Course Syllabus for Math 118 Online: Intermediate Algebra
• Topics to be
covered • How to begin • How to study • How to use the materials provided • How
to use your time • How to succeed
Overview
This
online course is a mixture of printed text, digitized videos and online
facilities for course management, learning direction and testing of acquired
skills. You receive the same college credit as students taking courses by
traditional methods because you will be learning the same course material.
Primarily, you will be able to learn at a pace controlled by both you and your
instructor. That is, you will need to comply with your instructor's guidelines
and schedules, but because you will not be spending as much drive time
commuting to campus, you will have that time to spend with studies at home or
even during breaks in your office.
tOpics to be covered
Properties
of real numbers, algebraic expressions such as polynomials, fractions,
radicals, and exponents. Solutions
of first and second degree equations, incloding literal equations and absolute
value. Solutions of linear and nonlinear systems of
equations. Relation and functions.
Components of Course
· · Textbook":
Thinkwell, Intermediate Algebra ISBN: 1-60538-017-2. Text is interactive
on the World Wide Web at www.thinkwell .com. (Authorization code is bundled
with your box of Text). The lectures are on the Videos.
· · Access to the Thinkwell website. This is where practice interactive exercises are available with lecture notes as well as transcripts of the lectures on Videos.
· · Canvas: a course
management system to guide you in moving through the course, provide
communications with your instructor and other students in the class. Some
supplementary materials and links to help enrich your experience are also available.
Getting Started (*Do not Put This Off or you
Step 1.
Purchase your material bundle at the College bookstore. You will need to have
Adobe Acrobat Reader to read the lecture notesand Apple Quicktime to view the
lectures properly installed on your computer.
Step 2.
Log in to Canvas. Refer to the handout about login in to Canvas for more
details. After you are in, click on the Modulus tab to see what the course
looks like. Click on some links. If you have trouble with this, e-mail your
instructor, Dr. Ji Gao at jgao@ccp.edu and tell me your name and student J number and what
happened.
Step 3.
Use the Thinkwell Authorization code to register yourself on the
Thinkwell website for the intermediate algebra course. That registration is only
good for this semester. Be sure to choose my name (Dr. Ji Gao)
as the instructor. Once this is done, you will be able to see the exercises
online and any custom material that I may create there for you.
Step 4.
Make sure you can view the videos. If you do not have Quicktime, it will be
installed for you.
Step 5.
You are now ready to begin. Return to Canvas and look at the assignment for
the week.
· · View the Videos
for the week. Try working some examples on paper. Do not just view the video
passively.
· · Work the
exercises on Thinkwell.Com. There is no printed text as such. It is all
interactive and online. (You may print out the lecture notes from Adobe reader
if you wish for review).
· · Examinations are taken in Canvas. There are four tests
and department final exam they are equally weighted.
· · There are no meetings for this
course except the last week of each semester for taking the Final Exam. There is the Department
Final Exam, you need to come to the college
any day during the final exam week. You can use Calculator for 4 tests,
homeworks, and quizzes, but you can not use Calculator for Department Final
Exam.
Time Management Ideas
Taking
a course independently can take from 15 to 20 hours of work per week. This includes all activities from watching the
videos, taking notes, working exercises and taking exams. The trick is to fit
that in with your schedule. The best way is to split it up. Decide how many
days you can work on Algebra -- the more you spread it out, the better. For
example, if you decide to work 5 days, allow three hours per day. If you are keeping up to schedule with less time----great.
This is just a reasonable estimate. Adjust based on your background and
abilities.
Do
not fall behind the syllabus schedule.
Do not wait until the last minute to take assigned exams. Exams are due on the
indicated DUE DATE, but you are given a two day grace period to allow for
technical problems. Doing the homework on Thinkwell is preparation for the
exams. Do not be afraid to repeat exercise on which you did not do well. That
is a good way to prepare.
Use
what helps you the most.
Not
all the materials available for this course will be equally helpful to you,
depending on your learning style. Ask questions by sending e-mails inside Canvas
to your instructor. If you are having a technical problem do
not wait for it to vanish. It won't. Get it resolved immediately.
Don't
forget about help.
As a
registered student you are entitled to peer tutoring. Make an appointment with
a tutor by calling the Math Learning Lab if you need to or if you are on
campus, stop in and make an appointment.
USE CANVAS
This
course is NOT self-paced. It is flexibly paced. However you must complete
exams by the deadline or they expire and you get a zero. No makeup. No
exceptions.
Any
question? Need suggestions? E-mail Dr. Ji Gao at jgao@ccp.edu