SYLLABUS: INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA (MATH 070) SPRING 2016...

of 13/Math 070, Intermediate Algebra/Spring 2016 Tuesday-Thursday Revised 1/30/2016

SYLLABUS: INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA (MATH 070) SPRING 2016 TUESDAY-THURSDAY

CRN: 31459, Meeting Tuesdays & Thursdays, from 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m., room S211. Dates: Tuesday, February 02 – Tuesday, May 24, 2016. Instructor: Professor Mark Littrell. Contact Information: (562) 463-7556; email: [email protected] Office Hours: My office is S320–P; Spring 2016 office hours are as follows below, and also by

appointment. I don’t keep office hours on Fridays.

Spring 2016 Office Hours Monday 7:00 to 7:30 a.m., and 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. Tuesday 7:00 to 7:30 a.m., and 12:30 to 1:00 p.m. Wednesday 7:00 to 7:30 a.m., and 10:15 to 10:45 a.m. Thursday 7:00 to 7:30 a.m., and 12:30 to 1:00 p.m.

Text Since this is an ALEKS-based course; we do not require a hard copy text. For more information, please refer to page 2 of this syllabus. Minimum Student Materials

1) An ALEKS license; 2) A scientific calculator. For more information, please refer to pages 2 and 6 of this syllabus.

Course Description/Goals

This course is designed for students who have completed an elementary algebra course and need to complete an additional course in algebra before proceeding to a college level transferable course. This course is a study of linear and quadratic equations and inequalities, system of linear equations, polynomials, exponents and radicals, relations and functions, graphs of functions, exponential and logarithmic expressions and their applications.

Prerequisites

MATH 050 or MATH 050D or MATH 053 with a grade of "C" or better or appropriate assessment. Advisory prerequisite: ENGL 035 or ENLA 100 or appropriate assessment; READ 023 or appropriate assessment.

Grades

Your course grade will be a weighted average of exams and in-class work (70%) and ALEKS work (30%). Each component of your grade will be valued at a certain number of points, which will then be combined and weighted as shown in the table below (it appears on page 2).

For those taking the course on a credit/no–credit basis, credit is granted when your score is 70% (a C) or better overall. Be advised: students have the option of taking this course for a Pass/No Pass instead of a regular letter grade. Since this is a non-transferable math course, you may want to consider this option. The deadline to request to take a class for P/NP is Thursday, March 03, 2016. Please make sure you check with the Counseling Department and/or Admissions & Records to discuss the use of this option and the petition form which needs to be submitted to Admissions.


Grade Components and Weighting

Item Raw Points Weighting Factor

Exam 1 (Tentatively Thursday, 2/25/2016, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m., covering the following slices of the ALEKS pie: Real Numbers, Linear Equations.) Attendance will be taken at 7:30 a.m. as usual.

100 ⎫

⎬

⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪

⎭

⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪⎪

70% of course grade

Exam 2 (Tentatively Thursday, 3/17/2016, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m., covering the following slices of the ALEKS pie: Inequalities, Lines & Functions, Systems of Linear Equations.) Attendance will be taken at 7:30 a.m. as usual.

100

Exam 3 (Tentatively Thursday, 4/14/2016, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m., covering the following slices of the ALEKS pie: Exponents & Polynomials, Factoring Polynomials.) Attendance will be taken at 7:30 a.m. as usual.

100

Exam 4 (Tentatively Thursday, 5/12/2016, from 8:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m., covering the following slices of the ALEKS pie: Rational Expressions, Radicals.) Attendance will be taken at 7:30 a.m. as usual.

100

Comprehensive Final Exam (Tuesday May 24 from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., covering all the slices of the ALEKS pie, with about 25% to 30% of the material coming from the last three slices of the ALEKS pie: Quadratic Equations & Functions, Function Operations & Inverses, Exponential & Logarithmic Functions.) Attendance will be taken at 7:30 a.m. as usual.

200

ALEKS Weekly Topic Goals, due Sunday night at midnight, every week 100 ⎫⎬⎪

⎭⎪30% of course grade ALEKS Pie Mastery Goals, due various Sunday nights at midnight 100

ALEKS Pie Slice Quizzes, relevant slices due before each exam 100

Course Grade

Percentage Weighted Points Required Grade

≥ 90 ≥ 513 A 80-89.99 456-512.99 B 70-79.99 399-455.99 C 60-69.99 342-398.99 D

< 60 ≤ 341.99 F Class Policies 1) Textbook

The text our section uses is: Intermediate Algebra, 3rd ed., by Miller, O’Neill, and Hyde, bundled with ALEKS access code; published by McGraw-Hill, Bundle ISBN: 978-007-7882143. (text only ISBN: 978-007-755394-4). This text is available for rent, and also in electronic (eBook) format.

We make extensive use of ALEKS during class (but the actual text, not so much), so it is more important that you have access to ALEKS both when you are in class, and when you are outside of class, than having access to a hard copy of the text. Regarding ALEKS access, there are many ways to achieve this; when you are in class, you can bring your own laptop or tablet (ALEKS works on an iPad and on other types of


Internet-connected tablets), or you can borrow one of the class set of laptops that we have access to. Outside of class, you can use your own device or a computer in one of the many computer labs on campus, including the Math & Science Center (MSC, room S300). Regarding the actual text (listed above, page 2), clearly, the best option is to get access to an electronic version of the text through an ALEKS 360 license (was $92 recently for the 18-week license), because you get access to ALEKS as well as access to an electronic copy of the text (ebook). The only downside is that you can only read the ebook when using ALEKS (in other words, you need an Internet connection). 2) Homework A small amount of your time in-class, and probably most of your study time outside of class, will be spent using the required software package, called ALEKS. ALEKS is an acronym which stands for Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces. It is an artificially intelligent math teaching engine which, among many things, will personalize the material from this course to help you learn it efficiently and quickly. The homework assignments are all ALEKS-related; we don’t have any homework, per se, from the text itself. In other words, the only way you can earn points for doing homework will be through the various avenues we provide for you while using ALEKS. Register for ALEKS at: http://www.aleks.com/sign_up You will need two codes: 1) an ALEKS access code (comes with your textbook bundle, or you can purchase one online, using a credit card, or use the temporary access code from the “welcome to the class” email that I sent out) and 2) a course section code. The course section code for this term is:

CRN 31459, Meeting Tuesdays & Thursdays, 7:30 a.m.–10:00 a.m.: J3GUP-PVPYT For our sixteen-week semester course, you can use an eighteen-week ALEKS license (recently, was $78 for the basic license when purchased directly online from ALEKS, using a credit card; even better, you can get the ALEKS 360 version, which includes an electronic copy of the text, which was $92). The bookstore also sells ALEKS licenses. If you can’t purchase the license right away, for whatever reason, email me and I can supply you with a free two-week access code. If you have ANY technical support issues, do not call or email me, as I am not able to help you troubleshoot your individual computer issues. For ALEKS-related issues, call ALEKS during normal business hours at (714) 619-7090, or email them via their support link on their Web site. You must register and get started using ALEKS immediately. (One of the most unwise things done by some students in past sections of the course was to put off getting started in ALEKS until the second or third (!) week.) As indicated in the table on page 1, you’ll earn credit for using ALEKS four different ways:

1) Using ALEKS to master a minimum of topics per week (100 points); 2) Meeting the pie mastery goals (100 points); 3) Taking the relevant slice quizzes in ALEKS before each exam (100 points). 4) Taking the in-class exams in ALEKS.

One hundred points of your ALEKS score will be earned by simply mastering topics. You will need to master a minimum number of topics per week using ALEKS in order to keep pace with the class.


Required Minimum ALEKS Topics Mastered Per Week

Weeks 1-4: February 01 through February 27: 40 topics Weeks 5-8: February 28 through March 26: 35 topics Weeks 9-12: April 03 through April 30: 30 topics Weeks 13-15: May 01 through May 22: 25 topics

You earn points for each topic mastered per week. For example, say you mastered 27 topics in a given week where you were required to master 30 topics; since 27/30 = 0.9, your score would be 90% for that week. At the end of the course, I will take the unweighted mean score earned for the best 14 weeks of the term straight out of the ALEKS gradebook (we drop your two lowest scores) and incorporate that into the final grade calculation. However, when you’re logged in to ALEKS and notice that the pie chart contains around 650 topics, total, it might occur to you that the required topics per week may not be sufficient to complete the pie chart by the end of the class, because topics. (That’s one reason why the required number of topics/week is a minimum figure.) Data and past experience shows that the average student in this class already knows at least 20%-25% of these topics (i.e., about 130-165 topics) at the start of the class, and they demonstrate this when they take the initial assessment. So most students need only master 485-520 topics in order to complete the pie chart, and that means that the required topics per week is enough to get them very close to completing the pie chart by the end of the course. If you’re able to master all of the topics before the end of the course, you’ll be free to focus on the other components of your grade that come from ALEKS. You will also earn up to 100 points by meeting the pie mastery goals that come up at the end of various weeks; you can see these goals in the assignment calendar, which is found on pages 10 to 13 of this syllabus. Be careful to note that topics picked up in learning mode are merely mastery candidates. Only topics that are locked in via assessment in ALEKS are considered mastered, and only mastered topics count for credit toward this component of your course grade. You can also earn up to one hundred points in ALEKS by taking the pie slice quizzes that are scheduled prior to each exam. The due dates for these quizzes appear in the assignment calendar (pages 10 to 13 of this syllabus) and also in the ALEKS calendar (you can find them under the ASSIGNMENT tab in ALEKS, as well). You must complete these assignments before the exams. You’ll see these listed in the ALEKS grade book, and at the end of the term, I’ll take the overall percentage score for this category. So for example, if you earn 72% overall on your ALEKS pie slice quizzes, I’ll use 72 as your score in this category. Due dates in ALEKS will never be adjusted on a personal basis for whatever reason, so please don’t bother asking. Regarding the gradebook in ALEKS, please understand that all it can offer you is an estimate of your overall course grade at any given time. It can be a decent estimate, but keep in mind that significant components of your course grade (like the final exam) don’t appear in your ALEKS gradebook. In other words, your course grade is calculated at the end of the course, after your ALEKS access has ended, so you should accept any estimate of your grade supplied by ALEKS with a grain of salt. 3) Exams Students frequently ask what happens when they miss an exam. Regarding make–up exams, when you enroll in a class like this one you are tacitly agreeing to be present during the scheduled class hours; since the exams fall during these hours, you are also tacitly agreeing to be present for the exams. Thus, exams will not be rescheduled on an individual basis for any reason; please don’t bother asking. To put it differently, make–up

4 40 + 35 + 30 + 25( ) = 520


exams will NOT be given. Students missing any one exam will have the percentage score from the final exam substituted for any single (missed) exam score. Students who miss more than one exam will have their final exam score used to replace all missing exam scores, however a 25% penalty will be deducted for each of the (second, or third, or fourth) replaced score(s), if you can document your reason(s) for being absent to my satisfaction. If you can’t justify your absence(s) to my satisfaction, I’ll deduct a 35% penalty for each of the (second, or third, or fourth) replaced score(s). Bottom line: if you are not able to attend any exam, you would be wise to contact me in advance— by email, preferably— to advise me of your situation. You would also be wise to document your circumstances. You won’t need to provide me with the documentation unless I ask for it, but it’s smart to have it ready. Sick? Get a note from your physician. Jury duty? Get a note from the court clerk. Traveling on business? Get a letter from your boss, on company letterhead. Car accident on the way to school? Get a copy of the police report. And so forth. Understand that missing more than one exam will cause all of your absences to come under scrutiny (and that’s when the documentation will be requested). Too, please understand that I will be the final judge with respect to what constitutes acceptable documentation and/or reasonable or compelling circumstances for missing an exam. Please note: missing any exam also makes you ineligible to submit any extra credit assignment(s) that may be offered during the course, even those which have already been completed. They may appear in your ALEKS gradebook— I can’t remove them on an individual basis— but that doesn’t mean they will be factored in to the calculation of your final course grade. The one exam that everyone needs to attend is the final exam. If you miss the final, whether you are depending on your final score to replace one (or more) missing exam scores, or not, you will almost certainly fail the course. I will also strenuously oppose the recording of an incomplete grade on your behalf. In the interest of fairness, I will also permit students who sit for all of the regular exams to replace one exam score of their choosing with the score on their final exam. If someone is interested in doing this, indicate your wishes by writing a brief note— “replace exam x with my final percent score,” or “replace my lowest exam score with my final percentage score,” or something equally clear— on the front of your final exam paper. This request, once received, is irrevocable and unchangeable. If your request is not intelligible or it conflicts with what is permitted— for example, I’ve had people write “replace my final exam score with exam x” (exactly backwards), or “replace exam x with exam y” (not permitted at all), neither of which is something I can do— I will simply ignore your request, and I will not pursue clarification. In sum, make sure your request conforms to what is permitted and make sure it is clear. Too, please understand that this replacement will take place regardless of whether you score better or worse on your final exam than you scored on the exam it is replacing, so you should not make this request lightly or casually. Grades earned on exams are based to some extent on the quality of the work that you write down for the open-ended problems. Clarity of expression is important. Thus: if you submit something which I can't read, or which I can't follow, you may lose points. If you submit answers to open-ended questions without appropriate supporting work, you may not get credit for the answers. The long and the short of it is “no work, no credit,” and I reserve the right to enforce this policy as I see fit. You have a selfish reason for showing your work carefully and clearly, in that I won’t be able to evaluate partial credit on answers to exam questions that are unsupported by work. Students sitting for exams will be allowed to use a dedicated scientific calculator (as illustrated below). Examples of scientific calculators would include, but not be limited to, TI-30X IIS and TI-30Xa (pictured below), and other similar models. You can use a less functional calculator if you wish, but I would suggest that it is unwise, at best, and could help you to earn a lower grade than you might be able to earn with an appropriate


calculator.

Examples of scientific calculators (legal for exam use)

Graphing calculator (illegal for exam use)

Cell Phone, tablet PC (illegal for exam use)

I reserve the right to decide whether a particular calculator is legal for exam use in my classroom or not. Additional instructions will be given for each exam during class as needed. Students sitting for exams will not be allowed to use any of the following items during the exams: 1) any kind of cell phones or similar electronic device (e.g., iPod, iPhone), 2) electronic dictionaries, and 3) calculators with QWERTY–style keyboards and/or built-in Computer Algebra System (e.g., TI–89*/92*/Voyage*/TI-Nspire CAS or equivalent), 4) graphing calculators (e.g., any of the TI–8x series, or any equivalent, as determined by me). If, during an exam, you are observed to use one of these devices, or found to have one sitting on your desk, I reserve the right to record a permanent score of zero (0) for that exam, and to pursue additional measures associated with cheating (see item 9, cheating policy, below). More to it, since you will be taking your exams while logged in to ALEKS, having any other browser tab or unauthorized application open during the exam will also be grounds for invoking the cheating policy. In other words, when you are taking an exam, you are only allowed to have a Web browser with one tab open, and you need to be logged in to ALEKS on that tab. Any other open tabs or open applications are not permitted, with the exception of the ALEKS calculator (when ALEKS makes it available, which you may use instead of an actual calculator should you wish). Students who have been certified by DSP&S will take paper-and-pencil exams in the DSP&S office, because the logistics of the situation do not permit the use of ALEKS for exams. If you are receiving proctoring services from DSP&S, be advised that I will not make an exam available for you in their offices unless you request it in a timely fashion, by email. I need to be advised by email at least 48 business hours prior to your exam appointment that you have made an appointment to take an exam in DSP&S. So for example, if you plan on taking an exam on a Monday in DSP&S, I need an email from you no later than the prior Thursday, advising of your appointment. In addition, you must start your exam during the same window of time that other students in our course are taking the equivalent exam. In other words, if our class is taking an exam on a Wednesday morning between 8:05 a.m. and 9:30 a.m., you need to schedule your appointment in DSP&S to start your exam during that same 85-minute window of time, or you will not be allowed to take the exam. Finally, you may be required to submit pencil-and-paper exam answers on a Scantron form SC882-E/N-E (the blue form 882 with the ID Number field). Using any other Scantron or Parscore forms will result in your exam score(s) being reduced by 10% or 10 points, whichever is larger.


4) Attendance Attendance is important. So is being punctual. You should know that when people are looking to add the class, I will certainly drop you if you miss any class meetings during the first two weeks of the course without notifying me (email only, please) that you don’t want to be dropped. Because of the high attrition rates we often see in math courses, and the nature of this class in particular, I will take attendance twice per day: at the start and at the end of the class. If you come late or leave early, I will record a partial absence for you. Three partial absences will be equal to absence for a full class meeting (a whole absence), except when you miss both roll calls on the same day; that will count as a whole absence. If you have more than three whole absences, I gain the right to drop you for non-participation. So, for example, say you’ve accrued two whole absences, and have come late to class and/or left early a total of four times on different days. At that point, you have earned 3.33 whole absences, which means I can drop you at my earliest convenience, without giving you prior notice. In order to make attendance quick and efficient, I reserve the right to use a seating chart, and I will require you to be in your assigned seat when I take attendance, and to remain there. If you show up late, after your absence has been noted, or if you leave early, before the second roll call, I will record a partial absence. I can’t accept any excuse for partial absences, so please don’t bother asking. I will not remove a partial absence for any reason, unless I have made an error. To incentivize you to attend on time, for each whole absence which remains “unused” at the end of the course, I will add 1% to your total course grade, up to 3%. So in other words, if you have perfect attendance (no partial or full absences), I will add 3% to your course percentage score before I calculate your course grade. So, for example, if a student had perfect attendance, but their overall percentage score (before being bumped for perfect attendance) was 89.3%, since 89.3% + 3% = 92.3%, I would record an “A” grade for them. Too, if you miss a class, it is your responsibility to obtain information from your classmates regarding what transpired in your absence. You should make an effort to get the phone number or the email address of one or two others from the class for that purpose. Don’t call me or email me after missing class(es), looking for an individualized summary of what you missed or a personalized repeat of the material. You should also know that I will not permit you to attend another of my sections of this class without prior permission. For example, if you are registered for my MW section and miss the class one day, and you decide “I’ll just show up for the other section instead,” I will not automatically allow you to sit in the other class without asking. Even if you do ask, I may not permit it, for whatever reason. This policy will be enforced with inflexibility on exam days, especially. 5) Office Hours If you’re planning to see me during any particular office hour, it’s always good to let me know in advance. I really appreciate that simple courtesy. Email is probably the best way to contact me, though I do check my voicemail whenever I am in the office. I’m often around outside of office hours, should you need to make an appointment that doesn’t fall within office hours, but I make no guarantees. Feel free to drop by as needed, without advance notice, either during office hours or outside of them, but please understand that I reserve the right to pre-empt office hours for other business as needed. 6) Enrollment Deadline Only students who are officially registered for the course will receive a grade. After the last date to add has passed (Wednesday, February 10, 2016), I can’t add any students for any reason, even if you have enrolled in our ALEKS section and paid for an ALEKS license. All registration transactions between you and the Admissions & Records Office generate a receipt; to protect your own interests, you should make sure you retain your copy at least until you receive your grade for this course.


7) Drop Deadline The final drop deadline for this class is Tuesday, April 12, 2016. Around that time, I may elect to drop students who no longer appear (to me) to be participating, but you should not depend on me to do so. For example, if you have missed an exam and I never heard from you regarding that, I may drop you. If your exam average is below 50% around the deadline, I may drop you, especially if your average appears to be decreasing (exam 1 score > exam 2 score, etc.). If you have accrued more than a few whole absences (item 4, above), I may drop you. I may factor other elements into the decision process, like scores/recent activity on ALEKS, too. However, managing what appears on your transcript is really your business, not mine, and I make no guarantees either way. Be advised: if you are dropped for non-participation, please don’t bother asking for reinstatement for whatever reason (including athletic eligibility, or maintaining insurance coverage, for example), as I will not be able to reinstate you. This is a mathematics course, and the purpose of the class is helping you to learn mathematics, not maintaining athletic eligibility or providing insurance coverage. Please be advised that state law regarding course repetition has recently changed. Students will be allowed no more than three attempts at any course for which an unsatisfactory grade (D or F) or a withdrawal (W) is recorded on their transcripts. This change will be retroactive. For example, say that a student has enrolled in the Math 070 course three different times at Rio Hondo College. The first time, they earned a D grade. The second time, they withdrew, and a W was recorded on their transcript. Now they are enrolled for the third time. If they can't pass the course (by earning a C grade or better), or if they withdraw again (and receive a W), they will not be able to repeat the course again at Rio Hondo College. 8) Processing Times Normally, I make every effort to process all papers as quickly as possible and get them returned to you in a reasonable amount of time. Reasonable normally means within a week, but it may take up to two weeks for an exam to be returned, especially if several of my classes happen to have exams during a particular week. In addition, it is strongly recommended that you retain all papers— syllabus, handouts, exams, etc.— which are related to this class until you have received your grade. 9) Cheating The Rio Hondo College Academic Integrity policy reads: “Cheating is defined as obtaining or attempting to obtain credit for work by the use of any dishonest, deceptive, fraudulent, or unauthorized means helping someone commit an act of academic dishonesty.” If you cheat on anything assigned for credit in this class, I will record for you a permanent score of zero for that assignment; I will report you to the Director of Student Life and Leadership and/or the Dean of Student Affairs (which hopefully will get you put on disciplinary probation); I will also put you on my radar, so to speak, meaning all future submissions from you will get extra scrutiny. Examples of cheating might include, but not be limited to, having an illegal calculator on your desk during an exam or a quiz, or having a cellular phone on your desk during an exam or a quiz, or communicating with another student (or students) during an exam. You also forfeit your ability to submit any extra credit if you get caught cheating, including assignments already completed. In addition, please be aware that I am the final judge regarding what constitutes cheating in my class; you can still be penalized by me for cheating even if the Director of Student Life and Leadership and/or the Dean of Student Affairs declines to put you on disciplinary probation. 10) Course Web Site Our Course Web site can be found at http://littrell.riomath.com/math70.html. The syllabus and some other things are posted at this Web site. If you have any questions regarding anything, ask me in person or email me directly at: [email protected] (PLEASE don’t email me via ALEKS).


11) Laptops Rio Hondo College has provided our class with a classroom set of laptops that can be used to access ALEKS during certain class hours. You are welcome to bring your own laptop or tablet—ALEKS can be accessed from any Internet-connected laptop, iPad or equivalent—and regardless of whether you customarily bring your own laptop or tablet PC, you may be assigned one of the laptops from the classroom set. By remaining enrolled in this class, you agree to be bound by the following requirements:

• The laptop that has been assigned is and will remain the property of Rio Hondo College. • The privilege of being assigned a laptop may be revoked for not following the terms and conditions of

this syllabus, policies set forth by Rio Hondo College (including, but not limited to, RHC Board policies and Administrative Procedures and the College Policies & Procedures as covered in the current catalog).

• Installation of any software is prohibited on this laptop without written permission from Rio Hondo College Information Technology Department.

• You will be required to return the laptop to the appropriate location in the storage cart at the end of class. Under no circumstances is the laptop to leave the room. Your assigned laptop is your responsibility; under no circumstances are students to swap laptops.

The laptops are being issued in good working order. It is the responsibility of the student who is assigned the laptop to ensure that it remains in its current condition. Any mishandling or damage incurred while in the student’s possession may be assessed and handled accordingly. If the laptop is damaged due to a student mishandling it in any way, the student may be held responsible and liable for any expenses associated with their inappropriate use and for costs incurred in repairing/replacing the laptop. Damages must be reported to your instructor immediately. If a laptop is stolen, the theft will be reported to law enforcement and may result in prosecution as multiple felonies under CPC §487 (grand theft) and/or §503 (embezzlement). 12) Student Learning Outcomes Throughout the term, your performance on multiple student learning outcomes will be evaluated. In particular the outcomes which will be assessed this term include--but are not necessarily limited to--the following:

• Given a quadratic equation in one variable, the student will solve the equation. The solution is correct, the students show appropriate steps to show how the solution is derived.

• Given the description of real-world problem, students construct correct equations and/or inequalities to represent the problem and determine the correct solution or set of solutions.

• Identify and apply basic algebraic concepts including function and its properties (domain, range, intercepts, inverse function), slope and its meaning (rate of change); absolute value, equations and equivalency of equations, inequalities, exponents, laws of exponents and logarithms; and Pythagorean Theorem.

• Perform basic operations on and simplify expressions containing algebraic expressions: Complex numbers, Polynomial expressions, Exponential expressions, Logarithmic expressions, Radical expressions, Rational expressions.

• Solve equations and inequalities: Equations in one or two variables; Inequalities in one variable; Systems of linear equations in two or three unknowns using elimination, substitution and graphing; Quadratic equations by factoring, completing the square, and quadratic formula; for real and complex roots; Simple exponential and logarithmic


equations; Equations involving radicals; Equations involving rational expressions. • Sketch the graphs of functions and relations: Algebraic, including linear equalities and

inequalities, polynomial, rational; Radical; Logarithmic; Exponential. • Find and sketch inverse functions. • Problem solve by application of linear, exponential and quadratic functions.

14) Email, Email Hours Typically I am teaching more than one class, so when a student emails me, I appreciate it when they make it abundantly clear which class they are emailing in regards to, e.g., “… regarding Math 070 MW…,” or some equally clear reference. In addition, it’s never bad to keep in mind that email messages do not convey the non-verbal portion of a conversation, like tone of voice, or body language, so always be careful to use appropriate politeness. For a number of reasons, it is also very good to use proper grammar and spelling in emails, to strive for clarity, and to write as an intelligent student in a math course should write. Since I appreciate prompt responses to my own emails, I typically try to respond to emails as quickly as possible. However, even though you (collectively) may be working on this class 24/7, I do teach other classes, and I am not on the clock 24/7, so you should not expect any email communication after 10:00 p.m. most nights, and from about 4 p.m. on Fridays to about 6 p.m. on Sundays (Pacific Time), and on holidays as well. I may elect to respond during those times, but don’t count on it. In recent months we have had problems with emails originating from our domain (riohondo.edu) bouncing and/or ending up in the spam folder at various hosts. Microsoft-owned domains (Hotmail, msn, Live.com, et al.) have been particularly troublesome. Typically when I send an email to the class, it goes to whatever address you have in your college profile. To the extent it is possible, it is your responsibility to check your @my.riohondo.edu email address, and/or arrange to have incoming email to that account forwarded to one where you do check routinely. 15) Assignment Schedule and Calendar Please note that in the event a class meeting must be cancelled, I reserve the right to hold you responsible to cover the material scheduled for that date on your own, using ALEKS. Should there be any conflict between the due dates in ALEKS and the due dates in this syllabus, the due dates in ALEKS (possibly updated for whatever reason, like something in class being pushed back) will trump the due dates listed in the syllabus. I typically do not update the syllabus as the term progresses. In other words, the assignment due dates/deadlines presented in the schedule below can be tentative; the assignment due dates/deadlines presented in ALEKS are final. In case of any conflict, always defer to the dates you see on the ALEKS course calendar.

Tentative Date Distribution of Lecture Topic(s) and Assignments Sunday, 1/31 Week 1

You must earn 40 topics total for the first week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m. on next Sunday, 2/7.

Tuesday Class introduction. Log in to ALEKS and get your preliminary ALEKS knowledge check done ASAP. You can earn extra credit using ALEKS if you can master 10 topics today (due by 11:59 p.m.)

Wednesday You can earn extra credit using ALEKS if you can master 10 topics today (due by 11:59 p.m.) Thursday You can earn extra credit using ALEKS if you can master 10 topics today (due by 11:59 p.m.)


Friday You can earn extra credit using ALEKS if you can master 10 topics today (due by 11:59 p.m.) Sunday, 2/7 Week 2

You must earn 40 topics total for the first week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m. tonight.

Tuesday Wednesday 2/10

Last day to add the course.

Thursday Sunday, 2/14 Week 3

You must earn 40 topics total for the second week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m. You should have at least 30% of your ALEKS pie complete by midnight (11:59 p.m., about 210 topics mastered).

Tuesday Thursday Sunday, 2/21 Week 4

You must earn 40 topics total for the third week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m. Last day to drop the class without a W on your transcript.

Tuesday Thursday Exam 1, covering ALEKS Pie slices 1 (Real Numbers) and 2 (Linear Equations &

Inequalities). Slice 1 and 2 Quizzes Due in ALEKS by 8:00 a.m.; look under the ASSIGNMENTS tab to find them. The exam will run from 8:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.; attendance will be taken at 7:30 a.m. as usual.

Sunday, 2/28 Week 5

You must earn 40 topics total for the fourth week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m. You should have at least 45% of your ALEKS pie complete by midnight (11:59 p.m., about 290 topics mastered).


You must earn 35 topics total for the fifth week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m. You should have at least 55% of your ALEKS pie complete by midnight (11:59 p.m., about 355 topics mastered).


You must earn 35 topics total for the sixth week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m.

Tuesday Thursday Exam 2, covering ALEKS Pie slices 3 (Lines & Functions) and 4 (Systems of Linear

Equations). Slice 3 and 4 Quizzes Due in ALEKS by 8:00 a.m.; look under the ASSIGNMENTS tab to find them. The exam will run from 8:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.; attendance will be taken at 7:30 a.m. as usual.

Sunday, 3/20 Week 8

You must earn 35 topics total for the seventh week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m.

Tuesday Thursday Sunday, 3/27 Spring Break Week; college closed from Saturday 3/26 until Sunday 4/3.


Tuesday Spring Break Holiday; college closed. Thursday Spring Break Holiday; college closed. Sunday, 4/3 Week 9

You must earn 35 topics total for the eighth week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m. You should have at least 65% of your ALEKS pie complete by midnight (11:59 p.m., about 430 topics mastered).


You must earn 30 topics total for the ninth week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m.

Tuesday Last day to drop the class with a “W.” Thursday Exam 3, covering ALEKS Pie slices 5 (Exponents & Polynomials) and 6 (Factoring

Polynomials). Slice 5 and 6 Quizzes Due in ALEKS by 8:00 a.m.; look under the ASSIGNMENTS tab to find them. The exam will run from 8:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.; attendance will be taken at 7:30 a.m. as usual.

Sunday, 4/17 Week 11

You must earn 30 topics total for the tenth week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m. You should have at least 75% of your ALEKS pie complete by midnight (11:59 p.m., about 490 topics mastered).


You must earn 30 topics total for the eleventh week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m.


You must earn 30 topics total for the twelfth week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m. You should have at least 85% of your ALEKS pie complete by midnight (11:59 p.m., about 550 topics mastered).


You must earn 25 topics total for the thirteenth week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m.

Tuesday Thursday Exam 4, covering ALEKS Pie slices 7 (Rational Expressions) and 8 (Radicals). Slice 7 and 8

Quizzes Due in ALEKS by 8:00 a.m.; look under the ASSIGNMENTS tab to find them. The exam will run from 8:00 a.m. to 9:50 a.m.; attendance will be taken at 7:30 a.m. as usual.

Sunday, 5/15 Week 15

You must earn 25 topics total for the fourteenth week (mastery candidates in learning mode) by 11:59 p.m. You should have 90% of your ALEKS pie complete by midnight (11:59 p.m., about 585 topics mastered).

Tuesday Thursday Sunday, 5/22 You must earn 25 topics total for the fifteenth week (mastery candidates in learning mode)

by 11:59 p.m.


Week 16 You should have 95% of your ALEKS pie complete by midnight (11:59 p.m., about 617 topics mastered).

Tuesday Final Exam: Your comprehensive final (covering all the slices from the ALEKS pie) goes from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.; don’t be late. About 25-30% of your final exam will cover the last three slices of the ALEKS pie: slices 9 (Quadratic Equations & Functions) 10 (Function Operations & Inverses), and 11 (Exponential & Logarithmic Functions). Slice 9, 10 and 11 Quizzes Due in ALEKS by 7:00 a.m.; look under the ASSIGNMENTS tab to find them. Your ALEKS access will end at 11:59 p.m. tonight. You should have 100% of your ALEKS pie complete by midnight (11:59 p.m., about 650 topics mastered).

Thursday This is finals week; we have no class meeting today, as the class is finished.

NOTE: I RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE ANY OF THE ABOVE POLICIES OR ITEMS AS NEEDED DURING THE COURSE OF THE CLASS. In addition, please be aware that Rio Hondo College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for students with disabilities upon request of the student (in a timely fashion) and upon verification of disability.

SYLLABUS: INTERMEDIATE ALGEBRA (MATH 070) SPRING 2016...

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