Syllabus for MAT-128-OL

COURSE DESCRIPTION

Precalculus for Business is a broad-based course that follows on courses in high school and intermediate algebra and prepares students for courses in business where knowledge of precalculus is a prerequisite. The underlying teaching philosophy is that students who study mathematics should develop skills of active enquiry and independent thought. To this end, active participation is fostered by means of a variety of activities.

The course emphasizes skills development and critical thinking. Students are encouraged to explore and solve realistic and relevant applications in areas related to business, computer science, finance, and management.

Learning precalculus is facilitated by shifting the focus from purely computational skills emphasized in more elementary mathematics courses to truly analytical skills.

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COURSE OBJECTIVES

This course is designed to provide preparation and background for students taking courses related to business. After completing this course, you should:

• have acquired basic knowledge of certain mathematical topics and be able to apply the knowledge to the solution of related problems.
• be able to integrate knowledge acquired to solve a variety of problems, some abstract and some related to everyday life.
• be able to think logically.
• have developed confidence in your own mathematical ability through practice.

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COURSE MATERIALS

You will need the following materials to do the work of the course. These materials are available from the textbook supplier, MBS Direct.

Required Textbook

College Algebra and Trigonometry, 4th ed., by Margaret L. Lial, John Hornsby, and David I. Schneider (Boston: Pearson Addison-Wesley, 2009).

Solutions Manual

Student's Solutions Manual (for College Algebra and Trigonometry, 4th ed.), by Beverly Fusfield (Boston: Pearson Addison-Wesley, 2009).

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COURSE STRUCTURE

Precalculus for Business is a 3-credit online course consisting of six (6) assignment modules. You are required to participate in five (5) Study Group activities, complete six (6) written assignments, and take two (2) examinations—a proctored midterm and an unproctored, online final examination.

Assignment modules comprise learning objectives, a detailed study assignment, a study group activity, and a module-ending written assignment. Each study assignment, in turn, includes readings from the course textbook, technical commentaries, a link to InterActMath tutorials, and suggested self-check exercises for use with the Student's Solutions Manual.

For the course's six assignment modules, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. (See also the course Calendar.)

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ONLINE PARTICIPATION

Online participation in Precalculus for Business 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 Study Group activities.

The Study Group activities in this course provide an opportunity for you to practice and apply analytical and computational skills within an interactive group setting. In so doing, you can benefit from the help of your classmates and share your understanding of chapter concepts. These activities take place in two phases: group problem solving (or groupwork) and posting worked-out solutions to selected exercises.

Phase 1: Groupwork
Phase 1 (Groupwork) involves group problem solving and discussion and counts 60 percent toward your activity grade. Participation in groupwork entails posting draft solutions to textbook exercises and discussing them with other group members on the Groups page of the course Web site.

Phase 2: Posting Solutions
Phase 2 (Posting Your Solutions) involves posting worked-out solutions to the study group exercises and counts 40 percent toward your activity grade. Participation in phase 2 entails posting your worked-out solutions to the exercises selected in phase 1 and discussing them on the class Discussion Board.

Specific directions for the Study Group activities are given in the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site. Due dates for each activity are given in the course Calendar.

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WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS

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

Assignments must be prepared electronically with a word processor, preferably using whatever equation editor comes 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 file (.rtf) before submitting it. Check with your mentor first to determine file compatibility. (Important: Use the equation editor to insert equations into your word-processed document, not to create the document itself.)

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.

When satisfied that your assignment represents your best work, submit it to your mentor by means of the

>>View/Complete Assignment

link provided at the bottom of the respective assignment page. Use the Browse button within this link to locate and attach your assignment file. Click to turn in the assignment.

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EXAMINATIONS

You are required to take two examinations: a proctored midterm examination and an unproctored, online final examination. Consult the course Calendar for the scheduling of these exams.

Midterm Examination
The midterm exam covers all reading and assignments through module 3, that is, all assigned sections in chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 of the textbook. It is three hours long. The exam consists of problems similar to those on the written assignments.

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.

You may take the examination only during the designated exam week, at an approved location, and with an approved proctor. In this regard, you need to schedule your exam and submit your "Proctor Request Form" with the necessary documentation no later than the end of the first week of the semester (see Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site).

If you are on a course extension and have not yet taken the midterm exam, you must let your examination proctor know when you plan to take the exam and contact the Office of Test Administration (609-984-1181) two weeks in advance to request that your exam be sent to the proctor.

For more information on scheduling a proctored examination, see the section Examinations and Proctors in the Online Student Handbook.

Final Examination
The final exam covers all material assigned in modules 4–6 of the course and is three hours long. It consists of twenty-five (25) multiple-choice questions worth four points each.

The 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. But 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.

The final exam is taken online in Blackboard. An exam link will be activated and made available to you in the Tests & Quizzes area of the course site at the start of the last week of the semester. You may take the exam at any time during that week, but no later than midnight Saturday (eastern time). If you are on a course extension, you will need to arrange with your mentor a time to reschedule the final exam.

Statement about Cheating
The final examination in this course is an unproctored exam. That means you will not be supervised while taking the test. You are on your honor not to cheat during the exam. Cheating means:

• Looking up any answer or part of an answer in an unauthorized textbook or on the Internet, or using any other source to find the answer.
• Copying and pasting or in any way copying responses or parts of responses from any other source into your online test. This includes but is not limited to copying and pasting from other documents or spreadsheets, whether written by yourself or anyone else.
• Plagiarizing answers.
• Asking anyone else to assist you by whatever means available while you take the exam.
• Copying any part of the exam to share with other students.
• Telling your mentor that you need another attempt at the 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 your exam, the exam will be declared invalid, and you will fail the course.

Please also note that the exam is time-limited. That means you only have the allotted time in which to complete the exam. If you exceed the time limit on the exam, you will be penalized by having two points deducted for every minute that you exceed the time limit. This may also result in your failing the course.

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GRADING AND EVALUATION

Your grade in the course will be determined as follows:

To receive credit for the course, you must earn a letter grade of D or higher on the weighted average of all assigned course work (e.g., exams, assignments, discussion postings, etc.). You will receive a score of 0 for any work not submitted.

Letter grades for online participation, written assignments, and examinations are based on the following numerical grades:

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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 arrange for proctors, and how to get the most from your educational experience at Thomas Edison State College.



3. Arrange to take your midterm examination by following the instructions in the Online Student Handbook. Then complete the "Proctor Request Form" and submit it to the Office of Test Administration (OTA). You must make arrangements to take your examination and send in your "Proctor Request Form" to OTA before the end of the first week of the current semester. (See Administrative Forms in the General Information area of the course Web site.)



4. Familiarize yourself with the Blackboard 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, or specifically with the Blackboard platform, 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. For details on each assignment module and a complete listing of learning activities, go to the Assignment Modules area of the course Web site.



2. The assignments you submit to your mentor draw on even-numbered exercises from the textbook, but mastering related odd-numbered problems, in conjunction with the Student's Solutions Manual, may be the key to success in the course. Consult the Student's Solutions Manual only after you have made a genuine effort to solve the odd-numbered exercises.



3. Check the Announcements page and class Discussion Board regularly for new course information.

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