Course
Information
Math 127:
College Algebra – Section 01, Summer
2008
3
Credits: MTWRF 9:45a.m. – 11:20a.m. Bridges Room 264
Textbook: Algebra and Trigonometry with
Analytic Geometry,
11th ed., Swokowski/Cole.
Instructor: Justin
James, Mathematics Dept. Office: MacLean 375M
Office Phone: 477-4011
Office Hours: MTWRF 8:40a.m. – 9:40a.m.
Email: jamesju@mnstate.edu
MTWRF 1:45p.m. – 3:30p.m. Webpage: web.mnstate.edu/jamesju
Course Description: Factoring,
linear equations, quadratic equations, systems of equations, matrices,
logarithmic and exponential equations, determinants, Cramer's rule, functions.
Prerequisites:
In order to take Math 127,
students are required to have a passing grade in PDEV 100 (or CCGE 100 or
transfer equivalent), or an ACT Math Subscore of 23
or higher, or a qualifying score on the Accuplacer
Math Placement Exam.
Course Objectives and Student Learning Outcomes:
Upon
completion of the course, students will be able to do the following:
Course Requirements:
You
are expected to complete all daily homework and writing assignments, and to
take and pass all exams and quizzes at their scheduled dates and times.
Course Goals:
The
goals of Math 127 include learning to work with exponents, radicals,
polynomials, fractional expressions, exponentials, logarithms, and matrices;
and applications of all of these. This course will prepare you to move on
to Math 229: Fundamentals of Applied Mathematics, Math 143: Trigonometry, or
Math 234/236/244 (our Introductory Statistics Courses). Students who need
to take Math 261: Calculus I are required to learn Trigonometry (Math 142 or
143 would suffice) before taking Calculus I.
Instructional
Strategies: Lecture, discussion, small group
work.
Attendance and Academic
Expectations:
You are expected to attend
class regularly and on time. The penalty
for unexcused absences is that missed
in-class assignments cannot be made up. If
you have to miss class for a reason that you believe merits being excused, come
see me (preferably in advance). You are
expected to read the material in your textbook prior to each day’s lecture and
to have attempted the problems on the homework assignment. During class, you should participate in
discussions. When working in groups, you
should participate fully in what the group is trying to accomplish. You are encouraged to form a group to study
and work with on homework and labs outside of class. You should bring your book, calculator, and
solutions to recent homework problems with you to class.
Homework:
I
will collect homework for grading a few
times during the semester. You will be
told 1 day in advance which problems to turn in. Even when homework is not collected, you will
need to work the homework to succeed in the course. I will spend a few minutes at the beginning
of class answering homework questions, but we will spend the bulk of our time
covering new material. You are
encouraged to discuss homework with your classmates and with me outside of
class during my office hours. If my
office hours do not match your schedule, see me about arranging another time to
meet.
Quizzes:
There will be a quiz every
non-exam day.
Almost all of them will be in-class quizzes, but a few may be “take
home” quizzes. Quizzes will be worth from
5-10 points, depending on their length and scope. Your best quiz scores
will be combined to contribute 100 points toward your final grade. Expect at least three quiz grades to be
dropped. There will also be a few
worksheets and in-class assignments.
Reflection
Papers:
Three times during the
semester, you will be given a short writing assignment. You will be asked to give your thoughts and
reflections on a few aspects of the course.
These papers must be typed and should be at least 1 page (typed, double
spaced). These informal papers will be
graded mainly on their content and completeness, but do write in complete
sentences and clearly express your ideas.
Each reflection paper will contribute 10 points toward your final grade.
Exams: This
course will have four unit exams plus a comprehensive final exam, as outlined
on the course syllabus. Be sure to mark
the date of each exam on your calendar, especially the final exam. Exams will be closed book, and closed
notes. I will allow the use of an
approved calculator, but all other electronic devices (cell-phones, etc.) are
not allowed. Credit given on exam
questions will be proportional to the amount of correct work shown. Little to no credit will be given if
sufficient work is not shown, even when the final answer is correct. In your final grade, your best three exams
will be worth 100 points each, while your lowest exam will be scaled in half to
be out of 50 points. The final exam is
worth 200 points.
Course Grading Policy: Your
final grade in the course will be computed as follows:
Quizzes: 100 points
Homework/Worksheets/Daily Activities: 70
points
Reflection Papers 30 points
Highest 3 Unit Exams: 300 points
Lowest Unit Exam:
50
points
Final Exam: 200 points
Total: 750
points
I will compute the percentage
of the total points you earned and then assign letter grades based on the following
scale:
96.5-100.0% A+ 81.5-86.4% B 69.0-71.4% C–
91.5-96.5% A 79.0-81.4% B– 66.0-68.9% D+
89.0-91.4% A– 76.5-78.9% C+ 60.0-65.9% D
86.5-88.9% B+ 71.5-76.4% C <60.0% F
Make-up Work: Because of the pace of summer courses and the fact
that you are allowed to drop several scores, I only give make-up assignments for
extreme personal emergencies or for absences which are officially
sanctioned by the University. I will
expect written documentation in either of these cases. If you miss an exam and a make-up exam is not
warranted, you may replace your grade on one
missed exam with your un-scaled
percentage score on the final exam.
Special
Accommodations: Students with disabilities who believe they may need
an accommodation in this class are encouraged to contact Greg Toutges, Coordinator of Disability Services at 477-5859 (Voice)
or 1-800-627-3529 (MRS/TTY), CMU 114 as soon as possible to ensure that
accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion.
Academic
Honesty: You are expected to do your own work. You may
work with others and get help on assignments, but the work you submit must be
your own. During exams and quizzes you will not be allowed to get
help from others. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated in any
course at any level. See the MSUM Academic Honesty policy for more
information on the possible consequences of cheating.
Thanks, and Let’s Have a Great
Summer!!
Math 127 – College
Algebra: Summer Session Course Page