MATH0315 BEGINNING ALGEBRA INSTRUCTOR: Dr. Brent Richburg [email protected] Monday 6:00‐8:50 pm Room 128 Plainview Center PHONE: 293‐6075 OFFICE HOURS: Before and after class. TEXTBOOK: ELEMENTARY AND INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA, (2nd ed.), by Sulivan, Struve, and Mazzarella (2009): Prentice Hall. COURSE OBJECTIVES: Successful completion of this course should reflect mastery of the following objectives. (Chapter and section numbers are indicated in parentheses.) 1. Add, subtract, multiply and divide real numbers. (1.4) 2. Use the order of operations to simplify an expression. (1.6) 3. Simplify algebraic expressions. (1.7) 4. Solve linear equations. (2.1, 2.2, 2.3) 5. Translate and solve word problems. (2.5, 2.6, 2.7) 6. Solve linear inequalities. (2.8) 7. Graph equations in two variables by the intercept method and the slope intercept method. (3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 3.4) 8. Evaluate expressions using exponent rules. (5.2, 5.4) 9. Add, subtract, multiply and divide polynomials. (5.1, 5.3, 5.5) 10. Factor polynomials, (6.1, 6.2, 6.3, 6.4, 6.5) 11. Solve quadratic equations by factoring. (6.6) ATTENDANCE: Attendance and effort are the most important activities for success in this course. If you are absent, you are responsible for doing your assignment before the next class. If your discontinued or lack of attendance is determined by the teacher to put you at risk of failing the course, you will be dropped with a grade of F or W. Please visit with your instructor if you plan to drop the course. Communication is a strong key to successfully navigating through college. If you choose not to meet with your teacher, you can expect to be dropped from the course. GRADING: A homework average will be derived from grades obtained from assigned problems and quizzes. Final Average = [(best 3 of 4 major exams + homework score + final exam score) / 5] GRADE IN COURSE: A (100 ‐ 90) B (89 ‐ 80) C (79 ‐ 70) D (69 ‐ 60) F (59 ‐ 0) EXAMINATIONS: There will be 4 major exams. A comprehensive Final exam will be given. There will be NO make‐up exams. The final exam score may replace a major exam score which is lower. HOMEWORK: A homework grade will be taken from the assigned homework and quizzes. It will be completed on Math Lab. Keep all work in a notebook. Short quizzes may be given on any day. DROPPING A COURSE: If you decide to drop the course, return a completed official drop form to the registrar's office according to the current SPC calendar. WARNING: If you are taking this class as a requirement for TSI and are not enrolled in another remedial class, you will be removed from all courses at SPC if you drop or are dropped from this course. Please check with me about your attendance. Equal Opportunity: South Plains College strives to accommodate the individual needs of all students in order to enhance their opportunities for success in the context of a comprehensive community college setting. It is the policy of South Plains College to offer all educational and employment opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, disability or age. Students with disabilities, including but not limited to physical, psychiatric or learning disabilities, who wish to request accommodations in this class should notify the Special Services Office early in the semester so that the appropriate arrangements may be made. In accordance with federal law, a student requesting accommodations must provide acceptable documentation of his/her disability to the Special Services Coordinator. For more information, call or visit the Special Services Office in the Student Services Building, 894‐9611 ext. 2529, 2530. Calendar: The class calendar is tentative. It will be updated continually throughout the semester. For example, quizzes will be added during the semester. As for homework, most assignments will be either all the odds or all the evens through the Skills Maintenance section. If you are absent, you do not need to call me for the assignment. Simply do either the evens or the odds depending on the time of the semester. Homework will be the odds the first half of the semester, then the evens during the second half of the semester. Behavior and Discipline: Students are expected to participate in class. They should come prepared to discuss the material. When students arrive they should pull their book out and begin reading the section, no talking is allowed during this time. Second, when the instructor begins the introduction of the material, students may ask questions and take notes. Third, when students are working on the assignment, they can talk quietly to one another or to the instructor. The ONLY time students may talk loudly is during discussion or outside during a break. Students who do not comply will be asked to leave. This is a Web Enhanced class, not an on‐line class, and the class will meet every week Main Features of Web Components: 1. Study of self‐guided tutorials on the topics discussed in class 2. Complete homework on each topic. 3. All homework has embedded tutorials. Study Format: 1. Study online tutorials on the topics discussed in class. 2. Complete online homework assignments that are self‐graded and auto‐recorded. All assignments have built‐in tutorials. Every student will have different, but similar assignments. All student activity records are maintained on the web, with a provision to create activity reports instantly. The system can generate reports about; how much time a student spends, on what activity, and how the student is progressing. Students will themselves have access to their progress reports from their login page. Requirements and Strategies: 1. Students must register on the web within the first week of the start of the semester. A book is not required, but you must pay about $49.95 for online services. Help for registration on the Web will be available during class. 2. Students must maintain a separate notebook for their work. Lesson Plan: 1. Class meets every Monday from 6:00‐8:50. 2. After every class, there will be assignments to be completed in the Lab or anywhere the student has access to the internet. 3. All assignments will remain active during the week of class, starting from the day the class meets and ending at noon prior to class. Assignments not completed in time will not be accepted, and the system will record a score of zero. Again, deadlines for online