEMENTAL INSTRUCTION GRADING You will not need perfect attendance to earn a perfect “SI grade”. There are 30 class meetings (including the night of the final) and there are 7 tests (including the final). Grading has been structured so that if you attend the reviews SI sessions prior to each test, you can receive a C or a 70% grade for this portion of your overall grade. Since SI credit is equivalent to a test grade - 100 points - you must put in some effort and time to earn a passing grade. SI GRADING Number of POINTS sessions attended EARNED 19 and up 100 17, 18 95 15, 16 90 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 80 6, 7, 8, 9 70 4, 5 35 2, 3 20 0, 1 0 GRADING PROCEDURE: Your basic grade is composed of: 6 tests at 100 points each the cumulative final worth 100 points (to take the final you must have a test average of 65%) SI attendance/participation percentage of 100 points and Lab percentage of 50 points Extra credit points earned on quizzes (up to 50 points), and lab component bonus points (up to 35 points) will be added to your total points earned. There are also 15 extra credit points available on each of the first six tests. The target point total is 850 points. If your score on the final is better than one of your test scores, it will replace that grade in the grade calculations. For purposes of tracking - on your part 765 - 850 points 90 - 100% A 680 - 764 points 80 - 89% B 595 - 679 points 70 - 79% C You must have a C to pass the class and move on to the next class. Below 595 points (if you qualify to take the exit test): 510 - 594 points D Below 510 points F If you do not qualify to take the exit test, you will receive an F. All extra credit points are added on at the end and DO NOT factor into making the cut off for taking the exit test. I DO NOT ROUND GRADES. YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN EXTRA CREDIT TO OBTAIN A BETTER GRADE. GRADE ESTIMATION Test One _________ PQ ______ TH 1 ______ Test Two _________ SC1 ______ TH 2 ______ Test Three _________ SC2 ______ TH 3 ______ Test Four _________ SC3 ______ TH 4 ______ Test Five _________ SC4 ______ TH 5 ______ Test Six _________ SC5 ______ TH 6 ______ SC6 ______ TH 7 ______ SC7 ______ TH 8 ______ SC8 ______ TH 9 ______ SC9 ______ TH 10______ SC10______ TH11______ SC11______ TH12______ SC12______ SC13______ SC14______ SC15______ SC16______ Test Average _____________ * 6 = ___________ MyMathLab score / 2 = ___________ SI Attendance points = ___________ Average of quiz grades = ___________ ___________________________________________ TOTAL = ___________ Divide by 750 (we are excluding exit test) = _________ %