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 May Fall Behind!*)

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 MAIL (see envelope icon at the top) FOR ALL COURSE COMMUNICATIONS UNLESS YOU FEEL IT IS AN EMERGENCY.

 

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