MATH 103     (INTERNET)  INTRODUCTORY ALGEBRA

Time/Place Internet
Instructor Maula Allen
Office Science Center (SC) 152 (Ktd)
Phone (415) 485 - 9547
Office Hours
(Kentfield and Online)

MW 9:00 - 9:30 and 12:30 - 1:00
F 10:00 - 12:00

E-mail maula.allen@marin.edu

Web Master:  
The College of Marin's Information Technology group oversees the servers and software that run and support some aspects of this course.  They can be contacted at (415) 883-2211 x8181.
Any technical difficulties associated with the ALEKS web site can be answered through their web site at this location.

Prerequisites:
Introductory Algebra.  This is equivalent to high school algebra (first year).  This prerequisite cannot be waived, although you may test out of it.  Contact the College of Marin's Testing Center to arrange for a placement test.  Students not meeting the prerequisite will not be allowed to continue in this course.  In addition, the instructional component of this class (done through ALEKS) will assess your knowledge of the basic and essential mathematical skills necessary for this intermediate  algebra class.  If you do not have mastery of these selected prerequisite topics, you will be directed to a review section of the course.  This review must be successfully completed before you can begin the algebra portion of the class.  In other words, proof alone will not be enough--you must also remember some of what you knew.

Textbook:
The materials in this course are primarily online, and consist of the ALEKS learning system.  You must buy a standalone User's guide for ALEKS (one semester version).  This contains the Course Code you will need to enter the instructional web site.  You may see this guide on line here to see if the style of the course may be of interest to you (no code contained in the online version).  The College of Marin Bookstore has this available with the access code,  as may other online textbook sites.
In addition, it is valuable to have an introductory algebra textbook as a reference and additional source of explanation.  You may use any intermediate algebra text you might have, but the Book Store sells, and the oncampus classes use the following:  Intermediate Algebra, 9th Edition, Marvin L. Bittenger, Addison-Wesley Publishing Co., Inc.  This may be purchased directly form the College of Marin Book Store.


Course Work:
Most parts of this class are self-paced, but must be completed within the time frame of the current single semester.  Everyone starts on the first day and everyone will be graded on the work they have completed by the last day of instruction in the semester.  It is possible to finish the course before the end of the semester, but you may not extend beyond the semester.  Within the semester students have the opportunity to move through the topics in an order of their choosing, although this may be restricted if one concept has another as a prerequisite.  For example, you cannot learn about graphing parabolas until you learn about quadratic equations.  Your tests will occur based on when you have completed a certain amount of material corresponding to your selected topics, and this could be at different times for each and every student.  The ALEKS system makes the determination of when you are ready to be assessed.  Consequently, this course involves considerable reading and writing.
The ability to clearly communicate your ideas in a concisely written form is essential to success in this class.  In addition, how much time you will need to spend on the material will also vary with your abilities.  Assuming you have had no previous Introductory Algebra course, you should expect to spend 10 to 15 hours per week (as would be the case if you were taking an on campus class, including homework).

The majority of learning for this class takes place in ALEKS.  Take the short guided tour to get an idea of how ALEKS works.  Testing, or "assessment" as it is called in ALEKS, happens at different times for each student.  here is how it is described in the User's Guide:

The ALEKS assessment uses open-ended problems (no multiple choice).  It is an adaptive assessment; that is, problem types are selected based on all the previous answers the student has given.  It is impossible to predict which types of problems will appear, or in what order.  Moreover, the problems themselves are generated algorithmically, with randomly selected numerical values.  ...  There is no reason for a student who has begun using ALEKS to cheat on a "progress" assessment, as this will simply cause the system to suggest problems that are too difficult, and thus hinder the student's own work.

THERE IS A MANDATORY ON-CAMPUS FINAL EXAM FOR THIS COURSE. You will be advised of the date for the final exam at the beginning of the semester.


Grading Policy:
The ALEKS system and the instructor do not expect perfection.  Your grade is not based on how many correct answers you provide, but on how many topics you complete and have assessed.  You will receive the following grade if you complete the corresponding number of topics.

"A"    95% - 100% of the topics completed and assessed
"B"    88% - 94%  of the topics completed and assessed
"C"    80% - 87% of the topics completed and assessed
"D"    71% - 79% of the topics completed and assessed
"F"     less than 71% of the topics completed and assessed

These percentages do not include the topics in the mandatory review/prerequisitie material.

Remember, while the grading scale shows you must finish 95% of the material to get an "A", it does not require that you get 95% or better on the assessments.  ALEKS determines if you know enough to go on to the next topic, and this may not require perfect understanding, or even A-level understanding.  You just must demonstrate the necessary skills.  

Your final course grade will be based on the following:

75% from the percentage of the topics completed and assessed through the ALEKS system by 12-13-08.
25% from the on-campus final exam.

This is a new grading policy. Please let me know if you have any questions.

The course may be taken for pass/no pass (P/NP), with a pass grade being the equivalent of "C" or better. If you want this option, you must select it through your CoM Student Portal by the deadline. It is no longer processed through your instructors.

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