MESA COMMUNITY COLLEGE

Department of Mathematics and Computer Science

MAT 082 – Arithmetic Review – Online Course Syllabus

Fall 2009

Section  #'s:   25219, 25221, 25223

Instructor:  Fred Schineller (freddie)

Website: http://www.mc.maricopa.edu/~freddie/index.html

Office:  MC 147

Phone:  (480) 461-7831

FAX:  (480) 461-7710

Address: Mesa Community College

                  Department of Mathematics and Computer Science            

                  1833 W. Southern Ave.

Mesa, AZ 85202-4868

                  Attn:  Fred Schineller – Mathematics Department             

Course Catalog Description of MAT082:

Primary emphasis placed on fundamental operations with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, integers, and rational numbers; proportions, and percentages. Other topics include representations of data, geometric figures, and measurement.

Textbook: Basic Mathematics through Applications by Akst/Bragg 4th edition.

Email Correspondence

v

In ALL email correspondence with your instructor, please put your course, name, and subject in the subject line . I typically have about 60 internet students and this is critical for me to be able to maintain proper correspondence with each of you.    This will also help distinguish your e-mail from the numerous spam messages I receive. MCC has a serious spam blocker that will most likely block your email if you do NOT have Mat082 in subject line. Not formatting your subject line this way may result in your e-mail being lost.          For example, if your name happened to be “Jack Johnson”, then you’d put the following:     Subject: Mat082 Jack Johnson: I’m really cool and thought you’d like to know… My goal is to respond to emails within 24 hours during the workweek and most likely slightly more if it is on a weekend.

Online Attendance:

v	Students should work everyday (well. . . . . . . . . . . . OK at least every other day. . . . . . .) in order to master the material. Do many little doses of math at a time, one large monster session tends to get decent grades on quizzes but students lose big time in “retension” of the material………..beware!
v	This is a college class. I will not be babysitting you with respect to doing the work regularly. The ONLY way you will be withdrawn from this class without asking is if you do not complete the first online chapter quiz (ch’s 1-2) by September 24^th . If you stop at any point after submitting the 1^st online quiz and do not request a W from me by the last day of class December 15^th , you will receive the grade of “F” as your final grade. Take responsibility and let me know what YOU want. . . . . . . . just to be clear from my angle. . . . . . . . .what I want. . . . . . is what YOU want as YOUR success as YOU define it.
v	Note that math courses, in general, SCREAM by.  Be sure you are prepared to devote a few hours each day to this course. I will often provide “Announcements” within the course compass website which include email homework assignments…..so pay attention……more than 50% of the time what I am saying is useful for your success……of course that percentage stated is debatable………feel free to let me know your thoughts.

Course Schedule:

v	Daily Schedule: Check the daily schedule regularly to ensure you stay on track. . . . . you need not be exact to schedule except for quiz due dates!!!
v	Each Multi-Chapter Quiz has 100 points assigned to it called “On-Time Completion Points”. They are easy points to earn………...stay on schedule!
v	All Online Chapter Homework and Online Quizzes must be completed by the Quiz due date as indicated on the schedule. For each calendar day the Quiz is late, you will be penalized 10 pts off of your “On-Time Completion Points”. There are NO exceptions to this rule, even work schedule changes, computer crashes, technical difficulties, food poison, hangover, who’di who ha’s……whatever. It is YOUR job to stay ahead and give yourself cushioning room to allow for possible situations that arise that do not allow you to get the assignment done on time. With all that said, it is sooooo much better that you learn the material well before pushing on….. so…….. turning in a quiz a few days late is no big deal.
v	Clearly. . . . .You will NOT be allowed to submit the final exam late.

Online Homework (10% of grade):

v	Each section on the schedule has a corresponding online HW assignment.  You must complete these assignments before you take a multi-chapter exam.  It is critical that you master the material here in the HW before moving on to the exam.
v	For your convenience, you may print off the entire assignment, work it out offline, reconnect and then submit your answers.  To do this you must be in the online HW portion of Course Compass, there is an icon on the right side which says "Print Homework".
v	Each assignment requires that the previous assignment has been completed with a score of at least 80%.  This means you cannot skip ahead sections and must complete the course in order.  This also means you cannot access the multi-chapter quizzes until ALL the HW sections for the chapters have been completed at the level of at least 80%
v	You may do an individual HW exercise over and over until you get the problem correct.  Choose the icon at the bottom labeled “similar exercise”. I am hoping as a result of this feature most of you will end up with a 100% on the HW…….practice practice practice……
v	The online HW is to be thought of as a MINIMUM set of HW required.  Many of you most likely will need to do more practice to master the material.  Do as many HW problems as you can stand.  The odd numbered exercises in the text have answers in the back. You can also do the "Tracked End of Section Exercises" for more practice.  These will not count towards your grade, but will most certainly help you master the material.

Online Chapter Quizzes (65% of grade)

v	There will be five (5) module quizzes which are posted in the Course Compass Course page under the left button "All Ch Quizzes and Final". They are to be completed by you alone and submitted by date and posted on the schedule. The time deadline will always be Midnight of the due date.  If you miss this deadline you will be penalized “On-Time Completion Points”, regardless of the reason.
v	You may NOT start a quiz until all the HW for the chapters have been completed at a level of at least 80%.
v	You may take each quiz three times.  The best score will be used in calculating your overall grade. Each exam has a time limit of 2 hours, so be prepared by doing as many HW exercises that you can stand before attempting the exam.
v	Calculators should be used only to check your work on all tests. At this level it is CRITICAL that you know how to do the operations by hand.  Not knowing how to do these operation by hand and only using a calculator now will absolutely kill you in later courses.  I cannot stress enough that this course is NOT meant to be a calculator button exercise.

v	Ch. 1-2  Quiz :  Must be completed by 9/24/09
v	Ch. 3-4  Quiz :  Must be completed by 10/14/09.
v	Ch. 5-6  Quiz :  Must be completed by 10/29/09……….boo!
v	Ch. 7-8  Quiz :  Must be completed by 11/18/09.
v	Ch. 10-11  Quiz :  Must be completed by 12/8/09.

Final Exam (23% of grade):

v	The exam can be found at the left button "All Ch Quizzes and Final".  This will count 23% towards your final grade.  You can take the exam only two times and your best score will count towards your overall grade.
v	The Final Exam is cumulative and covers the ENTIRE semester.  It needs to be submitted by Tuesday, 12/15/09. You will have a time limit of 3 hours, so be prepared by reviewing thoroughly each chapter exam. (1-8, 10-11). The final exam may NOT be accessed until all multi-chapter exams have been completed.
v	The final exam is required, anyone not taking it will receive a semester grade of F.

Non-Graded Assessment Items (Will Not Count Toward Your Grade):

v	Tracked End of Section Exercises – These are tutorial exercises matched to exercises within your textbook. Course Compass will score each question and provide feedback. You can regenerate similar problems until you have mastered the skill or concept.
v	Practice End of Section Exercises – These are exactly like the Tracked End of Section Exercises, but they are not scored or recorded.
v	Textbook Exercises – Recommended textbook exercises will be available in the Assignments link within the course shell. I strongly recommend that you complete them. Remember, practice makes perfect………
v	Chapter Sample Tests - These are more practice exercises to help you prepare for the chapter quizzes as well as the final.

Grades:   Your grade for the course will be determined as follows:

HW Assignments (completed online):    10% of the final grade.

Chapter “On-Time Completion Points” 2% of the final grade.

Online Chapter Exams:                         65% of the final grade (5 @ 13% each).

Final Exam:                                          23% of the final grade.

Grading Scale:   Standard Grading Scale

                         A  -  90% - 100%      

                         B  -  80% -  89%                     

                         C  -  70% -  79%       

                         D  -  60% -  69%       

                         F      Below 60%        

Dishonesty:  If cheating or dishonesty of any form occurs, action will be taken as outlined in the Student Handbook.

Special Needs:  If you have any special needs, please see your instructor to discuss the appropriate accommodations for limitations due to any disability, including learning disabilities.

Additional Resources:

v	Students may use the computers located in the library on campus to do your computer work.  Check with the library for operating hours.
v	You can obtain a free email account from MCC.
v	Free Math Help can be obtained by contacting me.  I'll do my best to respond promptly and give you the best possible instruction.
v	Free scheduled (1 hour per week) tutoring is available in the library through the Learning Enhancement Program.  See the information desk located in the library to find location.
v	Free drop-in tutoring is available in the Math Learning Center (located in the MS building).  The hours are posted each semester depending on available tutors (usually help is available from 8am-8pm Mon-Thurs; 8-3 Fri)

I reserve the right to add to or amend the above requirements.