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MAT 121 - College Algebra

Course Syllabus

Instructor Information | Course Information | Course Materials

Course Activities and Design | Grading and Evaluation | Course Policies

Instructor Information

Instructor: See the course for information on the instructor after you register and have access to your classes.

Contact Information: The instructor will let you know how to contact him or her through phone and/or email, and may also provide a mailing address.

Instructor Accessibility:
Instructors respond to e-mail as promptly as possible, usually within twenty-four to forty-eight hours during the week, Monday-Friday. Weekend response times may be longer.

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Course Information

Course Title: College Algebra - MAT 121

Course Description:
College Algebra is a one semester course which presents equations, inequalities, function and their graphs, exponential and logarithmic functions, linear and non-linear systems and some additional topics such as: graphing of conic sections, introduction to sequences and series permutations and combinations, the binomial theorem, and theory of equations. This course provides a basis for trigonometry and other higher-level mathematics courses.

Credit Hours:
This course carries 4 semester credits. Normally, students can expect to put in 10 hours a week in a 15-week session, and 15 hours a week in a 10-week session.

Prerequisites:
Generally, you should have college-level reading, writing, and study skills.

You must have, on THE FIRST DAY, the technology and skills to operate a computer, navigate across the Internet, perform word-processing tasks, and send and receive email with attachments.

Student Outcomes:
The competencies you will demonstrate in this course are as follows:

1. Be familiar with set notations, subsets of the real numbers and properties of real numbers.
2. Perform algebraic manipulations including working with exponents, radicals, polynomial operations, factoring and algebraic fractions.
3. Present methods for solving first and second degree equations and inequalities and related topics.
4. Solve the following types of equations: linear, quadratic, equations involving radicals, equations in quadratic form and equations involving absolute value.
5. Work with formulas including formula evaluation and solving a formula for any of the variables.
6. Read and analyze problems in the form of word problem applications and obtain solutions using equations.
7. Solve first degree inequalities, higher degree inequalities and inequalities involving absolute value.
8. Recognize and graph linear functions, rational functions, absolute value functions, and graph inequalities in two variables.
9. Work with function notation and demonstrate knowledge of the meaning “function”.
10. Demonstrate an understanding of function composition, one-to-one functions and inverse functions.
11. Examine, evaluate and graph exponential functions.
12. Examine, evaluate and graph logarithmic functions.
13. Work problems and solve equations containing exponential and logarithmic functions.
14. Explore a variety of techniques used to solve linear and non-linear systems of equations.
15. Use at least two of the following techniques to solve linear and non-linear systems of the equations: substitution, addition, Gaussian elimination, Cramer’s rule.
16. Have some familiarity with matrices and operations involving matrices.
17. Graph systems of inequalities.
18. Graph conic sections including circles, parabolas, ellipses and hyperbolas.
19. Identify the conic section represented by a given second degree equation.
20. Introduce various topics related to sequences and series.
21. Work with series notation and sequence formulas, and counting principles.
22. Apply the Binomial Theorem.
23. Demonstrate an understanding of proof by mathematical induction.
24. Present topics in theory equations.
25. Perform synthetic division.
26. Use the Remainder Theorem and the Factor Theorem to factor and evaluate polynomials.
27. Solve polynomial equations using the Rational Root Theorem and/or approximation techniques.
28. Write and speak clearly and logically in presentations and essays.
29. Demonstrate the ability to select and apply contemporary forms of technology to solve problems or compile information.

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Course Materials

Textbooks:
Textbooks change frequently and so are not listed here. However, you may see what texts are required for this course in any semester by clicking on this link to the CCCOnline Bookstore.

NOTE: The Bookstore link opens a new window: Click on BUY > then the checkbox next to course name > then the Submit Course ID Selection(s) button. Close that window to return here.

Textbook Web site:
This information will be available in the course syllabus, after registration in the actual course.

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Course Activities and Design

Unit and Chapter Assignments:
Detailed instructions for assignments are given in the actual course as part of each unit. Due dates will be listed in the course Schedule or Calendar.

Recursive learning is encouraged as part of the test-taking in this course. In conjunction with the 7 units noted above there are seven unit tests, and one final test in Unit 8.

For each question on each test, there is a pool of similar questions. The system generates a different test for each student by choosing randomly from the pools for the questions on that test. The questions in each pool  are similar and of about the same level of difficulty. The people who generated the questions for the tests made a strong effort (which continues, since the attempts to improve and enlarge the test bank is ongoing) to sample as many of the significant concepts and procedures from the course material as possible. What this says is that to "study for the test" is to study the material needed for mastery of the course.

So, here's the procedure for taking the tests (this includes the unit tests as well as the final test).

1.  Take the test for the first time at least 3-4 days before the deadline.  If you can do it sooner, then all the better.

2.  As soon as this first try has been completed, the correct answers are available by clicking on My Grades. This information is then used as a basis for further study, questions to be emailed to the instructor, and questions added to the threaded discussions for comments from other class members as well as from the instructor.

3.  Once this has been processed, you can take the test a second time if you want to try again. If the first attempt is put off until the last moment, then the usage of the tests as learning tools is lost and the student loses a significant part of the value of the course and, hence, will most likely make lower scores throughout the course.  The higher of the two scores will be recorded as your score for that unit test.

Participation and Interaction: 
This is not a self-paced course. A schedule of assignments, discussions, and due dates are part of each course. Students must adhere to the course schedule and due dates.

Discussions:
A very important part of most courses is classroom discussions. The discussion area serves as the virtual classroom, where students and the instructor meet and interact. Participation in the discussions will count as a percentage of the final grade in most classes. The Grading and Evaluation section of the syllabus may indicate how participation is graded.

Communications About Difficulties/Absences:
It is the student’s responsibility to contact the instructor in a timely manner about illness, scheduling issues, or computer problems if any of these cause difficulty in regular weekly participation and interaction, or in submitting assignments on time.

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Grading and Evaluation

Methods:
Evaluation in this course is based on grade points earned from learning activities such as discussion, textbook assignments, and unit tests.

Courses are not self-paced. You'll be graded on learning activities submitted in keeping with specified due dates. Some instructors may accept late work (with or without a grading penalty) while others will not. It's best to meet due dates, since it helps assure success and the best grades. Instructors are encouraged to announce how long they will take to return grades on student learning activities and work.

Grading Policies:
The syllabus in the course you register for will show how grades are assigned, explaining the number of points a student can earn for assignments, discussions, quizzes, etc. as well as the total number of points that adds up to a semester grade of A, B, C, D, or F. Since different sections of the course may be taught by various instructors, the details of grading in each class section might vary slightly from what is illustrated below.

Summary of Grading:

Recursive learning is encouraged as part of test-taking in this course. See details about it under Unit and Chapter Assignments in the Course Activities and Design section above.

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Course Policies

Mutual Respect in CCCOnline Communications: 

A very important aspect of online learning is respectful communication. The CCCOnline Learning Community is based on the value of mutually respectful communication. 

Upon enrolling in programs in CCCOnline, students assume responsibility for respectful communications with other students and with course instructors, including communications which do not disrupt the online environment. 

The CCCOnline Student Handbook includes a definition of disruptive communications and their consequences.  Please visit the CCCOnline.org Web site to view the handbook.

Disruptive Communications

Definition:

• Communications which disrupt the learning environment 
• Use of profanity and/or insulting or harassing remarks in email, discussions, chat or telephone communications 

Consequences:

• A student who participates in disruptive communications forfeits the right to further class participation and is subject to removal from all CCCOnline courses for the given term without reimbursement by CCCOnline. 
• A student who is suspended more than once for disruptive communications forfeits the right to further enrollments at CCCOnline.

Late Work:

CCCOnline courses are not self-paced. A schedule of assignments, discussions, and due dates are part of each course. A policy on accepting or rejecting late submissions, and how they will be graded, can vary from instructor to instructor. Check the syllabus in the actual course you register for to learn about the instructor's policy.

Incomplete Grades:

The "Incomplete" grade is a temporary grade indicating that the student has a satisfactory record of work completed but, for exceptional reasons, was unable to complete the final assignments.  It is designed for students who, because of documented illness or circumstances beyond their control, are unable to complete their course work within the semester but have completed a majority of the course work (75-85% of the course assignments and tests) in a satisfactory manner. The student is responsible for initiating the request for an "Incomplete" grade from the instructor. 

If circumstances beyond your control prevent you from completing an assignment at the end of the term, consult your instructor immediately. The instructor will determine whether you have a reasonable chance of satisfactorily completing the remaining activities without online access to course materials. Your instructor must work out a way for you to complete the course without benefit of the course Web site, if access is not possible. 

In requesting an "Incomplete" grade, the student should email the instructor the following information for evaluation: 

1. Documentation of Circumstances: Evidence of completion of 75-85% of the semester course work.
2. Completion of a work plan (contract) that includes what and how assignments and tests will be submitted to complete the course.  It must also include
1. the time period in which the work must be completed, not to exceed 15 weeks from the end of the CCCOnline semester, and
2. the grade to be assigned if the work is not completed.
3. Both the instructor and the student must acknowledge this written email and keep a copy of the acknowledgment as documentation.

NOTE: You are encouraged to let the instructor know as soon as possible if you are having difficulties with any part of the course. At no time will the "Incomplete" grade be used as entrance into another current or future course section for completion of the work. In the unlikely event that you and the instructor cannot reach some resolution, please contact the Academic Dean. 

Academic Integrity:

Plagiarism is the act of using words and/or ideas from another person or source without acknowledgment of debt to that person or source and is a serious academic crime. Students are expected to do their own work. Students are expected to follow the Academic/Plagiarism policies of their home institutions (available in your college catalog).

Special Services:

If you have a learning or physical disability that will require special accommodation, please notify your instructor immediately upon enrollment. 

End of Semester: 

You will be able to access classes for one week after the end of the semester. However, the last day to turn in any class work is the last day of the semester. The extra week of access is only to check your grades.

Notice of Non-Discrimination:

CCCOnline is an equal-opportunity educational institution and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. Reasonable accommodations will be provided upon request for persons with disabilities. For more information, contact the Office of College Support Services at 1-800-801-5040 or the Student Services office of your home college.

Disclaimer:

Other than competencies, elements of this syllabus may be subject to adjustment.

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