Frederick Community College

Online MA111 – Pre-Calculus

Summer 2009

 

Class begins:
5/30/09

 

Last Day to Withdraw:

7/08/09

 

 You must send your email address to the instructor before class begins

 

Instructor Information:

 

 

Name:   Pei Taverner

Office:  B108

E-mail:  ptaverner@frederick.edu

Phone Number:  301 846 2546

Office Hours:  By appointment

Campus Mail Box #:  188

Course Information:

 

Credits:  4

On-campus Meetings:  0

On-campus Exams:  2

Prerequisites:  C in MA82 or equiv

Corequisites:  None

 

Course Description:

 

This course presents the concepts of pre-calculus from four points of view: geometric (graphs), numeric (tables), symbolic (formulas), and written (verbal descriptions).  Topics include trigonometry, exponential functions, power functions, logarithmic functions, and polynomial functions.

 

Students enrolled in this class should expect to devote as much time to this course as they would an on-campus course.  The independent nature of MA 111-ONL requires you to be self-motivated.

 

Core Learning Outcomes:

 

Upon completion of this course you will:

1. articulate the concepts of pre-calculus. This will be accomplished through writing   and speaking in effective, organized, clear, and grammatically correct English appropriate for mathematics. (gen ed obj. 1)

2. interpret and analyze tables, graphs, and diagrams to convey quantitative information and solve pre-calculus problems. (gen ed obj. 13)

3. perform mathematical operations and apply them to practical situations. (gen ed obj. 11)

4. generate and evaluate alternative solutions to pre-calculus problems. (gen ed obj.5)

5. demonstrate a variety of problem-solving techniques using different mathematical tools and alternative representations of numerical and analytical concepts with application to numerical data. (gen ed obj. 12)

6. use the technology of a changing world appropriate to pre-calculus mathematics.

    (gen ed obj. 19, 21)

7. display academic honesty and adhere to professional standards in their fields. (gen ed

    obj.23)

 

Specific Learning Outcomes:                                                                       

 

Upon completion of this course you will be able:

1. model real world situations with linear, polynomial, exponential, logarithmic and

    trigonometric functions.

2. relate the characteristic features of the graphs of linear, polynomial, exponential,

    logarithmic and trigonometric functions to their equations.

3. algebraically manipulate and solve linear, polynomial, exponential, logarithmic and

    trigonometric equations.

4. use technology to investigate and solve algebraic and transcendental functions and equations. 

 

 Instructional Methods:

 

I will utilize multiple and varied instructional methods in order to meet your needs:

  • Textbook readings, homework exercises, and writing assignments
  • Class discussions through web discussion forums
  • Small group activities
  • Audio and visual materials

 

 How is this course organized:

 

MA 111-ONLINE is organized around the textbook PreCalculus, which consists of 11 chapters (we will not study the final 3 chapters). The chapters and weekly activities have a consistent structure.  Learning objectives are clearly stated on the Blackboard web site for this course under the weekly Assignments folders.

 

Course Text:

 

 

I am trying something new this semester to help our students to cut down their book expense.

 

No printed text book is required for this class!  Instead, students are required to register and enroll in a MathZone class created by me. Once you have registered and enrolled in MathZone class, you will get access to textbook (in pdf) and ALL the other resources through FCC MA111Net Blackboard. 

 

I will be sending MathZone instruction on how to register to your FCC student email account by May 15 so please check your FCC student email account.

Most importantly, p
lease log in FCC Blackboard one week before May 30 to give yourself enough time to get familiar with MA111-NET online environment.

   

 

 

You will also need to have a TI 83+ or TI 84 Graphing Calculator

 

 

Instruction on how to access FCC Blackboard:

Click http://frederick.blackboard.com/ to open an Internet Explorer with the Blackboard Login Page.

  • Click the "Login" button.
  • Enter your username: Click the "username" box. Then type your username which is W+student id (ex. W1234567). Click the "login" button.
  • Enter your password: Click the "password" box and type the last four digits of your student id on your first login.
  • Example: If your username is W1234567, type W1234567 in the "username" box and 4567 in the "password" box.

 

 

 

Progress Report:

 

By the end of the 3rd of class, I will have returned several graded assignments. At this point you will be able to evaluate your progress and decide if you need to make any adjustments (additional time devoted to course, tutoring, conference with me) to best assure your success in this course. All grades will be posted in the MA 111 Blackboard site, under "Grades/Tools." Grades are accessed by clicking on "My Grades."

 

Evaluation Methods:

 

 >90% A       80% - 90%  B      70% - 80% C    60% - 70%  D       <60% F

 

Assessment Type

Assessment Details

Grading Criteria

 

Weekly Homework Quizzes


Note: Students must score at least 80% to earn any points

 

 

6 Online biweekly Homework Quizzes. This means there are two quizzes each week.
(
18.75% of total grade)

 

60 points

(10 points per quiz)

 

 

Exams

 

2 paper- and-pencil Exams must be proctored in FCC Testing Center.

(62.50% of total grade)

 

 

200 points

 

 

Shared Responses

 

 

6 Weekly Participation includes being actively involved in online tasks and discussions boards.

(18.75% of total grade)

 

 

60 points

(10 points each week)

If the graded performance for online assignments differs significantly from the grade average for proctored assignments, the instructor reserves the right to administer additional tests.

 

 

Attendance/Participation Policy:

 

This course is NOT self-paced.  You must complete all activities on a weekly basis.  To do so, you must log onto the Blackboard site regularly (a few times a week).  You are expected to complete all online activities as well as two on-campus tests taken in the Testing Center. 

 

 

 Email Policy:

 

Email is an instructional tool essential to student-instructor and student-student communication. In the Blackboard environment by default, your email address is available to all students in this course.

However, students are permitted to use email addresses of other students in this course only for the purpose and the duration of this course.

Students who are concerned about the privacy of their personal email address are reminded that all students have a @myfcc.frederick.edu email account and login information can be found at https://myfcc.frederick.edu/ .

I will respond to regular student email inquiries (grades, posted assignments, and tests excluded) within the time frame of 24 to 48 hours.

 

Academic Honesty:

 

Work in this course is subject to the provisions of the FCC Code of Academic Honesty. Plagiarism in any form will not be tolerated. As a student, it is your job to practice academic honesty at ALL times.  Make sure that all sources, particularly Internet sources, get proper credit for quotations, paraphrases, and ideas. 

 

 Important Dates:

 

May 30
June 5
June 12
June 19
July 8
July 25
July29

First day of Class
Last day to withdraw with 100% refund
Last day to withdraw with 75% refund
Last day to withdraw with 50% refund
Last day to withdraw
Last day of classes
Grades Due by 10am

General Course Outline: See Assignments button in Blackboard for more details.

Unit 1 – Review of Algebra & Functions

 

Unit 2 – Families of Functions

          Unit 3 – Trigonometric Functions

Week

Sections in the Text

1

2.1, 2.3, 10.1

1

1.2, 3.1, 3.2

2

3.2, 3.3

2

R-5, 1.5, 3.4

3

3.5, 3.6

 

Week

Sections in the Text

3

4.1, 4.4

4

Exam at FCC

5

5.1, 5.2

5

5.3, 5.4, 5.5

Week

Sections in the Text

6

6.1, 6.2

6

6.4, 6.5

7

6.6, 7.5

7

6.3, 8.1, 8.2

8

Exam at FCC

 Students with Disabilities
FCC provides reasonable accommodations to otherwise qualified students with disabilities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and amendments.  Students with disabilities who are in need of accommodations must contact the Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD) office at 301-846-2408 (A Building, Room 106A) in order to request and apply for services.  The SSD office will require appropriate documentation of a disability.  Questions related to accommodations or services can be directed to the SSD office.  Additional information related to services can be viewed at the following FCC web page: 
http://www.frederick.edu/student_services/disability.aspx. 

If you currently receive services from the SSD office, please submit your Student Success Plan to me and make an appointment with me to discuss your accommodations and needs in class.  I will hold any information you share with me in strict confidence unless you give me permission to do otherwise.