Linfield College
Division of Continuing Education: Adult Degree Program
Course Syllabus for MAT-152

Instructor: Dr. Gowri Meda

Welcome to Introduction to Finite Mathematics!! Please read and understand this syllabus.

 

CONTENTS

PART A
A1. Course Number, Title, Credit hours
A2. Instructor’s Contact Information and Biography
A3. Prerequisites for this Course
A4. Course Textbook and Technology Requirements
A5. Course Content and Course Objectives
A6. Pedagogical Approach
A7. Class Assessment and Grading Scheme
A8. Academic Honesty Policy
A9. Missed Assignments and Quizzes Policy
A10. Disability Statement

PART B
B1. Activities and assignments for the week of February 14-20
B2. Activities and assignments for the week of February 21-27
B3. Activities and assignments for the week of Febuary 28-March 6
B4. Activities and assignments for the week of March 7-13
B5. Activities and assignments for the week of March 14-20
B6. Activities and assignments for the week of March 21-27
B7. Activities and assignments for the week of March 28-April 3
B8. Activities and assignments for the week of April 4-April 10
B9. Activities and assignments for the week of April 11-April 17
B10. Activities and assignments for the week of April 18-April 24
B11. Activities and assignments for the week of April 25-May 1
B12. Activities and assignments for the week of May 2-May 8
B13. Activities and assignments for the week of May 9-May 15
B14. Activities and assignments for the LAST week and a half period of May 16-26

 

PART A

A1. Course Number, Title, Credit hours:

Course Title & Number: MAT-151 - Introduction to Finite Mathematics - ONLINE Class
Credit Hours: Two
Term and year: Spring 2005 [February 12 to May 26]
Classroom: Online

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A2. Instructor’s Contact Information and Biography:

Emailing instructions: From the course webpage, click on the icon with the title Email Instructor. From the pull down menu TO, choose my name. Compose your message as usual and hit post button.

My Online schedule: I will reply to your messages four days out of Sunday through Friday and I would like to reserve Saturdays for my family. However, if I am not out of town on Saturdays, I will try to reply to your messages. If you have a math question, then please post them in the GROUP Discussion area (information about your GROUP is discussed in A7 below.) and I will respond in the same group- area so that everyone in the group can benefit from your question and my answer. Please email to my personal inbox only if you have a non-math question that you want to discuss with me.

My Biography: I am originally from India although I have been residing in the US for the last 14 years. Since receiving my Ph.D. degree in mathematics in 1997 from Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, I taught math full-time for five years. Since September 2002, I have been teaching math part-time at a community college and also part-time online classes at Linfield since September 2003. I enjoy teaching math and I am looking forward to working with you this semester. When I am not doing math, I like to paint (both oil and water color) and I thoroughly enjoy my time with my family which includes my husband and our two-year old son (and two cats!). By the way, please call me by my first name: Gowri—“Gow” rhymes with “Cow” and “ri” rhymes with “be”.

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A3. Prerequisites for this Course:

Successful completion of MAT 115 ( Intermediate Algebra) or equivalent

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A4. Course Textbook and Technology requirements

Required Text: Waner, Costenoble. Finite Mathematics and Applied Calculus (3rd ed.) packaged with WebCT access code: Thomson Publishing (available at the bookstore).

Optional and highly recommended: Student-solutions manual titled: Student's solution Manual for Finite Mathematics- also available at the bookstore.

MS Excel: You will need access to MS Excel software. MS Excel is a user-friendly spreadsheet application that is a very useful tool. We will use MS Excel in this course to solve and understand some real-world applications - in the textbook these math-application problems are referred to as Case Studies and are given at the end of each chapter. More specifically, we will use MS Excel for tedious math calculations (such as evaluating certain functions at various points), for organizing data, for obtaining regression lines from given data and for graphing. Your text provides very clear instructions on how to get started with MS Excel and how to use Excel. The weblink from the main homepage also provides online Excel tutorials to help you learn how to use MS Excel. In addition to these resources, I will also answer questions related to MS Excel whenever you post your questions for me in the group-discussions area. The group-discussion area will also allow us to upload Excel files (as attachments to messages).

Calculators: In this course you will need to do math calculations that will require some sort of technology-tool. You may either use a calculator or MS Excel for this purpose. Your text provides guidelines for using TI-83, specific to relevant math examples discussed in the text.. Since there are a large variety of calculators available in the market, it will not be possible for me to provide calculator-usage directions. If you plan to use a calculator, be sure to learn your calculator features from the handbook that came with your calculator.

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A5. Course Content and Course Objectives:

Content will include: Review of algebra including linear and quadratic equations, inequalities, functions, graphs. Applications in business, economics, and the social and behavioral sciences.
In this course you will:

• gain an understanding of an important mathematical concept called "functions" with a focus on linear functions(Chapter one)
• apply your knowledge of linear functions and also technology (MS Excel) to a real-world application (Case Study in Chapter one)
• learn about simple and compound interest (Chapter five)
• develop the algebraic and technological skills and techniques needed to solve problems in the mathematics of finance (Case Study in Chapter five)
• learn how to solve a system of linear equations and apply the skills to a case-study (Chapter two)
• learn how to solve linear inequalities and apply the skills to basic linear programming problems (Chapter four)

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A6. Pedagogical Approach:

• In this online class, you will take on an active role in accomplishing the course objectives. The structure of an online class requires students to be very disciplined with regards to their study habits. This course deals with many challenging math concepts and hence I suggest that you plan your time wisely - last-minute cramming will not work for this class. I suggest that you complete each week's readings and online tutorials as early in the week as possible and preferably by Wednesday of each week. As you read each section, have a paper and pencil with you and be willing to work out each worked-out example given in the textbook. Do as many homework problems as you can. Post your responses to my discussion questions (see A7 below for details) and participate enthusiastically in discussions in your group area. Whenever you have questions on the week's readings, please post them in your group area and I will respond promptly. Please do not send math questions to my inbox. Please use my private-inbox only for non-math questions or to discuss a quiz question (after you have submitted it). Section A7 below provides you the specifics of classroom assessment. PART B of this syllabus lists the activities and assignments for each week. In this Online environment, while you have the advantage of studying the material at a time of the day that fits your schedule, it is crucial that you understand that each week you will have a list assignments (Online quizzes, group-discussions and also midterm exams in some weeks) to complete and there is no flexibility in the due dates of these assignments.
  In this class I will expect you to:
  
• complete the reading assignment for the week within the same week.
• complete the homework (do not turn it in)
• Participate in the group discussion in a timely manner on a regular and consistent basis.
• Complete the Online quizzes/midterms on time and follow all the rules that go with it.

In this class you can expect that I will:

• respond to your math-questions
• respond to any message sent to my “email”
• actively manage this webpage

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A7. Class assessment and Grading Scheme:

Your course grade will be based on the following assessment areas. Please also see “Grading Scheme” which explains how I will determine your Course-grade.

• Weekly Online Group-Discussion and Participation: By Tuesday morning, I will assign you to a group. Once I have assigned you to a group, you can only access your group-discussion. To access your group from the homepage, click on Discussions- Area and then click on The only GROUP that you will be able to access.
  Your score in this Group-Discussion category will be based on the quality and quantity of your posts in your Group-Discussion EACH week. Each Monday, I will post one or two discussion thread-messages in your Group. Each discussion thread message will contain one or more math questions for you to answer and post (as a threaded message -directions for threading will be provided in my discussion-message-thread that I will start) in the group area. These responses posted by various students are intended to serve as a starting point for math-conversations in your group about the week's topics. Hence, you are expected to read other student's answers to these discussion questions and post your math-comments on them. You must first post your response to the discussion questions (that I post in your group on each Monday, as I mentioned earlier) preferably by Wednesday midnight of the week. You must then participate and engage in discussions with your group members until the end of the week (Sunday midnight). These are asynchronous discussions and so you may post your message at a time of the day that is convenient to you. However, be sure to post your responses to the discussion thread-messages as early on in the week as possible to allow for a discussion in your group.. Note that one liners (such as: nice message, I agree, I understand, nice work) cannot be counted as commentary-messages towards your participation points, since such messages do not add much to a math-conversation. As we move along, I will provide some guidelines on how to post substantive, thoughtful commentary messages. If you do not participate in one week, then you lose participation points for that week and you cannot make up those points in another week.
  
• Weekly Online Quizzes: Almost each week you will be required to take one quiz (or a midterm in some weeks) online. Please see PART B of this syllabus for the quiz due dates. You may take your quizzes at any time but note the following very strict restrictions about the weekly quiz ( or midterm in certain weeks)
  1. The weekly quiz, relevant to the week’s readings, will be made available (that is, you will have access to them from the homepage) from Wednesday through Sunday of each week. You must take the quiz for the week by Sunday midnight of that week.
  2. Once you start a quiz online, you will have to finish it in two hours. Hence, do not start your quiz until you are absolutely ready.
  
• Midterm Exams: There will be two online midterm exams. Each midterm will be available for you online ONLY on the dates as mentioned in part B of the syllabus. Once you start the midterm exam online, you will have to finish it in four hours. Hence, do not start your midterm until you are absolutely ready.

I will calculate your grade based on the following grading scheme:

Each week you will be given a score for the weekly-group-discussion and participation category and an Average Participation Score will be made available to you as a row in MY GRADES icon on the homepage. As stated above, this average participation score (based on your participation in group discussions each week- please see A7 for details) counts towards 10% of the course grade.

Similarly, each week's quiz score will be displayed in MY GRADES and an Average Quiz Score will be made available to you as a row in MY GRADES. As stated above, this average quiz score counts towards 30% of the course grade.

Similarly, each midterm score will be displayed as soon as you submit the midterm and an Average Midterm Score will be made available to you as a row in MY GRADES. As stated above, this average midterm score counts towards 60% of the course grade.

Your course current-percentage is hence a WEIGHTED sum of the three categories in the table above. Hence, your course percentage is the SUM of the Average Participation Score, Average Quiz Score and Average Midterm Score. A row with the label current-percentage will be displayed in MY GRADES. Note in particular that each category is weighted differently and that the midterms are indeed weighted heaviest.

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A8. Academic Honesty Policy: Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Any student found to be engaging in either of these activities at any point in the course will receive a failing grade for the assignment and/or entire course and may be subject to further college sanctions.

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A9. Missed assignments/quizzes policy:
No make-ups are allowed for missed Group Discussions, Participation, or Online quizzes and midterms. If you have an emergency that does not allow you to take an online quiz or midterm, contact me immediately or as soon as possible by email.

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A10. Disability Statement: Students with documented disabilities who may need accommodations, who have any emergency medical information the instructor should know, should communicate with the instructor as early as possible, no later than the first week of classes.

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PART B

This is a tentative calendar and I may make changes to this due to institutional, class, technical and such problems. I will make an announcement if I have to make changes to the following.

B1. Activities and assignments for the week of February 14-22

1. Reading Assignment: Sections 1.1 & 1.2 from the text. Read the Online tutorials for these sections.

2. Suggested Homework: Please do the following exercises from your textbook for your own practice. You do not need to submit these.

In what follows,
"every odd" from 1 through some number means 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11, 13 ….. and so on

"every other odd" from 1 through some number means 1, 5, 9, 13 ….. and so on.

Section 1.1: 1 through 19 odd, 25, 27

Section 1.2: 1 , 2, 3, 19-25, 26, 28

3. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

4. Weekly Quiz: Take online quiz titled B1-Q . See A7 for details.

5. Post your Bio: Click on the icon Discussion Area. In the discussion area, under the topic INTRODUCTIONS, you will see that I have posted a Bio thread. Using the Bio thread, please post your Bio as soon as possible and preferably by Monday, so that we can all begin to get to know each other.

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B2. Activities and assignments for the week of February 21-27

1. Reading Assignment: Section 1.3 & 1.4. Read the Online tutorials for these sections.

2. Suggested Homework: Please do the following exercises from your textbook for your own practice. You do not need to submit these.
Section 1.3: 1 through 69 every other odd

Section 1.4: 1 through 21 every odd

3. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

4. Weekly Quiz: Take online quiz titled B2-Q. See A7 for details.

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B3. Activities and assignments for the week of February-March 6

1. Reading Assignment: Section 1.5 & Case Study. Read the Online tutorials for these sections.

2. Suggested Homework: Please do the following exercises from your textbook for your own practice. You do not need to submit these.
Section 1.5: 15 through 23 every odd

3. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

4. Weekly Quiz: Take online quiz titled B3-Q. See A7 for details.

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B4. Activities and assignments for the week of March 7-13

1. Reading Assignment: Section 5.1 & 5.2

2. Suggested Homework: Please do the following exercises from your textbook for your own practice. You do not need to submit these.
Section 5.1: 1 through 27 every odd

Section 5.2: 1 through 55 every other odd

3. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

4. Weekly Quiz: Take online quiz titled B4-Q. See A7 for details.

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B5. Activities and assignments for the week of March 14-20

1. Reading Assignment: Section 5.3

2. Suggested Homework: Please do the following exercises from your textbook for your own practice. You do not need to submit these.

Section 5.3: 1 through 41 every other odd

3. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

4. Weekly Quiz: Take online quiz titled B5-Q. See A7 for details.

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B6. Activities and assignments for the week of March 21-28

1. Reading Assignment: Case Study in chapter five

2. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

3. Team Submission: Submit "Case Study Report" for your team using guidelines that I will post in your group area.

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B7. Activities and assignments for the week of March 28-April 3

1. Reading Assignment: Review chapter ONE and 5.1 and 5.2

2. Suggested Homework: Please do the following exercises from your textbook for your own practice. You do not need to submit these.

Review tests from the text: Do the review problems on pages 78 and 312

3. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

4. MIDTERM (available from March 31- April 4): Take your MIDTERM-ONE based on chapter one, 5.1 and 5.2.

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B8. Activities and assignments for the week of April 4-April 10

1. Reading Assignment: Section 2.1. Read the Online tutorials for this section.

2. Suggested Homework: Please do the following exercises from your textbook for your own practice. You do not need to submit these.
Section 2.1: 1 through 49 every other odd

3. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

4. Weekly Quiz: Take online quiz titled B8-Q See A7 for details.

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B9. Activities and assignments for the week of April 11-April 17

1. Reading Assignment: Section 2.2. Read the Online tutorials for this section.

2. Suggested Homework: Please do the following exercises from your textbook for your own practice. You do not need to submit these.
Section 2.2: 1 through 37 every other odd

3. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

4. Weekly Quiz: Take online quiz titled B9-Q. See A7 for details.

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B10. Activities and assignments for the week of April 18-April 24

1. Reading Assignment: Section 2.3 & Case Study in chapter two. Read the Online tutorials for this section.

2. Suggested Homework: Please do the following exercises from your textbook for your own practice. You do not need to submit these.
Section 2.3: 1 through 9 every odd

3. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

4. Team Submission: Submit "Case Study Report" for your team using guidelines that I will post in your group area

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B11. Activities and assignments for the week of April 25-May 1

1. Reading Assignment: Section 4.1. Read the Online tutorials for this section.

2. Suggested Homework: Please do the following exercises from your textbook for your own practice. You do not need to submit these.
Section 4.1: 1 through 37 every other odd

3. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

4. Weekly Quiz: Take online quiz titled B11-Q. See A7 for details.

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B12. Activities and assignments for the week of May 2-May 8

1. Reading Assignment: Section 4.2. Read the Online tutorials for this section.

2. Suggested Homework: Please do the following exercises from your textbook for your own practice. You do not need to submit these.
Section 4.2: 1 through 37 every other odd

3. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

4. Weekly Quiz: Take online quiz titled B12-Q. See A7 for details.

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B13. Activities and assignments for the week of May 9-May 15

1. Reading Assignment: Case Study in chapter four and begin review

2. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

3. Team Submission: Submit "Case Study Report" for your team using guidelines that I will post in your group area

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B14. Activities and assignments for the LAST week and a half period of May 16-26

1. Review week and MIDTERM

2. Suggested Homework: Please do the following exercises from your textbook for your own practice. You do not need to submit these.

Review tests from the text: Do the review problems on pages 131 and 265

3. Group Discussion and Participation: See section A7 of this syllabus for participation requirements.

4. MIDTERM (available from May 18-23): Take your MIDTERM-TWO based on chapter two, 4.1 and 4.2

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