MA101 –
Beginning Algebra / MA102 – Intermediate Algebra Sections 752, 756
TTh
3:30 and 6:30 pm in Room 212 Instructor: T. Wallgren Phone:
651-2772
Email: twallgren@semo.edu Office: Johnson 204 (inside 201) – Cape
Campus
Available:
Tuesday, Thursday in class, before and after class, and by appointment.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: Polynomials, factoring, equations and inequalities in one
and two variables, rational expressions, rational exponents, quadratic
equations, and systems of linear equations.
Course grade: CR or F. (3 credit hours). Prerequisite: ACT Math score 20
or lower.
PURPOSE OF COURSE: To prepare students for Logical
Systems and other university courses.
COURSE OBJECTIVES: A detailed list of the course
objectives is listed within the ALEKS computer program.
REQUIRED MATERIALS: A one-semester Access Code for
ALEKS, a 3-ring binder and at least 6 dividers OR divided notebook, paper,
pencils and erasers. You may use your own calculator, but no calculators with
symbolic manipulators or Computer Algebraic Systems, such as TI89, 91, 92, or
Nspire models allowed.
EXPECTATIONS
OF STUDENTS TO RECEIVE CREDIT FOR THIS COURSE:
COURSE GRADE:
Mastery of course objectives will be determined by ALEKS in-class completion assessments. Grades will be assigned as
follows:
STUDENTS
ENROLLED IN MA101 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEMESTER:
A. Students who demonstrate mastery
of at least 170 of 240 course objectives on the in-class completion assessment, will be moved from MA101 at the end
of the semester and switched to a section of MA102. They will receive a grade
of CR for MA102 and will be eligible to take a Logical Systems course the next
semester. These students will NOT receive credit for MA101.
B. Students whose performance on
the in-class completion assessment
shows they have mastered at least 80 new concepts above their ALEKS initial
assessment AND have completed at
least 40 hours of in-class and
out-of-class practice hours logged into ALEKS, but who do NOT pass at least 170
out of 240 course objectives on the in-class completion assessment, will
receive a grade of CR for MA101 and will enroll in MA102 their next semester of
attendance at Southeast.
C. If neither
of the above is achieved, a grade of F or X will be assigned.
STUDENTS
ENROLLED IN MA102 AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SEMESTER:
A. Students who master at least 170
of 240 course objectives as measured by an in-class
completion assessment will receive a grade of CR for MA102 and will be
eligible to take a Logical Systems course the next semester.
B. Students
who do not master at least 170 of 240 course objectives on the in-class completion assessment will receive a grade of F or X.
ATTENDANCE: Attendance is a vital component
to your success in this course. Your instructor will check attendance every class meeting. Your
goal should be completing more than combined total of 80 or more in-class and
out-of-class hours logged into ALEKS.
Attending class allows you to get help from an instructor on difficult
topics and fulfill your login requirement for the course.
STUDENTS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS: If you have special needs, please
plan to meet with the instructor as soon as possible so that appropriate
accommodations may be arranged.
CLASSROOM CONDUCT: MA101 and MA102 classes are held
in computer labs, so the following policies must be observed:
1. No
food or drink may be brought into the lab.
2. Cell
phones should be turned off while in the lab. Do not use MP3 players or other
devices during class time.
3. Use
of another student’s ALEKS code or allowing another student to use your ALEKS
code is a violation of the Southeast Missouri State University Academic Honesty
Policy and is subject to all the penalties listed in the student handbook –
including expulsion from the university.
4. Southeast
student ID cards will be required to take required in-class assessments and
upon request by the instructor. Be sure to bring your Southeast student ID
cards with you to all class meetings.
ALEKS: You will be working with a
software product called ALEKS. You will access ALEKS by going to www.aleks.com.
You will be given your ALEKS Course Code by your instructor the first or second
day of class. You will purchase your ALEKS Access Code from the Southeast
Bookstore or from the office at the Regional Campuses or online through the
Southeast Bookstore website.
To
initially register for ALEKS you will do the following:
1. Go to www.aleks.com
2. Click on the link marked: “SIGN UP
NOW” in the upper left of the screen.
3. You will be asked to supply your
Course Code on the next screen. This will be supplied to you by your
instructor.
4. You will next be asked for your
Access Code. This is the code you purchased from the bookstore.
5. You will be asked for other
registration information – including your Student ID number. This will be your
Southeast Student ID number. When asked
for your email, be sure to provide your Southeast e-mail address.
6. ALEKS
will provide you with a username and password. Be sure to keep this
information in a secure place. Do not share this information with anyone.
You will use it in and out of class to sign onto ALEKS.
7. The first time you sign onto ALEKS
on a computer outside of the computer lab, the program will check to see if the
computer you are using has some special plug-ins ALEKS needs to run. This may
take a couple of minutes and it will be necessary to exit the Web browser and
start it up again to make the program work. Be sure to follow the on screen
instructions for this process. Once the plug-ins are installed on a computer,
they shouldn’t need to be re-installed after that, unless you are using a
computer in a lab where new downloads are erased every day.
8. You will find both on-line and pdf
versions of a User’s Guide to ALEKS at: http://www.aleks.com/user_guides/learners-highedmath
9. You will start using ALEKS by going
through a short tutorial to help you learn how to input answers into ALEKS,
then you will be given an initial assessment to determine what you know and
what you are ready to learn.
IN-CLASS ASSESSMENTS: In-class assessments are the only
assessments used to determine student progress for passing or failing the
course. Be prepared to show student ID before required in-class
assessments. Required in-class
assessments will be completed during the following weeks of class:
Initial Assessment: First week of class (required of
all students)
Midterm Assessment: October 8-14
Completion Assessment: As arranged by instructor or
during the regularly scheduled final exam time.
Drop Date: Friday, October 30, 2009