MERCER COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

 

COURSE OUTLINE

MAT033

BASIC MATHEMATICS

 

INSTRUCTOR:  Prof. Richard Porter

OFFICE: LA114 or JKC 327 PHONE:_x3826_E-MAIL:_porterr@mccc.edu_

OFFICE HOURS: see webpage or come one hour before class to JKC 327_

 

COURSE COMPONENTS:  Your course allows for very creative combinations of individualized, small group, and full class instruction.  Class discussion and demonstration assist you in learning and applying the concepts under consideration. In the lab, the software provides pretests which determine which content areas most need your attention. Your software assignments are then customized to best address your weak areas without forcing you to do busywork with material that you already understand.  You will work with the assistance of your instructor to complete the required software activities.

 

ATTENDANCE:  Attendance is absolutely critical.  Any student missing more than three classes during the semester may be withdrawn.  If an absence is unavoidable, you must contact your instructor during his/her office hours and arrange to have the missing work made up before returning to the next class.  You are expected to be up-to-date on all assignments, regardless of any absence. Missed lab time MUST be made up outside of class. In the event of an absence, your software is available on the computers in the Math and Science Learning Center (LB224 or KC133) or you can access the software from any internet ready computer, even at home. If you have internet access, do not wait until you miss a class to test your computer at home. You are also expected to be ON TIME. Being late may be marked as an absence.

 

MATERIALS:  You will be provided with the Streeter PREALGEBRA textbook, ALEKS software, and a Pretest Packet.  You will also need to keep a neat notebook, with all work shown for both software and homework activities.  Make sure your work is labeled and dated.

 

YOU NEED NOT HAVE ANY COMPUTER SKILLS PRIOR TO ENTERING THIS COURSE.  The software is very easy to use, and the math itself is done with paper and pencil, with only your answers being typed into the computer.   The computer’s primary purpose is to better ascertain your individual strengths and weaknesses and to provide you with ONLY THE MATERIAL THAT YOU NEED.

 

HOMEWORK:   It is assumed that you are completing at least most of the ODD-NUMBERED problems in your textbook for the topics and concepts under study for homework.  The answers are at the end of the textbook so that way you can check your answers for accuracy.  Obviously, you are expected to show all of your work on your homework assignment, not “just the answers”.)  So unless your teacher tells you otherwise, that’s your homework assignment.  Many students underestimate the amount of time that it takes to keep up with coursework.   To estimate how much time you need to spend on a course each week, multiply the number of credits it represents by three.  MAT033 should demand about twelve hours of your time each week! 

 

TESTING:  There are seven tests in the course.  Five of those tests are administered in the Academic Testing Center (LA216 or KC311). Check the door of the testing center to be sure of its hours of operation.  It is generally open weekdays Monday through Thursday through the evening hours (8:30 pm).  There are daytime hours only on Friday and Saturday, and the testing center is closed on Sundays.  You’ll need to bring a #2 lead pencil and your ID card with you.  You won’t be admitted without a valid MCCC student ID card!   A cumulative midterm and final exam are administered in class by your instructor.   The minimum passing grade on any test is 70%.   You must pass the final exam in order to pass the course, and all tests and software must be completed.  The exact date of your final exam will be announced.  Calculators are not permitted for any testing purposes before the completion of the Midterm exam.

A scientific calculator is only permitted for Test 4 and afterwards.

 

 

 Cheating is a very serious offense, and is not tolerated at Mercer County Community College.  Any violations will be treated severely.  Any student found cheating may be issued a failing grade by the instructor, and may be suspended or expelled by the College.

 

TESTING DEADLINES: The Midterm and Final Exams may only be taken once, but each of the other tests may be taken twice, with the higher score counting, provided that you meet all deadlines.  Remember, the minimum passing grade on any test is 70%.  You should complete all software activities and textbook homework, as well as the PRETEST exercises, before you take a test in the Testing Center.  You should also take any ALEKS pretests your instructor may have set up for you. Use your PRETEST PACKET  to help you assess your readiness and diagnose your weak areas. You will not be allowed to take tests #1- #4 in the last two weeks of the class. Test #5 will be available until the day before the final.

 

WHAT DOES EACH TEST MEASURE?

 

1

Notation, Operations with Whole Numbers, Order of Operations, Area, Volume, Average of Numbers, Greatest Common Factor, Least Common Multiple

2

Operations with Signed Numbers, Absolute Value, Linear Equations

3

Operations with Fractions, Ordering Fractions, Signed Fractions, Equations with Fractions

Midterm

Cumulative/ All Material on Tests 1 – 3

4

Operations with Decimals, Signed Decimals, Equations with Decimals

5

Word Problems with Proportions and Percents

Final Exam

Cumulative/ All Material on Tests 1-5

 

LECTURE SCHEDULE:  MAT033

Each student is expected to keep up to date on both textbook assignments and software assignments.   Refer to this schedule to make sure that you are keeping pace.

 

CLASS NUMBER

DATE

CONTENT

1

 

Introduction, 1.1 Whole Numbers

1.2–1.4 Addition and Subtraction, Rounding

2

 

1.5–1.7 Multiplication and Division, Order of Operations

3.2 Factors and Multiples, 9.5 Means/Averages

3

 

Review Test 1: Green Slice

1.8 Equations, 2.1 Signed Numbers and Absolute Value

4

 

2.2-2.3 Addition Subtraction w/ Signed Numbers

2.4–2.5 Multiplication and Division w/ Signed Numbers

5

 

2.6-2.7 Linear Algebraic Expressions

2.8–2.10 Simple Linear Equations

6

 

Review Test 2:Red Slice

3.1,3.3-3.6 Fractions and  Multiplication, Equations

7

 

4.1 Fraction Addition and Subtraction

4.2-4.3 Operations on Mixed Numbers

8

 

4.4-4.6 Fractions in Equations

Begin Overall Review

9

 

Review Test 3: Blue Slice

  Overall Review for Midterm

10

 

In-Class Midterm

5.1 – 5.2 Addition and Subtraction w/ Decimals

11

 

5.3-5.4 Multiplication and Division with Decimals

5.5-5.6 Equations with Decimals

12

 

5.7 Square Roots and Pythagorean Theorem

Review Test 4: Purple Slice

13

 

6.1-6.4 Ratios and Proportions

6.5 – 6.6 Applications and Equations

14

 

7.1-7.4 Percents

7.5-7.6 Applications of Percents

15

 

Review Test 5: Orange Slice

Review for Final Exam

 

GRADING: Your final grade will be based upon the total number of points you have earned during the semester.

 

 

Total possible points

Five unit tests

125

                     Midterm Exam

30

Final exam

40

Classwork and Labwork

30

Total

225

 

203 - 225 points earns an A

180 - 202 points earns a B

158 - 179 points earns a C

Below 158 does not pass the course (grade of NC)

 

EXTRA HELP:   There are a number of ways that you can receive extra help.

·         See your teacher as soon as you don’t understand something!  Make sure that you know your teacher’s office hours and telephone extension.

·         Visit the tutoring center, LB224 on the West Windsor Campus, or KC311 at the James Kerney Campus.  Bring your textbook, your class notes, and your homework with you.  The Learning Centers operate on a drop-in basis…just make sure you check out the operating hours.

·         Do you like the software used during class sessions?  Review the activities outside of class time!  The software is most effective if you use it for at least 3 hours a week.

·         INTERNET CONNECTED?  Visit the On-Line Math Learning Center!  Browse through the Fast Facts, post a question for the on-line Math Whiz, and post an ad for an on-line Study Partner!  (Plus lots more)   So if your free time tends to be during hours that the campus is closed…no problem!  Any time of day is great for surfing.  www.mccc.edu/~kelld/olmlc.html  Bookmark it!

·         TV IS MORE YOUR STYLE?  View instructional videotapes!  Inquire at the library desk about the videotapes that support MA033!  Videotapes never get impatient; you can hit “rewind” and “pause” to your heart’s content!   Have paper and pencil ready as you view the tapes.  You can try the problems that are provided and take notes as you go.  You may not be able to take the videotapes home with you, however.  The librarians will set you up right in the library. 

Have fun and do well!

 

The Classroom as a Learning Community

 

This faculty member would like to welcome all students into an environment that creates a sense of community of pride and respect; we are all here to work cooperatively and to learn together.  With that as our goal, I would like to reinforce behaviors that are conducive to that aim, and to discourage behaviors that disrupt and distract from the process.

 

In order to create smooth and harmonious learning community, please make every attempt to come to all the class sessions, to come to class on time, and to stay until the end of the meeting unless you have informed the instructor that you must leave early.  There may be a time that you are unavoidably late for class.  In that case, please come into the room and choose a seat close to the entrance of the room.  Once the class session has begun, please do not leave the room and then re-enter unless it is an emergency.  If you must miss a class meeting for any reason, you are responsible for all material covered, for announcements made in your absence, and for acquiring any materials that may have been distributed in class.

 

It is important that we are all able to stay focused on the class lecture/discussion.  For this reason, only one person at a time in the class should be speaking.  Side conversations are distracting for surrounding students and for the instructor.  Pagers and portable phones should be silence.  Likewise, pencil sharpening while someone is speaking in class is inappropriate.  As you can see, simple norms of courtesy should be sufficient to have our class run in the best interests of all.