Syllabus for MAT-105

APPLIED LIBERAL ARTS MATHEMATICS

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics offers a broad-based overview of mathematics intended for non-math majors. The course emphasizes problem solving modeled on real-life applications and satisfies competency requirements for graduation and transfer.

Topics include number systems (numbers in everyday life and the classification and operations of numbers); solution of basic algebraic problems; sets, logic, and probability; interpretation of statistical data; the metric system; and calculations involving geometric objects.

COURSE OBJECTIVES

After completing this course, you should be able to:

1. Write in and apply different number systems, including Roman numerals, Hindu–Arabic, base 10, and base 2.
2. Convert base 10 numbers to base 2 and base 2 numbers to base 10, and add base 2 numbers.
3. Determine if a number is prime or composite and factor composite numbers.
4. Determine if a number is rational or irrational and perform operations with fractions.
5. Apply the rules of exponents.
6. Use basic concepts of algebra in calculating unknowns for equations in one variable.
7. Determine the domain and range of linear equations and whether a graph is a function.
8. Graph linear equations.
9. Build sets and subsets, evaluate union and intersection, and interpret Venn diagrams.
10. Evaluate truth values of simple and compound statements, express conjunctions and disjunctions, and interpret truth tables of conjunction and disjunction of two statements.
11. Interpret statistical data, charts, and graphs.
12. Perform probability and statistical operations, calculate central tendencies, and interpret deviation.
13. Calculate the perimeter and area of geometric objects and the volume of three-dimensional objects.
14. Apply the Pythagorean theorem.

COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. The required textbook is available from the College's textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook

COURSE STRUCTURE

Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics is a three-credit online course, consisting of five (5) modules. Modules include learning objectives, study materials, and activities. Module titles are listed below.

1. Module 1: Numbers in Everyday Life

2. Module 2: Classification and Operations of Numbers

3. Module 3: The Meaning of Algebra: Restoring Broken Parts

4. Module 4: Sets, Logic, Probability, and Visual Graphics

5. Module 5: Statistics, the Metric System, and Geometry

Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

ASSESSMENT METHODS

For your formal work in the course, you are required to participate in five (5) online discussion forums, complete five (5) written assignments, take five (5) quizzes. You are also required to take a proctored online midterm examination and a proctored online final examination. See below for more details.

Consult the course Calendar for assignment due dates.

Discussion Forums

Online participation in Applied Liberal Arts Mathematics counts 10 percent toward your final grade in the course. In addition to an ungraded Introductions Forum in module 1, you are required to participate in five (5) graded online discussion forums.

Communication with the mentor and among fellow students is a critical component of online learning. Participation in online discussions involves two distinct assignments: an initial response to a posted assignment and subsequent comments on classmates' responses. Meaningful participation is relevant to the content, adds value, and advances the discussion. Comments such as "I agree" and "ditto" are not considered value-adding participation. Therefore, when you agree or disagree with a classmate, the reading, or your mentor, state and support your agreement or disagreement. You will be evaluated on the quality and quantity of your participation. Responses and comments should be properly proofread and edited, professional, and respectful.

Written Assignments

You are required to complete five (5) written assignments. The written assignments count 25 percent toward your course grade.

The written assignments draw mostly on even-numbered exercises from the textbook. For each assignment, answer all assigned exercises, and show all work.

Assignments must be prepared electronically with a word processor (e.g., Microsoft Word) and, preferably, whatever equation editor integrates with your word processing software. However, if your word processor is not compatible with your mentor's word processor, you will need to save your document as a rich-text format (.rtf) file before submitting it. Check with your mentor first to determine file compatibility.

When preparing your answers, please identify each exercise clearly by textbook section and exercise number. Be sure to include your name at the top of the paper, as well as the course name and code and the semester and year in which you are enrolled. To receive full credit for your answers, you must show all work and include complete solutions. If you choose not to use an equation editor to write mathematical symbols, you'll need to use the Insert > Symbols menu of your word processor to find the appropriate symbols. Exponents can be inserted as superscripts using the Format > Font menu.  

Note: To facilitate assignment preparation and save you typing time, we include with each written assignment an assignment sheet with all questions typed out for you. You can download these sheets to your computer and use them to insert your answers and submit them to your mentor. The assignment sheets are in rich text format.

For help regarding preparing and submitting assignments, see the Student Handbook located within the General Information page of the course Web site.

Quizzes

At the conclusion of each module, following the written assignment, is an online module quiz. The module quiz consists of twenty (20) multiple-choice questions based on the material covered in that module. You have up to 45 minutes in which to complete the quiz and may take it only once.

Examinations

You are required to take two (2) proctored online examinations: a midterm exam and a final exam. Both exams require that you use the College's Online Proctor Service (OPS). Please refer to the "Examinations and Proctors" section of the Online Student Handbook (see General Information area of the course Web site) for further information about scheduling and taking online exams and for all exam policies and procedures. You are strongly advised to schedule your exam within the first week of the semester.

Online exams are administered through the course Web site. Consult the course Calendar for the official dates of exam weeks.

Midterm Examination

The proctored online midterm exam covers all material assigned in modules 1, 2, and 3 and is two hours long. It consists of forty (40) multiple-choice questions and four (4) short problems.

The exam is open book, but not open notes. In this regard you are permitted to bring only a scientific (nongraphing) calculator and the authorized textbook to the exam. The textbook must be an original bound hard copy; electronic textbooks (or printouts) are not allowed. You are also not allowed to bring any loose pages or notes, either typed or printed, or to consult a solutions manual or any other reference sources or sources of information. Programmable calculators are not permitted in examinations.

Final Examination

The proctored online final exam covers all material assigned in modules 4 and 5 of the course and is two hours long. It consists of forty (40) multiple-choice questions and four (4) short problems.

Like the midterm, the final exam is open book, but not open notes. In this regard, you are permitted to use only a scientific (nongraphing) calculator and the authorized textbook.  You are not allowed to consult a solutions manual, notes of any kind (including graded or ungraded assignments), or any other reference sources or sources of information.

Statement about Cheating

You are on your honor not to cheat during an exam. Cheating means:

1. Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find an answer.
2. Copying and pasting or, in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your exams. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
3. Plagiarizing answers.
4. Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take an exam.
5. Copying any part of an exam to share with other students.
6. Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at an exam because your connection to the Internet was interrupted when that is not true.

If there is evidence that you have cheated or plagiarized in an exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

1. Discussion Forums (5)—10 percent
2. Written assignments (5)—25 percent
3. Quizzes (5)—15 percent
4. Midterm exam (proctored, modules 1–3)—25 percent
5. Final exam—25 percent

All activities will receive a numerical grade of 0–100. You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted. Your final grade in the course will be a letter grade. Letter grade equivalents for numerical grades are as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of C or better (for an area of study course) or D or better (for a nonarea of study course), based on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.).

STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS

First Steps to Success

To succeed in this course, take the following first steps:

1. Read carefully the entire Syllabus, making sure that all aspects of the course are clear to you and that you have all the materials required for the course.

2. Take the time to read the entire Online Student Handbook. The Handbook answers many questions about how to proceed through the course, how to schedule exams, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.

3. Arrange to take your examinations by following the instructions in this Syllabus and the Online Student Handbook.

4. Familiarize yourself with the learning management systems environment—how to navigate it and what the various course areas contain. If you know what to expect as you navigate the course, you can better pace yourself and complete the work on time.

5. If you are not familiar with Web-based learning be sure to review the processes for posting responses online and submitting assignments before class begins.

Study Tips

Consider the following study tips for success:

1. To stay on track throughout the course, begin each week by consulting the course Calendar. The calendar provides an overview of the course and indicates due dates for submitting assignments, posting discussions, and scheduling and taking examinations.

2. Check Announcements regularly for new course information.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY

Students at Thomas Edison State College are expected to exhibit the highest level of academic citizenship. In particular, students are expected to read and follow all policies, procedures, and program information guidelines contained in publications; pursue their learning goals with honesty and integrity; demonstrate that they are progressing satisfactorily and in a timely fashion by meeting course deadlines and following outlined procedures; observe a code of mutual respect in dealing with mentors, staff, and other students; behave in a manner consistent with the standards and codes of the profession in which they are practicing; keep official records updated regarding changes in name, address, telephone number, or e-mail address; and meet financial obligations in a timely manner. Students not practicing good academic citizenship may be subject to disciplinary action including suspension, dismissal, or financial holds on records.

Academic Dishonesty

Thomas Edison State College expects all of its students to approach their education with academic integrity—the pursuit of scholarly activity free from fraud and deception. All mentors and administrative staff members at the College insist on strict standards of academic honesty in all courses. Academic dishonesty undermines this objective. Academic dishonesty takes the following forms:

1. Cheating
2. Plagiarizing (including copying and pasting from the Internet without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources)
3. Fabricating information or citations
4. Facilitating acts of dishonesty by others
5. Unauthorized access to examinations or the use of unauthorized materials during exam administration
6. Submitting the work of another person or work previously used without informing the mentor
7. Tampering with the academic work of other students

Academic dishonesty will result in disciplinary action and possible dismissal from the College. Students who submit papers that are found to be plagiarized will receive an F on the plagiarized assignment, may receive a grade of F for the course, and may face dismissal from the College.

A student who is charged with academic dishonesty will be given oral or written notice of the charge. If a mentor or College official believes the infraction is serious enough to warrant referral of the case to the academic dean, or if the mentor awards a final grade of F in the course because of the infraction, the student and the mentor will be afforded formal due process.

If a student is found cheating or using unauthorized materials on an examination, he or she will automatically receive a grade of F on that examination. Students who believe they have been falsely accused of academic dishonesty should seek redress through informal discussions with the mentor, through the office of the dean, or through an executive officer of Thomas Edison State College.

Plagiarism

Using someone else's work as your own is plagiarism. Although it may seem like simple dishonesty, plagiarism is against the law. Thomas Edison State College takes a strong stance against plagiarism, and students found to be plagiarizing will be severely penalized. If you copy phrases, sentences, paragraphs, or whole documents word-for-word—or if you paraphrase by changing a word here and there—without identifying the author, then you are plagiarizing. Please keep in mind that this type of identification applies to Internet sources as well as to print-based sources. Copying and pasting from the Internet, without using quotation marks and without acknowledging sources, constitutes plagiarism. (For information about how to cite Internet sources, see Online Student Handbook > Academic Standards > "Citing Sources.")

Accidentally copying the words and ideas of another writer does not excuse the charge of plagiarism. It is easy to jot down notes and ideas from many sources and then write your own paper without knowing which words are your own and which are someone else's. It is more difficult to keep track of each and every source. However, the conscientious writer who wishes to avoid plagiarizing never fails to keep careful track of sources.

Always be aware that if you write without acknowledging the sources of your ideas, you run the risk of being charged with plagiarism.

Clearly, plagiarism, no matter the degree of intent to deceive, defeats the purpose of education. If you plagiarize deliberately, you are not educating yourself, and you are wasting your time on courses meant to improve your skills. If you plagiarize through carelessness, you are deceiving yourself.