Valencia Core competencies: TVCA

Valencia faculty has defined four interrelated competencies (Value, Think, Communicate and Act) that prepare students to succeed in the world community. These competencies are complex abilities that are essential to lifelong success. This course will help you develop and demonstrate the abilities to (1) think clearly, critically, and creatively; (2) communicate with others verbally and in written form; (3) make reasoned value judgments and responsible commitments; and (4) act purposefully, reflectively, and responsibly. Due to the nature of these global competencies many problems and activities will be presented in the context of an application. These applications will require students to select appropriate information from the problem and communicate effectively how to arrive at an appropriate solution.

Attendance Policy:

The frequency of your visitations to the course websites will also be monitored. In the event of an extended absence -that is, not logging onto course sites (Blackboard and/or WebAssign) for more than 3 days, or not replying to my emails in a timely manner (within 48 hours) - you should contact me as soon as possible to indicate the reason for the inactivity. Before the withdrawal deadline, if your off-campus absences become extreme (3 days or more), you may receive an excessive absence notification and may be withdrawn from this course for noncompliance with the requisites of the course.

Work Requirement:

Instruction in this course does not involve classroom lectures. You will learn the material by reading the sections Watching the videos, doing tutorials, experimenting  and doing the problems in WebAssign outlined in the Topics section in BB. All instructional materials used throughout the course, as well as the scheduled activities, support and promote the achievement of the stated learning outcomes and unit learning objectives. I will act as facilitator and will guide you in your learning experience. I will not be teaching you the course in the traditional sense, because this is not the purpose of this online course. If you need a live person to explain to you the concepts, this course is not for you, and I suggest you take a classroom course.

Assessment and Course Evaluation:

All assessments/evaluation procedures are consistent with the educational activities and will appropriately measure the stated course learning outcomes and unit learning objectives.

    1) Homework:

Homework can be found in WebAssign. There are 47 online Homework you have to turn in. There are also assigned problems (highlighted problems) in the Homework section in BB. Each homework problems in WebAssign can be done up to three (3) times.  All online work has an 11:00 PM deadline on the day it is due.

    2) Examinations:

There will be four (4) on-site test and comprehensive (Cumulative) on-site Final test. All Tests except test one (review material) and the Final Exam are two-parts tests (calculator/no-calculator). The Final Exam is a no-calculator test. On-site examinations will be closed book/ no notes, pencil and paper test. There will be no set time limit to take any of the on-site examinations.

You must take each test after completion of the computer Homework and after studying the "Topics"  section in BB.  Tests must be taken according to the schedule. You can take the tests before the deadline date, but never after! Remember that every student must take the final. Any student that does not take the final will have an F in the course

Important: Since the tests have problems from a test bank, you can only see your tests during the tutoring session or in my office after the tests deadlines. I will be glad to discuss your test performance during my office hours. I cannot give you a copy of the tests for you to review. You can review your tests before the due date for the next test. Allow  at least one hour to discuss your test performance during my office hours.  

Taking your MAC 1147 online tests:

The tests in this course will be submitted electronically via BB at the testing center. At the testing center, you will login to BB http://online.valenciacollege.edu/ with your login name and password. Once you have logged in, under the Course Content you will select “Assessments (Tests),” found in the left-hand side, where you will find both the No-Calculator and Calculator parts of the tests. When you open the No-Calculator part, the program will ask for a password. The testing center personnel or proctor will type a password for you. Make sure the proctor is using the Firefox Browser, and the computer has the latest Java installed before login to your test. If any other browser is used, or an old Java is installed, some problems may not show up, and you will miss the attempt.  All tests are closed book/notebook. No notes or formulas are allowed.

For both parts of the tests you will be allowed to use paper and pencil for calculations, of course. The testing center will provide the scratch paper, which will be collected.

Again, you cannot take the tests from home. However, you can take the tests (at the testing center) at any day/time that is convenient to you, no later than the specified deadlines.

 As you answer the test questions, I suggest that you select “Save answers” after each problem you have completed. By doing this, if the power goes out you will not lose your work. Even if you save your answers, you can go always go back and change them. Once you finish this part, make sure you select “Save all Answers,” and click on “Save and Submit.” If you do not select Save and Submit, your test will not be sent and graded. After you submit your test, the computer will give you the test score for that part. If you do not see your score, you have not submitted your test.

Once you finish the No-calculator part, contact your proctor to start the Calculator Part. (Test 1 and the comprehensive Final Exam are No-calculator test, so they do not have a Calculator part.) The proctor will again provide a password. When you are done with this second part, make sure you select Save All, and then Submit. All the tests have no time limit. I recommend that you allow at least two hours to take each test (two hours or more). Both parts of each test have to be taken the same day. Again, since there is no time limit, there should be no reason to leave any question unanswered because you ran out of time.

Each test (excluding the Final Exam) can be taken up to two times; the higher of the two scores is the one that will count. Since the tests are algorithmically generated, when you retake a test you will get a different version of the test.

When taking a test, you are responsible of making sure that your test is submitted in BB. If you do not receive a score at the end of your test, your test was not submitted. Should you have any technical difficulties while taking your test, you must alert a Testing Center staff member immediately! The Testing Center specialist must contact me and explain any technical problems encountered. Make sure that this procedure is strictly followed; if the Testing Center specialist does not corroborate the problem, you will receive a score of zero if the test is not submitted properly.

It is your responsibility to inform me immediately via e-mail of any issue you encounter when taking tests. The issue must be informed in writing so that there is written evidence.  Informing me afterwards is not an acceptable excuse.

The deadline specified in the Weekly Schedule is the last day you have to take both versions of each test.  Since these dates will not change, I suggest that you take the first version of the test several days before the deadline. This way, if you need a retake, you have time to study for it.  You cannot attempt a retake the same day you take the test for the first time! If you retake on the same day, only the first attempt will count. Your second attempt will be deleted from BB.

If you wait until the last minute to take a test, I am not responsible for last minute technical difficulties at your selected testing center, including, but not limited to: accessibility to a computer, availability of BB, availability of Internet connection, etc. To avoid this, I recommend that you take a test days before the due date. A test will always be available the day after the deadline of a previous test; so plan accordingly. If you decide to take a test for the first time on the deadline, you will not be able to take advantage of a retake.

When taking tests, it is strictly forbidden to go to any website or check e-mails. Doing this will be considered Academic Dishonesty.

Schedule your test-taking dates and times efficiently! I am not limiting you when taking tests, so please do not limit yourself.

At any time, you can see your tests grades in the 'My Grades' tab in BB.

At any time, you can find your course average by finding the average of the homework grade in WebAssign with the other test grades.

Grades:

There will be a total of six (6) grades in the course. An Online homeworkgrade from WebAssign (one grade), four (4) on-site tests (one grade each) and an on-site Final Exam (one grades). Your course grade will be the average of those 6 grades.  Test problems are similar to homework problems and examples in the book. The book homework is not collected or graded.

The final grade for this course will be derived from the following sources:

4 tests (Testing Center tests); 400 points (each test is 100 points)            66.7%

Online homework (WebAssign); (100 points)                                               16.6%   

Final exam (Comprehensive Testing Center test);(100 points)                   16.7%

The grading scale is as follows:

A 90-100%     B 80-89%       C 70-79%       D 60-69%       F Below 60%

What it takes to earn each grade:

   A      600-540 points

   B      539-480 points

   C      479-420 points

   D      419-360 points

   F       359-0 points 

Borderline policy:

If your course average is borderline (that is, 89, 79, 69, 59) after taking the final exam, your average will go up depending on the average of all your test grades (including the final).  If the average of your tests grade is higher than the borderline score, you grade will go up. If your average is the same or lower than your borderline score, you grade will stay the same. To find if you are eligible to go up, find the average of your four tests, the final exam, and any adjustment. If this average is higher than your borderline score of 89, 79, 69 or 59, you will "go up". Otherwise, you will stay at your current grade.

The dates listed in the 'Schedule' link in BB  are the last possible day for you to take on-site tests and to do the online Homework.  If you wait until the last minute to do the online work, I am not responsible for last minute technical difficulties. This includes access to the testing center. There will be no extensions under any circumstances for any of the deadlines in this course. WebAssign  will not allow you to take an online examination after the deadline. There will be no time limit for online homework. Homework can be taken up to 3 times.  I strongly suggest you complete the assigned work at least one day before the deadline.

Working online problems:

You must work all the problems neatly in a dedicated notebook. You must show all the steps when working the problems. That will prepare you when taking tests. In the tests, I will grade the solution of the problems, not just the answers.

Make-Up

NO make-up tests will be given. If you miss a tests due to a medical emergency or legal situation, that grade may be replaced with the final exam grade only if documentation is received and approved by the instructor before the next test. It is the student responsibility to provide such documentation. If the absence is not justified, the final exam’s score may still replace one missed test with a 20 points penalty for having missed the test). If a test grade is replaced with the final exam grade, the final exam will count double. Only one test can be replaced per academic term. The final exam cannot be worth more than 2 grades (200 points). If you miss any two tests, for any reason, you can only replace one test score with the Final Exam score. The other test score will be zero. No Exceptions.

Documentation must be provided before the student takes the “next test”. No documentation will be accepted after the deadline of the “next test”.

Extra Help:

In addition to receiving help from your instructor, you should try to attend your respective campus math support area. The tutoring services provided by Valencia's math support centers will help you clarify course content. You can work on any specific Precalculus question and you can also get help with your required homework problems. All Valencia’s math support centers are very helpful.

Math Help 24/7:

This Valencia website provides links to video tutorials created by Valencia math professors. The videos use a variety of technologies, and all simple to view. This link will take you there: http://valenciacollege.edu/math/liveScribe.cfm  (Copy and paste the link to your browser if needed.)

Once you are on the website, you only need to look for the course Algebra or Trigonometry and it will take you to specific videos for this class. VERY HELPFUL SITE!

Extra Credit:

You can do the each problem in the online homework up to three (3) times. If you have taken All tests (you have not missed any test), you can replace your lowest test grade with the final exam grade. The final exam cannot be worth more than 2 grades (200 points). Consider this to be your Extra Credit. There will be No Extra-Extra Credit. Please do not ask for any additional Extra Credit.

Rules and Tips for Taking Tests at the Testing Center:

* You will need at least 2 hours to complete each math test.  You will be taking your tests at East Campus Testing Center. You are responsible for finding out their hours of operation. 

* Here is a link to Valencia's Testing Centers. It provides information on their locations, contact information, and hours of operation: http://valenciacollege.edu/testingcenter/.

* Bring your Valencia issued Photo ID, otherwise, you will not be given the test! Not having a Valencia ID is not an excuse for missing a test!  Not having a Valencia ID is not an excuse for missing a test.

* Do not bring food or beverages to the testing center.

* Cell phones and other electronic devices must be turned off and stowed away during testing. If your phone or any electronic device rings, you will be asked to stop testing and sign out, and you will miss the opportunity you have to take the test. Ouch! Do not let this happen to you!

* All memory and programs should be erased from your calculator before taking tests.

* Allow enough time to take a test. The Testing Center will not give a test the last hour before closing (for example, if the Center closes at 9:00 p.m., the last test is given out at 8:00 p.m.); it will not give a Final Exam within two hours of closing.

* In addition to these rules, your instructor’s test policies will apply.

Academic Honesty:

All students are expected to be in complete compliance with Valencia College’s policies on academic honesty; see the Valencia College website for details on this policy: Academic Policies and Procedures). Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: plagiarism, cheating, furnishing false information, forgery, alteration or misuse of documents, misconduct during a testing situation and misuse of identification with intent to defraud or deceive. In no instance will dishonesty of any type be tolerated in this course. Students who violate any of Valencia’s academic honesty policies will risk penalties that can go from receiving a grade of “F” (with a 'Dishonesty' note in the transcript) to dismissal from class and/or expulsion from the college. The professor reserves the right to determine the appropriate penalties within the aforementioned policies.

Student Code of Conduct:

Valencia College is dedicated not only to the advancement of knowledge and learning but is concerned with the development of responsible personal and social conduct. By enrolling at Valencia, a student assumes the responsibility for knowing and abiding by the rules articulated in the Student Code of Conduct, 6Hx28:10-03; students are required to see the Valencia Catalog for full details (here is a link to Valencia's Catalog: http://valenciacollege.edu/catalog/). The primary responsibility for managing the classroom environment rests with the faculty.  Students who engage in any prohibited or unlawful acts that result in disruption of a class may be directed by the faculty member to leave the class. Violation of any classroom or Valencia’s rules may lead to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from Valencia. Disciplinary action could include being withdrawn from class, disciplinary warning, probation, suspension, expulsion, or other appropriate and authorized actions. In addition, Valencia College strives to provide a drug-free learning environment for all those involved in the academic experience.

Policy: In compliance with the provisions of the Federal Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act of 1989, Valencia College will take such steps as are necessary in order to adopt and implement a program to prevent the unlawful possession, use, or distribution of illicit drugs and alcohol by Valencia College students or employees on college premises or as part of any college activity. The student code of conduct applies to the online classroom environment as well.

Withdrawal:

If you decide to withdraw from this course, you must follow the proper Valencia procedure.  Students should familiarize themselves with Valencia Community College’s withdrawal policy. 

The withdrawal deadline for this term is found in the Important Dates section of the syllabus. Per Valencia Withdrawal Policy (4-07), a student cannot withdraw and obtain a grade of W after this deadline. After this deadline, students will only receive a letter grade of A, B, C, D or F. Again: No W grade can be given after the withdrawal deadline. 

No-Show Policy!

Caution: The US Department of Education requires online students to show attendance by submitting homework during the first week of classes. To comply with this Federal law, you must successfully complete assignments by the second Tuesday of the term. Successfully completing assignments means to:

(1) Send me the Campus e-mail by the first Wednesday of the term. Your e-mail (1) must come from your Valencia e-mail, (2) have "Algebra Online" in the subject, (3) have the Campus you are taking tests.
If one of the above is missing, your e-mail will be returned, and you will have not complied with this assignment.

(2) Complete the Student Introduction assignment, found in the "Discussions" section in BB, by the second Tuesday of the term,

(3) Complete - with 100% - the Syllabus Quiz, found in BB, by the second Tuesday of the term.

(4) Complete at least one Online Homework in WebAssign. with a score of at least 80%, by the second Tuesday of the term.

Any student that does not comply with this Federal requirement will be dropped from the course as a No-Show.

Note:  The Syllabus Quiz score will not count towards your final average in this class; however, this quiz is a class requirement, and is one of several factors that validate your attendance to this online course within the No Show policy.

 Important Dates:

Web Assign Opens: Tuesday, August 20, 2013                                            

Blackboard opens:  Monday, August 26, 2013

First day of classes: Monday, August 26, 2013

Dept. of Education Attendance Requirement deadline: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 (11:59 PM)

No-Show requisites deadline: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 (11:59 PM)

Drop/Refund Deadline: Tuesday, September 3, 2013 (11:59 PM)

Withdrawal deadline: Friday, November 1, 2013 (11:59 PM)           No W grade will be given after the withdrawal deadline

Final Exam deadline (Testing Center): Monday, December 9, 2013.

For issues with BB please email onlinehelp@valenciacollege.edu .

WebAssign Customer Support: