MATH 010
College Algebra II - Fall 2010

Department of Mathematics
HOWARD UNIVERSITY
Richard E. Bayne

Table of Contents:

[ Text and Required Materials | Course Objectives | Course Content | Pre-requisites | Cooperative Learning Groups | Requirements | Administrative Policies | Office Hours ]

Text and Required Materials

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Course Content

This course is a continuation of College Algebra I (MATH-006), and focus is on several topics that should prepare students for a course in applied calculus. For those not planning to take calculus, the course provides a comprehensive treatment of several topics that stress an organized analytic approach to the solution of various problems in mathematics and several other areas.You should view the approximate pacing of the topics.

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Course Objectives


At the satisfactory completion of this course, a student will be able to: Back to TOC 

Prerequisites

It is assumed that students enrolled in this course are prepared for college mathematics work. If you are not (please refer to the results of the mathematics placement test) you should reconsider your enrollment in this course. Please see me if you have any questions about your preparation for this course.

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Cooperative Learning Groups

You may do some of the work of this course in cooperative learning groups. It seems to work best if there are three or four students in each group. You will be working with your small group in class and on certain homework assignments

Working well in a group is an important skill. Some of you may enjoy the group work more than others, and all of you will benefit from further developing this skill. After graduation, most of you will be working in jobs which will require you to function as a member of a project team. One objective of group work in this course is to help you to develop skills in working effectively as part of a team.

One of the objectives of this course is to help you to learn to think about problems mathematically and to solve the problems on your own. Working with your colleagues in this class and talking about problems with your group members are strategies to help you better understand a problem situation from several points of view.

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Requirements

Regular attendance, participation, lab activities, homework:

This class meets four times per week and each student is expected to attend every session and to arrive before the class begins at 10 minutes after the hour. Students are responsible for all class work and assignments whether or not they are in attendance. Some material will be presented in class from a different perspective than that given in the text. "Getting someone's notes" is a poor substitute for being present and involved in class discussion. However, if you must miss a class, it is your responsibility to find out what you missed. Make a friend! NOTE: experience has shown that there is a high correlation between class attendance and success.

Mathematics is not a spectator sport. During most class periods there will be time for large and/or small group discussions about selected problems. It is important to learn to ask helpful questions and to listen constructively to each other. Constructive participation sometimes means allowing others time and space to think about the problem.

Homework assignments will be assigned weekly. In addition to work assigned directly from the text, there will be assignments using WeBWorK, which will be accessible on the World Wide Web.
Homework will count for 100 points. These points will be determined by work done from the textbook and work done on WeBWorK. The percentage from each is generally weighted in the student's favor, usually 55% of the greater and 45% of the lesser. NO HOMEWORK WILL BE ACCEPTED LATE.

  Each student will be expected to do the following:
 
1.  Attend every class.
 
2.  Devote a minimum of 12 hours of study per week to the course.
 
3.  Come to each class on time and ready to participate.
 
4.  Be willing to help your classmates.
 
5.  Be able to explain concepts to the instructor or to other students.
 
6.  Meet with group members at least twice each week to review and discuss course material.
 
7.  Do all class activities and homework assignments.
 
Exams:
There will be four hour exams each worth 100 points. The material to be covered on each test will be announced in advance of the scheduled test date. Tests are tentatively scheduled for the following dates:  

Ordinarily, there are no make-up tests; exceptions to this policy will be considered on a case-by-case basis. You must determine BEFORE the exam date whether your excuse will be acceptable.

 

Generally, incomplete grades will not be given. If there is an emergency which causes a student to be unable to finish course requirements, the emergency must be documented by the student's advisor or by the advisory center.

If you have concerns about your progress or ability to keep up with course assignments, do not hesitate discussing these concerns with me. Do not wait until the last minute.    
Final Exam: 200 points
The cumulative final exam is scheduled for Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 4:00 pm.
WeBWorK:
In addition to homework problems that will be assigned from the text, there will be continuing assignments of problems on line using WeBWorK. WeBWorK is an online system that allows you to work homework problems on the web. You will have the opportunity to work the problems more than once and generally will be able to work them until you get the correct answer. You should read through the Introduction to WeBWorK before the end of the first week of classes.

 

Homework
Homework will count for 100 points. These points will be determined by work done from the textbook and work done on WeBWorK, as described above. The percentage from each is generally weighted in the student's favor, usually 55% of the greater and 45% of the lesser. Back to TOC

Administrative Policies

GRADES Total points attainable will be determined as follows: 
  homework 100 pts

hour exams 100 pts each
 final exam 200 pts
Whatever the total possible points, the final grade for the course will be computed as follows: 
  85% - 100%
of total points available  A
 75% - 84% of total points
available  B
 60% - 74% of total points available  C
 50% - 59% of total points available  D
 0% - 49% of total
points available  F
In borderline situations, final exam results may be given the greater consideration.

Academic Integrity Policy

 

Students who cheat violate their own integrity and the integrity of the university by claiming credit for work they have not done and knowledge they do not possess. All students are expected to recognize and to abide by the policy on academic integrity found in the Student Handbook. Because you may be asked to do work in collaboration with your group members, I will ask you to sign all group homework assignments attesting to the fact that you have actively participated in the work.

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Office Hours

Your tuition entitles you to see your instructor in conference about problems, personal and academic. Take advantage of the conference hours. Although the Mathematics Department office and department mail boxes are located on the second floor of Academic Support Building B (behind Locke Hall), my office is located in 236 Annex III, on the corner of 4th and College Streets, and can be reached from either of the two south-facing doors which are accessible from the driveway between Annex III and the C. B. Powell building. As a rule, I am available for students on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. My scheduled office hours for fall 2009 are If you are unable to meet at these times, it is possible to make an appointment for a different time that will be convenient for both of us. If you need to reach me between classes:

I regularly check email several times a day both from home and at school, but I check voice mail only when I am on campus.

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The easiest way to contact me is to send an e-mail message to Richard Bayne.
This page was updated August 2010.