Kitto, Fall ‘11

  Online – Math 70 Syllabus

COURSE:

Math 70 Online - Elementary Algebra (4 units). Click here for Math 070 Course Description.
This is a hybrid course, taught primarily online, with six on campus meetings. The first on campus meeting, on Wed, Aug. 25 from 4:00 to 5:30 pm in Room ME 100, is a mandatory meeting.  Do not miss this meeting or you will risk being dropped from the class.

There will be five additional on campus meetings for midterms and the final, all on Wednesdays at 4:00 pm.  All other work will be done online using the website www.educosoft.com.

This course is a beginning algebra class taught at an accelerated pace. It is designed for a student who is very confident or who is reviewing Elementary Algebra.  The online Math 070 is not recommended for students who have previously been unsuccessful in math or who have math anxiety, nor is it recommended for a student learning algebra for the first time.  Those students should choose a traditional classroom setting.  

INSTRUCTOR:

Dr. Rebecca Kitto

Office: 

OF1 118

Phone:

722-6300 ext.6423

E-mail:

rkitto@avc.edu

Office Hours:

Mon/Wed  2:45 – 3:45 pm

Tues/Thurs 12:00 – 1:30 pm                                

Web Page:

http://avconline.avc.edu/rkitto

TEXTBOOK:

Beginning Algebra, sixth edition, by Man M. Sharma, published by Educo International.                                                            

The Educo books are not displayed on the shelves in the AVC bookstore but are kept in a back room.  An attendant must be called to help you purchase the book.  Be sure to specify that you are taking the online course with Dr. Kitto.  The text is different from those used by some of the other instructors.  Once the book is purchased you will not be able to return it, so be sure this class is right for you before buying. 

With a new book you will be able to register in the Educosoft website free of charge.  If you have no book (or a used book) then a fee is charged for use of the website.  Once registered in the website (www.educosoft.com) you will have access to an e-book, so it is acceptable to register into educosoft without a book.  All students must register in educosoft, by one method or another. 

If you are a repeating student, having used educosoft for Math 70 within the past year, registration in educosoft is free for you.

PREREQUISITE:

You must have completed Math 060 (Pre-Algebra) or have obtained a satisfactory score on the algebra readiness assessment test in order to register for Math 070. 

GRADES AND 
TESTING:

Your course grade will be determined by:
    1. Homework assigned daily (10% of your grade)
    2. A series of quizzes (15% of your grade)
    3. Four midterms (55% of your grade), given on campus
    4. Five practice tests (5% of your grade)
    5. Final Exam (15% of your grade), on campus                      

Math 070 is designated as a credit / no credit course.  In order to pass you must earn a C or better.  The cutoff percentages for A, B, C, and D are 90%, 80%, 70%, 60%, respectively, so you must earn a score of 70% or better to pass.  The final exam will be comprehensive. Click here to view the test schedule.

QUIZZES:

You will have a quiz once or twice a week testing the material covered during that week. Quizzes will be completed online via the educosoft web-based system. The two lowest quiz scores will be discarded.

HOMEWORK:

Homework will be assigned and completed online via the educosoft website. A math computer lab (ME 100) will be open daily for your use. You may also use your home computer. You will receive instructions on using the website at the orientation meeting.  Click here to view the Homework and Quiz Schedule.

PRACTICE TESTS

A practice test is assigned before each on campus test.  The practice tests are posted on educosoft.  You must print out each practice test for yourself.  On the opening page of your educosoft “class” look for “Resources” in the left hand column.  Under Resources there is a “Documents” list.  The practice tests are located in the “Documents” section.  You must show all your work on the problems to get full credit for the practice test.  Answers are also posted under “Documents.”

MAKE-UPS:

No make-up midterms will be given. The lowest of the four midterm scores will be discarded. The zero score for a missed test will be the one omitted. If you know in advance that you must miss a midterm, you may take it early, by appointment.

MATH LAB AND TUTORING SESSIONS:

You may get help on a drop-in basis from a student aid in the Math Lab (located in the Learning Center), during the lab hours as posted. Do not ask tutors in the Math Lab for technical assistance in using educosoft. The technician in the math computer lab, ME 100, is trained to help you with technical problems. The technician in the math computer lab is also able to help with math questions.  Be sure to contact me with your questions also. I have five formal office hours per week, as listed above, and I am available at other times by appointment.  I will monitor my e-mail messages several times a day. 

ORIENTATION

The on campus orientation is mandatory.  Until then you can get more information about the course and about educosoft by visiting the web site www.educosoft.com.  There is an online orientation on the website.  Use it. 

SLO’S

SLO stands for Student Learning Outcomes.  A set of desired outcomes have been defined for each course taught at AVC.  Students must be assessed for mastery of those goals some time during the semester.  The SLO’S for Math 070 can be viewed at:

http://www.avc.edu/administration/organizations/slo/msslos.html#mathematics

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION:

If you have a legally protected disability under the Americas with Disabilities Act (ADA) or California discrimination law, and you believe you need reasonable accommodation to participate fully in this class, please make an appointment to see me during my private office hours to discuss your need.

ACADEMIC VIOLATIONS:

(a)Violation of the Academic Honesty Policy:  Dishonesty, including but not limited to, cheating or plagiarism.  Plagiarism – from the Latin word for “kidnap” – involves using another’s work without giving proper credit, whether done accidentally or on purpose.  This includes not only words and ideas but also graphs, artwork, music, maps, statistics, diagrams, scientific data, software, films, videos and the like.  Plagiarism is plagiarism whether the material is from published or unpublished sources.  It does not matter whether ideas are stolen, bought, downloaded from the Internet or written for the student by someone else – it is still plagiarism.  Even if only bits and pieces of other sources are used, or outside sources reworded, they must still be cited.  To avoid problems, students should cite any source(s) and check with the instructor before submitting an assignment or project.  Students are always responsible for any plagiarism in their work.

(b)An instructor who determines that a student has cheated or plagiarized has the right to give an “F” grade for the assignment or examination.