Math 005 is an introductory-level algebra course. Evaluation will be based on
work in Knewton Math Readiness, attendance, tests, and a comprehensive final ...
MATH 005: Introductory Algebra Spring 2014 Syllabus subject to change.
Email You can/will email your instructor at
[email protected]. Put your instructor's name in the subject box or your email will/may not be opened because all Math 005 instructors will receive email at this address. If you have trouble with your crimson account, you can get help at the OIT help desk located in Gordon Palmer.
Prerequisites No prerequisites found.
Office Hours Office hours TBA during class meeting.
Course Description Math 005 is an introductory-level algebra course. Evaluation will be based on work in Knewton Math Readiness, attendance, tests, and a comprehensive final exam. This course is designed to equip students with the tools necessary to be successful in college-level mathematics courses. Mathematical readiness, confidence, and productive study habits will be improved after completing this course.
Student Learning Outcomes At the conclusion of this course: Students will be able to understand and work with integer and rational-number arithmetic, and perform the same operations on expressions containing symbols as well as numbers. Students will have been introduced to radical and exponent notation, and to graphing on the xy plane. Students will be able to use ratios and rates to solve problems involving fractions, proportions, and percents. Students will be able to solve equations, inequalities, and systems of equations. Students will be able to do all the above starting from English-language as well as symbolic problem descriptions.
Course Materials PEARSON MYMATHLAB STAND ALONE ACCESS CODE FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA Casio FX-260-Solar School Calculator (found in the bookstore) OPTIONAL but recommended: Math100 textbook Beginning & Intermediate Algebra by Lial, Hornsby, & McGinnis, published by Addison Wesley You will re-use (ie will not have to re-purchase) all the above materials when you take Math100. You will be using two online software systems, Knewton Math Readiness (used only by Math005) and Pearson MyLabsPlus (used by all MTLC classes). Knewton is a browser-based math course that provides targeted recommendations to each student on what to work on next; it hosts all but one of your homeworks and quizzes. Your exams, review problems, course gradebook, and Polynomials lesson are hosted by MyLabsPlus. The access code entitles you to work in both systems. You can purchase your access code at the campus bookstore, or other area bookstores (be careful to get the UA code!), or online from the publisher. If you have any issues with this purchase, see your instructor right away. There is no required textbook for this course (though the Math100 textbook is available, along with all its instructional materials, online in the MyLabsPlus system); if you know you will want a paper textbook when you take MA100, you can buy the MA100 package now. Within the Knewton platform, each Lesson has its own set of instructional materials including instructional videos, worked exercises, and practice problems. Bring the unopened Pearson Access Code with you to the first class meeting.
Course Grades: Math005 is graded Pass/Fail; in both cases your grade is NOT calculated into your GPA. Your grade is determined by points earned as follows: Tests 40%, Final 30%, Lessons Completed 15%, Weekly Progress 10%, Class Meeting / Lab Time 5%. --You will PASS this course and move on to your next math class if your semester average is 70% or better. --You will NOT PASS this course and need to repeat this course if your semester average is less than 70%. --Wednesday, 3/19 is the last day to drop this class online with a W. See your college office after this date.
Exams and Assignments Test 1 (10%)--DEADLINE THU 2/6—covers eight Lessons: factors and multiples, long division, decimals, ratio applications, ratios and rates, fraction division, percents, fraction fundamentals. Test 2 (15%)--DEADLINE THU 2/27—covers nine Lessons: variables and operations, mathematical expressions, testing values, equivalent expressions, equations, inequalities on the number line, independent and dependent variables, tricks of equality, real world algebra
Test 3 (15%)--DEADLINES THU 3/20 and 4/17—covers remaining topics in 6 minitests, organized to accommodate your Lesson sequence: {ratios and fractions, proportions, ratios & percents}, {properties of math, all about addition, fractions and decimals, solving word problems}, {exponent rules, square & cube roots, polynomials}, {negatives in the xy plane, negative quantities, moving in the xy plane}, {slope, linear equations}, {solving linear equations, systems of linear equations}. Finish three minitests by the first deadline, and all six by the second one.
Final Exam (30%)--Comprehensive on all material (Test 1 - 3 topics). You may take the Final Exam early in class when you have passed all 33 Knewton lessons plus the Polynomials lesson in MyLabsPlus, and have finished Tests 1-3. Otherwise, the Final Exam will be given at the normal University scheduled times, 8am Tuesday 4/29 and 8am Thursday 5/1. If you meet the requirements for an early Final Exam and take it by April 17, you may retake the Final Exam during Final Exam week if you did not score high enough on the 1st attempt to pass the class. Lesson Completion (15%)—calculated as the number of Lessons you pass (Test Your Skills score 70% or better) out of 34 during the semester (cutoff date is 4/25). Notice that this counts as much as a test and you should expect to score 100%. Weekly Progress (10%)—you will receive Progress credit for a week if you have passed the required number of Lessons by the end of Friday of that week: 2 by 1/17; 5, 1/24; 9, 1/31; 12, 2/7; 16, 2/14; 19, 2/21; 22, 2/28; 25, 3/7; 27, 3/14; 29, 3/21; 31, 4/4; 33, 4/11; 34, 4/18. These credits are all-or-nothing. ―Pass‖ means scoring 70% or better on the Test Your Skills quiz at the end of each Knewton Lesson (or 70% or better on the quiz on Polynomials in MyLabsPlus). Notice that if you fall behind you must catch back up to resume earning Progress credit. Every week you miss this credit, you drop more than ¾ point from your final course average. Attendance (5%)--You will swipe your Student ACT Card as you enter the MTLC for class and swipe again as you leave the MTLC. This record establishes Lab Time credit for the class day. You will also sign the attendance roll sheet. This record establishes Class Meeting credit for the class day. Lab Time credit is not all-or-nothing, but you must swipe both in and out. If you finish Math005 early, you will get attendance credit for all remaining class days.
Policy on Missed Exams & Coursework You will be allowed (and are encouraged!) to complete work ahead of schedule and also to take Tests and the Final Exam ahead of schedule. I expect you to take tests within the week after you have completed the lessons covered by the test. Students who expect to take the Final Exam in time for the do-over option should plan to take Tests 1-3 at least a week earlier than their deadlines. If you know you are going to miss class or classes due to matters out of your control, you will be expected to be working ahead of schedule to allow for this. You will be allowed to make up a Test after its deadline, but an increasing penalty will be assessed against your test score. This penalty may be waived only if you have filed a PETITION with a verifiable, documented excuse, and the petition has been approved. Petitions can be filed at mtlc.ua.edu. No extensions or allowances will be given to students because of issues with home computers or the internet. The MTLC is open for your use to get assistance with your math work and also to provide you with computers if you need. Math 005 course work can be done on your personal computers. Internet access is required in order to reach the website where homework and help topics are located.
Extra Credit Opportunities There are no opportunities for extra credit in any MTLC math course !
Logging Into Knewton Math Readiness and MyLabsPlus To access your Knewton and MyLabsPlus software, you will login to MyBama, then go to Blackboard Learn, then click on your Math 005 course. Here you will find links to Knewton and MyLabsPlus. The MyLabsPlus link will take you directly into the course software. The Knewton link will take you to a login page; Knewton will email you your Username and Password before the first class meeting. OR You may visit https://login.knewton.com to reach the Knewton login page directly; to access MyLabsPlus directly, go to www.ua.mylabsplus.com (which will redirect you to a login page; your MyLabsPlus username is your crimson email prefix, and your password is your CWID).
Using Knewton Math Readiness and MyLabsPlus
Your Knewton lesson plan – which you will work on during nearly every class – is also your homework. Your Dashboard within Knewton identifies your next recommended activity. While you are not required to follow this recommendation, it is generally beneficial to do so because this should provide you the fastest and most effective route through the course. An individualized course affords you the opportunity to work at your own pace, on the material that you are ready to learn. The material cannot rush ahead of you or move too slowly for you, because you control your progress, working both in class with your instructor, and outside of class on your own and with the MTLC's staff of tutors. Within Knewton, you will periodically be asked to "Show Us What You Know" via a brief diagnostic quiz. These are designed to let you skip over Lessons that would waste your time, because you already understand the material so well. So don’t guess, and freely answer ―I don’t know‖ when you judge that you should in fact not skip a topic area. Each Lesson consists of several workshops, including video tutorials and practice problems, designed to help you build your understanding. When you feel ready to complete a lesson, you’ll need to pass its Test Your Skills assessment. If you do, you can move on to the next lesson; if not, you can re-take the test. If you miss the passing mark on a Lesson’s test twice, you will be prescribed deeper review in Focus Mode. During Focus Mode, you will receive a new set of workshops and practice problems to catch you up on the background you need in order to be
successful in the workshops of the main lesson. Only after completing Focus Mode will Knewton let you take the Test Your Skills assessment again. Math005 is not intended to be an independent-study course (that’s why class attendance is required), but most students will learn most topics successfully from the online material. But when that isn’t enough – whenever you still haven’t mastered a topic after Focus Mode, or whenever you feel at sea and a topic just doesn’t make sense – you need/deserve/must demand some actual human instruction. That’s your teacher’s role in Math005: to work with you one-on-one whenever that’s what you need. This too is under your control: be sure to ask enough questions, and don’t waste your time alone when what is called for is a bit of tutor conversation. Most students follow the same sequence of Knewton Lessons during the first half of Math005; that is why Test 1 and Test 2 can cover a fixed list of Lessons. However, you will occasionally need to check your ALL Lessons page to ensure you do the Lessons required for Test 1 and Test 2 ahead of the testing deadlines. If you have not yet unlocked a Lesson that is going to be covered on an upcoming test, you can float your cursor over it to see what other Lessons need to be completed before it will unlock. You can pick and choose any unlocked Lesson to work on at any given time. However, getting stuck on a Lesson can prevent you from making progress on a Test’s topics. If that happens, work soon with your instructor to get past the roadblock. After Test 2, students follow very different paths through the Lessons, but the Lessons do come in related-topic groups. So Test 3 is actually a set of minitests on small sets of related Lessons. Notice that the non-Knewton lesson on Polynomials is covered in the minitest on exponents and roots. Knewton is a very nice learning environment, but it doesn’t have any extra practice or review problems built into it. That’s what you will use MyLabsPlus for (as well as all your tests; your course gradebook is there too). When Knewton topics overlap with what’s in the Math100 textbook, the textbook presentation can be very helpful. You will find that Knewton problems are usually presented in English; the textbook is far more likely to present problems already written symbolically. Warning: the MyLabsPlus software may not work with Safari, use a different browser. Besides review problems, which are organized as homework problems in MyLabsPlus, there are practice microtests for students who need to work on test-taking skills; these consist of a handful of randomly-selected practice problems and are organized as quizzes in MyLabsPlus. You will also find some bits of instructor advice.
Knewton Support Use the following email address for customer support from Knewton if you have difficulties with the Knewton Math Readiness program functioning properly:
[email protected]
Test Rules in Class Tests are found in the MyLabsPlus system, and may be taken only during a class meeting. The time limit for Tests 1 and 2 is 70 minutes; for each Test 3 minitest it is 30 minutes; for the Final Exam it is 80 minutes. Few students will use the full time. This semester, Math005 test deadline days fall in Test Weeks for all other MTLC courses. When you arrive, look for signs telling Math005 students how to enter our classroom, and where to sit. 1. You may use only the Casio FX-260-Solar School (available at the University bookstores) or the calculator that is available on the computer. Using another calculator (or any other electronic device, including audio players) during a test is considered academic misconduct. 2. You will receive a test paper (which is your initial scratch paper) before you begin your test. Fill in the blanks in the identification area at the top of the test paper (remember to sign the paper). You will be given a password for your test. 3. Begin your Test or Final Exam early enough so you have plenty of time to finish within the class period. 4. When you sit down for your test, put away all review materials and place your cellphone face down on the table with your ID next to it. Cellphones must be turned completely off and all other belongings must be placed on the floor. As soon as you are seated, you may begin your exam. The MTLC will give you additional scratch paper as needed; no other paper is allowed. When you are finished, write down your test score, then turn in all papers. 5. You will be allowed to review your test before you leave the lab. You may not write down any information pertaining to test questions to take with you when you leave the MTLC after an exam. You may not share any test information with anyone who hasn’t taken the test. Violators will be charged with academic misconduct. 6. You may not leave your table during a test without permission. This includes getting water and using the restroom. Cell phones must be left at the table. 7. Special MTLC Study Hours obtain during test weeks: Sunday 6-9pm, Monday 8am-10pm, Tuesday – Thursday 9pm-10pm ONLY, Friday 8am-4:45pm. The lab will be closed except for testing during all of final exam week.
MTLC Info 1. Located in B1/B5 Tutwiler. Phone: (205) 348-2592 Website: www.mtlc.ua.edu
2. Hours: 3. Closed: Sunday: 6pm-9pm; MonMLK Holiday Sun 1/19 Thur: 8am-10pm; Fri: and Mon 1/20; Spring 8am-4:45 pm (except as Break Sun 3/23 thru otherwise announced) Sun 3/30
4. Last day for help in the MTLC is Friday, 4/25
MTLC RULES 1. The MTLC is a math classroom. Please be quiet during your visit to the MTLC. 2. Other than mathematics, no activities such as talking, surfing the Internet, playing computer games, typing a paper, sleeping, etc. are allowed in the MTLC. If these activities are observed, you will be asked to leave the MTLC. 3. Please do not hesitate to ask questions in the MTLC. Staff members in the MTLC are there to help you.
Policy on Academic Misconduct All students in attendance at the University of Alabama are expected to be honorable and to observe standards of conduct appropriate to a community of scholars. The University expects from its students a higher standard of conduct than the minimum required to avoid discipline. Academic misconduct includes all acts of dishonesty in any academically related matter and any knowing or intentional help or attempt to help, or conspiracy to help, another student. The Academic Misconduct Disciplinary Policy will be followed in the event of academic misconduct.
Disability Statement If you are registered with the Office of Disability Services, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible to discuss any course accommodations that may be necessary. If you have a disability, but have not contacted the Office of Disability Services, please call 348-4285 or visit 133-B Martha Parham Hall East to register for services. Students who may need course adaptations because of a disability are welcome to make an appointment to see me during office hours. Students with disabilities must be registered with the Office of Disability Services, 133-B Martha Parham Hall East, before receiving academic adjustments.
Severe Weather Protocol In the case of a tornado warning (tornado has been sighted or detected by radar, sirens activated), all university activities are automatically suspended, including all classes and laboratories. If you are in a building, please move immediately to the lowest level and toward the center of the building away from windows (interior classrooms, offices, or corridors) and remain there until the tornado warning has expired. Classes in session when the tornado warning is issued can resume immediately after the warning has expired at the discretion of the instructor. Classes that have not yet begun will resume 30 minutes after the tornado warning has expired provided at least half of the class period remains. UA is a residential campus with many students living on or near campus. In general classes will remain in session until the National Weather Service issues safety warnings for the city of Tuscaloosa. Clearly, some students and faculty commute from adjacent counties. These counties may experience weather related problems not encountered in Tuscaloosa. Individuals should follow the advice of the National Weather Service for that area taking the necessary precautions to ensure personal safety. Whenever the National Weather Service and the Emergency Management Agency issue a warning, people in the path of the storm (tornado or severe thunderstorm) should take immediate life saving actions. When West Alabama is under a severe weather advisory, conditions can change rapidly. It is imperative to get to where you can receive information from the National Weather Service and to follow the instructions provided. Personal safety should dictate the actions that faculty, staff and students take. The Office of Public Relations will disseminate the latest information regarding conditions on campus in the following ways: Weather advisory posted on the UA homepage Weather advisory sent out through Connect-ED--faculty, staff and students (sign up at myBama) Weather advisory broadcast over WVUA at 90.7 FM Weather advisory broadcast over Alabama Public Radio (WUAL) at 91.5 FM Weather advisories are broadcast via WUOA/WVUA-TV, which can be viewed across Central Alabama. Also, visit wvuatv.com for up-to-the-minute weather information. A mobile Web site is also available for your convenience.
