STUDENT LEARNING
OUTCOMES
The principle objective
of this course is for the students to learn the mathematics of
Beginning Algebra so that they can apply it to a variety of problems
and applications.
Upon successful completion of
the course, students will be able to:
- Perform arithmetic operations
on real numbers and polynomial, rational, and radical expressions.
- Evaluate algebraic expressions.
- Solve equations involving linear,
quadratic, rational, and radical expressions.
- Graph linear equations and inequalities
given the equation and find the equation given the graph.
- Factor polynomials.
- Apply algebraic principles and
techniques to the solution of applications.
- Use the symbols and vocabulary
of algebra to communicate mathematical concepts.
This course may be your
last math class (if you only need it for an AA degree), or you
may need to use it to pass on to the next level, Intermediate
Algebra (or Geometry). In either case, it is my wish that every
student strive to get the top grade.
Even if a student
never again uses algebra in the workplace or at home, being successful
in algebra makes one smarter and opens more doors to job and educational
opportunities.
This class moves
very quickly. You must stay on top of it on a daily/weekly basis.
Back to
the top
ABOUT THE BOOK
READ THIS!
Our text is actually three
books, shrink wrapped together. It has ten chapters (but we skip
Ch. 9 in this course).
Elementary
Algebra: A
First Course in Algebraic Thinking (2007), Version 2.03, By Robert H. Prior. (If you already have
a previous version, such as Version
2.01, you may
use that book and not get the new one.)
I have also written a Chapter 0 that includes
pre-algebra topics with which you should already be familiar
-- and it is available on-line (see below). This class does not cover Chapter 0, but you may want to look
through it in case you are not sure of topics like fractions
or percents.
You
can view all of Chapter 0 on-line.
You
can also view all of
Chapter
1
on-line
while
waiting to get your book!
I have spent many hours thinking
about and writing about the mathematics that you
will be studying in this course. I have designed the text so
that you can learn as you read, oftentimes learning without the
assistance of an instructor.
In fact, the exercises
are built right into the reading so that you can do them as you
read. The answers to these exercises are at the end of that particular
section. There are also Focus
Exercises at
the end of each section; the answers to
the Focus Exercises
are posted on-line at bobprior.com. (There is also a link to
these answers on our course homepage.)
As the instructor,
I will be available through e-mail and on-line discussions, but
most everything relates back to the book.
Last, this Math
52 textbook is also used on the Norco campus and it contains
some sections that we will be skipping in this on-line course.
The sections that we do cover are listed in the course calendar.
Back to
the top
HOW TO BUY
THE TEXT BOOK
You may purchase the book (see above)
by phone or in person.
If you wish to
buy it by phone with a credit card, you may do so by calling
a local Corona merchant,
High
Priority Printing
at
(951)
372 - 0334
670
E. Parkridge Avenue, Ste 112,
Corona,
CA 92879
map
Price
of book: $76.00
(This is the same price
as at the RCC Norco bookstore.)
Shipping
& handling is $10.00.
You
will usually receive your book within 2 business days.
This text can also
be purchased in person at:
1. High Priority Printing, mentioned above. map
or
2. The RCC Norco campus bookstore (951)
372-7085.
If you wish to purchase
it at the RCC Norco bookstore, you can reserve the textbook (or
have it shipped to your home), by going to the RCC
Norco Bookstore
website. Shipping time is not guaranteed.
As mentioned
above,
you can view all of Chapter 1 on-line while you wait
for the arrival of your textbook.
Back to
the top
LESSON ROUTINE
A typical lesson will be
as follows. On WebCT (our host server for on-line classes) ...
- On the homepage
(Course Content) Click on Lessons
- Read the different
parts of a lesson (start with the Introduction, then
Connect);
- Read the related
textbook material, watch the related video tutorial, read the
text again, and do the exercises as they appear;
- Do the Apply and Reflect parts
of the lesson, and post your Reflect response on the Discussion Board;
- Go to the Class
Discussion Board and post any questions you may have, or answer
any questions that have been posted by others (this will be how
I measure course participation); and then
- Take the quiz
and/or test offered at the end of each lesson (mentioned in the
Evaluate part of the lesson).
These routines
will be explained further at the introduction to each lesson
on the course website.
Our pace will need
to be about one
lesson every 5 or 6 days, including weekends and holidays. Each
lesson will typically include two or three sections in the book.
(See Course
Calendar
for the schedule of Lessons.) Don't fall behind! It's important that you
keep up with the lessons according to the schedule. It's a good idea to write the lessons'
schedule on your personal calendar.
Furthermore, you
should be spending
at least 7 hours per lesson, probably more (that's about
8 - 9 hours per week).
These 7 (or more) hours include
- time reading the
book and doing the exercises,
- time on-line doing
the Apply and Reflect parts of the lesson, and
- time taking quizzes
and tests.
This class moves
very quickly. You must stay on top of it on a daily/weekly basis.
Back to
the top
CALCULATORS
This course does not require
or allow the use of a calculator, nor should you use one in your
studies, quizzes and tests.
Back to
the top
GRADING
Wouldn't it be great if
students could learn for the sake of learning without having
to be concerned about grades? Unfortunately, most courses don't
operate that way, so I have developed a grading system for our
class.
Your grade will
be based on your work in the following areas
- 28 Quizzes: about 22% of the total
- 8 chapter tests: about 60% of
the total
- a Final Exam: about 9% of the
total
- Participation, about 9%
Extra
Credit:
There are two ways
to gain extra credit (a maximum of 20 points):
1) Quiz 20 (It covers Section
6.6, an optional section in this course); and
2) Test 6 (It has two problems
from Section 6.6).
Participation includes taking the Syllabus
Quiz, reading messages, posting original messages, including
asking math-help questions, replying to messages, and answering
the questions in the "Reflect" part of each lesson. The
number of participation points (100 maximum) will be calculated
by a formula (in my grading program) at the end of the semester.
The Syllabus
Quiz is 10% of your participation grade.
Homework:
You are expected
to do all of the exercises in the book, but I will not collect the homework. You must do it because
that's how you're going to learn the material.
Back to
the top
QUIZZES AND
TESTS
All on-line
quizzes and tests, except one, are multiple choice only. Test 3 is a "paper" test that
you must download, print, and mail in to me. Lesson 5 has a thorough
explanation of this test.
Each lesson will
include one or two quizzes.
You get two chances
(attempts) at each quiz. If you get a great score the first time,
you don't need to take it a second time. However, if you take
a quiz twice, you always get to keep the highest score. (You
must wait at least 30 minutes before taking a quiz a second time.)
The on-line program
should automatically grade the quiz right away. If it doesn't,
let me know (through our WebCT e-mail), and I'll fix it as soon
as I can. Don't let glitches like that keep you from doing the
next lesson.
The on-line tests are to be taken at the end of each chapter
in the book. You will be told when it's appropriate to take the
tests. You get only one try at each test,
so be careful.
Be sure to mark
your answers carefully and make sure that the mark actually appears
and that you save it.
The
quizzes will stay open one day after the lesson closes, and tests
will stay open two days after the lesson closes. (See the Course
Calendar, below.) It will be clear as to when the quiz (or test)
is first available and when it is last available.
It
is your responsibility to know the open and close dates of each
quiz and test.
I
reserve the right to be flexible in those time limits and may,
if I deem it necessary, extend the time limit for a quiz or test.
Back to
the top
Course
Calendar
The Course Calendar indicates
when the lessons, quizzes, and tests open and close. Typically
a lesson is available one day before the "start date,"
and stays open one day beyond the end date. The dates shown here are to help keep you
on schedule.
*Notice that Sections 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 7.2, 7.4, Ch. 9 and 10.4
are skipped in this course.
COURSE CALENDAR
- Fall 2008
| Dates |
Lesson |
Sections |
Quiz/Test |
| Sept.
2 - 10 |
Lesson 0 |
Introduction |
Syllabus Quiz |
| Sept.
2 - 6 |
Lesson 1 |
1.1 - 1.5 |
Quiz 1 & 2 |
| Sept.
7 - 13 |
Lesson 2 |
1.6 - 1.9 |
Quiz 3 & 4
and Ch. 1 Test
|
| Sept.
14 - 18 |
Lesson 3 |
2.1 - 2.4 |
Quiz 5 & 6 |
| Sept.
19 - 23 |
Lesson 4 |
2.5 - 2.6 |
Quiz 7
and Ch. 2 Test
|
| Sept.
24 - 28 |
Lesson 5 |
3.2 - 3.3 |
Quiz 8
and Ch. 3 minitest
|
| Sept.
29 - Oct. 3 |
Lesson 6 |
4.1 - 4.2 |
Quiz 9 |
|
Friday, October 3 |
The last day to drop without
a W |
|
|
| Oct.
4 - 8 |
Lesson 7 |
4.3 - 4.5 |
Quiz 10 |
| Oct.
9 - 14 |
Lesson 8 |
4.6 - 4.7 |
Quiz 11 & 12
and Ch. 4 Test
|
| Oct.
15 - 20 |
Lesson 9 |
5.1 - 5.3 |
Quiz 13 |
| Oct.
21 - 26 |
Lesson 10 |
5.4 - 5.6 |
Quiz 14 & 15
and Ch. 5 Test
|
| Oct.
27 - Nov. 4 |
Lesson 11 |
6.1 - 6.3 |
Quiz 16, 17, & 18 |
| Nov.
5 - 11 |
Lesson 12 |
6.4 - 6.6 |
Quiz 19 & 20
and Ch. 6 Test
|
| Nov.
12 - 19 |
Lesson 13 |
7.1*, 7.3* |
Quiz 21 & 22
and Ch. 7 Test
|
|
Friday,
November 21
|
The last day to drop with a
W |
If you are
enrolled after this day, you will receive a letter grade for
the class*. |
| Nov.
20 - 29 |
Lesson 14 |
8.1 - 8.4 |
Quiz 23 & 24 |
| Nov.
30 - Dec. 7 |
Lesson 15 |
8.5 - 8.7 |
Quiz 25 & 26
and Ch. 8 Test
|
| Dec.
8 - 15 |
Lesson 16 |
10.1 - 10.3* |
Quiz 27 & 28 |
| Dec. 16 - 19 |
|
|
Final Exam |
| ________________ |
________________ |
______________ |
_________________ |
*Notice that Sections 3.1, 3.4, 3.5, 3.6, 7.2, 7.4 Ch. 9 and 10.4
are skipped in this course.
*If you stop
logging in but are still enrolled after the last day to drop,
then you will receive a grade of F.
Back to
the top
DROPPING THE
COURSE
If you are unable to keep
up with the weekly routine, or if something comes up so that
you can't complete the course, then you might consider dropping
the course for this semester.
If you decide to
drop the course, please
take care of the necessary paperwork yourself, or call Tiger Talk or
use WebAdvisor, whichever is most convenient.
If
I believe that you have fallen too far behind, or if you haven't
checked in to the website for a while (two weeks or more), then I might drop you from
this course. (And
I might not -- don't rely on me to do the drop for you.)
If you are unable
to log in for one reason or another, then contact me right away
at my school e-mail address: bob.prior@rcc.edu, so we can work
out a plan.
If
you are still enrolled in the class after the second drop deadline
(see
course calendar, above), you will receive a grade.
Back to
the top
HONOR SYSTEM
Cheating? Don't even think
about it. If you find yourself getting tempted, please let me
know, and we'll find another way to get around obstacles and
get things understood.
Remember, this
course is all about learning math, not getting through
a course for a grade. The intention is, as you learn you will
get good grades, and you will appreciate math more than ever
before.
Back to
the top
