Department of Mathematics

MAC 1140: Precalculus Algebra Online

CRN 30632, Summer B 2014

(Term B, 6-week course June 17, 2014- July 29, 2014)

(This course does not contain the Trigonometry part of a Precalculus course)

To avoid problems registering, you must use the  Course ID for the course in which you are registered.

If you are registered in CRN 30632, use Course ID: fernandez29887

Course Description:                       

MAC 1140 Precalculus Algebra (3 credit hours)

This course is the preparation for the Calculus sequence. Topics include symbolic, graphical and numerical analysis of polynomial, exponential, logarithmic, power and rational functions; matrices, sequences and conic sections. Applications emphasizing connection with other disciplines and with the real world will be included. Technology tools will be utilized in addition to analytical methods.

Note: This course uses symbolic, graphical and numerical approaches to find solutions to the problems. Even though most answers to problems can be found using your calculator, (graphical and numerical approaches) you must learn to find the solutions to problems using the symbolic approach. Most of the pencil and paper exams will require symbolic method of solutions to problems.

Unless the problems in the book suggest the use of a calculator, be sure you learn how to solve the problem without using the calculator. That is one of the skills you must develop in this course. I do not want you to just finding answers with a calculator. I want you to learn how to find the solution to problems (all the necessary steps to get to the answer of problems). Since most of the tests will be No-Calculator, if you do all the assigned problems using a calculator, you will not be prepared for the tests.

Teaching Philosophy:

My role is to lead and guide you, and be a facilitator of learning. Since I care about your academic success, I will be providing you a quality-learning environment. In this course you will have the opportunity to learn skills that will be relevant to future courses and  to your professional career.

This course is delivered through Blackboard (BB), and uses MyMathLab (MML) as a tutorial and a testing tool to watch Videos, and do online Homework. To be able to take this course, you must have a computer with internet access and must know how to use one.

Course Access: Blackboard 9.1  (BB = Blackboard 9.1 throughout this document.)

BB course page:      http://online.valenciacollege.edu

Login for BB:          Use your ATLAS Username and Password

BB Guide:              How to navigate in BB. Blackboard 9.1 (BB) Guide for Online Math Courses    

Communications:

This is an online course; therefore, we will communicate mainly electronically, via e-mail and through the course site (BB). The only e-mail used in this course is the Valencia e-mail. You must check your Valencia email regularly as to not miss any important messages from the instructor!

You will always use my email address to communicate with me:  pfernandez@valenciacollege.edu

Please remember to include “Precalculus online” on the subject line of the email, followed by the nature of your message, so that your email will have priority.  To protect my computer from any virus, I will delete without opening any email with no subject. All communications should follow appropriate etiquette. Email should be used in a professional way. Always put identifying information in the subject line so that I know what your message is about. Use appropriate language and include your name so that I know who you are.

If you call my office and wish to leave me a voice mail, please repeat your name and telephone number twice. Since I am not always in my office, an email will have a faster response than a voice mail.

Note: The MML software allows you to create messages and communicate via email with your instructor. You will disregard this feature!

IMPORTANT: Since I will be sending all my communications to your Valencia email account, please remember that you must delete old messages from your mailbox; otherwise, if you exceed the quota, your Valencia mailbox will not accept any more and you will not receive my weekly emails. I have no control of your email account, so please check this regularly.

All emails will receive my response in a timely fashion. You should expect my reply within a 24-hr. period, excluding Saturdays and Sundays. If you have not received a reply from me within this period, probably I have not received your email. Please resend it. If time permits, I will also get back to you during weekends. On the other hand, when you receive any email from me that requires your response, I expect you to reply in a timely fashion as well. Again, I will be communicating with you on a regular basis, therefore, it is crucial that you check your emails frequently, so that you are always on track.

Not checking my emails is not accepted as an excuse for missing required tasks; missed announcements and/or emails may affect your grade and are the responsibility of the student.

 Educational Materials:

Option #1: Buy the  Student Access code at the time you register for the course  ($92) with a Credit card). The Access Code, will give you access to the complete textbook online (e-book) in a PDF format and all the online Homework need for the course.

Option #2: You can also buy the MML Access Code at the East Campus Bookstore ($92 +Tax).

Caution: If you decide to buy the book online, it may come without the MyMathLab packet, and you then will need to buy a MyMathLab Student Access Code. If you have a used Access Code , you will need to buy a new Access Code, because a used access code will not work.

Note: There is a graphics calculator tutorial in the 'Chapter Contents' tab in MML. There is also a Calculator link in this web site that links to help with different type of calculators.

Attendance Policy:

Due to the nature of this online course, on-campus attendance in the traditional sense cannot be enforced. However, the frequency of your visitations to the course sites will be monitored. In the event of an extended absence – that is, not logging onto course sites (BB and/or MML 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 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. After the withdrawal deadline, you cannot -for any reason- withdraw from this course and obtain a grade of “W”.

Work Requirement:

Instruction in this course does not involve classroom lectures.  You will learn the material by reading the sections watching the videos and doing the problems 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. You can find the course learning outcomes and unit learning objectives on the BB page.) 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 have issues with mathematics ( math is difficult for me,  I am not good at math, I hate math, etc.),  this method of delivery is not for you.

Caution: If you need someone to explain to you every concept, this course is not for you, and I suggest you take a classroom course.

Examinations:

There will be three (3) on-site test and comprehensive (Cumulative) on-site  Final. All examinations are cumulative with emphasis on the most recent material covered.  The dates listed in the 'Schedule' link in BB are the last possible day for you to take on-site tests. All on-site examinations are No-calculator tests.  On-site examinations will be closed book/ no notes tests. No formulas are allowed.  All on-site tests have to be taken at a Valencia Testing Center, or at a certified proctoring center. There will be no set time limit to take any of the on-site examinations. 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. The examinations can be taken at any chosen Valencia Campus. If you plan to take examinations outside Valencia, you must inform me, and you must follow the instructions found at the Proctoring link. Students living in the vicinity of one of the Valencia Campuses must take the tests at Valencia.

You must take each test after completion of the computer Homework and quizzes and after studying the "Topics and Concepts section in BB.  Tests must be taken according to the schedule. You can take the tests at any time on or before the deadline date, but never after! If you miss any two tests, for any reason, only one tests will be replaced with the final exam. You will obtain a zero on the other test. The final exam cannot be worth more than two test grades (200 points)

To deal with any computer or technical problem that may arise, you should always take any examination before the due day. 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 computers at the testing center.

Important: Since the tests have problems from a test bank, you can only review your tests 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. I will not give any input on tests between the 1st attempt and the retake. You can only review your test performance in my office after the test deadline, and before the due date of the next test. Allow one hour to discuss your test performance during my office hours.  

Taking your MAC 1140 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 the tests. When you open a test, 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 to login to your test. If any other browser is used, 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 the tests you will be allowed to use paper and pencil for calculations. The testing center will provide the scratch paper, which will be collected.

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 the test, 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. If you do not see your score, you have not submitted your test. 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. The final can replace your lowest test grade if it is to your advantage.

When taking a test, you are responsible of making sure that your test is submitted. 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 submitting 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 the score shown under My Grade.

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, the lowest score will count. The highest score 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 never take a test on the due date. A test will always be available 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, resulting in getting an F in the course with an Academic Dishonesty note in your transcript.

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 homework grade in MML. Now, average this grade with the other test grades. That will be your course average at that time.

Grades:

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

Test 1 (testing center)                                                        20%

100 points (1/5 of final grade

Test 2 (testing center)                                                        20%

100 points (1/5 of final grade)

Test 3 (testing center)                                                        20%

100 points (1/5 of final grade)

Final Exam (testing center)                                               20%

100 points (1/5 of final grade)

Online  (MML) homework                                                   20% 

100 points (1/5 of final grade)

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      500-450 points

   B      449-400 points

 *C      399-350 points

   D      349-300 points

   F       299-0 points

* Minimum grade to pass MAC 1105 (Gordon Rule/General Education Requirements) 

Borderline policy:

If your course average is borderline (that is, 89, 79, 69, 59) your average will go up depending on the average of your tests grades (excluding the homework grade, and including any adjustment). If the average of your tests grades 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  tests. 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.

Computer use is remotely monitored; any student using computers inappropriately may be subject to dismissal from class or banishment from the lab. Subsequent offense may be sent to the campus administration for further disciplinary action. 

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

 Student Code of Conduct: